02

For the dinner, my mom sent a long floor length black body hugging dress which emphasizes my curves with only one hand which is long sleeve that flares at the end. It has some intricate designs around the waist area which are so breathtaking and overall I absolutely love the dress. After a lot of contemplation, I decide to pair it with a simple black Christian Louboutin heels that isn't too high.

After taking a shower and doing my make up natural with bright red lipstick (what some know as my signature colour) and my hair which I decided to make a bone straight bob, I put on the dress and look at myself in the mirror smoothing my hands down my side.

I remember after I had the twins I was so self conscious of my body. I had some stretch marks, fuller breasts and thick ass and hips. I hated looking at myself in the mirror. I had often wondered if that was why Henry no longer desired me. If he was getting it from some skinny model-looking blonde. Looking back, now, I feel ridiculously stupid for thinking that way. If he didn't want all of this thickness, it's his loss. Girls of nowadays go to great lengths and pay thousands just to have a body like this and I was self conscious about it? Fuck him and fuck that.

After some time and work, I began to appreciate my body more and build an immunity against the stupid comments of slim females who envied my body.

"Mom, Jason is hogging the remote all to himself again!" Jamie shouts breaking me out of my reverie as he runs into my room panting. As soon as he sees me he halts in his steps. "Wow."

I grin at him. He walks closer as if mesmerised and smiles. "You look beautiful, mom."

"Thank you, baby." I lean down a bit and kiss his forehead. Between he and his brother, he reminds me the most of Henry. Same hair, same nose, same facial expressions and he is getting really tall too so I'm sure he would be as tall as his father when he grows up. Sometimes, seeing him makes me just want to bawl my eyes out.

After making sure everything was good with the boys, I left. I had only known Rose for a few hours but I got the vibe that she was responsible so this helped me stay a bit calm. At least one thing was alright tonight.

After getting into my car, I begin the drive to the address my mom had sent to my phone.

I know I'm going to see Henry tonight. There's no doubt about that. The Wallace family is one of the founding families so they have to be there. I am both looking forward to seeing him and dreading it, in equal parts.

If he really is in a relationship now, I really don't want to see him and Jessica together. For show or not. After such a long time, I am only just realising that I still held this stupid notion of us being together again and it really isn't making my life any easier to live happily. But maybe seeing them together will give me some closure. Who knows?

I arrive at the building, finally, and thankfully there is no red carpet or press as this is usually a very private banquet. After handing security my invite they let me in and as soon as I walk in, my eyes are bombarded with several different colours and textures of dresses, it is slightly overwhelming. I haven't been in this kind of environment in over three years. Where every lady is trying to one up another with their appearance and what not.

I walk in and immediately a few people identify me. I see the shocked expressions of a few women right before they move into packs and begin their whispering. Henry and I's divorce wasn't a quiet affair. Everyone who was anyone knew about it.

I mean, this society rarely had divorces as it is filled with stuck up botox injected women who still remain with their old cheating husbands because of the money and their reputation so someone getting a divorce here is considered scandalous. It's honestly ridiculous.

As soon as I see a waiter carrying champagne I signal to him and take a glass finishing it's content in one gulp. If I hope to get through tonight I'm gonna need more alcohol in my system to cope.

"Now that's not any way for a lady to behave, is it?" I hear a familiar voice say from behind me.

I turn around to see Max grinning widely at me. "Max!" I exclaim before pulling him into a hug.

"Oh my god. How long has it been?" I ask as I pull away.

"Too long. It's so good to see you, Sandy. And you look well." He hasn't changed much. Still the same jovial looking dirty blonde who always towered over my frame.

"Thanks. You too."

In that moment, Jesse walks up to us and gives me a hug.

After speaking to them for a few minutes just teasing them about their relationship, I leave to get another glass of champagne from the bar greeting a few people along the way. At the bar, I see a familiar platinum blonde haired female in a short red dress sitting on a stool looking around and I immediately turn around hoping to make a quick escape before she notices me. This attempt fails rather badly

"Sandy?" Alice asks, her voice unsure.

I slowly turn around to face her with a small, timid smile on my face. She looks at me with a shocked expression for a minute before she finally recovers and hurries to pull me into a tight, suffocating hug. On my end, it's awkward but she doesn't seem to feel the same.

