Page 79 of Conflagration
My eyebrows rise and I lean an elbow against the counter, hoping she’ll tell me more. She must notice my intrigued expression, and she leans in conspiratorially.
“Between us, I have a feeling my husband’s going to be retiring very, very soon, and there isn’t anyone else I’d rather see by my son’s side when he takes over. You’re so good for him, Ariana. It’s like you’re a godsend, and I couldn’t ask for a better wife for my oldest son.”
My breath hitches as tears well up in my eyes. I place my wine glass on the counter and walk towards her, wrapping her my arms around her neck. “I couldn’t have asked for a better family to marry into. The way you’ve accepted me means so much, and no matter what Branson does or where he goes, I promise I’ll be by his side, no matter what.”
She pulls back and wipes her eyes. “Oh, look at us. I always get a little weepy when I have a glass of wine. It’s just… I made so many mistakes with my sons, and having all of you here… It’s wreaking havoc on my emotions—in a good way, of course.”
Placing a hand on her arm, I give her an encouraging squeeze. “You have a beautiful family, and if I’ve learned anything from being with Branson and getting to know you all, it’s that forgiveness and love run deep through all of you. Growing up in a completely opposite household, I know what a special family you have.”
“We’re happy to welcome you into the Wellington clan, sweetheart,” she tells me. “In fact, we need to start talking dates. It’s been nearly three weeks since you two decided on a Christmas wedding, yet you haven’t chosen a date. It’s going to be hard enough to plan this, but it’s imperative you pick a date within this next week so I can book the venue and the pastor.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I respond, giving her a mock salute. “We’ll look at the calendar and get back to you as soon as possible.”
The back door opens and Knox pokes his head in. “Hey, Mom. Dad says he needs you to rescue him from Mrs. Cartwright… Whatever that means.”
Amelia groans then pushes off the counter, but not before she downs the rest of her wine. At the same time, the doorbell rings, and she looks back at Knox. “Tell him I’m busy entertaining,” she says, and her son simply shakes his head.
“Amelia, go rescue your husband. I’ll get the door.”
“Oh, fine,” she breathes out. “Thank you, honey.” She pours another glass of wine, presumably one to help deal with whoever this Mrs. Cartwright is, and follows her son into the backyard.
Smiling, wondering who could make the Branson’s dad need backup, I shake my head and make my way down the hall. I plaster on my best hostess face even though I want to scream at the impatient jerk who keeps ringing the bell incessantly.
“Sorry for dela—” I start, clamping my mouth shut the moment I open the door and see none other than Megan standing on the other side.
“You,” she sneers, her eyes narrowing when she sees me. Clearly, she remembers me from the hospital, and luckily—or perhaps unluckily—for her, I haven’t forgotten her face either.
Stepping out onto the front porch, I close the door behind me. There’s no way I’m giving her entrance, not knowing what kind of havoc she’s here to create. “What are you doing here, Megan?” I ask with a resigned sigh, as if she’s nothing more than a mere annoyance on what is an otherwise perfectly fine evening.
“I could ask you the same thing, honey,” she says, disdain lacing her voice. As she looks me up and down, she cocks an eyebrow and lets out a small laugh. “Here I was, thinking you were just the flavor of that week, yet here you still are. I have to hand it to you. You’ve stuck in there for the long haul and somehow got Branson to keep you around for more than just a quick lay. Maybe you’re not as frigid as I thought. Perhaps you’ll be his next little trophy wife, but I have to warn you. It’s not all it’s cut out to be. I’m proof of that.”
Rolling my eyes, I place my right hand on my hip and hold the left one up for her to see, her eyes widening when she spots the ring. “Not that it’s any of your business, but while Branson and Iareengaged, the last thing I want to be is a trophy wife or to be anything like you. I don’t know why you have these preconceived notions about me other than the fact that they were true for you. But let me assure you, Megan, we’renotcut from the same cloth.”
Her incredulous laugh fills the silent air, and she shakes her head in disbelief. “You may be deluding yourself, but I know the truth, honey, and you may as well face it now before you do something silly like fall in love with him.” Some expression must cross my face as she pauses then laughs out loud. It’s an annoying howl, and I cross my arms impatiently as I wait for her to continue. “Oh my God. It’s too late. You’re in love with him already. At least I was smart enough not to let that happen. Let me clue you in on something. Branson Wellington has always had one goal in mind. To run Wellington Enterprises. His life’s dream is to be CEO and he’ll stop at nothing until he’s in the top office. Another thing I’m proof of. That ring on your finger? It means nothing. You mean nothing. You’re interchangeable with every other single woman in his orbit.”
Is she serious right now? I have half a mind to walk back inside and not give her the satisfaction of a response, but something inside me keeps me here on the porch, ready to defend my man. Maybe all of that was true for her, but we’re different. With me, he’s different.
“I’m not sure what’s more sad. That you spent so many years with an amazing man yet you have no idea who he is or that he wasted so many years on a miserable bitch like you.”
“You think he was the only one who wasted so many years? He’s the reason I was miserable. I lost everything after I let him seduce me. Knox left, and I was stuck with Branson after that.”
Just as I open my mouth to call her out on her lies, she continues, not letting me get a word in.
“I had constant reminders of Knox the entire time I was with his brother. Every time he ended up in the newspaper, Amelia made sure we all saw it before she mounted it up on the wall that became his shrine. The more it happened, the more Branson retreated into his office. I may have been a fool, but it wasn’t for leaving Branson. It was for marrying him in the first place. Knox is and always has been ten times the man Branson will ever be. I know that. He knows that, and you might as well get used to it.”
I take a step forward, balling my fists at my sides, not wanting to hear another word. I’ve never been in a fistfight, but what the hell? There’s no time like the present. “Watch it, Megan. That’s my fiancé you’re talking about. I won’t stand here and listen to you lie about him. We both know you went after Branson, not the other way around. You thought he’d be more likely to give you the life you wanted. If you were too blind to see him for the kind, caring, passionate, loving man he is, then I feel sorry for you.”
She blinks twice.
“But notthatsorry, because thanks to you, I’ve been able to get to know that man, and I’m the one who’ll be spending the rest of her life with him. So thank you for giving up not one, but two Wellington men so they could find the true loves of their lives.”
This moment could only be better if Charlie were next to me emphasizing the point, but I’ll take what I can get. This woman has caused enough damage to this family, and I won’t allow it for another single second.
“You really think you’re something special, don’t you.” She scoffs then steps up into my face, so close I can feel her breath on my skin. She pokes me in the chest, and I stumble back before squaring up, knowing that’s the one time I will allow her to touch me without retaliating. “You are nothing but a means to an end. Men like Branson Wellington only want one thing—arm candy. And I have to give it to you. That dress, that hair, that makeup? You fit the bill. But what happens when his appetite is no longer satisfied by you? When he decides he’s used you enough and doesn’t need you anymore? You think that ring on your finger will mean a thing? Trust me, honey. He’ll be fucking anything with two legs as soon as he gets the chance. I may not have had proof, but I know it’s what he did to me, and he’ll do the same to you.”
Rage burns deep in my belly, and I have to force myself from slapping that smug smile off her face. “Well, fortunately for him, he has all he needs right here, and the man I know, the manI love,will always be faithful to me.”
She steps towards me, her expression changing to one of anger. Apparently, she decides that warning me off won’t work and changes her tactics. “He may claim to love you, but he never will. He’s incapable of love.”
