This chapter contains some dialogue and excerpts from the original novel.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the original novel.

Irene was about to enter Dr. Chang's clinic when out of nowhere, Marley, Brittany and Missy appeared behind her. The three of them seemed to be talking among them before they turned to face her.

"Tell us about the guy who was with Mercedes!" Marley said excitedly. She had been dying to know about the gorgeous man ever since she saw him walking into Ms. Cochran's café. Irene frowned.

"What are you talking about? Mercedes is at home – cooking or doing some chores" Irene said.

"No! We just saw her at Ms. Cochran's café with a very gorgeous man!" Missy said. Brittany nodded.

"She was wearing an old dress which is so outdated yet he looked at her adoringly. I wish someone would look at me like that" Brittany added dreamily. Marley nodded.

"Ryder and Jake saw them walking around the town. Jake told us, he almost beat them for asking about you. He even told them that Mercedes is not your social secretary" Marley said. Irene was fueled with jealousy. She had an idea about the guy that her friends were talking about but she needed a confirmation.

"How is he like?" she asked.

"Tall, broad shoulder, blonde with a captivating green eyes that I've ever since" Marley described Sam with a dreamy look. Irene's blood was boiling. She felt like she wanted to explode. She stared at her friends.

"That is Mr. Evans. He had no interest in Mercedes. He was angry at Ryder and Jake because they were asking me and he was jealous" she huffed. Brittany looked at her, confused.

"But Jake said that he was looking at Mercedes like she is the most beautiful girl in the world" she said. Irene huffed and pushed Brittany to the side as she walked away, leaving the trio alone.

Irene was seething with rage as she walked quickly toward her house. Along the way back home, she had been stopped by many people, asking about Mercedes and her handsome man. One of the elders in the town had even jokingly told her that Mercedes would beat her to the altar. She always knew that between the two of them, Mercedes was prettier. She had a smooth skin and her smile would light up a person's life. She had a beautiful and kind heart. She couldn't let Mercedes got Mr. Evans. Irene wasn't stupid. She knew that Mr. Evans was rich. He was related to the Abrams, for God sake! If not as rich as them, she was sure that he had money! She couldn't bear the thought of people comparing her husband and Mercedes' husband and knew that if she married Sam Evans, Mercedes would win the 'my husband is better' contest.

Irene gasped when she arrived home. The living room was tidy as usual. She proceeded to the kitchen and saw that flour was everywhere. There was a hard pie crust and an empty bowl. Then, she went upstairs, to her room and noticed that it was as messy as when she left it. Her dresses weren't iron and the dress that she had asked Mercedes to fix was still on the bed. She went to Mercedes' room and it was as tidy as usual. Irene went to her father's room and saw that it was as messy as hers. She went to the living room and sat on the couch – all the time thinking that Mercedes couldn't leave. Her life would be hell if Mercedes left the house before her. She had zero knowledge about doing house chores. She couldn't even cook to save her own life. She knew that her father share the same sentiment about Mercedes with her. That was the main reason he refused to accept the man who had come for Mercedes' hand in marriage few years ago. Irene knew that Dwayne would do anything to keep his eldest daughter as long as he could.

"Oh, father!" she cried as soon as she saw Dwayne entered the living room. She hugged her father's arm but he quickly released himself from Irene. Dwayne Jones was never believed in showing affection. Irene pretended to wipe her tears with her handkerchief as she pretended to cry.

"Something horrible had happened! Mercedes had been the talk of the town. Everybody was talking about her scandalous behavior with Mr. Evans today. People had seen them embracing each other on the wall" she began telling her father all the stories that she had heard from the town's people with some exaggeration and twists added from her own account.

"Look at the time! Mercedes hasn't come home yet and the dinner isn't ready yet! The house is a mess! Oh, father! What would happen if she leaves us?" Irene said, sobbing as she exaggeratedly showing the mess that had been left behind to her father. Dwayne took in the messy kitchen, and his own bedroom. He could see that Mercedes hadn't clean his shoes yet. He saw the horror that would happen if she left the house – leaving him with Irene. He didn't care about her indecent behavior because if his daughter's licentious behavior would affect his freight company, his business would be bankrupt long time ago because of Irene's actions. No, that wasn't his concern. His main concern was the messy house and the cold dinner that he sure would be having tonight. His eldest daughter couldn't go and left him with Irene. He knew that Irene won't be doing half of the works that Mercedes had been doing all her life. Living alone with Irene meant that he would definitely be coming back to cold dinner and messy house. He stood at his room's door and observed the messy room. He had stopped Mercedes from being married because of this sole reason.

When Dwayne met Sam, he knew who he was. He knew about the Evan's vast amount of fortune. He had managed to secure a meeting with him a year ago but due to unknown circumstances, the meeting was cancel. So, when he had met the man, he had been plotting a plan. He had imagined the benefits that he could reap from having him as his son in law. Due to that, he had been talking and hinting about his beautiful daughter every time he had found a chance to do so. He could see that Sam was interested but he never knew that he was interested in a wrong daughter. What did he see in Mercedes? He wondered. Ever since the dinner weeks ago, he noticed the infatuation that Sam had toward Mercedes but him never expect that he was serious about it. No, he cannot have Mercedes and left he with Irene, Dwayne thought. Or he couldn't have her until Irene was married.

"No. we cannot let her behaves like that" Dwayne said. Irene hid her smirk behind her handkerchief.

