Chapter 21

"Hamilton?" asked Ethan. "Is Hamilton "that" Hamilton?"

I was astonished to see Anastasia at school. The most unexpected thing was that her surname was the same as my husband's. As well as mine. I was quite intrigued. Everyone fell silent as soon as she was introduced to us. No one dared to look at her or utter a word. Ethan looked something up on his phone.

He frantically said, "I can't find anything. Is she truly related to Hamilton in any way?"

"If so, is there a problem?" I whispered my question.

"There is, without a doubt." He spoke in a low voice. "This is Hamilton. You'd better not enrage Hamilton, everyone knows that."

That week was challenging. I was totally worn out. I had classes in the morning, then afterward I studied with Ethan and Nilan in the library. After that, I went to my fighting lessons, where Wendall squeezed all of my juices. I gave it my all to stay in shape! My muscles ached so badly from his rigorous training. At the university, Anastasia treated me in the same way. We had PE courses three times a week, and I was exhausted at the end of the day. I didn't even pay attention to my husband. I jumped in bed as soon as I got home. He was busy, so we didn't do anything strange, which made me delighted. I appreciated it very much.

I was meant to be at the fair on Saturday morning at 9am to assist Nilan and Ethan, but it was 10:37 when I got up. I raced out of bed and threw on the first pair of black leggings I had along with some sneakers since I was so afraid I would miss everything. I flung my toothbrush into the hallway as I was brushing my teeth while standing on one leg. On the way to the fair, I was trying to fix my messy hair. The streets were packed with people. There were American flags everywhere, and there was loud national music playing. There were many different stalls lining the streets, and it seemed like everyone was delighted.

"Olivier?" Ethan questioned while startledly glancing at me. "I thought you'd never come."

"Sorry..." My mouth was wide open as I struggled to breathe. "I truly... slept in too late... Sorry..."

Nilan's voice from behind me said, "It's alright. It's great that you were able to join us here."

I responded, standing up straight and placing my hands on my hips. "Thank you."

"Are you kidding me?" Ethan questioned out of the blue.

"What happened?" To understand what was going on, I cast a wide-eyed glance about.

"The T-shirt from Hamilton's?" He remarked, grabbing me by my black T-shirt and pointing to the golden label bearing the initials RH and Hamilton's last name below it.

'Fuck!' sprung into my head in a flash.

"That's... My... boyfriend's," I lied, almost saying 'husband'.

"Wow, your boyfriend is incredibly wealthy," Ethan exclaimed.

I grinned grudgingly, "A bit."

The fair was well under way. Cakes and other tasty items were for sale from us. Ethan was actually very excellent at backing, and he was also obsessed with it. There were even more people there in the afternoon than there were in the morning. It all went smoothly.

When no one was nearby our stall, Ethan said, "Listen. Are you happy with your boyfriend?"

I was perplexed when he asked that. I wasn't "happy," but Ethan could do nothing to change that.

"Yes, why?" Confounded, I asked him back.

"You know," he began, but a kind woman's voice cut him off.

"Wow! Are these pastries made of chocolate?" The brunette with the long braids made me shiver.

"Oh, Miss Anastasia, would you like one?" Nilan asked.

"I really want to, though! Also, please, my dear friend, give me two more for one." She enquired in a suspicious manner.

"Sure!" Nilan smiled as he wrapped the cakes in a beautiful package.

"Ranold! Ranold! Ranold, come here, you fool! You can now enjoy your favorite chocolate cakes!" Anastasia waved her hand, and I knew he was coming.

"People who are abused always say things like, "I fell down the stairs" or "I tripped," and so on. I simply want to know whether everything is okay. Your wounds seem to have been quite severe. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help. We could at least try to resolve the problem with Nilan's help," Ethan was speaking to me, but I didn't hear him.

He was so close to me that I instantly froze. I could hear his gentle voice. Anastasia exclaimed happily. I didn't see, but I was certain that she had given him a cake to try and that he had bit it. And he enjoyed it. And he ordered more to take away.

"Do you hear me, Oliver?" Ethan gently asked as he grabbed my shoulder.

I turned to face the stall and said, "Y-yeah, yes, I do. I'm fine, thank you."

I shuddered and raised my eyes to see Ranold Hamilton saying, "That's a really fine T-shirt," when I realized he was speaking to me.

He wore the identical initial-adorned black T-shirt. I just stood there, speechless. He was with Anastasia, who was eating the chocolate cake and cuddling him, on the other side of the stall, and he was wearing such casual clothing. That scenario made me think of a melodrama in which a rich man fell in love with a poor man, and the two of them overcame all of the challenges to marry and have a happy life together.

I muttered a low "T-thanks."

"Mm! Oh, that one is incredibly tasty!" Ranold Hamilton smiled a little in pleasure as he bit into a second piece of cake.

Who would have imagined he would be a chocolate freak?

"Oh my gosh!" Ethan was running about and couldn't believe what had happened. "The real Ranold Hamilton was there! It was he! My God! I can't believe he came here!"

I could, though. And I certainly heard a loud smooch as Anastasia kissed my husband on the lips. I must admit that made me angry. The chaotic Ethan only made matters worse.

"Could you?" He abruptly grabbed my collar. "In the same T-shirt as you. He deemed it to be nice. Do you get what this means? Motherfucking Hamilton was there!"