"It's been so long." She exclaims. "How have you been?"

Alice is Henry's younger sister and only sibling. Once upon a time, we were good friends but then right before my divorce she moved to Paris to pursue a modelling career and ever since then we have had no contact.

"I've been very well." I say with a small smile. "And you?"

"Great! Are you back here to visit your mom?" She asks with a tilt of her head.

"No. I actually just moved back."

"Really?" She asks surprised. "Me too! We should totally do lunch sometime."

"Definitely." I reply with a nod of my head. Not.

"I'm sure Henry would be so thrilled to know that you're back for good." She grins at me widely.

Huh?

Does she not know that we got a divorce? I decide to inform her. "Henry and I are no longer together."

"I know, silly." She rolls her eyes with a teasing smile which just makes me even more curious as to the meaning of her earlier statement if she indeed knows that we are no longer married.

I'm about to ask her what she means when she cuts me off, saying, "Oh, mom needs my attention." Her eyes are directed over my shoulder as I stiffen and stand ramrod straight desperately hoping that Anastasia doesn't notice me. "You should come say hi. I'm sure mom would be ecstatic to see you."

I don't think so. Once upon a time, maybe. But now? I think not.

I give her a small smile. "I actually just came here to get a drink."

Her mouth goes into the 'o' shape before she replaces it with a dazzling white smile. "Well, I'm sure you'll speak to her later. Gotta go. I'll call you." She says before she quickly walks away.

Please don't. I mentally beg.

I get a glass of champagne and empty the cup in a few gulps before going to find my mother. Unsurprisingly, I see her standing with a group of women and she is the center of attention, of course.

"Mom." I say and she immediately looks up at me.

The other women leave after she shoos them away politely. "You made it!" She exclaims as she pulls me into a hug. It's like that's all people do here.

"Last time I checked, you didn't give me much of a choice." I reply drily.

"Oh, don't be sour. You look too beautiful tonight to have such an expression plastered on your face."

"Thank you, mom." I say with a slight roll of my eyes.

"Come, there's someone I want you to meet." She pulls me to a long table filled with hors d'oeuvres. A guy in a sharp black suit is standing there next to it looking utterly bored, a champagne flute in his hand.

"Will." My mom calls out to him and I immediately know what this is about. Oh no.

Before he notices us, I try to pull my hand away and make a run for it but my mom is way stronger than she looks, and soon, his attention is on us.

He gives her a wide, Colgate white smile. "Mrs Morgan." He says as he leans in to air kiss her cheeks which my mother delicately reciprocates. How, at her age, she manages to be so gracious and elegant in all her actions, I don't know.

After my mom's marriage to Tim, she retained his surname for reasons best known to her while I took her maiden name instead of that of my absentee father who I hadn't seen in years.

My mom gives him a wide grin. "How are you, Will?"

"I'm great, thank you, Mrs Morgan." He diverts his eyes to me and I just wish I could disappear. My mom notices and sends me a small smirk before turning back to Will.

It's too early for this. But then something in my mind reminds me of the fact that it's been three years and Henry has apparently moved on. So, I decide to at least make an effort to be nice to the guy. It helps that he is very good looking. He's about my height and has jet black hair. Although his frame is quite lanky, which is something I'm not really attracted to, I decide to entertain him. At least for tonight.

"This is my daughter, Sandy. Sandy, this is Will McFarroll. He is from one of the founding families." My mom introduces, saying the last part as if it should appeal to me.

He stretches out his hand and I do the same. "It's nice to meet you, Sandy." He grins, his soft hand gripping mine tightly.

"Same here." I say with a polite smile as I stare into his eyes. I expect to feel a spark or a connection, no matter how small. But there's nothing.

"Oh, look. My attention is needed. I'll be right back." And just like that my mom disappears. She's not slick at all.

I shake my head at her and Will chuckles, obviously noticing what she just did. "So, Sandy, how come I've never seen you around here before?"

"I actually just moved back from Washington." I say.

"Ah, the capital. Must be quite a change." He muses.

"A bit. But I've lived here since I was 16 so not much. What about you?"

