Seven

E V E L Y N

Evelyn woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, feeling a sense of dread wash over her as she remembered yesterday's events. Her sister had called off the wedding at the last minute, leaving Evelyn with no choice but to take her place. She had married Lucas Moore, the man she had always loved, but the marriage was nothing short of agony.

Lucas was an elusive billionaire media mogul, and he had only ever had eyes for her sister. Evelyn couldn't help but wonder how she was going to survive under the same roof with a man who was devoid of her feelings. She had loved Lucas for as long as she could remember, but he had always been out of reach.

As she got out of bed and started to get ready for the day, Evelyn couldn't help but wonder if Lucas would ever feel the same way about her. Was there any hope for her love to be reciprocated, or would her feelings for him remain fruitless?

As she put on her makeup and got dressed, Evelyn tried to push those thoughts out of her head. She had made a commitment to Lucas, and she was going to do everything in her power to make their marriage work. But as she walked downstairs to the kitchen, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart. She had always dreamed of being with Lucas, but now that dream had become a reality, and it wasn't at all how she had imagined it would be.

As Evelyn walked into the kitchen, she saw an old lady with a kind face and a warm smile. The lady was busy cooking breakfast, and the smell of bacon and eggs filled the room. The lady turned around and greeted Evelyn with a warm smile.

"Good morning, dear. You must be the new Mrs. Moore. I'm Mrs. Johnson, the cook. I've been working for the Moore family since Lucas was a little boy," the lady said.

Evelyn smiled back at her and introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Johnson. Thank you for making breakfast."

Mrs. Johnson chuckled. "Oh, it's no trouble at all, dear. I've been making breakfast for the Moore family for years. It's nice to have a new face around here."

As they sat down to eat, Mrs. Johnson started to tell Evelyn a bit about Lucas. "Lucas has always been a bit of a lone wolf. He's a very private person, and he doesn't like to share his personal life with anyone. But he's a good man, and he's always been very kind to me."

Evelyn listened intently as Mrs. Johnson continued to talk about Lucas. She learned that he had always been a hard worker, even as a child. He had a passion for media and had started his own media company when he was just out of college. Mrs. Johnson also shared that Lucas had always been very close to his sister, who had passed away a few years ago.

As they finished their breakfast, Evelyn felt a sense of comfort in Mrs. Johnson's presence. She had never met anyone who knew Lucas so well, and it was nice to hear about him from someone who had known him for so long.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Mrs. Johnson. It was delicious," Evelyn said as she got up from the table.

"It was my pleasure, dear. You come back anytime you like. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here," Mrs. Johnson said with a smile.

Evelyn smiled back at her and walked out of the kitchen, feeling a little bit better about her new life with Lucas. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she was determined to make it work. And with Mrs. Johnson by her side, she knew she had a friend she could count on.

After breakfast, Evelyn decided to take a tour of the house. She wanted to see what her new life was going to be like and how everything fit together. As she walked through the rooms, she couldn't help but notice that everything was still Alice's taste. The furniture, the paintings, the curtains, everything was a reflection of Alice's personality.

Evelyn felt a pang of guilt in her heart. She knew that Lucas had loved Alice deeply, and that he was still grieving her loss. She felt like she was intruding on a life that wasn't hers, and that she was taking Alice's place in Lucas's heart.

She walked into the bedroom and saw a picture of Lucas and Alice on the nightstand. They looked so happy together, and Evelyn couldn't help but wonder if Lucas would ever be happy again.

She sat on the bed and looked around the room. Everything was so perfect, so put together. She wondered if Lucas had ever felt suffocated by Alice's perfectionism, by her need for everything to be just so.

As she got up from the bed, Evelyn felt a sense of sadness wash over her. She knew that she wasn't Alice, and that she could never fill her shoes. She felt like she was living in a shadow, and that she would never be able to escape it.

She walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. The sun was shining through the windows, and the room was bathed in a warm glow. She sat down on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to push away the sadness that was creeping up on her.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and she opened her eyes to see Lucas standing in front of her. He looked tired, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she replied.

They sat in silence for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Evelyn felt like she was suffocating, like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she said finally. "I'm sorry that I'm not Alice, and that I can't be what you need."

Lucas looked at her with a mixture of sadness and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I know that you loved her, and that you're still grieving her loss. I feel like I'm intruding on your life, like I'm taking her place," she said.

Lucas sighed and sat down next to her. "Evelyn, you're not taking her place. You're not trying to be her, besides you're not the one to be blamed"

Evelyn felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She looked at Lucas and saw the hurt and sincerity in his eyes. She knew that he meant what he was saying, and that he truly is hurting.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

He nods before excusing himself.

Evelyn walked to her room, deep in thought. She couldn't help but think about how awkward things had been between her and Alice. She knew that her sister was upset with her, but she didn't know how to make things right.

As she walked into her room, she sat down on the bed and thought about what she could do. She wanted to talk to Alice and clear the air, but she didn't know how to start the conversation.

Just then, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Alice. She took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Hey, Alice," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Evelyn, how could you do this to me?" Alice said, her voice filled with anger.

"What do you mean?" Evelyn asked, confused.

"You know exactly what I mean," Alice said. "You stole Lucas away from me."

Evelyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had never stolen anyone away from Alice. Lucas had chosen her, and she had nothing to do with it.

"Are you fucking kidding me," Evelyn said, her voice shaking. "You even have the guts to say that!?."

"What do you mean?," Alice asked. "You should have never agreed to the alignment if you had enough respect for me as your sister"

Evelyn felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn't believe the words coming out from her sister.

"Why did you have to call it off?" Evelyn asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Huh?"

"A lot was going on Eve, I just wasn't ready." Alice said, her tune growing soft.

Evelyn felt her anger rising. This isn't the first time Alice is postponing the wedding, it has happened two to three times yet it never hindered the love Lucas has for her.

"I really have nothing to say to you" she asked, her voice rising. "You made your choice and now I have to clear up your trash as always. You always get what you want, you always have to be the center of attention. You always have to have everything your way but not this time Alice"

With that, she ended the call.

She felt a mix of anger and sadness wash over her. She couldn't believe that Alice was blaming her for something that wasn't her fault. She knew that Lucas had chosen her, and she had nothing to do with Alice's decision to call off the wedding.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that she couldn't let Alice's words get to her, or she would never be able to make her marriage work