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“Know what?” I felt so lost and stupid. What was I missing here?
Gwendolyn gave me a pitying look. “I’m James’ fiancée.”
A sound escaped me, a little snort of shock mixed with amusement. I stared at the woman, waiting for her to laugh and say “Gotcha,” but Gwendolyn looked as serious as a heart attack… like the one I was on the verge of having.
“Of course, he didn’t tell you. Men.” She shook her head. “That’s why we girls have to stick together. I know James lied to you?—”
“Jamie,” I corrected.
“Excuse me?”
“If you’re his fiancée, why do you call him James? He doesn’t like it. You should know that.”
Gwendolyn stared at me as if I were crazy. Maybe I was. This woman claimed to be Jamie’s betrothed, and I was defending what he preferred to be called by those closest to him. I guess I was in shock.
She blinked. “James and I have been engaged for over a year. It’s always been in the books for him to marry me. Our families are… equals. I’m his equal. And you’re…”
And you’re a nobody… I knew that was what she wanted to say. I swallowed hard.
“Where the hell have you been this entire time, then, fiancée?”
Jamie and I had been dating for months, and I’d never once seen or heard any sign of another woman. Even if Jamie was an expert liar, surely I would have seen something… I glared so hard at Gwendolyn that she should have burst into flames.
She clutched her chest. “I should be the one upset here, Charlotte. Imagine being on the other side of the world and getting news that the man I’m to marry is parading around with another woman.” She scoffed. “It’s humiliating, yet here I am trying to help you.”
“Oh, really? And how the fuck are you helping?” I wanted to break down into tears because after what I heard from his father yesterday, I was inclined to believe that Jamie would be engaged to some pretty, rich socialite.
Gwendolyn clutched her chest as if she was too refined for the word “fuck” to harass her ears. “Charlotte,” she said with saccharine gentleness. “Men like James who have money, power, and so many responsibilities… They like to have their fun before settling down with their kind.”
The fuck? My molars ground together at that. What the hell was I? An alien species because I didn't have a well-known last name or money? Plus, Jamie wasn’t like that… Was he? Oh, God. I fought off a wave of nausea.
“I can only hope that he’s had his fun and gotten the need to spread his wild oats out of his system,” Gwendolyn continued. “His father assured me that he has.”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat as I held Gwendolyn’s gaze. I’d never break down in front of her and allow her to see how utterly heartbroken I was. Instead, I gave her a look frigid enough to rival hers.
“Take my advice, Charlotte. Walk away now and don’t stick around to be humiliated later when he tires of his latest… adventure.” Her words dripped with disdain. “I’m trying to look out for you. Men like James always choose their legacy over a fleeting romance. In our world, you’re the fun fling, but I’m the wife.”
In their world… God. All my insecurities surfaced to bite me in the ass. Would this woman show up here and blatantly lie? I doubted it. Gwendolyn Calloway had stuck a knife in my heart and savagely twisted it, but I’d never let her see how hurt I was.
Keeping my composure—barely—I said steadily, “Thanks for your concern…” You frigid bitch, I added silently and bitterly. However, I should be mad at Jamie not her, so I kept my temper and sharp tongue on a leash. “But you don’t have to worry about me, Gwen. I’ll gladly leave you and James to your future marital bliss. You two certainly deserve each other. You can go now.”
She seemed taken aback by my response and that satisfied me. Gwendolyn and I had a staredown. She watched me as if she was uncertain about how to react. When my eyes narrowed to slits, she angled her chin up, wheeled around, and sashayed out. I didn’t move, didn’t blink, and probably didn’t even breathe until I heard the elevator doors open and close. Then, I crumbled.
A sob escaped me, but I dashed the tears away with annoyance. I had to keep my shit together at least for a little while until I was out of Jamie’s house.
I was in the safety of my room so I could let my tears flow, and I almost flooded all of Oregon. It was hard to return to Kohala and get back to work as if I didn’t get my heart torn out of my chest and trampled into the dirt.
Mustering smiles for my friends and guests at the resort just wasn’t possible for the time being, so I took an extended leave and had been holed up in my childhood bedroom for two days. My mother had stayed out of my way for the most part. I suppose she didn’t know how to handle a sad and distressed Charlotte. She had only ever dealt with perky, defiant, and smart-mouthed Charlotte. I’d tell her what happened when I was ready because I could tell she was worried about me.
I’d barely slept or eaten as I wallowed in the sting of betrayal. All I’d done was cry and stare at my phone when it lit up with Jamie’s name flashing on the screen. Coward that I was, I packed up and fled Manhattan before Jamie got back from his office and I’d ignored all his calls. The adult thing to do would have been to confront him, but how could I when I was too miserable and hurt to speak?
The phone stopped lighting up for the gazillionth time, and I tentatively picked up the device as if it were an explosive. Several notifications for texts and voice messages flashed, tempting me to read and listen.
With a groan, I gave in, knowing they were all from Jamie. His urgent texts led me to listen to the voice messages. He sounded frantic in some of them, begging me to call him back because he was worried about me.
My heart ached even more. How could he still sound so genuinely concerned? In one message, he said he loved me, and if he didn’t hear from me, he might go off the deep end. Love? He was engaged to be married! Yet, he still sounded so believable. Jamie Winchester was cold-blooded. Just as I was about to listen to another of his messages, he called again. My heart thumped as I stared at his name. Taking a deep breath, I accepted the call but said nothing at first.
“Charlotte?” Jamie asked. “Are you there?”
