Chapter 2. A Changed Woman

The Millers mansion was creepily quiet the next morning, with every employed servant around every corner of the huge mansion, carrying out their assigned duties for the day.

At the plush dining room where the maids were setting the table, was an eccentric chandelier that hung from the round tray ceiling, illuminating the classic room where an oval, glass table sat on marble floor tiling.

The table was standardly set with white, delicate porcelain china of different sizes, and there were also a variety of dishes served on the table. By the side of the three course meals that had been served, were serena shine gold cutleries that had been slightly head crossed on clean white papers.

There were numerous kinds of fleshy and dry fruits that were served in glass jars, and fragrant candles that had also been arranged beautifully on the table. The table setting was so exquisite with every dish that looked enticing, like they were preparing a party feast with every top-notch chef, walking in and out of the room to make sure the servants executed the jobs to perfection.

An expensive peach bed curtain that was half closed, cohesively matched with the plain covers and pillow for the queen-sized bed, where a languid figure laid on with every sign of lifelessness.

There was a branched ornate lighting feature that hung above the bed attached to the ceiling, and an antique nightstand that held matching lamps stood by the bedside. The colours of choice used in the simply detailed room, imposed a delightful air of trendy sophistication.

The morning sun, which was a very bright one, intently permeated its rays into the half closed window of the available open room. The lucent rays that struck into the room bashed Aria's tight closed eyes, whose face was faced directly to the direction of the window with her head slightly under the pillow. Her long silky hair was terribly a mess in its entanglement.

A crease formed around her brows above her tightly shut eyes, as she tried to come awake of what was heating directly on her pretty face. Her body felt too weak to stand up from the bed and adjust the window curtains, which just made her turn her face to the other side of the bed.

Aria's eyes suddenly flickered awake again as she tried to open her both eyes, but compulsively shut them back because of her head that felt so heavy, and threatened to split open. A loud groan escaped her lips as felt her head spin further, and a lucid darkness that her eyes had suddenly sunk into.

The memories of drinking bottles of whiskey to drop the previous night flooded her brain, but she could not recollect the moment when she had fallen asleep or climbed the bed to sleep. She still felt good nevertheless, as she listened to the music that had played through the night till morning.

Lazily and tiredly, she stretched her arms and yawned as she raised her body up from the bed to sit down, and then dropped her legs to the floor which landed on a black, intricate fury rug.

Loving the good feeling of the rug under her feet, she inhaled and exhaled the sweet and fragrant air from the room, with her lips stretching into a beautiful smile. Notwithstanding, she wrecked so much of the alcohol she was hammered in the previous day.

Feeling so unusually happy with a huge smug across her lips, Aria stood up like a powerful queen figure from the bed and walked slowly to the player, from where the music played to put it off.

"Today is going to be a great one," she murmured and chuckled, with her fingers drawing some insignificant things in the air.

Perfunctorily, the beautiful lady stepped out of her red night dress that had dropped from her fair, smooth and incredibly alluring body, as she walked into the bathroom and stepped into the jacuzzi barefooted. Her entire body felt so sore for some reason, that she couldn't even relate to anything that she had probably done the previous day.

Aria's body rested tiredly by the side of the jacuzzi, which was covered in lovely rosy petals that floated on the temperate water that she was sitting comfortably in.

There was a half-drunk bottle of wine by the corner tub end, and around her fingers she held the stem of a wine glass and swirled it observably as if searching for something.

Smiling with a good feeling in her again, she sipped the red liquid carefully from the glass before chugging all in one go. She then closed her eyes after dropping the glass and allowed her body to relax in the tub, with earpods attached into her ears playing a beautiful melody of music.

Back at the dining room, the table was set and adorned perfectly with nice complimenting flowers. The main guests were already around and had all sat at the dining table, with some servants still bringing more dishes to the table. It sure was an extravagant family feast, where one third of the dishes served could not be consumed at once.

While stretching her black, soft and silky hair, Aria stared conceitedly at herself in the mirror with a hellion smile that crossed her lips, and then murmured the word 'Perfect'.

She couldn't be anymore prouder than her look and self. Her right hand grabbed a designer purse from the dresser table, as she took a last glance at the mirror before stepping out of the room. Her cologne filled the air past her hallway.

The seriousness of the room had not made them notice, who had made a grand entry into the room space. There was a collective gasp from everyone who had now noticed, as Aria appeared in the dining room before the sight of them.

She smiled an enchanting smile at everyone, which was so undeniably beautiful to their greatest shock. One they have never seen before, which made them so astounded by her surprising liveliness. She was wearing a black, shining, backless sequin dress that showed a narrow part of her cleavage.

