“She is a fucking liar. She is not Roman’s real fiancée. He paid her to act like she was.” Tessa laughs. “This is all a fucking act.”
Elizabeth gasps, Cliff frowns as he continues to read the contract, and Liam’s jaw rocks.
Tillie sips her wine. “Sit down and stop this, Tessa.”
“No, Tillie, no. Roman can sit down, or he can explain to us all why he is paying someone to act like they love him!” Tessa shouts. Her voice is filled with venom.
I want to throw up and crawl into a deep, dark hole and hide.
“Noelle is my fiancée,” Roman proclaims.
“Pfft, please, Roman; she is not.”
I push my shoulders back. “Tessa, please stop. You don’t understand.”
Tessa tilts her head and pouts. “I do understand; in fact, page three of this slut contract says it all.”
Liam stands. “What the hell are you doing?”
Tessa recoils in shock. “She is not his real fiancée.”
Liam pushes back his chair. “Tessa, stop.”
“No. This is not right, Liam.” She slaps the folder on the table.
Roman scoffs. “Because I rejected you two days ago, you are trying to use Noelle as a punching bag for your grief.”
Tessa’s lips tremble. “Fuck you, Roman. That’s what she is, a hired punching bag.”
I move closer to the edge of the table. “Go ahead and throw your first punch then; it’s about to be your last.”
Cliff stands. “Everyone, stop. Liam, get Tessa under control.”
Tessa whips her head around. “Control who?” She backs away from the table, and a scowl covers her face. “Why the fuck are we ignoring that he hired a slut to act as his fiancée?”
ROMAN
“Because I’d rather be married to a slut than be married to you.” Rage was coursing through my body.
Liam presses his hand down on the dinner table. “Don’t shout at my girl, Rom.”
I don’t know if it was the alcohol or the fact that I feel like I am losing control over the situation. “You mean my girl. As is the fucking norm, Liam. You always want whatever I have.”
Liam grips the linen on the table and whispers, “Fuck you.”
“That’s your M.O., isn’t it? Always taking what you can’t fucking have!” I shout. In my peripherals, I can see Anushka ushering Noelle away. Good, she doesn’t need to be here for this.
“My M.O.? I didn’t take it from you, Roman. You are always leaving, running, walking the fuck away. Running to work, to your fucking office, moving to another fucking city.”
Liam pushes his chair further away. “The company, the family, Tessa. You just walk away.”
His words begin to irritate me. “Shut up, Liam.”
“Boys,” my mother pleads.
“No, Mom; he needs to know. You always walk away, leaving everything and everyone in shambles, and I am the fucking one here! Picking up whatever you dropped, piecing together whatever you fucking broke.” Liam wipes his face. “That’s not stealing, you cunt; that’s me cleaning up after your coward ass.”
Something inside me snaps. I leap over the table, diving on my baby brother. A fist connects with his face, and I feel satisfaction when I hear a crunch.
