"Miss Harlow, did you kiss someone?"

Ava wasn’t an expert when it came to kissing, in fact, she should be the last person anyone should ask about relationships and sex, but she knows when someone is kissed. She was not a baby at all. She has seen this scene countless times in all the years of her life.

Though most girls don’t end up with swollen lips, but she has seen the ones that do.

She wasn’t mad that Harlow was kissed, but she was angry at who had dared kiss her innocent Miss Harlow. The first person that came to mind was Andrew. That man was really doing too much now.

Harlow’s cheek turned pink at Ava’s words. How could she forget how Alanis stole her breath last night? He had her panting like she ran a marathon, her heart racing so wild, and even as she thought of him, her heart raced immediately.

He wasn’t gentle with her. In fact, since she has known him, he has never been gentle when it came to her. Harlow sucked her swollen lips into her mouth.

"It’s nothing you should worry about, Ava. I bumped her lips on his shoulder while he carried me in, stop having dirty thoughts." She cut her maid off, but her lies only riled Harlow more. Her miss has gotten her first kiss, judging from Harlow’s attitude, it sure was Alanis. Only that man can make her young miss aggravated.

"How hard did he bite your lips, Miss Harlow." Harlow froze, how did she know?

"Was it master Alanis?" Ava pressed further even if the look on Harlow’s face was deadly. She had no idea how she let that man come near her, how she let him kiss her that way. Biting her lips and always reminding her how she was his made her shudder.

"Ava I told you to stop," Harlow said and walked further into the closet, her resistance only made her maid taunt her even more.

"Miss Harlow and Master Alanis sitting on the tree, k. I. S. S. I. N..." Something thick hit Ava’s face, cutting her words short. Ava has always been this way since Harlow could remember, always teasing and taunting her.

"I told you, I didn’t kiss anyone," Harlow said but the woman before her didn’t seem like she was buying the lie. She sighed, pressing her thumb and index fingers on her forehead.

"What do you take me for Miss Harlow? I raised you so I know when you’re lying." Ava shook her head, picking up the clothes from the floor.

"Fine, I’ll tell you the truth," Harlow said.

"I kissed Andrew after my fight with Claudia," Harlow confessed. She did kiss Andrew, but unlike Alanis’s, his was gentle and brief. She felt hot when he kissed her, but her skin felt like an inferno when Alanis kissed her.

Ava was silent for a moment as she stared at her young miss in disbelief then slowly she frowned. "You’re a married woman, Miss Harlow, what do you think Master Alanis would think if he finds out you kissed another man?" She asked as she pushed the racket of dresses from the corner where she had placed them before Harlow.

"He already knows." Harlow smiled. This is what she wanted, at least she would be free from Ava’s taunt for a while. Even if all she would hear now is Ava’s nags. Harlow could live with the nags.

"That is abominable," Ava said walking into the closet to bring a few dresses. "I really don’t know why you hate Master Alanis so much Miss Harlow, so far he has been nothing but kind to you."

"People fall out of love Ava," Harlow said nonchalantly. But even Ava knows that is not possible. It takes time to hate someone, especially one you were once obsessed with. In fact, from what she’s learned, she knows obsession never does. But in Harlow’s case, she had only woken up after her wedding night to declare her hate for her husband. Whatever had happened between them has remained a mystery to anyone because both people have refused to say a word about it.

"Fall out of love?" Ava asked pushing the dresses before her young miss. "You were happy to be married, Miss Harlow. You disturbed your father for months, begging him to talk to the Hamiltons about your marriage. And after all of the stress, you’ve fallen out of love?!! Harlow nodded gently.

"People fall out of love Ava. Mine was no different. I guess I got bored." Harlow shrugged, her unconcerned attitude angered her maid more.

"Got bored?" Ava was agape by Harlow’s words. She couldn’t believe it. Harlow had troubled the entire Blackwood family and even threatened to kill herself if she didn’t end up with Alanis, only to get bored out of the blue. Ava shook her head. She wasn’t buying this news at all.

"Perhaps Miss Harlow is master Alanis, not s... Satisfying enough?" Ava asked for Harlow to freeze.

"What are you talking about?" Harlow’s eyes narrowed at the maid.

"On the first day of marriage, it is normal for a man and a woman to have sex Miss Harlow. It’s one of the best parts of marriages, maybe master Alanis wasn’t satisfying enough?" Ava repeated herself. That could be the only possible explanation.

"You shouldn’t worry about such Miss Harlow. The more years you spend with your partner, the more you realize, sex, is just an addition to marriage." Harlow smiled.

"I don’t want to talk about it now Harlow. Nothing’s going to change the fact that I kissed Andrew." Harlow shunned any more words from Ava. She had better things to do than argue with that stupid husband of hers all day.

Over the week she had gotten more calls from Mr Collins telling her about the movie and when they would start shooting. For today, she was going to attend their first meeting with all of the producers, and directors, they were to choose a cast today. Since it’s her movie, Harlow is given the opportunity to pick an actress that matches her imagination.

Harlow had been so excited about it. She had told Andrew about it and he promised to be present today. It’s unfortunate how Alanis had ruined everything.

She picked a black dress for the other dresses and wore it. Harlow wore her medium heels, she placed a little pearl necklace around her neck, and wore her pearl earrings. For today, she was going to appear so simple.

Harlow picked up her bag and stepped out of the room.

.

.

A/N Don’t forget to vote with golden ticket.