Chapter 2 - Alice

“Casey, could you excuse us for a moment?” Kendra smiled, her tone suddenly warmer and gentler, only because it wasn't Alice the one who she was talking to.

“Uh... Of course...” Casey hesitated, and Alice knew him well enough to know he was eager to walk away from a possible argument. “Just... Please, Kendra, don't be so hard on Alice. It's okay for her to be sad. As much in love as Amber and I are, it was still a betrayal..."

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, darling.” Kendra cut him off, with a friendly smile “What happened was just inevitable. I saw the way Alice treated you. Any man would realize sooner or later that they deserve more than a cold woman. As a mother, all I can say is that I am more than happy to continue having you as my son-in-law.”

“Oh, uh... Thank you. I... I'll try to talk to Alice when things are calmer.” He promised, but didn't turn his eyes toward his ex-girlfriend before leaving the living room, leaving Alice with that sour feeling inside her, watched by the prickly eyes of the last two people she wanted to talk to at that moment.

“If you're here to force me to stay cool about Amber being with my ex-boyfriend, you don't need to waste your saliva.” Alice said to her mother, as she started to walk past Kendra and Amber “I don't need an unfaithful man, anyway.” She added, though the prospect of no longer having Casey to share the rent on her future apartment with her certainly complicated her plans.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kendra asked, cold as ever.

“Listen, Mom, if you want me to clean something up, I'll do it later. I already paid you the rent for my room this month, don't you remember? Even with all those crazy fees you put up just because Millie took a bath in the bathtub.” she grunted, exhausted “Now, I need to check on my daughter and help her with her homework...”

“You better look at me while I’m talking to you, girl.” Her mother replied “Especially because our conversation today is about Massimo Bianchi.”

Those words made Alice stop, quickly turning to face Kendra, hoping that her expression wasn't betraying her and showing the feelings that man's name awakened in her.

“What’s wrong with Massimo?” She swallowed hard, feeling her blood run cold with worry “I thought he was discharged. Did he… Did he get worse again?”

“No, he’s still the same shit.” Amber shrugged, so insensitive that anyone would doubt she was talking about the man Kendra had been trying to marry her to for the past 5 years “I think anyone would be, if their legs were crushed. Mom tried to call him this morning, but, of course, he's still locked up on that old farm, miles away from town. It must be because everyone knows that he might die soon, as everyone has been talking about at the High Society parties since the accident....”

“So, you decided to break things off with him at a time like this, to be with Casey?” Alice narrowed her eyes “What a noble thing to do, Amber.”

“Who gave you permission to talk to Amber like that?” Kendra growled “Don't you dare be rude like that again, if you don't want me to cut off the water for you and that brat again! And, just for your information, our family is indeed being very noble.” She crossed her arms, with a smile so light it was difficult to identify “Massimo may be about to stop being the Bianchi's CEO, but even so, we won't leave him without a bride. That's why you're going to uncheck whatever shit you're planning to do and pack your bags. In two days, you will be the wife of the Bianchi's bastard.”

“What...? What did you say?” Alice blinked, feeling disoriented as if she had just woken up from a dream.

“Don’t play dumb.” Kendra sneered, “You heard me. Amber will stay with the Campbells’ son, who is much better suited to her.” She stopped for a moment to exchange a smile with her favorite daughter “And you will marry Massimo, so everyone knows that the Dawseys are not heartless monsters who abandoned a family friend just because he is now crippled. So you and that brat better be on your best behavior when you move in with him, so as not to embarrass our family.”

“Are you… Are you listening to yourself?” Alice gasped “Do you realize you’re talking about me marrying him as if we were in the 18th century? Like I’m an object?!”

“I knew you would be dramatic about something so simple.” Her mother sighed in disapproval “Well, weren't you the one who was mad at your sister for stealing your man, Alice? You’re welcome that I just solved this problem for you. Now you will have that entire farm to raise your bastard daughter and you will be able to have a family name like the Bianchi, which is much more than you know you deserve.”

"So, you're suggesting I marry my sister's man, now she's with my boyfriend?" Alice growled, even though the idea of ​​marrying Massimo made her feel...

No, she couldn't give in to those kinds of thoughts. She was no longer the same foolish and passionate little girl she had been four years ago. She had to think only about Millicent's future and give the only possible answer to Kendra's proposal.

“Well, I appreciate your kindness, Mom, but I have no interest in marrying a man just because you don’t want High Society to comment on Amber’s boyfriend swap. If you really want to be of some help to Massimo, then perhaps you should try visiting him and offering a word of comfort, rather than a wife as a consolation prize.”

“I don’t think you understand, Alice.” Kendra’s gaze became even sharper, if that was even possible “That’s not a request. Massimo has already agreed to this arrangement and the papers are almost ready. You will settle on his farm the day after tomorrow.”

“He’s angry that I gave up on him so he wants to marry my sister to try to affect me.” Amber sighed, although there was a smile on her face “This is even a little romantic. If he wasn't chained to that wheelchair for the rest of his life, I might consider giving him a chance..."

“What a shame.” Alice grumbled, hating how those words felt like acid on her skin “But my answer is still no. And there's no point in either of you trying to threaten me and saying that you're going to leave me and my daughter without water or even throw us out of here. I'm ready to leave this place soon and now I see that it's the best decision I could make, since you care so little about me that you want me to marry a man who will only use me for revenge and probably treat me like dirt.” A tiny part of Alice waited for them to open their mouths to disagree, but, of course, nothing happened “Now if you'll excuse me, this conversation is over. I'm going to start packing my bags, but to move to a place very far from this mansion..."

“And how do you plan to do that?” Kendra questioned, very calmly “Would it be with the money you hid in a can, among the brat's things?”

“How...” Alice clutched the paper bag she was still holding, while her heart seemed to have stopped “How do you know...?”

“Do you really think that little thing would be enough for you to rent even the most rat hole out there? Sometimes you surprise me with how stupid you can be, Alice.” Her mother snorted “You should have thanked me for finding that money and stopped you from taking your daughter somewhere to starve.”