JADE.
As I descended the spiral stairs, I smoothed my hand over the long, silky strands of my hair extensions. The rich, dark color blended seamlessly with my natural curls, cascading down past my shoulders. I had spent a good amount of time and money at the salon to achieve this polished, put-together look, but it was worth it to feel confident and beautiful.
My dress was decent enough - a striking, crimson-red gown with a sweetheart neckline, delicate lace trim, and a dramatic train that swept behind me like a fiery cloud
I walked slowly, feeling annoyed about the tight heels Sebastian's mother had given me last week. It was expected to be formal when we had tea with her, and that meant wearing the things she bought for me, or else she'd be upset about how I didn't appreciate her gifts.
I was a hardworking girl, and I would have been successful even if I hadn't met Sebastian – maybe not as successful, but I would have still had a good life and been independent. I didn't need an old witch like her constantly telling me I only saw her family as a goldmine as well as making my life miserable for no apparent reason every time she was around.
But why do I still put up with this?
Love.
I loved Sebastian too much to upset him. The outcome of that was something I couldn't afford.
Finally making it downstairs, I walked slowly and uncomfortably towards the patio.
Sebastian or his mother were nowhere to be seen when I got there, and the table was only halfway set.
"Dawn!"
The maid came running from her grass-trimming duty.
"Who was setting up the table?"
"It was me, Mrs. Price."
"Why did you stop?"
Dawn, who seemed quite thin and not well-fed, always had her short hair in a disheveled state, with her bulgy eyes that always gave away the fear she had for me because I would always scold her for her tardiness. "Mr. Price's mother will be arriving an hour later. Mr. Price said so."
"An hour later? But I thought she's already arrived?"
Confused, I made my way past the swimming pool and out into the front of the mansion where I saw Sebastian and another man walk towards the entrance.
"Babe?"
The two men turned to me in sync as I modeled closer. Whenever Sebastian had guests, I always made sure to make a good impression. I approached them with full confidence, glad their eyes were on me with every step. I was always doing anything to make Sebastian proud, and that included making it known to his friends and guests that he was a lucky man because I was a whole package.
When I got closer, I froze, my eyes locking instantly with the man next to Sebastian.
The uncanny similarity between my husband and his guest left me utterly transfixed and rendered me speechless. I noticed the man's side profile bore a striking resemblance to Sebastian's as he turned towards him, seemingly anticipating an introduction. As he pivoted, a few strands of his disheveled undercut fell over his right eye, yet he made no effort to sweep them away.
"Sebastian…" His voice had a deeper timbre than Sebastian's.
Sebastian cleared his throat as if coming out of a daze. "Yes. Babe, this is Marcus…"
There was a prolonged silence as Marcus and I both stared at Sebastian, who appeared to have suddenly frozen. Even though he was gazing into my eyes, he seemed disoriented.
"Sebastian?"
He cleared his throat again. "Yes," he replied abruptly, as if my voice had snapped him out of another trance. "Marcus, this is Jade, my wife. Jade, meet Marcus, my brother," he concluded in a flat tone.
My hand shot out, and his engulfed it completely. His grip was firm, almost reverent, as if cradling a fragile bird.
"Familia," he rumbled, his gaze holding mine for a beat too long. The weighted silence stretched, thick with unspoken words. I couldn't decipher his expression, an unsettling mix of recognition and something deeper, yet unreadable.
He released my hand abruptly, his eyes flickering away. He squeezed Sebastian's shoulder, a silent greeting. "Good to be home, brother," he said gruffly before disappearing into the mansion's cavernous maw.
Before I could react, Sebastian was already lunging for the door. I snagged his arm. "Wait," I blurted, "You have a brother?"
He whipped around, his face contorted in a bored annoyance that deepened into a frown as he scanned me head to toe. "You can't wear that. Not today. Go change," he snapped.
"Change?" I blinked, thrown off guard.
"Yes," he said curtly, irritation lacing his voice.
"Change into what?" My hand automatically went to my outfit that exposed a sliver of skin at the waist. "What's wrong with this?"
His frown deepened as if I'd suggested jumping off a cliff. "Did you even glance in the mirror before stepping out here?" He huffed, a frustrated puff of air escaping his lips. "Too much skin."
"It's barely anything, Sebastian. And since when did you care about that?"
"Will you just do as I say?!" He fumed and walked out on me.
