CHAPTER 6

And the wine she'd just taken a sip of went down the wrong pipe and she choked, her face flushing. And she suddenly knew why Melissa suddenly loathed her. So, she knew and had already met Elleana, and apparently, she liked her. She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt betrayed. Considering how long Melissa had known her one would think she'd like her for her grandson. Alexander simply watched her as though waiting for her to make a fool of herself. But she wouldn't make a spectacle of herself by losing her cool. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Alexander's two cousins, Jennifer and Mariah who had never particularly liked her, smirked at her, waiting to watch a good show. Once Melissa got started, she wouldn't stop unless Alex intervened which everybody knew he wouldn't.

"Alexy again, why didn't you marry her? We'd have a couple of Munchkins by now. It's been two years already..." Melissa continued "Instead you brought us a hen that cannot lay eggs." She did not forget to add an insult squarely aimed at Scarlett while shooting her a glare. His cousins weren't far behind with sneers and snickers. Her appetite which hadn't quite been there suddenly vanished. She looked at Alex hoping that just this once he would stand up for her as his nominal wife.

But of course, he didn't. He just sat there, as though waiting to see how she'd handle his grandmother's insults.

Apparently, those insults weren't enough for Melissa as she cleared her throat, took a sip of her wine and went on,

"Scarlett, don't get me wrong girlie. Your parents are good people, and we like you enough, but you know that isn't enough to secure your position as Mrs. Keller. Besides that, I want great grandchildren. It's been two years yet there's no movement in your womb. I think you should come with me to the doctor tomorrow for a checkup just to make sure everything's working well down there. Dr Roberts will probably prescribe you some tonics to nourish the womb. She's a good gynecologist."

Scarlett was beyond mortified and the way she clutched her fork was proof enough. She wished the ground would open up and gobble her up. It was unbelievable the way no one stood out to defend her at this moment. Not even the people she considered parents to her. Instead, his parents pretended to busy themselves with their meals. She took it as a tacit understanding between them. Clearly, they wanted to ask about the situation for the longest time but didn't know how. Disappointment was all that she could feel at this moment.

" Alexander, won't you say something?" She asked him, cheeks flushed with her eyes glaring at him. She was desperately fighting back the urge to cry because she had a feeling that once she began, she wasn't going to stop. As their eyes met across the dining table and the coldness in his was revealed, her heart froze and dropped in disappointment. Even at this moment, he wasn't going to intervene. Ten years, she'd loved him for ten years and this was all he could give her. Perhaps it was her punishment for loving him too deeply. Standing up clumsily, Scarlett excused herself from the table and hurried off to the bathroom like the devil was chasing behind her and it was almost true because at this moment, it felt like the minute she'd agreed to this deal, she'd fallen into the devil's palm, and she was but a mere mouse.

"Alexander, won't you go after your wife?" His mother finally couldn't keep silent and questioned him.

How was Nora supposed to correct her son or defend Scarlett when she was unaware of what exactly was going on? Besides, it involved her son's marriage. She didn't know how to handle the current situation and apparently neither did her husband. Nora and her husband as well as Scarlett's parents had always expected the two to eventually marry but as they turned twenty, they drifted apart, and Alex met someone else. So, imagine his parent's surprise when he suddenly began courting Scarlett with vigor, eventually marrying her. James, Alex's father on the other hand figured it was only right for his son to handle his own marriage.

Alexander on the other hand was in a confused state. Up until this moment he was enjoying her discomfort but when he met her eyes and saw the disappointment in hers, he felt like he'd made a mistake; like he was losing something important. But then he consoled himself because Alexander Kent Keller never made mistakes, both in his personal and business life. He wanted to intervene when his grandmother mentioned the doctor but then he changed his mind. The last thing he needed was for her to think that he was beginning to have any feelings toward her. He knew the woman who deserved his loyalty and Scarlett Ariadne wasn't her.

Scarlett stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, giving herself a much-needed pep talk. For the first time in two years, she considered a divorce. An early release from the prison she'd sent herself to. They were clearly never going to work, and he was never going to love her. She suddenly felt a rush of what she was later surprised to realize was relief. She felt relieved and unburdened. She was free of her shackles. This marriage was a huge load for her to carry. She always felt alone, trying to make something work which was clearly not meant to work. Love wasn't supposed to be this hard. She finally had a solution. It was a good feeling; finally letting go. It almost felt as thrilling as signing a big client.

After a few minutes, she cleaned up her face which honestly looked terrible with the blotched make up and the slightly red rims of her eyes. After she'd made sure she looked sufficiently presentable, she left the bathroom feeling emotionally lighter than she'd felt in months. Then she bumped into a hard chest as she stepped out of the bathroom after which the owner of the said chest grabbed her and pulled her right back into the bathroom, closing it. On getting a clearer look, she wanted to curse the damn perpetrator.