I smiled, amused at how predictable women can be.
“Is Anthony not back yet?” Nora asked after noticing how quiet and empty the villa was.
“Yeah, I think he’s been pretty busy these days.”
I had tried calling Anthony earlier, but there was no answer. After a few attempts, I gave up on it.
Just then, the yard was illuminated by a car’s headlights. Nora turned to smile at me. “Could that be Mr. Featherstone?”
I shrugged, secretly hoping for her to be right. Alas, my hopes were dashed when the car parked at Armond’s house.
Nora’s eyes lit up when she realized it was Armond who had just come home. “Our poor punching bag is back! That’s my cue to leave. Bye!”
With Nora gone, I headed back into the villa. The food I prepared had gone cold by now, so I decided to call Anthony again.
This time, the call finally went through. “Anthony, where are you? Are you on your way home? I’ve made dinner for us. Will you be home to eat?”
This was my first-time cooking at home, and I had planned it so we could have a heart-to-heart talk over dinner. I had gotten sick of arguing with Anthony, so I knew compromisations had to be made for our relationship to be more sustainable. It was all about knowing when to give and take.
The silence on the other end of the call gave me butterflies in my stomach. I was worried about him being upset about Marcus and not giving me a chance to explain.
“Ms. Stanhope, it’s Rylee. Anth is currently in the shower. I don’t think he’ll be home tonight, so you don’t have to keep dinner for him.”
My heart sank when I heard Rylee’s voice. She had answered Anthony’s phone before, but that was in the past when I had braced myself for the possibility of Anthony leaving me for her. This time, however, my heart was not ready for it.
Over the years, I had grown certain that what Anthony felt toward Rylee was nothing more than a sense of responsibility. But now that I knew he was at her place, it instantly destroyed the trust I had in him and shattered the self-confidence I had painstakingly built.
When I did not reply, Rylee’s tone got even more condescending. “Ms. Stanhope, I’ll let Anthony know that you want him home. But please have your dinner first. I’m afraid it’d be late by the time he makes it back, and you know food doesn’t taste as good when it’s cold.”
Not wanting to be snubbed by her anymore, I promptly ended the call. I stared at the dinner I had prepared, feeling like an absolute fool.
Love and trust? That’s all bullsh*t now.
Even as I tried to keep my anger at bay, I couldn’t get the dripping sarcasm from Rylee’s voice out of my head. I had so much faith in myself that I wouldn’t be bothered by their relationship, yet here I was, steeped in pain and unable to sleep.
I lay in bed and tried to calm myself down, but all it did was make me even more frustrated as unpleasant memories came flooding back. At that moment, none of the good times I had with Anthony in the past could make up for the pain he caused in the present.
It looked to be yet another sleepless night as I tossed and turned in bed, fraught with worry and pain. Then, to make matters worse, my stomach started to hurt. I was suffering from emotional and physical pain at the same time. Life can be so cruel at times.
Perhaps it was too early for bed, or the emotional rollercoaster I was on kept me awake. Either way, falling asleep no longer seemed possible.
I decided reading might help calm me down, so I headed to the study to finish reading “Three Makes A Family.”
I was making good progress on the book when there was the sound of a car engine, followed by the yard being illuminated by headlights. Anthony’s back already?
The thought of him being home distracted me so much that I couldn’t carry on reading any more. With a sigh, I put the book away and headed downstairs.
Anthony sat at the dining table in the kitchen, still dressed smartly in his all-black suit.
I had left the dishes on the table without having eaten a single morsel. The food would undoubtedly be cold by now, but Anthony seemed unbothered by it as he started eating.
I watched on in silence as the anger and hurt from earlier slowly came back. It had been two hours since my call with Rylee, which meant that whatever shenanigans they were up to would have been done and dusted.
“The food has turned cold, don’t eat it anymore. I wouldn’t want you to fall sick from it, Mr. Featherstone,” I said coldly.
Anthony was a little surprised when he saw me standing outside the kitchen. “Did I wake you up?”
His tone was full of warmth and concern, but I felt like he was only putting on a pretense.
I forced a smile as I walked toward the table. “You didn’t. But the food’s cold, so don’t eat it.” With that, I cleared all the dishes away without even waiting for his reply.
The lack of hesitation on my part took Anthony by surprise. “Sienna!” he exclaimed while looking at me.
“I’m sure you have eaten your fill outside. There’s no need to force yourself to finish these cold dishes.” I tried to be as calm as possible, but I couldn’t hide the hint of annoyance in my voice.
Anthony frowned at my reply, his anger simmering away. “Must you be so sarcastic?”
