Page 44 of Angels Are Falling

Double fuck.

Chapter

Fourteen

AMELIE

Dan, our new personal chef, had pulled out all the stops for breakfast. It was a feast for the eyes, with overflowing platters of colorful fruits and pastries. The enticing aroma of coffee and warm croissants hung in the room. Freshly squeezed orange juice sparkled in my crystal glass. Porcelain dishes overflowed with crispy bacon, perfectly cooked sausages, fluffy scrambled eggs, golden brown waffles, and pancakes topped with generous amounts of whipped cream.

However, the sweet scent of homemade jam and syrup made my stomach turn. I rotated the silver wedding band on my index finger. It was the first gift Stefan gave me as a married couple. He took the bus for three months to save money on gas and buy me this ring.

Was it any wonder that I fell in love with him?

A new addition, the ring from Kai, was stacked on top of it. The platinum band weighed down both my hand and soul.

Things with Kai escalated last night. He got me on my back, and once more, my consent was murky at best. Nothing so traumatizing happened for me to claim he broke our prenuptial agreement, but the lines were blurry.

I wanted to end this marriage without being the villain. As selfish as it sounded, I wanted to return to my previous life, even if it cost my family endless opportunities. Surely Stefan would support my decision if I explained Kai’s dubious actions.

The things I needed to tell Stefan swirled in my mind, but he was nowhere to be found. His room was empty, and the bed hadn’t been slept in. I couldn’t find my phone, either, so I had no choice but to wait for him to turn up.

When the clock struck eight, I realized Stefan wasn’t coming. The beautiful food on the table mocked me. They looked like delicate works of art. We had dreamt of such extravagant buffets. Once, when Stefan and I were in a bind, we bought a bag of bread and a stick of butter for a dollar each. Toast with butter was all we could afford for five people’s breakfast until payday. The kids complained about the monotony, so Stefan turned it into a game. He pretended to pluck fresh berries out of thin air and handed them to me.

“Mm. Yum,” I had said, taking a pretend bite. I passed the imaginary fruits to Bella, who looked at me like I was crazy.

“If you don’t want it, I’m sure Jamie will,” Stefan had said.

Jamie had lunged for the imaginary fruit, snatching it from my hands. Kids only wanted things when others had them. Bella immediately jumped out of her chair, and we laughed as they fought over the fake berries.

That week, Stefan brought many things to life with his imagination. He pretended to cook pancakes and placed the fake byproducts on our plates. He cut into the pancake with a fork and fed me with such gusto that the kids insisted he feed them, too.

I stared at the lavish breakfast spread. The balance of color and sophistication on this table might be appetizing, but I couldn’t stomach a thing and wished for the days of imaginary food with my loud family.

I wasn’t even allowed to see the children without being shooed away. When I reunited with them this morning, Mrs. Bea said she needed to review the rules of their new school before the first day of classes. They were attending a local boarding school, living on campus during the week and coming home on weekends. Stefan’s idea. He wanted them to have the best education money could buy, and with an education from Evercrest Academy, they could become the country’s future leaders. Though I hated the thought of the kids staying on campus part-time, I couldn’t argue with the opportunity. On the days they were home, Mrs. Bea was responsible for waking them, dressing them, and reviewing their homework. She didn’t want us disrupting the routine.

“I’ve been raising high-performing children for thirty years,” she had informed me. “Trust me, I know what’s best for them.”

With nothing else to do, I waited for Stefan at breakfast. The long dining table heightened my anxiety. It was a twelve-seater, and you had to raise your voice to hear someone sitting on the other end of the table. A stunning nod to fine dining, but impersonal. I preferred Kai’s breakfast nook over this formal monstrosity.

Honestly, Kai’s entire side was more welcoming than Stefan’s ostentatious wing, with its ten bedrooms and sprawling living and dining rooms. After exploring the house, I was surprised to discover that Kai’s side was smaller, making it homier. His kitchen opened into the living room, with a breakfast nook between them. There were five bedrooms, including a second room for the twins and Bella whenever they stayed with Kai.

It was ridiculous for us to go back and forth like a divorced family, but our lives had changed. We’d given up all we had in exchange for something different. I just wasn’t sure if it was worth it.

My eyes watered, but the noise of the front door opening had me wiping away the tears. A frantic Stefan found me at the dining table. The guilt was evident on his face.

Good. He should feel guilty for standing me up.

“Amelie—” he started, but another voice cut him off.

“You forgot your jacket.”

I glanced over Stefan’s shoulder. Matt, Marcus, and Will walked into the living room. They looked wrecked after a night of partying, but the woman in their midst looked fresh. She was pretty, with short blonde hair and an even shorter dress.

What the hell?

I thought Stefan went out for a boys’ night. Shouldn’t that exclude women? He didn’t invite me, yet a random woman had joined them on their night out.

“Hi, Amelie,” Will slurred. Was he drunk?