The Consequence of Secrets - Part One by Eve Cates Read Free Book Online

adding to my urge to remove his wife from his grip. My gaze shifts back to Emma, who looks slightly overwhelmed.
    “I’ll see to it that she has all she needs,” I respond, my eyes locked on hers. “They can both start Monday week.”

     

Emma
    “Are you sure this decorating thing is a good Idea?” I ask Gabe on the way home in the car. He hasn’t said anything about it since he voiced his conditional permission at the church earlier. Even though he said it was fine, I know that he only agreed because of my father – just like he only pointed out that I need to pray every day because my father was there. He has no real belief in prayer at all, but in front of my father, he’ll be the most pious man you’ve ever met, and he takes pride in talking to my dad about how much he supports and shares in my beliefs. If only they knew what my beliefs really were. You see, in the years I’ve been married to Gabe, I’ve changed a lot. And mostly, I’ve become a liar – a schemer. No one really knows me at all anymore, not even Jules. I’m not even sure that I know me…
    Gabe glances at me then shrugs. “What? Helping the church? Why not? Your father seems to think it’s a good thing.”
    I smile. Of course he’ll agree to it because of my father. He’ll do anything to keep my father happy because he wants my family’s money. He wants to inherit the company when my father dies. That’s his whole goal, and I know in my heart that it’s why he targeted me. Why else would man who turns the head of every woman he walks by, choose a woman like me? I was a fool to believe it then. But, I’m not a fool now. I learned a hard lesson not long after the rings were exchanged. I know he doesn’t love me. In fact, I’m sure he doesn’t even like me. But right now, I serve a purpose, and he won’t let me go – even when I tried to remove myself, he still wouldn’t let me go.
    God help me when my purpose is through and he has everything he wants. I can’t imagine he’ll want me around for long when that happens.
    Forcing a sweet smile in my lips, I gaze at him adoringly. “My concern is what you think,” I say sweetly, reaching out to slide my hand over his thigh. “My job is taking care of you, and if you’re worried I won’t be able to do that properly, I can talk to daddy and tell him…”
    “I’m sure you’ll work it out,” he says flatly, cutting me off and removing my hand from his leg.
    “Of course,” I respond, wondering why I bothered saying anything at all. The decision was already made for me. I was never going to get a say in this even though it means that my life just got a hundred times harder.
    I swallow hard, the backs of my eyes burning as I suppress my emotions. I’m going to be stuck here forever…

Chapter 10

     

Emma
    Jules is a flake. A little over a week later, we started helping out at the youth center, and two days she lasted. Two days .  And now, here I am, trying to make excuses for her with the project manager, Carol Salisbury, who is Deacon Salisbury’s wife, and the rectory housekeeper. She has tightly coiled red hair, and pale freckled skin to match. She’s in her early fifties but could easily pass for late thirties because of her youthful appearance – think Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films, she has that kind of feel about her and is a lovely woman – if a little abrasive at times.
    I’m told she and Deacon Salisbury married in secret when they were still in high school because Deacon was going through a rebellious faze and didn’t want to become a priest as his parents wanted – something about it being tradition in their family for the oldest son of every generation to serve. Little did he know at the time, but if you’re married beforehand, you can still become a deacon, and he seems quite happy with that as it means he got the girl, and he can still serve his family name whilst holding a very active role within the church community.
    “I thought this