Broken Strings

ii.

As we walk towards our table, people are already beginning to whisper as they take covert swipes at us.

"I can't believe the Everetts have the nerve to invite both of them."

"Are you kidding me? Annabelle loves being the center of attention. She wouldn't be here if she didn't invite both the bastard and the heir."

I glance nervously at Nathan. When Rhys isn't around, his presence is strong enough that he acts like the fucking king of Chicago. But whenever Rhys appears, everyone loves to remind him that he isn't the king. He's nothing but a bastard, a plebeian with tainted blood.

"The two of them are like Cinderella and the Bastard Prince," Another voice giggles.

Of course, regardless of Nathan's tainted parentage, he's still half a Walker. I'm the true joke. And never for a second of our marriage do I ever dare forget that.

We finally find our table and sit down. As if the Everetts want to make matters worse, I see that we're placed next to Rhys and his wife, Eliza. I pray silently that tonight goes by smoothly. The last thing I need is for a fight to break out between the Walker brothers.

I take Nathan's hand in mine and give it a hard squeeze. He looks at me and I shift my head up, smiling at him softly. If there's one thing that Nathan does better than Rhys, it's the fact that he and I know how to put up a good act.

Much like Nathan and I, Rhys and Eliza aren't exactly the most loving pair either. Eliza was born an heiress to the Zeus hotel chain, shrouded in luxury her whole life. Her and Rhys' marriage marked the union between the great Schuyler and Walker families. Unfortunately, Rhys happens to be a renowned playboy. At the age of 30, the last thing he wanted to do was to give up his womanizing ways and settle down with a docile housewife. In the beginning of his marriage, he put up a good attempt at hiding his affairs from Eliza. However, at this point, five years in, it's an open secret that their marriage is in name only, in order to maintain the fragile link between the two families. If they were to truly divorce, the consequences would ruin them both.

Despite the fact that Rhys holds more weight than Nathan, his personal life is an absolute joke in public eyes. Not that it's rare for wealthy men to have multiple affairs and mistresses outside of their marriage, but the fact that he makes such little effort hiding it and keeping the peace with Eliza. So no matter how many dirty looks Nathan and I may receive due to our background, at least we can hold our heads up high next to each other in our loving bubble.

Nathan's eyes lock with mine and his gaze softens. Sometimes he puts up such a good show that even I can't tell if it's real or not. Sometimes, I get so caught up in his purported warmth that I feel my resolve weakening and it's like we're a real couple. But then, like a switch, when we leave the public eye, he immediately reminds me what a fool I'd be to genuinely believe him.

I tear my eyes away and smile at Eliza, "Eliza, how are you? It's been too long."

Eliza and Rhys are notoriously cold with one another, but apart from that, she's a decent person and an easy sister-in-law to get along with. Though the two of us rarely meet up outside of family functions, I must admit I enjoy her company. Eliza's the the type of woman who is kind, but extremely straightforward and terrible at hiding her emotions. So when she treats me nicely without any prejudice or judgement, I know it's real.

"I know, Adeline! I've been busy working on my jewelry line. Let me show you what I've been working on," She pulls out her phone and starts swiping away at the pictures.

I've always been jealous of people like Eliza. She's openly warm and affectionate and always creates a lively atmosphere. It's the opposite of me, clumsily stumbling my way all the time. I've only just learned how to pretend to be like her when Nathan needs me to, but it always takes so much effort.