Amelia's Pov
I raffle the closet looking for a dress to wear since Fabiana is announcing the merging of her dad's company and hers. I haven't talked to her about that day in the shower because it's also the day her dad died and i didn't want to remind her of that. It really scared me to see her like that. To just disregard me as person and only see me as an object in that moment, i just felt so used. Her mom refused to share a roof with me and quite frankly i couldn't agree more. Haviana and Camino decided to go back to school with Fabiana insisting on therapy on their free time. She on the other hand, i barely see her. She comes back when I'm asleep and sleeps in the guest room. I know she's having a hard time dealing with her grief, i just wish she'd stop putting on that put together act.
"Found something yet? I don't want us to be late,"she says getting into her room that she barely uses anymore. I nod lightly settling on a dress that expresses exactly what I've been feeling lately. "Could you at least tell me what i did wrong?"she asks and I'm not sure now is the right time to talk about it. "Can we talk about it when we get back?"i ask her laying the dress on the bed noticing a small smile on her lips before it quickly disappears. She hesitates but leaves to probably get ready herself because apparently i take more time to get ready. Using one hand is harder than i thought it'd be. Once the dress is fully on i try to reach for the zipper but can't and Fabiana walks in just in time. She has on a black suit with a black collared shirt and a tie too that's poorly placed.
"Can you umm..zip me up please?"
"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"she asks eyeing me up. The dress had a huge slit up to my hip that's why liked it. I was a single woman after all. "It's just a dress Fabi,"i say but she's already personally going through the closet for a better dress which makes me chuckle. Was this one that bad? "Aha! This one,"she says putting the velvet black dress over herself for me to examine properly despite her tallness. How did i not see it? I take it and walk into the bathroom to change into it. It's thinly strapped and the zipper is on my lower back which makes it easier for me to do it. I liked how it hugged my curves so nicely falling to the floor ready to sweep it as i walk.
"At this point let's just stay home,"she says pinching the bridge of her nose dramatically making me role my eyes. I can't help it if i look good in everything. "What's this really about Fabi?" I ask walking over to her to fix her tie as i wait for her response. I could tell she was nerve wrecked about dissolving her dad's company and doing it infront of the public. "Promise you'll stay by my side tonight,"she says softly watching me and I smile reassuringly, "Ofcourse," Losing a parent isn't an easy thing especially when he was your mentor and the person you looked upto. I did make a promise to her dad after all. Once I'm done we leave the house with Fabiana reciting her speech nervously. I wish there was something i could do to help.
The drive there is fast with me thinking of ways I'm going to tell her that I'm going back to London and this is over for me. It was exciting at first but now I'm terrified of how fast my walls are breaking. "Finally," a woman says once Fabiana gets out of the car and holds the door for me with the other hand put out for me to take. I hook my arm in hers as we walk past all the camera flashes into the building. The woman fills her in walking beside her and i can see how uncomfortable each statement is to her so i squeeze her arm gently to calm her down. Even though I promised to stay by her side all the business talk is getting on my nerves mostly because i don't like it so i excuse myself to the bar to get a drink.
"Sex on the beach please,"i say to the hot guy bartender and he gets to cocktailing. "Amelia?" I hear a familiar voice and turn to know who it is. "No wayy, Eden?"i say a little surprised that she's here. We dated for year and a half in college before she called it quits saying she wanted to focus on her future without distractions then moved away. It broke me but i later realised that i wasn't the problem, timing was. "You look amazing Amie,"she says kissing my cheek. She was still the same daring person. "Still keeping up with the nickname huh?"i ask making us both chuckle as the bartender places my drink infront of me. "What are you doing here? Last i checked you hated places like this,"she says reminding me of the time she dragged me along to her parents annual gala filled with business men and wives content to have landed husbands who only needed them for display.
"Still do,I'm actually here for someone,"
"Really who?"
"Hey baby is there a problem?" Fabiana asks towering over me and I'm immediately regretting talking to Eden because of how irrational Fabiana can be. "Amie?"she asks to confirm. "She's my wife,"i say gulping my drink down at how awkward it is showing my ringed finger in the process. "Really?"she asks and i question myself on why she'd want to insist on continuing with the questions. Fabiana forces a smile onto her face as she wraps her arm around my waist possessively ,"oh yeah, we've been together for a while now," she says kissing my forehead. "now if you'll excuse us i need to borrow my wife for a moment,"her tone is rather venomous and I'm not sure whether I'm enjoying this or just want to push her buttons. "Find me later?"i ask her and she nods raising her drink to me and i smile back. I watch Fabi as she pulls me through the crowd not once looking over to me.
