Page 25 of The Wrong Husband

A tear rolled down my cheek and I wiped it hurriedly. Doc put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey. Is it really that bad?"

I nodded sadly. "Don't worry. I'll snap out of it. Doc, do I have a clean bill of health?"

"Yes. But stay off screens and sleep a lot. Drink plenty of water. The usual shit. In a couple of weeks, the concussion will clear out. Where will you be staying? Here, I assume."

"I think so." I felt forlorn. This place was lovely, but it wasn't my home and right now I needed to be surrounded by my things. I wanted my bed and my pillow. I needed to feel cozy and safe.

"I never liked your sister," Doc said suddenly.

I made a face. "Everyone likes Bianca. You don't have to say this to make me feel better."

"Not doing that." Doc kissed my cheek then. "You're not invisible. In fact, I think you're very special."

"Is this what it means to be a doctor for the rich and famous? You have to stroke their egos?" I wanted my voice to be light, teasing but it came out sad and pathetic.

"No, Emilia. I take care of their physical and mental health by being honest with them."

"Thank you?" I murmured uncertainly.

He chuckled. "Once you see yourself clearly, without the haze of whatever your parents did to you, I think, Emilia, you'll be a force to reckon with."

Chapter 6

Damian

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Duncan yelled at me.

"Keep it down," my mother admonished. "We'll sort this out. I've asked Marisol in legal to put together a post-nuptial agreement. We'll get Emilia to sign it. How much money do you think she'll want?"

My family hated Emilia as soon as they found out that we were married. They didn't know her, but they hated her. Gideon had told dad that Emilia was a dumb gold digger. Maeve had told mom that she'd given Emilia a job as a favor because she was a…yeah, a dumb gold digger who had delusions of grandeur when it came to her art. Bianca told Duncan that Emilia was always jealous of her and had stolen her man; and had done this in the past as well.

I'd believe them as well if I hadn't spent the time I had with Emilia, which was miniscule compared to the time her family spent with her—and yet, I didn't see my new bride as dumb or a gold digger. I found her unerringly honest and naïve.

"She doesn't want any money," I stated.

"Bullshit," my father bellowed. "Seriously, Damian, you need to stop thinking with your fucking dick."

I should tell them, I thought then, about Bianca cheating on me, about how Emilia was not the seducer but the seduced. But I didn't. Cowardly? Probably. But I also didn't think they'd believe anything positive about Emilia at this point. Also, I was ashamed that my woman had cheated on me.

I was thirty-two years old, and I knew I was behaving like an insecure asshole, probably because I was one. Age didn't make insecurities disappear; despite being a badass and far less emotional than most, my heart and ego had both been trashed by Bianca.

"Why do you all think she trapped me?" I demanded.

"Why else would you marry her?" my mother said in disgust. "Though honestly, Damian…I can't imagine what you see in her. Compared to Bianca…this girl is plain and a failure."

Mom had this notion that her boys were perfect and most women who wanted to get with us wanted our money only. She liked Bianca though because she was self-made and successful.

Emilia was none of those things. She had some low-end nepo job and she lived in a hole in the wrong part of Market Street based on her address that she'd put down on the annulment papers she left with me.

"She's twenty-three years old, Mom, I think it's a bit too early to write her entire life off as a failure." I had no idea why I was defending my wife, but it made my heckles rise to hear my family speak so disparagingly about her.

"Please tell me you're not in love with this silly girl?" My father's nostrils flared with anger.

It was as if they'd all forgotten that I was a grown man who ran a billion dollar company with ruthless precision and didn't balk at stepping out of legal lines to protect our family.

"She wants to annul the marriage. And she didn't want any money," I told them.

My mother scoffed. "Really? I don't believe that. From what Maeve says, Emilia has always been flighty and always asking them for money. Finally, they just gave her a job, which she doesn't even do very well apparently. Doesn't matter. We will get her to sign a post-nuptial. And you will divorce her."