She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 1

It was their wedding night.

Hilda Cassidy was flushed and breathless, thoroughly seduced by Luther Sanford. She murmured his name, calling him her hubby over and over.

But right at the critical moment, Luther pulled away, a mocking chuckle escaping his lips.

Hilda froze. She had never seen such a look on his face before. It was complex, heavily laced with disgust and cold indifference. Her lips parted, her voice husky and incredibly sensual. "Luther, what's wrong?"

Luther was already putting his dress shirt and slacks back on. He fastened his belt, his eyes sweeping over his wife's alluring, half-naked body sprawled across the bed.

She was beautiful enough. But he didn't love her. This arranged marriage was nothing short of a joke.

He leaned down, his cold breath brushing against her ear. "Since you refused to break the engagement, you can spend the rest of your life guarding this marriage and this house. Until you grow old. Until the day you die."

But she hadn't refused to call off the wedding! Panic flooded Hilda's face.

A sheer nightgown was suddenly thrown at her head. It felt exactly like a slap across the face.

The master bedroom door slammed shut. He was heading downstairs.

Soon, heavy, muffled thuds echoed from the hallway, sounding like large objects being moved. Propping herself up, Hilda scrambled to the second-floor landing.

The next second, she stood entirely paralyzed.

The furniture, the decor, the staff—everything was gone. The entire estate was being emptied out.

Luther left. He took the maids, the butler, and the drivers with him. He abandoned Hilda in that massive house, leaving her to fend for herself.

Hilda had no idea what she had done wrong. He had agreed to this marriage. She vaguely suspected he had someone else in his heart, though she didn't know who. Why hadn't he just told her? She loved him, yes, but she would have let him go.

...

Three months later, Hilda finally met the woman who owned his heart.

And Hilda was pregnant. Even though they hadn't gone all the way that night, the intimate friction of their young, feverish bodies had resulted in a miracle. She was expecting a baby.

After much hesitation, she decided to tell her husband. Perhaps the arrival of a child could mend their fractured relationship.

After making several inquiries, she learned from Lori Lynn, his secretary, that today was his birthday. He was hosting a grand party at a luxury hotel.

A miserable, self-deprecating laugh escaped Hilda's lips.

Look at her, what a clown. Her husband was madly in love with her stepsister, and she was actually foolish enough to think a baby could win him back.

Jolie Lovell was her father's illegitimate daughter. Back then, after her mother married into the Cassidy family, she was only six months pregnant when her father brought his pregnant mistress home. Devastated, her mother gave birth to Hilda and subsequently locked herself away in a secluded wing of the house, never stepping out again. The mistress took over the household. Hilda had grown up walking on eggshells.

She always knew Luther's heart belonged to someone else. She just never imagined it would be Jolie.

The line abruptly connected. Luther answered, his tone frigid and annoyed.

"What do you want now, Hilda? I made myself perfectly clear that night."

As his voice fell, his gaze drifted toward the entrance of the hall. He spotted her.

He couldn't believe she was needy enough to follow him here.

Hilda stood perfectly still, quietly watching the way his body was intertwined with Jolie's, forcing her trembling voice steady.

"It's nothing, Luther."