I don't know where she's taking me but she's stopped by a sudden toast with the same woman calling her out to give her speech. Maybe she forgot that all this was for her. She lets go of me and jogs over to the stage to give her practiced speech. Letting me find my way to an empty table stand to watch her give it. I watch her search the crowd and when her eyes meet mine she focuses on them while talking before breaking contact. "Is this a bad time?" Eden asks handing me a glass of champagne and I'm eternally greatful.
"How are you feeling about being here?"
"like I'm ready to leave thanks for asking,"i say playfully making us both chuckle. I was doing this for Fabiana.
Because as much as she doesn't want to admit it she needs me. I'm genuinely surprised her mom didn't show up but maybe it's because she couldn't stand the humiliation of her daughter taking over her husband's empire when she had claimed it prematurely. "You should give me your number so we can catch up when you're in London,as friends"she says and i don't hesitate because I genuinely do want to catch up, plus i also don't have any friends there. I take her phone and dial in my number for her. "It was great seeing you again,"she says before disappearing the same time i hear Fabiana call out to me. "And to my wife Amelia, i couldn't have done it without you,"she says gesturing me to go up there.
What the fuck is she thinking? She might think this is payback for earlier but it will definitely have a huge impact on my life, better yet my career. This wasn't a game to me because i knew what I'd lose if all this went south. I force a smile on my face as the spotlight is on me now as i go up the stairs with my free hand lifting my dress so i don't trip. She pecks my lips before snaking her arm around my waist. A younger woman hands me the mic and i don't know what they expect me to say so i just decline politely. "To my dad,"she says raising her glass of champagne and everyone recites after her before they go back to their little groups chatting away. "What the fuck was that?!"i ask already freaking out as she pulls me to an dim lit empty boardroom.
"Me giving them a reason not to doubt my authority,"she says simply. "You did not have to say my name and pin point me in the crowd you selfish ignorant...tall person!" I say pacing back and forth while she's leaning on the glass table with her arms folded.
"Any woman would be happy to be recognized as my wife you know,"
"well I'm not just any fucking woman that you can just claim infront of everyone when we both know what we are to each other. I hate you! and i know that you're going through a lot with your dad but I'm done with your bullshit. Grow the fuck up and stop thinking the world works the way you want it to. Your dad was right,"i say and she clenches her fists so hard it terrifies me that i might be the receiver but instead she slams them on the glass table hurting her hands from the broken glasses.
"Like me working with one hand isn't bad enough,"i scoff as i try my best to help her stop the bleeding by calling the driver on her phone. "I'm sorry,"she says looking down and i don't even want to hear those two words coming from her right now. You can't undo what the media already knows and will write about. "I know you're going back to London,"she says breaking the silence in the car on the way to the hospital. "So this was your way of keeping me around?"i ask agitated but she remains silent. When we get to there she gets her wounds cleaned and bandaged because the cuts aren't that deep but can't be left in the open. "Mrs Scuderi, a word?" The male doctor asks ushering me outside and i follow.
"You're her emergency contact so i need to ask you some questions,"he says checking his charts surprising me that she put me as her emergency contact despite knowing i won't be around for long.
"Your wife, she seemed abit off when we asked her about the injuries and she doesn't remember what happened, were they self inflicted?"
"No i mean she got mad and hit the glass table pretty hard but she's not always like that. She recently lost her dad and the grief is weighing on her,"i choose my words carefully because i know if her mom heard anything about her mental status she'd dial that institute because she can. "I suggest she starts therapy as soon as possible because her medical files show that she relapses fast with self harm when depressed. Right now she needs a lot of attention,"he says and I'm not sure if it's true or it's what her mom had put down in that mental institution.
I know about all this because her dad told me. I didn't ask but he told me because he wanted me to be there for her. He seemed hopeful for some reason. Her mother also slipped up and mentioned her control over her before attempting to kill me the first time. "Thank you doctor and I'd appreciate if this stayed between us, she's been through so much with her family,"i say and he smiles. "Ofcourse Mrs Scuderi, she's your spouse,"he says and this is the first time I'm appreciating the title.