Even though his calm demeanor terrified me, I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Yes, I’ve always been sarcastic. Is this your first time noticing it?”
No relationship was perfect, and no couples have ever not exchanged hurtful words with each other. At one point or another, many people would have thought about hurting their partner because they were just so frustrated with them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Anthony had such urges racing through his mind now.
Anthony was trying to suppress his anger and not argue with me. His tone was a lot gentler when he said, “Are you angry because I wasn’t home to have dinner with you?”
I smiled faintly back at him. “Not at all. It was just a meal. I was bored and thought I’d try out some recipes. Marcus hasn’t been feeling well these days, so I’d like to make him something nutritious.”
Even though that was true, it wasn’t the complete truth. But my anger got the better of me, and I wanted to use Marcus to rile him up.
Anthony’s face immediately darkened with rage as he stared at me. “Sorry for being so delusional. How could I have forgotten that there’s someone you care dearly for still lying in the hospital? Speaking of which, why are you back home and not with him tonight?”
His derisive attitude infuriated me even more. “Thank you for reminding me. I should head over to the hospital now,” I replied coolly. I would rather be with Marcus in the hospital than stay home and argue with Anthony. Besides, after this less than friendly interaction with him, a good night’s sleep would be even more impossible.
Before I could walk away, Anthony angrily grabbed my wrist. “Sienna, are you forgetting that you’re someone’s wife and mother? Running off in the middle of the night to see another man is not what a virtuous woman ought to do.”
I tried to shake him off but to no avail. And in my moment of anger, I went on the offensive. “Which era are you from, Anthony? It’s the twenty-first century, and you’re still talking about the virtues of a mother and wife? You’re the one having affairs, yet you expect me to uphold these virtues?”
Anthony scowled at me when I mentioned the affairs, clearly unhappy about it. “Sienna, what on earth has Rylee done to make you hate her so much?”
“Oh? Do you expect me to live in peace with her?” I laughed at the incredulity of his words. “Well, that’s to be expected, I guess. Any man would want his wife and mistress to live happily together. Very well, I shall bring Ms. Lorraine here tomorrow. I’ll even let her have the master bedroom so you can dote on her all you want.”
After having said my piece, I pulled away from him and started to make my way upstairs. However, Anthony slid his arms around my waist and trapped me within his embrace.
His gaze was cold and menacing, and it sent shivers down my spine. “Have I become so worthless in your eyes? So worthless that you can push me to another woman without any care? Should I be grateful to you for wanting to give up your bedroom? Or should I praise you for being thoughtful?”
My stomach had been hurting from earlier, but now with him hugging me so tightly, the pain became even more unbearable. “Isn’t that everything you wanted, Anthony? Or do you not want me to stay here and be in your way? If that’s the case, I can move out.”
Anthony suddenly burst out laughing. His laughter was no different than usual, but the words that followed were harsh and ridiculous.
“Is that why you’ve been so rude toward me since I got home? You’re just looking for a reason to leave me so you can be with Marcus, aren’t you? Sienna, please tell me what I have done to make you think so lowly of me, to think I can be at your beck and call. Does our marriage not mean anything to you?”
I had been trying to remain level-headed the entire time, but the fact that he kept harping on about Marcus pushed me over the edge. “Why are you so fixated on Marcus? Are you still not sure about my relationship with him? Do you not know why he got injured?” I retorted.
“Whatever relationship I have with Marcus can never be as intimate as what you have with Rylee. Marriage is a sacred bond to me, Anthony, but you have single-handedly ruined everything good about it. You destroyed the sanctity of our marriage over and over again because of Rylee.
I’ve foolishly waited for you for three years, and I will not continue to waste my time with you. Whether you feel responsible for Rylee or you truly long for her, it’s none of my business. If she wants to be Mrs. Featherstone, I’d be more than willing to let her have that title. But please do not tarnish my reputation by making me out to be a slut, pairing me with Marcus or Armond. Marcus has his family, and I’m not a home-wrecker. So don’t try to make everyone sound as despicable as you.”
Anthony’s lips were quivering as he turned livid with rage. “What have you heard? What makes you think my feelings for you are worth nothing?”
“Why don’t you ask your precious Rylee?” After a brief pause, I chuckled. “You’ve never suspected her of anything because she’s always acted so innocent in front of you. Did she tell you that she answered your phone and told me you were in the shower? That she was showing off to me how in love the two of you were? Of course she wouldn’t have told you anything. After all, she needed to maintain the perfect image you have of her.”
Anthony remained silent with his lips pursed, still staring intensely at me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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