Mafia Billionaire’s Forlorn Wife
Chapter 40

Jordan throws his head back laughing at something the girl in front of him says but then his eyes collide with mine and all signs of humour are leeched out of his face as he straightens up from where he had been leaning against the car.

“Mrs. Mikhailov?” He stutters out as I come to stand in front of him in all my disheveled glory as he takes in the sight of my messed up hair, my puffy face, and the way my dress is still ruffled in places where it got wet.

“Can we go back to Mr. Mikhailov’s house please?” I ask him, making sure to keep my voice from trembling, knowing well enough that there is a stranger standing privy to this conversation.

Jordan looks confused out of his mind but before he can find something to say, he looks at something behind me and his eyed widen.

Fear strikes up in my heart and I slowly turn back around to find Christopher standing at the top of the stairs and that is when my remaining adrenaline forces me to rush towards the car, “DRIVE. NOW.” I startle Jordan as he quickly nods and shuts my door before getting behind the wheel as fast as possible.

Within seconds, we are driving away from the blasted places and Christopher Young is only a figure in the rear view mirror.

I take in a few shaky breaths before I close my eyes and rest my head against the seat, realising just how f****d up and crazy this night has been.

“Ma’am, what the hell is going on?” Jordan asks me from the front and I somehow manage to calm my anxiety for long enough to answer him.

“Why don’t you ask your boss that?” I spit. I know Jordan isn’t at fault for anything but right now, I am pissed at every single person in this world. “I need you to take me to Leo’s place.” I order.

Jordan gives me a skeptical look through the mirror, “ma’am, where is Mr. Mikhailov? Why didn’t he come with you?”

I furrow my brows at that, “I have no idea where he is. And if he’s not here then what were you doing outside? Why did you stay?” A thought crosses my mind and my eyes widen, “are you working with Amelia?”

Immediately, my entire body is ready to freeze up. I don’t think that I can handle another disaster tonight. And if something like this comes from Jordan, then I don’t even know what I would do. Jordan is a trained soldier in Rhys’ Bratva empire and I don’t know if I’ll be able to defend myself if he is found to be working against me.

He briefly turns back to give me a weirded out look before staring in the front again, “ma’am, I don’t know where Mr. Mikhailov is, but please don’t ever address me in the same sentence as that two faced b***h. Mr. Mikhailov left early and gave me the night off. I was only there because I got talking to Julia, the girl at the valet station, and we kind of hit it off.”

The statement about Amelia is what makes me snort as I nod in understanding. This is the first thing that remotely makes a spark of humour rise inside my chest, “I didn’t know you felt that way about her.” I mutter, smiling silently as I look out the window.

Jordan shrugs, “I’ve always hated her. Boss considers her his friend but everyone knows that she’s not good for his business or his personal life. I mean, he forgave her even after she cheated on him.”

Well, that’s not news anymore. I’ve known about why Rhys cares so much about Amelia. A certain memory from our early dating days tickles in the exhausted corners of my mind…

|Flashback|

Rhys comes up and hugs me from behind while I am unclasping my earrings as our eyes meet in the mirror standing in front of me.

His chin his resting against my temples as he places his lips on my cheek for a small peck before squeezing me in his arms, “are you upset about tonight?” He asks softly, his voice sounding regretful to my ears.

I sigh, “just about the fact that I barely got to spend the night with my fiancé.” The outrageously expensive ring sits heavy on my finger as I place my hand over his arms around my torso.

He presses more k****s against my head, “I’m really sorry about Amelia. I know she can be a little clingy sometimes…I have no excuse for the way she behaved. I’ll certainly make sure to talk to her about this.” He affirms.

Today was our engagement party and Amelia had kept Rhys occupied to a point where people were practically passing me pitiful glances. It was horrible. And to top it all off, she had managed to get drunk and fall into the fountain in front of about fifty people close to Rhys and I, which included our friends and business associates.

It was a nightmare.

“Why do you let her get away with so much?” I ask in a deflated voice. I have learned long ago that Amelia is a part of Rhys’ life and she isn’t going anywhere. However, I also know that Rhys does love me, and if I am supposed to make this marriage work, then I should at least try to understand his relationship with his best friend.

Rhys sighs, his grip loosens on my body and I instantly feel the lack of his warmth before he takes my hand.

“Come.” He says, taking me towards the bed as he sits me down before taking a seat facing me. His hand never leaves mine, and for that, I am extremely thankful.

I mentally prepare myself for whatever Rhys is about to tell me, hoping that I would be able to keep an open mind about things and not let my jealousy speak.

I figure that Amelia is a sensitive matter for my husband— even though he doesn’t seem to have any feelings for her.

