Meadow’s POV:


    I chose the third dress.


    Not the silk that I wore when ric fingered me. Not the velvet dress I wore when I rode his thigh to my orgasm. But the champagne–gold sequin dress that we didn’t do anything in.


    It was a deliberate act of defiance I was pulling. But I had no other choice.


    The night he had to leave for work–which I was almost fully certain that it wasn’t–he didn’t get back


    until wayter.


    I knew that because I stayed awake for hours until I just wasn’t able to and fell asleep. And then for the


    next two days, I was practically non–existent.


    It wasn’t so bad, though. I’d <b>finally </b>decided to register for online sses and had basically just been


    trying to prepare myself and my mind for when I’d start next month


    And asides that, I’d also been researching facilities that my sister could’ve possibly been in


    And for a moment, I thought I found one


    I’d <b>ordered </b>an uber and found my way to the location, but the moment I got there, I knew that wasn’t it.


    And when I went inside, I confirmed it.


    She wasn’t there.


    And I didn’t want to think of what ric would do if he realized what I’d done, because even Mel wasn’t


    around when I left.


    Now, it was the evening of the g or party or whatever his mother was throwing, and I stood in front of the mirror in the sequin dress. It was one–shouldered with an asymmetric neckline, and flowed all the way down in a fishtail hem.


    It was gorgeous–to simply put it.


    And perfect for defiance<b>. </b>


    “Oh, wow,” I heard a voice say in wonder.


    I spun on my heels to see a teenage girl standing at the door. She was tall–way taller than I was, and had a slim build with thick, curly hair.


    My brows drew together in confusion. I had never seen her before. “Uh… <b>hi</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>


    “I asked you to wait, Cami,” Mel’s voice filtered toward us. “Ay, Dios mio..” she trailed off as she saw me


    CHAPTER DOS!


    standing in the middle of my room.


    “Oh, wow, Mrs. Meadow,” she corrected when I quirked a brow at her. She was still trying to get used to calling me by my actual name. Though, I doubted that she was actually trying. “You look absolutely-


    “Hot” the teenage girl said. She couldn’t be more than eighteen. “Yeah, definitely my type.”


    I coughed out augh


    “Cami!” Mel scolded, steeping into the room <b>as </b>she red at her. And then she turned to me. “You’ll have to excuse my daughter, <b>Meadow</b>. She’s a bit… open–minded.”


    “And gay,” Cami cut in, shrugging when Mel scowled at her. “Which is exactly why I said you’re my type.”


    My cheeks hurt from how hard I was smiling. It was so refreshing to see a face like Cami’s and to have someone like her around.


    “Well, nice to meet you, Cami,” I said politely. “I think you and I will make great friends.”


    “Well,” she tilted her head slightly, biting down on her bottom lip to hide her smile. “If we’re going to be friends, then you can call me Cami.”


    Mel chuckled. “Cami’s <b>a </b>makeup artist <b>and </b>hair stylist,” she said sheepishly. “So I thought, since you’re going out tonight, you might need someone like her around.”


    Something tugged at my chest and I ced my palm on it, making my way to Mel. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Mel” I pulled her into a hug that she wasn’t expecting. “You’re a life saver.”


    I wasn’t nning on doing any makeup since I wasn’t really an expert and Nova had to be somewhere. else, but Mel being as thoughtful as this made my heart fill with warmth.


    She cleared her throat awkwardly, her hands still at her sides–ever the prim and proper woman. Behind her, Cami rolled her eyes, amused.


    “Well, you’re a part of this family now,” she said as I pulled away. “And I take care of this <b>family</b>.”


    Now it was my turn to clear my throat awkwardly.


    Being treated this way wasn’t something I was used to, especially with the kind of family I came from that valued only their own lives and well–being and no one else’s.


    “I’ll let you get to it, then,” Mel said, giving me onest smile and then a warning look at Cami before she walked out of the room<b>. </b>


    Cami drifted over to my vanity, dropping a bag that I suspected contained her products, and then she asked me to sit.


    CHAPTER ONS


    “So…” she started. “<b>ric’s </b>wife, huh?”


    “<b>Yeah</b>,” I replied airily.


    Something glinted in her eyes and <b>she </b>turned to pull out a few products <b>from </b>her bag “Forgive me for being nosy, but is there a <b>reason </b>why you sleep in a different <b>room </b>from <b>him</b>?”


    I froze. I hadn’t wondered about what she would think. Then <b>again</b>, Mel wouldn’t-


    Cami burst outughing, interrupting my thoughts. T’m kidding, Meadow” She winked at me. “My mum and I already know about your… agreement. Just us, though,”


    <b>This </b>only made me more curious about ric’s rtionship with Mel and her loyalty to him. Mel said she’d worked for his family for years, but that was all she told me.


    And for her to still work at the house when ric didn’t even want his own family to know that our marriage was contracted?


    This ran deeper than just loyalty.


    But it didn’t make me feel uneasy. If anything, it made me feel relieved that I didn’t have to lie to Cami.


    “Oh,” I breathed. “That’s…”


    “Yeah. But you don’t need to worry about anything. Your secret’s safe with us. ric, he’s her expression grew a bit solemn as she picked up a makeup brush. “He’s helped us in more ways than I can imagine. So if you think about it, we’re actually indebted to him.”


    “What did he do? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.


    I had a feeling my <b>question </b>wouldn’t be answered anyway. That this was way personal. But it did nothing. to water down my curiosity.


    What had ric done for them to make Cami feel like they were indebted to him?


    I remained quiet while Cami did my makeup, asionally cracking a few jokes here and there.


    And then she moved to my hair.


    “God, you have no idea how much I needed <b>this </b>distraction,” <b>she </b>murmured.


    I stared at <b>her </b>through the mirror. “What would you need to be distracted from? School?”


    Her brown eyes glinted, but her <b>smile </b>was dim as she looked away. “No, not school. I’m done with highschool and decided to take a gap year before college, but that’s not it. I’ve just been going through a rough patchtely. Terrible break up.”


    Her eyes met mine again.


    WE


    CHAPTER ODST


    “Oh “1 frowned. “I’m sorry about <b>that</b>.” Something thick lodged in my throat <b>as </b>I debated <b>saying </b>more.” Do you want to talk about it?”


    Cami winced. “Not really.”


    I let out a softugh that tasted like bile on my <b>tongue</b>. “I can <b>rte</b>, you know? Went through a terrible breakup a little over two <b>weeks </b>ago and I’m still trying to understand how I didn’t see the signs <b>that </b>something was wrong<b>.</b>”


    “Well, whoever that scumbag was, it’s his loss. And ric’s gain if you think about it. I don’t know anything about your rtionship but I can vouch for him,” she muttered as she finished the look with some hairspray.


    “He’s a great guy.”


    Maybe. But I didn’t know him yet. I’ll be the judge of that,” I whispered, rising to my feet. I stared at my dark long hair which <b>was </b>now falling in soft waves down my back. The makeup was wless. I looked.. beautiful.


    “Wow,” I whistled. “You know your stuff. Thank you<b>, </b>Cami


    She rolled her eyes fondly. “With the way you look right now, there’s no way his mother won’t fall in love at first nce.”


    I paused, turning to face her. “You know her?” For some reason, my heartbeat sped up. Maybe because I was fucking nervous and trying to take my mind off it.


    “Course I do,” Cami quirked. “I also know she throws a mean party. And she…” she trailed off as her eyes focused on something behind me.


    Or someone.


    “Uh.. your husband is here<b>,</b>” she whispered.