Chapter 10 Confidence wavered
Hannah
I woke before dawn, way earlier than I normally do.
But it wasn't an impulse. It was a strategy. All part of my plan to face up to Timothy. I buzzed with nervous anticipation as I prepared and got dressed then hurried out of my room and to the dining room.
The house was still asleep when I slipped out of my room, the corridors dim and hushed, like I was doing something that I wasn’t supposed to do. God, back home was never this quiet. There was always some sound, the gardener’s lawnmower or the steps of the house staff or just Loretta chattering on the phone…
The thought of Loretta made me falter in my step. I cleared my throat and pushed on, fiddling with my dress. I dressed casually. My dress was flowery and bright. Something that said I exist, and had lots of colors. And also just cause I thought it was pretty and liked the way I felt in it. My heart hammered the entire walk to the dining room.
And there he was.
Timothy sat at the table, coffee steaming beside him, tablet in hand. For a single, glorious second, his hand paused on the way to his mouth and satisfaction bloomed in my chest.
I’d caught him off guard.
Lisa paused near the sideboard when she saw me. I caught her sharp glance at Timothy.
Timothy’s eyes darkened immediately he saw me and he looked back down at the tablet in his hand.
I strode in with fake confidence and took my seat anyway.
“Good morning,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Good morning. May I have breakfast as well?” I asked politely.
Lisa's eyes flirted between us, then she nodded to the staff.
Timothy didn’t respond. Didn’t look at me. Didn’t acknowledge that I’d spoken or was even seated at the same table as he.
He continued eating, jaw tight, phone already pressed to his ear. “No, that timeline doesn’t work,” he said sharply. “Move it.”
The silence pressed in.
My confidence wavered, doubt creeping in around the edges. Maybe this was stupid. Maybe I should’ve stayed invisible like he wanted. Minded my business. I fiddled more with the hem of my dress, my shoulders curving inwards a bit.
Breakfast arrived then. “Thank you so much.” I said with a smile to the staff as I picked up my fork and forced myself to eat.
“I was thinking,” I began carefully after a few bites, “since we live in the same house, we should probably….”
His phone rang again. He picked it immediately. “Yes,” he snapped, cutting me off without even glancing my way.
Heat crawled up my neck. I ate another bite and waited for the call to end.
When it finally did, I tried again. “Look, I don’t want things to be hostile. We can at least be civil….”
“Lisa,” he said abruptly, lowering his phone. “Have my driver ready in a minute.”
“Yes, sir.”
I stared at him, disbelief giving way to anger. “T-Timothy…” There was no response as he took the last bite of his eggs.
“I’m talking to you,” I said, my voice trembling slightly.
Nothing. He finished his coffee, folded his napkin, and stood.
That was it.
“Are you actually serious right now?” I snapped, pushing my chair back, my cutlery clattering. “This…this is childish. You’re deliberately pretending I don’t exist.”
He froze.
Slowly, he turned around.
His glare was ice-cold.
“This isn’t a game,” he said quietly. “I won’t entertain this sham of a marriage any more than I already have. I told you to stay out of my way.”
My voice dropped. “Do you really believe I did this? That I was behind everything?” It was hard to keep the tremble out of my voice now.
He scoffed. “You don’t get this far by accident.”
“I never touched your drink,” I said firmly. “I never leaked anything. I never even wanted you.”
“You’re a fucking liar,” he said flatly. “You’re just better at pretending than most. But make no mistake, I know what kind of person you are. Your sister told me a whole lot about you. I should’ve expected you’d pull this kind of shit.”
He turned to leave again.
“Wait,” I said, my voice breaking despite myself. “How…how is Loretta?”
He stopped dead.
“I’ve tried reaching her,” I continued, tears burning my eyes. “She blocked me everywhere. I just want to know if she’s okay.”
That did it. He whirled around in a fit of fury.
“How do you think she feels?” he exploded. “You destroyed her life. You destroyed mine. Everything went to shit because of you.”
“That’s not true…” I was almost begging.
“You should stay where you belong,” he cut in viciously. “In some dark corner where I don’t have to see you. Stay out of my life. Stay out of my way. Or I swear, you’ll hate me for what I’ll do to you.”
The threat lingered in the air. I sucked in a sharp inhale, tears tracking across my cheeks.
Then he stormed out, the doors slamming hard enough to rattle the room.
I stood there, shaking. I don’t know how many minutes passed.
When I turned, Lisa was watching me. Her face was composed and cold.
“Do you think I planned this?” I asked quietly. “Do you think I would ruin my own life like this?”
She didn’t answer for a full minute, her icy eyes boring into me.
Then she simply gestured toward my plate.
“Finish your breakfast, Mrs. Blackwood.”
Her non response was louder than any accusation.