My jaw clenched in confusion. Did he just yell at me?
I may not have been a child, but Sebastian always treated me with such care that his outburst brought tears to my eyes, though I quickly composed myself when I heard Margot calling out to me.
My strangled reply came out barely a whisper. "What?" The hurt flickered hot in my chest, threatening to spill over.
Margot picked up on the shift in my mood. "I, uh," she stammered, "was just heading to the grocery store. Need anything?" There was a tremor in her voice, a clear sign she was treading on eggshells. I wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows when my temper flared.
"No," I muttered and left to change what I was wearing. Sebastian's mother arriving was bad enough. Sebastian's mother arriving and him being mad at me was just something I couldn't handle.
Not less than an hour later, the witch arrived, but she wasn't alone.
Looking stylish and composed as always, she walked towards the patio with her guest - a tall, brunette lady. The guest was stunning, and as she approached, I found myself trying to remember where I had seen her before.
The brunette's tight bodycon made me feel plain and little in my floral halter dress, which now seemed too modest, and I'd taken off the heels too.
The old witch grinned at me so widely, I had to look around to see if someone was hiding somewhere, ready to pounce and end my life at any moment at her command.
"Where's Sebastian?" she chirped, her smile unwavering.
I offered a tight smile in return. "He's -"
"Mother!" Sebastian's voice boomed as he emerged from the kitchen backdoor, cutting me off.
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek, then retreated to a corner for a hushed conversation. The low murmurs and stolen glances spoke of something they didn't want anyone to hear, perhaps related to their guest.
I took the opportunity to introduce myself to Ms. Bodycon here.
"I'm Jade, Sebastian's wife." I meant to be specific.
"Hi," she smiled warmly. "I already know who you are, by the way."
Oh, good.
Our chat was interrupted when Sebastian's mother instructed her guest to get comfortable while she went away briefly.
Sebastian cast a sidelong glance in my direction before following his mother.
Ms. Bodycon took a seat on one of the loveseats while I stood there, looming over her. "I'm Yvette," she introduced herself.
"You look really familiar," I admitted. "Have we met before?"
She beamed even wider, and I just felt like slapping her into another damn continent. She was dressed to seduce for crying out loud. The only person allowed to walk around wearing that was me.
"I'm Yvette Briggs. From Elle Magazine? I model most of their haute couture. You might have seen my face on billboards around the city. Ring any bells?" I recognized her, but I wasn't going to let on that I knew she was a big deal, so I shook my head.
"Ok," she simply replied.
"And what brings you here?" I asked with a forced smile that must have looked strained as I felt irritation creeping in.
"Oh, uhh... Sebastian and I went to high school together," she explained.
"Really? Wouldn't he have recognized you right away when he saw you then?"
"He probably wouldn't. I've changed quite a bit since then."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Well, you still haven't really answered why you're here," I said, faking a smile so forcibly that my face tingled with annoyance. Yvette either didn't notice my act or chose to ignore it.
"Well, when Rebecca came over to visit my mom-"
"Rebecca? You call his mom by her first name?" I was clearly surprised.
"Yes," she replied happily. "She's always insisted on it ever since I was in high school with Sebastian and his—" She stopped herself abruptly, then said, "when I knew Sebastian in high school." She replied, "Anyway, she invited us this afternoon for tea. My mom was busy, but I wasn't, so here I am."
"Sebastian and his? Brother?" I completed the sentence for her, noticing a subtle shift in her demeanor. The smile she wore a moment ago seemed to falter.
Yvette met my gaze, a frown creasing her otherwise beautiful features. "I'd rather not talk about him," she said curtly.
"Is that so?" My curiosity piqued. "Why not?"
She fidgeted in her seat, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "Let's just say he made me feel… uncomfortable."
"Oh really?" I mused, a light bulb going off above my head. "Well, you should know he's back."
Yvette's eyes widened in alarm. "Really?"
I nodded confidently like I knew what was going on. "Uh-huh. He entered the mansion not long ago. That's probably why the wi – I mean, Rebecca – went inside earlier. To greet her son, I presume."
Panic flickered across Yvette's face. "I- I can't stay," she stammered, rising abruptly from her chair.
Before I could stop her, a torrent of questions bubbling on my tongue, she was already rushing away from the patio.
While a part of me wanted to call her back and demand answers, the other part didn't want her around. I would find out myself who this man was and why he scared her so badly.
***