Obsessed with my husband's stepbrother

I can’t be pregnant

Leilani

“Dad doesn’t like rowdy gatherings, so there’s only going to be family, close friends, and colleagues, I guess,” Neil said, his hand on the small of my back as we walked away from the car, and onto the carpet leading forward.

I’ve always known that Neil’s father was rich and successful, but my surprise knew no bounds when we arrived at the event.

It was being held at a whole new luxury mansion Neil’s dad recently bought, with the biggest and most beautiful yard space I have ever seen. The humongous driveway was filled with the expensive vehicles of guests who gave me the impression that everyone was here to show off their costly and prized possessions. Glowing night lights stood strategically, illuminating the area in a golden glow.

“Where the heck is she?” Neil bit out as we neared the wide entrance of the mansion flanked by men in black suits and sunglasses. At night. Classic music filtered out over the sounds of people talking, laughing, and generally socializing.

“Your mom? She was cleared, right?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.

“Yeah. Why the heck isn’t she here?” Neil mused. I had not set my eyes on Ms. Declan tonight though Neil had taken care of making her eligible to attend the event since she did not have an invite.

To be honest, I was not looking forward to seeing her.

“Call her, maybe,” I suggested.

As we reached the entrance, my eyes widened. The sheer size of the building was jaw-dropping. The round golden dinner tables decked with golden cutlery and décor filled the huge entrance hall of the mansion with double large stairs curving up to the second floor. Large chandeliers shimmered high up in the ceiling. Everything flashed gold, money, and opulence.

Women in the finest, costliest dresses glided about on the reflective marble floor and were confident, men strutted about in various designs and regal colors of suits, decking shiny cufflinks, and expensive watches. Even the waiters expertly weaved their way around carrying shiny trays decked with flutes of golden champagne.

Are all these people just Mr. Giles’ close friends and colleagues?

I heard Neil say something to one of the security men he was apparently familiar with but I caught nothing from their conversation because a beautiful, I mean beautiful woman was approaching us, a smile on her face, dark hair rippling like a waterfall as her golden silk dress swished over the floor as she moved.

I had met her a couple of times before but I just always go into mild shock each time I see her. It was Mrs. Giles. Neil’s stepmother.

Adonis’ mom.

This was where he got his beautiful killer genes from.

“Darlings!” She exclaimed once she got close enough, her arms outstretched.

“Hey, mom.” Neil turned and grinned when he saw her. “Damn, you look so good, as usual.”

She laughed and pulled me into an embrace. “It’s so nice to see both of you again!” She held me at arm’s length, admiration brimming in her beautiful dark eyes. “Especially you, my pretty angel. You look so amazing, wow, my little Neil is so lucky.”

I was beaming. “It’s nice to see you too, Mrs. Giles. You look breathtaking.”

“Oh please, call me Cora, honey.”

She gave me a fond smile before moving to embrace Neil warmly. Adonis’ mom was a single mother with a little son -Adonis- when she got married to Neil’s father, and Neil had accepted her wholeheartedly. Which his biological mother – Ms. Freya Declan did not take kindly to, of course.

As she pulled out of the embrace, I noticed her eyes scanning outside behind us, like she was searching for something. Or someone.

“Where’s Adonis?” She asked, her cheerfulness suddenly but slowly draining away. My guess was right.

Neil and I exchanged glances before he looked at her with a solemn expression on his face. “He’s not coming.” When her face fell completely, he quickly added, “I tried to convince him-”

“No, no. It’s not your fault.” She gave a little wave. “I know how he can be.”

She hadn’t even gotten the words out of her mouth when a woman on the carpet exclaimed. “Wow, look at that entrance!”

We all turned to look in the direction she was facing and I saw a short line of black cars drive slowly into the driveway, glistening under the glow of the night lights. And right in the middle of the black cars, was a show-stopping red Jeep that looked as expensive as fuck.

I had seen that Jeep somewhere.

“Wait a minute…” Neil muttered, stepping forward for a better view.

The cars slowly arranged themselves in the driveway, basking in the attention of the people standing around, staring curiously. The doors of the black cars opened and a couple of hulking men in black suits stepped out, along with three women who were dressed like some sort of hostesses. My eyebrows lifted.

The driver’s door of the red Jeep slid open and a young broad-shouldered chauffeur stepped out gracefully, then made his way over to the back seats. I heard murmurs from some people a few meters away, saying whoever had taken time to command such an entourage must be a very important guest.

Where did I see that Jeep…?

The chauffeur pulled the door open slowly...and waited, patiently.

“Mrs. Giles? Isn’t that the exact model and color of your new Jeep?” A high-pitched voice asked somewhere behind me. But the question was left hanging in the air as everyone’s eyes were trained on the open back seat, waiting to see who would step out.

A female foot popped out and hit the gravel. The foot was tucked in some outrageously high-heeled shoe but I could not determine what color it was from where I stood. Next, a woman stepped out in a shimmering black dress that flowed like a river around her feet. The neckline was a deep V cut and her blonde hair curled down her shoulders. As she moved, her abundant accessories glittered.