“Amelia has had a difficult childhood.” He states, “her father is a busy and ambitious man and her mother was a very cruel and vindictive woman. There was always a power play present between her parents. Amelia would pay the price.”

I frown, “how?”

Rhys looks at me with a knowing look, “her mother would abuse her every time she wanted her father’s attention. There was no love lost for that woman. She hated Amelia, her own daughter. And her father would gaslight her, poisoning her further into hating her mother which would in turn lead to more pain for that little girl. During the time that her mother was still with them, Amelia suffered through endless things and developed a number of mental health issues, including eating disorders and imposter syndrome. She was broken on the inside and I was the only person she could confide in.”

My heart aches in my chest as I listen to Amelia’s story. I don’t like her per se, but that woman has certainly lived a hard life.

“I never thought that this could be a possibility.” I whisper, realising how in this world, things are never what they seem. People truly are living double lives.

No one can look at Amelia and say that she has survived through so much.

However, even though I feel sympathy for her, there is still a part of me that doesn’t quite understand her intentions even now. There is a part of me that screams at me to stay the f**k away from that woman whenever she is in the same room as me.

Rhys nods his head, “the final nail in the coffin came in the Freshman year of high school for us. We were both in a boarding school in Switzerland together and it was time for the Christmas holidays. Everyone was going home and Amelia asked me if she could come home with me.

“Now, holidays in my home were a time of pure drama and anger and nothing good ever happened during the time that both my parents were in the same room together.

“I was an a*****e back then and I was worried that if Amelia knew about the reality of my family dynamics then she would tell everyone and it would compromise my image. I declined her request and went home.

“I soon found out that this time, her mother beat her into an inch of death and she was hospitalised for six weeks afterwards. She was in so much pain. Apparently she had seen her mother with another man and her mother found out about it. That b***h thought that she killed Amelia and then she ran away with her lover.”

I cannot believe my ears. I cannot believe just how cruel one’s own mother can be.

I don’t even realise that I am crying until Rhys wiped away my tear that slips out of my eye.

“I’m so sorry this happened with her.” I whisper.

Rhys nods his head, his eyes depicting just how pained he is by the memory, “ever since that day, I have lived with this guilt of not being there for her when she needed me. It is the only reason why I look after her so much and why she takes a lot more liberty on me than anyone else in this world. I feel responsible for her. If I hadn’t declined her request to come with me for the holidays, none of this would have happened.”

I shake my head, reaching out to cup his face as I straddle his lap, “it isn’t your fault that her mom’s a monster. You did the right thing afterwards. I’m proud of you.”

The corners of his eyes crinkles as he smiles and crashes his lips against mine.

|End of Flashback|

“Did Rhys go home?” I ask Jordan, pushing away the memory of the only time when I felt a little sympathy for Amelia. After tonight, it’ll be a miracle if she comes in front of me and I don’t kill her with my bare hands.

Jordan shakes his head, “no, ma’am, actually…” he trails off nervously, “he left in Amelia’s car. I don’t know where he is right now.”

My eyes widen as I realise that my own husband could not give two f***s about my whereabouts. While I was suffering all alone in that bloody toilet, Rhys was out in the gala, drinking champagne and then leaving with the woman that he actually cares about.

The realisation that Rhys never loved me dawns upon me and I feel the contents of my stomach reaching up my throat as I suddenly feel sweat covering my skin.

“Stop the car.” I whisper weakly.

“Ma’am?” Jordan looks back through the rear view mirror, as though he didn’t hear me.

“Stop the car!” I say more rigidly and Jordan is instantly pulling the car to the side.

And the moment he pulls on the breaks, I open the door and hurl my guts out onto the pavement, heaving painfully while I puke.

“Ma’am!” I hear Jordan shuffling as he gets out of the car and awkwardly pats my back while I take in deep breaths, scowling at the acrid taste in my mouth. “Here, drink this.” He says bringing an open bottle of water near my lips and I shakily take the bottle from his hands before drinking gulps and gulps, while also washing my face.

f**k.

Once I feel better than before, I look up and find Jordan staring down at me with worry, “should I take you to a hospital? I’ll inform boss, he—”

I immediately glare at him, “do not tell your boss about anything, Jordan. I request you to please let me have some dignity. It’s not as though you don’t see the reality of my marriage. The last thing I want is for my husband to find out about how he abandoned me in the gala for his conniving, b***h of a best friend.”

Jordan looks conflicted, “ma’am, but your health—”

I shake my head, “just take me to Leo’s. He’ll take care of me.”

Jordan sees my expressions and seems to realise that I am not going to back down from this as he nods his head.

“Alright, ma”am. As you wish.”