The Billionaire's Twins Play Matchmaker novel Chapter 1

Slap!

Macey stumbled back touching her face as she stared wide-eyed at the man who had been her husband for the past two years: Julius DaLair. His sandy blonde hair crowned him like a halo but there was nothing angelic about his expression. He stood in front of her with his face blazing with anger. His gray eyes were a storm of emotions.

In the two years since their marriage he had grown cold and dismissive but never raised a hand to her before. His breath smelled heavily of alcohol and she could only guess how many drinks he imbibed since they arrived at his father’s public birthday celebration.

“You’re just like the rest of them aren’t you?” Julius demanded. “You’re just a gold digging whore!”

“N—no…”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!”

“But I’m not.”

“What were you doing cuddling up to James? My money not good enough for you?”

“I wasn’t. He came up to me! I told him…”

“I said I don’t want to hear your lies!”

Macey clenched her jaw rubbing her sore cheek. Tears welled in her normally bright green eyes. Two years and he still didn’t believe a word she said especially not when he had been drinking. Two years? No. Actually, it was longer than that after all they had grown up together.

“You can go home first!” With a look of disgust he turned and walked out of the private corner where he had dragged her from the crowd.

Macey stood trying to compose herself. Their marriage had been one of convenience more or less. Her father was a veteran and served in Vietnam. There he met and saved the life of Augustus DaLair. After coming home her father suffered severe PTSD. Her mother, a nurse, encouraged him to use art as therapy and it worked. Slowly he pieced himself together, married and started a family.

Art remained an important part of her father’s life. He tried to make it his livelihood. Though his paintings were praised for their innovative compositions and unique use of color the fact they always depicted war scenes and soldiers meant there was only a limited demand for them and her father never made much money. In contrast Augustus DaLair started a business empire.

Despite the vast difference in their social standings, Augustus remained their steadfast supporter. Her father refused to take handouts and in order to support his friend Augustus became his most loyal patron buying most of her father’s paintings thus ensuring they had an income. They were never rich but they had what they needed. Though her father wouldn’t take charity he was glad to accept invitations to family gatherings and occasionally family vacations. Macey grew up alongside the DaLair brothers: March and Julius. They were like the cousins she never had. March treated her like a younger sister and she secretly developed a crush on Julius when they were eight.

Her father passed away from a heart attack when she was sixteen. Augustus became an even stronger supporter of her and her mother. In memory of his friend and the one who saved his life he vowed to help Macey and her mother in whatever capacity they needed even assisting her to attend the School of Visual Arts. Her college plans came to a sudden end when she turned twenty and dropped out to care for her ailing mother who passed away shortly after. Two years later she and Julius married.

It was Augustus who first proposed the idea of marriage to one of his sons. She wasn’t sure if it was charity or his abiding desire to ensure her a comfortable future. March was over ten years her senior and already married which naturally left Julius as the groom of choice. Though she initially spoke out against it her secret crush on Julius had only grown over the years. It had taken some time for Julius to agree. Macey tried not to seem overeager but inwardly she was thrilled.

At first their marriage seemed to work. Despite his earlier reluctance Julius was a model husband: attentive and sometimes even caring. It was her hope eventually he would come to love her but it changed six months ago. Rumors started to circulate. Her family had been poor and well below the DaLair family’s means. People called her a gold-digger, a shameless tramp and a hundred other names. She tried not to let it bother her but it never occurred to her Julius would believe them.