What a prudish sight!

Aria was looking aboundingly sheen in her flawless milky skin, delicate collar bone, and rosy lips that looked effortlessly beautiful. She paused to look meaningfully around the room, before taking her seat right at the isolated spot reserved for her.

The manner at which she even sat was so stylish that they wondered if she had something tight tied to her waist. Never had she looked that vibrant.

They were nevertheless taken aback by her new attitude, but Mrs. Eleanor Miller was more shocked than any other person in the room. She could not believe what her eyes had just withheld, at the act that her son's disgusting wife was putting on.

First, she missed dinner yesterday and did not answer to the blasting noise at her door and then the next day, she walked to the breakfast table late in an ignoble looking dress.

'And she even shows no penitence, for her wrongdoings', Mrs. Miller's apoplectic mind thought, as her patience was already wearing thin. She had never been so emotionally stressed before, by someone she gave no damn about.

Around the table were Dalton's three unmarried sisters, who were all sitting gracefully with their heads high up and dressed in the most luxurious designer gown.

They all stared at Aria in awe, because she wasn't looking like her former sick self. If they could remember well, they had always known their brother's wife to be even more humble than a servant; a very submissive lapdog.

In the past she dressed so humbly and cautiously, in modest plain coloured gowns, blouses and coats. She wore no makeup and had little or no accessories to herself, as her hair was always neatly tied in a plain hair bun over the years.

She never had any business outside the house, and could not even hold a gaze with anyone. No one could even associate her with their family, as the news didn't even publicize their marriage.

The woman they were all looking at that particular time, looked far different from the memories they held in their brains. She was in an extremely gorgeous gown that shone uncontrollably, and was wearing a prideful look that looked so resentful. Her new look was daunting. She didn't look as pale as bleak, like the lifeless past she had always lived.

Ellen, who couldn't hold her words as usual, muttered in disgust, "Who does this bitch think she is? Such a rude and spiteful brat!"

Suddenly, a hush settled into the room and no one said anything again, which made Aria surprised of where that act was emanating from. In the past, they would have said a million hateful words to say to her, especially for the fact that she now looked different than ever. That was the moment that she had noticed Dalton, who seemed to be the reason why they were keeping cool.

Frivolously, her eyes fell on his intimidating self as she revealed to him a charming riveting smile, which was so cliche of a sight to watch. There had never ever been such between them.

He narrowed his dark and fierce eyes, flashing at her a menacing look that clearly looked like a threat. The aura he exuded was so chilly and terrifying that still, he still looked so handsome and enthralling as ever.

Every part of him, the beautiful dark blue eyes with a dark humor, high bridge nose, a chiseled jawline, sexy lips all screamed 'Perfect' like he was sculpted by gods.

His presence was so overbearing, that even his own family could not keep up closely with it. Yet, Aria held the uneasy gaze fearlessly and intensely, as he wondered in his mind what about her had changed. Her look towards him in the past was always cowering and timorous, but now she looked so comfortably unperturbed.

The manner at which Aria looked at Dalton made the maids think that she must be crazy, to look directly into his eyes like she was telepathically challenging him. Something intense seemed to pass between them, and the great tension in the air was palpable. It was rather scary.

"Serve the food!" Mrs. Eleanor Miller ordered the servants, shifting the heated attention she was oblivious of.

The maids began to serve pork tenderloin sandwiches, bourbon bread pudding, lobster rolls, tater tots and all sorts of dishes to everyone's plates. They moved to bringing from the wine cellar, varieties of wines that each member of the family preferred as a choice.

A maid moved over to the end of the long table to where Aria was sitting, and made to serve lobster to her plate when she stopped her immediately, by raising her left hand mid way in the air.

She knew they would give her the usual sick menus they often followed, while the others could choose whatever food they wanted to eat. The thought of the food that was put on the menu for that day, made her so nauseous even by the thought of it.

"I would like Kobe beef steak and Fried catfish, Please," Aria requested, smiling coyly at the startled maid whose hands began to tremble in confusion.

Never had she heard Aria make a request before, which really put her in a spot of what to do. The maids that had heard what Aria had just uttered gaped fearfully, at the new attitude she was showing even at the dining table that everyone was present.

'Since when did she get the right to choose her own food from the dishes served?'

Mrs. Eleanor Miller could not take Aria's crazy behavior anymore, as she spat out in rage and fury, "Aria, have you lost your proper sense of reasoning?!"

"No, mummy. I am perfectly fine," Aria answered, with her lips twisted to a bright and modest smirk, that the slight upturn of her red rosy lips was fascinating to even look at.

They were even more shocked to heart drop, that she now replied to rhetorical questions!