Page 13 of Slightly Married
Simone joined our embrace, creating a three-way hug that crushed my bouquet. “Thank you again,” she whispered. “For everything.”
“You should tell Daddy about you and Matt,” I murmured. “Because next time he takes it into his mind to marry you off, I won’t be around to step in.”
She gave a soft acknowledgment as we separated, all of us discreetly wiping away tears. I turned to my father, who opened his arms to me.
As I stepped into his embrace, I was struck by how much frailer he felt. His once-solid frame now felt almost fragile beneath his suit. My concern must have shown on my face when I pulled back.
“I’m fine. More than fine.” His reply came with certainty. “My butterfly is now secured. And soon my lioness will also be secured. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I caught Simone’s eye across the small gathering, and she looked away.
“The jet’s ready,” Konstantin announced. “Let’s go.”
With one final wave to the people I loved most, I turned toward my new husband and our planned future together.
The moment we stepped onto the private jet, uniformed staff greeted us with formal bows, addressing me as “Mrs. Christakis.”
The Christakis name was emblazoned on everything from the napkins to the headrests. I was still taking in these details when a slender blonde rose from a seat and glided toward Konstantin.
Her cream pantsuit hung perfectly on her frame, her makeup flawless and jewelry expensive but tasteful. The complete opposite of my slip dress and flowers-in-braids wedding day esthetic.
When she leaped into Konstantin’s arms and kissed him full on the lips, my fingers tightened around my bouquet I’d been clutching through the silent limo ride to the private airstrip. His shoulders stiffened before he relaxed into her greeting.
My lungs seized as if I’d been dunked in ice water. An acidic taste flooded my mouth as I watched their embrace.
The woman released him and turned to me with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, extending a manicured hand. “You must be Michaila. I’m Stella Pavlou, Kostas’ fiancée.”
I narrowed my eyes, certain I’d misheard over the hum of the engines.Fiancée?
Stella laughed as though my confusion was the cutest thing ever. “Oh, Kostas. Didn’t you tell her?”
Konstantin’s expression remained neutral. “Before your father proposed this marriage, Stella and I were engaged.”
“To be married?”
“Yes,” he confirmed with infuriating calm. “Once the child is born and our obligations discharged, Stella and I will marry.” He gave her a reassuring glance that pinched something in my chest.
The cabin suddenly felt airless despite its spaciousness. I retreated to a seat across from Andreas.
Stella, apparently allergic to silence, bombarded me with questions about my dress, flowers, and jewelry, demanding to see my ring as though we were besties at a brunch dissecting last night’s hook-up.
“Oh, how lovely,” she said when I reluctantly showed her my band. She wiggled her own fingers, displaying a diamond that could sink a small boat. “I told Kostas I didn’t need anything flashy. But he insisted on this one.” Her tone implied sainthood for such a sacrifice. “He wanted everyone to know I was taken and his.”
The anger bubbling beneath my skin made my wedding band feel like a shackle. I fought the urge to tell her she could stick her tongue back down my husband’s throat if she’d just stop talking.
“I was telling Kostas last night about classic baby names making a comeback.” Her voice lilted with suggestive familiarity. “You agree with me, darling, don’t you? That a classic old-school Greek name would be ideal for your baby despite them not being fully Greek?”
I’d spent last night staring at my ceiling, worrying about our child’s future and how to make the most of the marriage. He’d spent it in bed with his real fiancée, picking out baby names for our child. The plane’s ascent couldn’t match the sickening drop in my stomach.
The leather seat beneath me seemed to burn through the thin silk of my dress as my body tensed. The familiar tightness that had plagued me throughout my divorce returned, squeezing my chest until each breath became deliberate work.
“My husband and I are perfectly capable of naming our children without outside interference, thank you.” I met his eyes directly, daring him to challenge me.
Stella’s perfectly groomed brows knitted together. “Children? I thought only one child was required?” She turned to Konstantin. “Wasn’t that so, darling?”
“Technically, yes. But multiples run in my family.” The lie slid from my lips smooth as silk, and satisfaction warmed me at her dismay.
The humiliation of being the only person on this plane who hadn’t known about Stella’s existence made me feel like the naïve fool I’d promised myself I’d never be again after Josh. I needed to escape from her voice, from his betrayal by omission and from the churning in my stomach.