"Well, I used to live with my mom out in Texas but when I turned 18 I moved back here to stay with my father and help with the family business. I've been here for about 3 or 4 years now."

I quickly do the math and realise that I'm talking to a kid who is still in his early twenties. I'm going to kill my mom.

Conversation gets stagnant from there and I look everywhere else but at him. As if my senses are suddenly awakened, I instinctively look to the double entry doors and in walks Henry motherfucking Wallace. I curse myself for looking in the first place because now my eyes are glued to him.

He has a scowl on his beautiful face and I easily figure that he doesn't want to be here in the first place. He is wearing a dashing black two piece suit and a grey tie that I'm sure emphasises his eye colour and I just wish he were closer and I could ogle him a bit more. From what I can see, his face hadn't changed much. Maybe a little aging from work and all that frowning that he does but he is still the same Henry. Still my Henry.

No, Sandy, he's not yours anymore. I scold myself.

I notice the woman on his arm and I immediately identify her as Jessica Monroe. She has on a tight lipped smile, looking not any happier than Henry to be here.

Women are openly gawking at him, even the married ones and I really don't blame them. The man is a fine specimen and the aura he exudes is utterly captivating and domineering. Some men immediately walk up to him to greet while others just glare, in jealousy, maybe. I quickly look away and see Will also has his eyes intently on them.

"It's strange." He says out of the blue.

"What is?" I ask with a tilt of my head.

"The way these men worship him like he's not decades younger than them. Like he's god himself." He says with so much disgust and malice in his voice.

I decide to just keep quiet because this seemed like a personal thing to him.

"The guy is a fucking lunatic and yet people respect him so much." He shakes his head. "At least his first wife was able realise it and run. And now he wants Jessica." He adds distastefully.

That immediately perks my attention. "His first wife left him?" I ask, fishing for more information.

"Oh yeah. No one really knows why but I guess she finally realised how sick he is, divorced him and skipped town."

I nod my head but inside I'm slightly glad that no one really knows why Henry and I got divorced.

I speak to Will for a more minutes before he is called upon by his father who looks to be a slightly older than middle age man with jet black hair and a slightly pudgy build.

After that, Jess immediately finds me.

"Remind me, please, why I even agreed to come here." I say with a roll of my eyes.

She laughs. "These events are so overhyped. Just a bunch of rich people here to show off their flashy cars and expensive dresses and sip on expensive champagne."

We each take a piece of the crab cake from the hors d'oeuvres table and as soon as it melts in my mouth I have to fight the urge to moan loudly. "And also their expensive ass food."

"That too." Jess says through her full mouth with a nod.

Soon, the dinner is set and everyone is asked to go in and be sitted. The dinning room setting is intimate and the tables are long and not round like it usually is and everyone has their names on their seats. I just realised that compared to most of these parties, the people here are really few. I guess they reduced the guest list to only the founding families this year. And its just my luck that in all the chairs here, I am sitted at the same table with the Wallace and the McFarroll family. Thankfully, Anastasia and Thomas are all the way at one end of the table and I'm at another so they haven't spotted me yet.

I honestly don't know why but I don't want to have an encounter with any of the duo for as long as I can avoid it. Although, I know it is inevitable.

As we all sit for dinner, I see Henry take a seat across from me and for a brief moment we make eye contact. I see a look of surprise and something else cross his face before he quickly masks it and it goes back to the emotionless look it seems that he permanently has on. Beside him is Jessica so I quickly avert my eyes away and to my mom who is sitted on my right. Will, is sitted on my left and tries to make conversation but the host speaks into the mic and he immediately shuts up, thankfully.

Once his speech is over, the chatter begins once again and right now, Will and a dirty blonde guy on his left are having an argument about sports cars.

"What do you think, Sandy?" Will asks me and the other guy also looks at me intently.

"About what?" I say.

"Will here thinks that the latest Ferrari la Ferrari is faster than the Lambo. Which do you think is faster?"

You know that moment when you are utterly confused but your trying to act like you aren't and you just have that awkward smile on your face? This was that moment for me. I know nothing about cars so I just say the first thing that comes to mind. "I think that the Lamboghini is faster."