I could not see her face, but her posture, the angle of her chin, and the way she carried herself were familiar. Terribly familiar. Recognition struck me like a bolt of electricity.

It was Neil’s mother. Ms. Declan.

“I knew it...” Neil said under his breath like he read my thoughts.

“Isn’t that Mr. Giles’ ex-wife?” That annoying high-pitched voice asked again, making me grate my teeth. Even though Ms. Declan had been excluded from the Giles’ social life, a couple of people still knew her, mainly because she is Neil’s mother, and she still had some right to see her son.

“What is she doing here, Neil?” Adonis’ mom sounded upset. “She was not invited. Who let her through?” She tried to keep her voice at a cool volume in order not to cause a scene, but a couple of people had already caught on to the gist.

Neil turned. “It was me-”

“What? Why?” She asked, growing more upset. Neil started to give a couple of explanations that I was not listening to because I was staring back at Ms. Declan, who was elegantly walking up the carpet, her suited men flanking her at her sides while her 'ladies' carried her onyx purse and adjusted her dress as she moved.

Eyes were all on her and she basked in it. Loved it. Why would the celebrant’s ex-wife show up at his fiftieth birthday? With a fleet of cars? With an entourage of security guards and 'female assistants'? In the same Jeep with the celebrant’s wife?

I smelt trouble.

Soon, she was right in front of us, her 'entourage' waiting a few feet away, apparently having no intentions of coming into the building.

“Neil, my son…” Her modulated voice felt like silk in my ears, her blue eyes twinkling as she pulled Neil into an embrace, with Neil stiff and rigid in her slender arms.

With her blonde hair down, and in such a suggestive dress -though not angelically and sexually provocative like mine- she looked so young. I mean, she always looked young, but tonight, it looked like she went all the way out to steal all the attention.

Mrs. Giles stepped forward, a smile absent on her beautiful face. “Why are you here? You are not welcome here.”

Ms. Declan released Neil from her grip to send a condescending look at Adonis’ mother. Then her dark purple lips morphed into a smile. “Hello, Cora. Obviously, I’m here for the party.”

The few guests around us exchanged glances. My eyebrows furrowed. The party just began, we can’t afford to cause any scenes right now.

“Leave before I throw you out.” Cora's eyes burned in a way that reminded me of Adonis.

Neil’s mother did not bat an eyelid. “My son invited me.” An evil glint chilled her blue eyes. “Where’s your son, Cora? Oh, how could I forget, he’s probably too busy and too big of a disappointment to come to see his own mother. I wonder who he got that from? Definitely not Neil’s father because-”

“Mom!” Neil growled, cutting off her venomous words. Words that really struck Cora. She had always been the very sensitive type of woman. “Stop this right now.”

Ms. Declan gave a radiant smile. “Don’t get all worked up yet, son. The night is still young. We have a lot of partying ahead.”

Cora's face had gone pale. One of the security men flanking the entrance doors stalked closer to lean in and ask her if he should ‘escort’ the 'lady' out. I could see the words right on the tip of her tongue but she looked like something occurred to her, and she whispered, “No. Leave her.”

Then she turned and disappeared into the music and liveliness of the party.

A couple of guests left too, sensing that a scene had been prevented, so they mixed in with the party to get entertained some other way.

I was still standing there quietly when Ms. Declan fully rested her eyes on me to critically access my appearance. I felt my hands clam under her stare.

“Hello, Ms. Declan, you look nice tonight,” I said woodenly, a polite smile curving my lips.

She arched a thin, sharp brow. “Leilani, I always look nice. Not just tonight.”

Neil’s arm snaked around me to pull me against his body as if to shield me from his mother. “She was giving a compliment.”

She huffed and plucked her purse from the hands of one of the ladies in her entourage. As she turned back to face us, her eyes fell on the diamond necklace around my bare neck, shimmering against my skin.

Her eyes glinted as she took a step towards me to access it better. Of course, other people could not tell that she was staring at my jewelry. Then her eyes traveled up to meet Neil’s.

“You bought her a diamond?” Her voice was flat.

Neil's fingers softly stroked my neck as he placed a soft kiss on my hair. “It looks so beautiful on her, don’t you think so?” He grinned. “She has been attracting stares and floored attention ever since we got here.”

I smiled.

Ms. Declan’s eyes rounded slightly. “Have you ever bought me a diamond?”

Neil frowned. “What-”

“She already has a diamond ring. I, on the other hand, don’t have any diamonds bought with your money.” But she had loads of them bought without Neil’s money? Gosh. Ms. Declan's voice still sounded calm like she was talking about the weather, but beneath all that calmness, I could sense a storm brewing. Call it female intuition.

“And so what if she has a diamond ring? She’s my fiancée and I’ll get her anything and everything. Do you have a problem with that?” Neil sounded pissed.

Ms. Declan stared at him with raised eyebrows for a moment before she let out a dainty laugh. “I need champagne.” She sounded like she just dismissed a joke, but I knew jealousy when I saw it.

Why would she even be jealous of me? Because of a diamond? Or she just wants Neil all to herself?

At that moment, staring at Neil’s mother right at the entrance of the most beautiful and opulent dinner parties ever, all I could feel were chills on my spine.