Chapter 23 - Millie

I mixed up the chapter numbers. This is the real Chapter 23, the one before is Chapter 22. Still waiting for them to fix it.





"Can you imagine me with a belly in like the next few months??"

Amelia asked as she walked across the aisle and Molly gasped. She stopped by a particular aisle to check out the charcoal set. She didn't do much of charcoal drawings, but it was worth trying.

"Oh yes! It's going to be fucking funny because I'm pretty sure you'd be freaking out like ninety nine percent of the time."

Amelia nodded as she added the charcoal set to her shopping cart.

"True! True that."

"What are you shopping for anyways?"

Molly asked as she squinted her eyes from the screen and Amelia pointed her camera to her shopping cart.

"It's just art supplies."

"Awwwn. I thought you used to order them?"

Amelia nodded.

"Not really..."


"Oh okay. So, any cravings yet?"

Amelia nodded her head.

"Definitely a lot of sugar. Candy, sweets, chocolate, I've been gouging on all of them and Xavier's just letting me because I think he'd like to see how big my ass can get."

Molly exploded into laughter.

"Well, is it big now?"

She asked as she wiped tears from her eyes and Amelia raised a hand and felt her bum in her skintight jeans.

"Nope, still flat."

"Well, not much going on there..."

"How is Dubai?"

She asked and Molly closed her eyes.

"I love it here! I don't want to leave!!"

"It's so freaking beautiful, it's like golden ninety five percent of the time."

"These people have ATM's that shit gold!"

Molly exclaimed.

Amelia furrowed her eyebrows. Really? She thought.

"Woah! Sounds like a fun place to be. Always wanted to see the Burj Khalifa."

"Just add it to you and Xavier's vacation list. I'll be more than happy to host you both.


"Well, That's good. Does that mean you're taking the offer?"


There was a long pause on the line as Molly pondered on the question as she tilted her head.

"I don't know. I mean, New York is where everyone is, my friends and my family but then there's this whole new world for me waiting to be explored, with more money of course."


Amelia sighed, she knew that Molly was going to be confused and she didn't want to influence her decision, but if she could, she would tell her to stay in New York.

"Well, I know you love to travel. And you've always been very passionate about your job. I think the Dubai offer is a good thing, so you can take the offer if that's what you really want."


"I mean, look at me!!"

Amelia gestured to herself.

"I never thought that I would leave New York but now I stay like miles away."

She said as she rolled her eyes and picked up a set of oil paintings. She always liked to shop for her art supplies herself because she paid attention to detail, something someone else or her art manager would not be able to do even if she gave them specific brands they were to shop from.

Amelia would pick out what she felt was closer to what she needed and what was perfect to her.

"Still, I'm very happy for you. I wish I could give you a huge hug right now."


"Awwwn. Me too."

Amelia said as she teared up slowly.

"I'm sending you a virtual hug though. Whatever you decide, I know it's going to be cool."


Molly nodded.

"Yes, I think it's getting clearer now. I'll give you an update."


"Okay babe. Don't stress yourself too much about it. I'll see you later."

Amelia said as she ended the face time.

She went back to her shopping and half an hour later she was able to complete her shopping.


Few hours later after running all the errands she wanted to run, she went back home with her art supplies. She was tired and hungry and she had a long day already.

It was a hot day and she had left the house in a tank top and skinny jeans with her hair all up in a bun but she still felt very hot. She thought about visiting the pool after arranging her art supplies.

Walking into the house, she walked straight to the kitchen while the supplies she got was being carried by the help into her art room.

She rarely walked into the kitchen but she was suddenly craving butter pecan ice cream and pickles. She didn't know if they had pickles or not but she was too embarrassed by her cravings to ask for help to get it.

She was in the hallway leading to the kitchen when she heard a strained voice, a very familiar one.

She paused to listen, while straining her ear as she leaned against the kitchen wall.

It was the housekeeper Millie.

"No, Please Ms Daphne, don't make me do this!!"

That was the only statement Amelia heard that was audible. Everything else she couldn't hear audibly. But it sounded like their housekeeper was talking to Daphne.

Amelia frowned as she shook her head, her heart raced faster as it became increasingly clear that their housekeeper was talking to Daphne.

She had always suspected her all along, she was always eavesdropping, she was always talking to Daphne and dropping shady comments. The real question Amelia had was why.

Why would Millie be helping Daphne with anything?

And how long had she been helping her.

What where they even talking about?

She asked herself as she frowned.

She walked into the kitchen a few seconds after the call ended.

"Who were you talking to?"

Millie dropped the phone in shock as she slowly turned, her hands shook with every second and she tried to compose herself.

"Mrs Black! You're back. How was your shopping?"

"Millie, I asked you a question."

Amelia asked as she moved closer to her with narrowed eyes and folded arms.

Millie was shaking right in front of her, the fear in her honey brown eyes was so glaring that it made Amelia wonder what exactly she had been doing behind her back.