"Yes!" Will's friend fist pumps in the air while Will just rolls his eyes.

"Well, we'll see about that this weekend. The race still on?" Will asks.

"Yes, it is, and I'll be expecting my fifty grand when I dust your ass on the track." Will's friend says with a smug smirk.

I just shake my head at these grown men acting like children. Some people earn fifty grand in a year and less yet here they are giving it for some stupid bet. The luxuries you enjoy when you are stupidly rich.

"I'm Lance Elliot." Will's friend says to me with an outstretched hand.

"Sandy Freeman." I say and Lance's eyes widens.

"Holy shit. You're Henry Wallace's ex- wife." He blinks in shock. He at least has the sense to whisper but Will hears it anyway and looks at me with wide eyes.

"Really?" He asks incredulously.

I just nod my head and look foward. Bad move. Because Henry's eyes were stuck on me and now we were having a stare off. I suddenly feel uncomfortable so I push my chair backwards and stand up. "Excuse me." I say to no one in particular.

I think I should have just remained sitted because the moment I stood up, Anastasia Wallace who was sitted at the edge of the long table noticed me and immediately shouted. "Sandy dear!"

"Oh shit." I mutter under my breathe.

Jesse who is on the table opposite gives me a grin and a thumbs up. Luckily, she didn't grab people's attention like I thought she did but I do feel a few eyes on me.

She quickly stands up and begins walking towards me. I meet her halfway and she pulls me into a tight hug that actually isn't awkward. "Hello, Anastasia."

"It's so good to see you, Sandy." She says as she pulls away.

"It's good to see you too, Anastasia."

"I didn't know you were back in town." She frowns.

I smile apologetically. "Yeah. It was a last minute decision." I lie.

"Is it permanent?"

"Yes. I hope so." I nod while she grins.

"I do too. This is great. I hope to see my grandkids soon."

"You will." I promise her.

"Well, I better leave you. I'll see you later, Sandy." She says as she leaves to go back to her seat.

I quickly rush to the ladies room to do my business. When done, I open the door to leave only to gasp in surprise. I almost want to run back inside.

Henry is standing there, leaning casually against the wall like this is normal. He has a blank expression on his face that doesn't deter his handsomeness and seeing him up close has me flustered as memories assault my mind. Memories of how it used to be between us. Once upon a time, if we had been in this position (except he would have had a wicked smirk on his face) it would have led to us having sex in the bathroom but now...now, we are less than strangers to each other. It's sad to say the least, how people who were once everything to each other can be turned into strangers but here we are.

"Why didn't you tell me that you moved back?" He asks, no emotions on his face. It's almost scary how well he seems to have mastered that art.

His voice is just as deep and as alluring as I remember and suddenly I feel tingles in places that shouldn't be tingling.

"Why should I have?" I ask in an irritated tone. It would seem that this conversation is irritating me before it has even actually begun but really it's the hormones from all the things I want to do to this man before me. Seeing him this way for the first time in a long time is more unnerving than I had thought it would be.

Get it together, Sandy!

He's quiet for a while, observing me with his intense grey orbs that feel as if they can see into my soul. "I would like to see Jamie and Jason." He practically commands.

I scoff and fold my arms. I could tell him no but the boys hardly see him as it is and he is actually making an effort here by asking so I guess it's progress. "I'll check in on when it's convenient for you to see them and get back to you."

He opens his mouth to say something, probably counter my proposal, but seems to think better of it. After letting out an almost inaudible sigh he says, "Thank you." He stands up to his full height which is about 6'2. Way taller than my 5'9 self even in heels, that's for sure.

He walks away a bit before pausing in his steps. He looks back in my direction. "You look beautiful." He says and briefly I see a gentle look flash through his eyes but it is gone as soon as it appears. It's almost as if I imagined it. Then he strides away as if he didn't just say something relatively nice to me for the first time in years.

.

.

.

A/n

First encounter!

What do you guys think of Henry so far?

Please VOTE if you enjoyed this chapter, COMMENT your thoughts and FOLLOW me for future update notifications.

Till next time.

-❤❤

P.s.- I'm not satisfied with this chapter so I will be editing it soon enough.

Also, please check out my other book, "The King's Lover"!💘