I kept quiet. I had no idea what to say. Just waiting for Ethan to quiet down. It seems like he was both enthused and furious at the same moment, so it would be best to ignore him.

The fair was open all day long until dusk. When people started singing and dancing, we started filling the stalls. The day's festivities had reached their end. It was becoming late. I was boxing stuff up. Ethan was dismantling the stall. It was rather quiet everywhere.

"How about your boyfriend? Did Ethan bring it up?" Nilan popped the question to me directly.

"Yeah, what's the deal with you two being so infatuated with him?" I inquired in turn.

"We're worried, that's why. You might be late for class, and occasionally you might not show up while claiming to be ill. And the wounds on your body..." Nilan finished gently, tucking my hair behind my ear.

He cast a glance at me, and I stared at him. When Nilan gently touched my cheek, something unusual started to tickle deep within of me. His warm hand gently touched my skin. He leaned over me, and I stopped him by grabbing him by his T-shirt on his chest.

I instantly looked down at Nilan and murmured, "Nilan, I can't."

Why did I behave in that manner? I might even kiss him. I could prove to Ranold Hamilton that I wasn't a plaything. His lips were on mine, and I could feel them, so I could respond. I could kiss someone all by myself. Though I didn't. I was clueless and unable to explain. I was disgusted by all of this stuff after remembering Anastasia's kiss. I just didn't want to kiss anyone. I'd never felt it before, and it was bizarre.

Nilan kissed my forehead and whispered, "I get it. Sorry. Even though I believe you need someone to support you, I should leave now."

I gave him one more glance before turning my head and carrying on with my packing. By the time we were done, it was late at night. I was with Nilan when Ethan waved to us both from inside a van where he was riding with his brother.

'Have fun!'

He wrote to me after we were apart. I blushed and prepared to respond to him in writing. However, Nilan suggested if I would like to stroll a little further along the shore. And I surprised myself by agreeing. At first, there was awkward silence between the two of us, but as he started talking about college, I joined the conversation. Professors and other lectures were topics of discussion. We also talked about the schedule, and it turns out that third-year students have a lot more free time than first-year students. Nilan made me feel at ease. Despite his unsuccessful attempt to kiss me, he seemed like a decent guy. He even shared some amusing childhood stories with me.

As we approached the bus stop, I told him, "That's it. I'd like to learn more about your dog Roberto and the Mexican ice cream, but I have to leave."

"It's ok. Just be cautious on the way home. And... if you ever need anything, just give me a call. I'll do my best," Nilan finally said.

"Sure," I said with a smile. "I'm grateful for the evening."

I then stepped onto the bus. The bus was packed with people who were all thrilled about the holiday. They were discussing this so intensely that I couldn't help but smile. I felt relaxed and charmed by their good dynamics. I was there taking it all in while gazing out the window. Ranold Hamilton slipped my mind. Anastasia slipped my mind. I simply reveled in the moment and forgot about anything else.

It was silent at home when I got there. I could hear the fireworks outside. People were celebrating. I slipped my shoes off and entered the kitchen. The mess I left behind when I left in the morning was still there. As if no one ever returned home. On the table was a box containing cakes and other treats. There was only one cake left. Water in hand, I entered the bedroom. I was about to turn on the lights when I noticed my husband standing near the windows.

I was surprised to see him there and greeted him with a surprised "hello."

He responded with a low "hi."

The fireworks above New Orleans could be seen from every window, and it was a stunning night. I then realized that he was observing them like a young child watching the Christmas tree's glistening lights.

"Isn't that amazing?" He quietly enquired.

I inched closer. I wasn't sure why, but I had the want to. A few feet from him, I came to a stop. His eyes were gleaming with the outside lights, and I spotted a cake that had been bit into in his hand. I hadn't ever seen my husband in that way before. I believed he was alive in that instant. He has always been, after all, yet I suddenly felt empathy. It wasn't as ticklish as when Nilan wanted to kiss me. The thing was different. Deep within me, something huge and mysterious emerged. I don't know why, but I moved forward as if something was pushing me from behind. Ranold immediately extended his hand to yank me close to him. I felt like everything should be done this way as he hugged me by my shoulders. He silently called my name while loudly sucking the air from his nose while sniffing my hair.

"What?" With my ear to his chest, I muttered while shivering.

I didn't want to do it, so when he said, "Look at me," I closed my eyes.

What made me act that way? Only a deep sense of serenity permeated my body. What made me want to close my eyes? Why should I flinch when he lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes? He was the reason. I felt like all my concerns and feelings just vanished the moment our eyes met. My thoughts went utterly dark. And that happened each time he did it. Every single time. My body just... All of my worries slipped away when I was around him. I acted like a good dog eagerly awaiting a pat from his master. I also unconsciously opened my mouth slightly when he leaned his lips against mine, as if to say "do whatever you want."

The weakness I experienced at that very time made me despise myself. I despised my body for being so obedient in front of him. I despised how attractive my voice was and how much I enjoyed giving him a passionate kiss. I resented him for turning me into this. The chocolate flavor on my lips was disgusting. I detested the heat of his lips on my skin. I detested both the fireworks above my head and the view of the nighttime New Orleans from the window. I despised everything and was moaning with passion as he fucked me.