"It was my sister. I was talking to my sister..."

She said as she gulped nervously.

"So you have a sister named Daphne now?"

Amelia asked as she cocked her head and Millie laughed nervously.

"Oh! No, but she has a mutual friend named...."


"I know you're lying!!"

"Oh no! Mrs Amelia I'm not lying! Why would I lie!"

Amelia shrugged.

"I don't know. Why would you be talking to Daphne?"

"I've been suspecting you for a while now..."

She added as she squinted her eyes at the woman.

"I don't think I can trust you anymore."

Amelia said as she turned away.

"Mrs Black, you can trust me! Please..."

She held on to Amelia's arm and Amelia shrugged her away.

She couldn't bear to think of what Daphne could be planning with her housekeeper. Her mind travelled back to when the news of Daphne being pregnant leaked, the only person that had access to every room in the house was the housekeeper Millie.

She had spare keys for most of the rooms and she knew all the security codes, Amelia wouldn't put it past her to have found a way to give Daphne her laptop and get her laptop hacked.

There was only one way to go and she didn't matter how cruel it sounded, her safety and that of her child's came first.

She didn't know what transpired between them both but she was sure that Millie was acting as a spy for Daphne.

"I'm sorry Millie. You're fired. I want you out of this house right away. We will discuss your pay and severance package over the phone."

Amelia said as she walked away.


Millie followed closely behind begging but Amelia shut her out. So many strange things had happened in the house, Daphne seemed to be in on everything happening, Amelia was hundred percent sure something transpired between the both of them and Amelia knew it couldn't be good.


"Please Mrs Black, just hear me out!"

Millie cried as Amelia reached the stairway and she finally stopped to look at her.

"Millie, I promise I'd write you a good recommendation letter. But I can't keep around someone I can't trust. And nothing you say will change this."

"But, I've done nothing wrong! I never betrayed you in anyway!"

"Stop denying it! It's tiring to hear."

Amelia said as she rubbed her temples. She was still craving ice cream and pickles.

And she wanted to get over everything that was happening as quickly as possible.

"Leave before I change my mind about that recommendation.

She said her final words and she turned away.

She walked into her art room first, her mind was in an emotional turmoil, her large part of her gut instincts told her she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't ignore feeling bad about how sad and hurt Millie looked before she left.

She spent the rest of the next few hours painting, she didn't want to go downstairs and see Millie packing so she sent someone to get her lunch.

After she was informed that Millie was gone, she went downstairs to take a look herself.

"How was she when she left?"

She asked the maid who showed her Millie's empty room that had been cleared out. She hadn't really seen how the room looked before, because she had never been to the staff quarters before. But it looked bland and small, all personal effects were gone and the sheets were a clean and white.
Millie was one of the three staffs that lived in the house, the rest chose to work from home.

"She was a bit sad. She called Mr Black a few times but I doubt he responded."

"Hnmmm.... You'll be taking over from her Sarah."

"Yes Ma'am."

Suddenly another help ran towards them breathing breathlessly.

"Mrs Black. Someone is here to see you. I've called the intercom in your room but no answer."

She said as she panted loudly.


"Who?"


"I don't know him. He said his name is Lorenzo Cumson. He says he has information about Daphne Steele and it's imperative that he talks to you."

Amelia raised her eyebrows.

She knew of no Lorenzo Cumson and the fact that he was related with Daphne even made her more suspicious and uneasy.

"How does he look?"

Amelia asked with a frown.

"He's still at the gate. But he's a tall man, dark hair, dressed like a movie star."


"Okay! Okay! You know what, invite him in and keep a close eye on him, I have to change."




He was nervous, very nervous. He didn't know why he was. He had planned what he was going to say while he was on his way and he had convinced himself to say it.

He knew he wasn't meant to visit them at their home but seeing Xavier Black has proved to be impossible and he didn't see much of the wife either. He also didn't know how to get through them, they seemed to live pretty private lives.

Fortunately, finding their home address was quite easy, he had quickly used Daphne's name at the door hoping he would get in and it had paid off.

All he was doing was waiting for Amelia in their lovely living room.

He had not met her in person but from the few pictures he saw online she was a striking woman with hypnotising eyes.

"Lorenzo Cumson?"

A soft voice called out from the top of the stairs as a woman with jet black hair and a peach gown walked down the stairs in nothing but flats.

As she drew nearer to him, he understood more of why Xavier had married her, everything about her was mesmerising.

"Yes, that's me. I have something very urgent to discuss with you Amelia Black."


Amelia tilted her head as she folded her arms, there was a lot she didn't understand. Why was this strange man asking to speak to her about Daphne.

"I'm still pretty sceptical. So can you please go straight to the point."

The man nodded eagerly.

"Yes, like I said. It's about Daphne Steele. I'm here to tell you the baby isn't your husband's."

Amelia felt her jaw slack.

What??
How could this be true?

She asked herself as she shook her head.

"I'm the real father of her child."