Chapter 10

The second Lily and I turned around, we saw that we’d been confronted by a beautiful, well-dressed woman whose expression was laced with haughty scrutiny. Behind her, was a small group of women that mirrored her same look. She arched a manicured brow and pursed her lips.

“A face I've never seen, a new maid? Wandering around like this, not knowing the rules," she said with a sneer. “You ought to know that the courtyard is not open to people like you.”

Lily stiffened beside me before squaring her shoulders back and meeting this random woman with a stern look of irritation.

"You are being rude, Monica. She is not a new maid—she is James’ lover," she told her.

The nerves in my stomach jolted as each one of them leered at me in distaste. I felt myself grow tense under the other woman’s judgemental gaze. After the day I’ve had, this was truly the last thing I needed to deal with.

Monica’s sharp features went pale as a ghost’s. Her dark brown eyes fixated on me with a mixture of horror and pure disbelief. Her face transitioned from utter shock to a raging fury that sparked behind her piercing gaze.

Her voice echoed off the walls. "Say that again, this woman is who? James's lover?!"

The women being her started cackling amongst themselves, while Monica continued her personal evaluation of me.

“You cannot be serious,” she spat. “This mousy, little thing? No, I don’t believe it. There is no way James would have settled for someone as basic and homely as her.”

She began to move toward me with quick, precise steps but was hastily obstructed by Lily’s protective stance.

The older woman jutted her chin proudly at Monica. “Mia is indeed James’s lover, acknowledged by him personally. She is the true lady of this house!"

Monica’s vicious look twisted with hatred and furious disdain. “I refuse to believe it!” she shouted. “Who even is this woman? She might as well have just rolled in here off the streets for all we know. She is nothing!”

“Monica!”

“She is hardly anything to look at! And I can practically smell the poverty on her!”

Smell the poverty?? My jaw threatened to fall open, having heard such a ridiculous remark. Who in their right mind believed that it was okay to treat people in such a way? Tonight felt like it had gone on for countless hours. I was tired, having dealt with enough crude and demeaning people to last me a lifetime.

Monica narrowed her eyes with the cruel intention of finishing me off.

“This girl is nothing. She is plain and ordinary—what use could she offer to Crescent Moon? What purpose could she have to be by James’ side?” she snarled. “I refuse to believe that he would pick someone like her after having someone like Evelyn.”

My mind took a momentary pause from my underserved verbal lashing to question the name that had been mentioned. Who was Evelyn? And why did it fill me with a deep sense of uneasiness?

“That is enough!” A deep voice called out from across the room.

We all turned our heads to find James towering angrily in the doorway. His dark glare struck a harsh feeling of fear throughout the room. Both Monica and all her companions froze on the spot.

James marched his way through and, despite his boiling anger, placed his arm around my waist and pulled me close.

“Good evening, Monica. I see you’ve met my wife,” he remarked.

Monica’s face continued to pale as she glanced between James and me. She slowly shook her head in clear denial.

James clenched his jaw and tsked at the other woman’s poor behavior. “I expected better from you, Monica,” he scolded. “As one of my guests, I’d surely hoped that you would’ve had the decency to treat anyone in this house with respect. Especially my wife.”

Monica’s face fell in anguish; her eyes filled with tears. “James, please. This has been nothing but a misunderstanding—”

“Spare me the excuses, Monica,” he told her sharply. “I overheard everything. How could I not when you practically screamed your head off, letting the entire house hear your revolting thoughts?”

She tried taking a step forward. “James, I implore you to not be angry with me. You and I have known each other for years. I just can’t believe that you would lower yourself like this—”

“ENOUGH!”

The force behind his voice caused my whole body to tense as well as an undefying streak of fear amongst the rest of the crowd.

“Lily, escort Monica back to her room, please.” He said, “I want her out of my sight.”

Lily failed to hide her look of gratification as she ushered the woman back into the house. “This way, Monica. It’s time to let the new couple have their alone time together,” she hummed.

Monica’s perfect makeup was now streaking down her cheeks, but still, James appeared unfazed.

Once it was just the two of us, I took a step back, placing a good foot of distance between us. Even with everyone else gone, my nerves were still on edge.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“She’s no one you need to concern yourself with,” he explained. “Monica is a sister of an old friend of mine. She’s currently staying at the house because she recently started working out here in the city.”

Really? A sister of an old friend and she started a new job? Monica’s story sounded awfully close to my own.

“Like me?” I questioned bluntly.

James sternly shook his head. “No, Mia. Monica is nothing like you. The two of you are the furthest thing away from each other,” he said with a reassuring smile.

My mind wandered back to the previous conversation. “Well, then...Who is Evelyn?”

He parted his lips but hesitated to speak. James let out a long sigh.

“...Evelyn was my wife.”

His wife. The very woman that James once loved and had lost. Something about knowing this piece of information stung.

“And she and Monica were actually friends?”

“Worse, in fact. The two were much closer,” James noted. “They were sisters.”

I decided to stop pressing for any further information. We were both exhausted and in need of rest.

“Well, um, was there something that you needed from me?” I asked him.

“Yes, I intended to take you to our bedroom.”

My mouth hung open as I gaped at him with sheer bewilderment.

"Our bedroom?"