Mercedes had been eating for three days and she couldn't seem to stop. The beautiful evening that she had spent with Sam seemed so long ago. She had come back to crying Irene and her unhappy father. Irene was crying as she told her that she was ashamed of what the town's people had said about Mercedes' indecent behavior. Her father had said that she was a disgrace for behaving inappropriately in the public. The disappointment in his eyes was clear. For days, she had been worried if people might cancel their business with her father's freight company because of her behavior. They were ashamed of her selfish behavior – accusing her that she cared about no one but herself. She wanted to deny it but knew that at that moment, she was acting selfishly.

The proofs of Mercedes' outrageous behavior came in a form of many invitations that arrived in her name.

"They believe of you to be a woman of a loose moral" Dwayne said as he threw the invitations into the fire. Mercedes wanted to point out that Irene had received many invitations to the parties too.

"I'm not the one who being seen embracing with a man on the wall. I didn't spend most of the night with a man – alone in the park" Irene chimed in, as if knowing what was in Mercedes' mind. She had tried to defend herself by saying that she was home at 8.30 but she had burst into tears when Dwayne had asked her if there's a chance of her being pregnant. Irene had been telling her that there wasn't a chance that Mr. Evans had a true interest in her. She kept on telling Mercedes that he was using her.

"A man like Mr. Evans won't have any interest in a woman like you, Mercedes. The only reason that he was interested in you is because he has some ulterior motive!" Irene kept on stressing it.

"Men like him would use you for their own joy. They would take advantage of a women like you – a woman who always willing to accompany them and once they have enough, they will leave you and marry a respectable woman. If he respects you, he won't come in through the back door and asked you to sneak out with him. A man who respects woman will treat her with respect" Irene said – making Mercedes felt like she was a kid being reprimanded by her mother. Neither her father nor Irene had let the whole ordeal go. They kept on mentioning it and every time they talked about it, Mercedes would get hungry and she would always ate and ate.

Mercedes had admitted that her father and her sister were right. She had caused them a great embarrassment because of her behavior but somehow, when she was alone in her room, in the middle of the night, she remembered the evening that she had spent with Sam. She thought about the warm feeling that she got when she was in her arms or how warm his hand felt against hers. She remembered the feeling of touching his soft blonde hair and the feeling of his head laid down on her thigh. She craved for the feeling once again. She thought about the way he looked at her and how hard her heart beat every time his emerald green eyes met her brown ones. He had made her felt free and beautiful and she longed to feel it again.

In her memories of the two of them spending time together, Sam had treated her with respect and he seemed so far off the horrible seducer that Irene had said he was. Her father had told her that Sam always flirted with the ladies at work and last Sunday, Irene had come back from church and told her that she saw Sam sitting between Marley and Brittany at church. Mercedes didn't go to church because Dwayne had told her to stay at home until all the 'rumors' about her had died down. After Irene had told her about Sam sitting with younger and smaller women, Mercedes had eaten all the dessert for lunch.

Mercedes was alone at the house. Her father had gone to his office, Irene had set off to the dressmakers and Kitty had been sent to the market. She was busy scrapping pan from last night dinner.

"Hello"

She froze when she heard the familiar voice that sometimes invaded her dreams. She stopped scrapping the pan and turned around. There he was – standing in her kitchen and all the memories from the short evening rushed back into her mind. She smiled at her but the smile faltered down when she remembered the horrible days after the evening.

"Mr. Evans, you have to leave!" she said and turned back to resume washing the dishes. A smile on Sam's face disappeared. He put the flowers that he had brought with him on the table and went to get her. He took her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"Mercedes, what's wrong?" he asked. His voice was full with concern. "I haven't seen you in three days. I've come here every evening but your father said that you were unwell. Are you sick?"

Nobody had told Mercedes that he had come by. She moved away – freeing herself from him.

"I am fine. You have to leave. We cannot be alone together. It is not proper"

"Not proper?" Sam echoed her word, in puzzlement. If she wasn't sick, then maybe she was avoiding him? Sam thought. He stared at her. "Mercedes, did I offend you when we were out the other day? Is it because of what happened during the choir practice?" he asked.

"No -," she said. He had done nothing wrong and the incident at the choir practice had touched her heart. "It's -," she trailed off. She couldn't tell him about the event that had taken place after she had gotten home. Out of the blue, Mercedes was in tears – an act that even surprised herself. She covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook as the tears poured down. Within seconds, Sam had wrapped his arms around her. He reached for the bottle of brandy on the table and poured it into a glass before gave it to her.

"No, no. I can't – I don't -," she said between her sobs.

"Drink!" he said with finality. Reluctantly, Mercedes took the glass and drank the brandy at once. Sam took the empty glass and put it on the table before sitting in front of her.

"Now, tell me what had happened" he said softly as he stared into her eyes.

"We behaved scandalously" she said. Maybe it because of the alcohol in her system but the words didn't seem as disgraceful had she once thought. Sam didn't understand. Maybe they were behaving a little bit outrageous but nobody seemed to mind it. In fact, everywhere he went, people seemed to ask him about Mercedes. He took her hands.

"Was it because of us being alone? We can go out with somebody else tagging along with us" and that way, it could help me keeping my hands off you too, he thought.

"The wall" Mercedes said, sniffling. A smile crept on his face as he remembered their little moment on the wall.

"The wall? You're upset that I hugged you on the wall? You were about to fall" he said.

"I – I -," Mercedes was at lost. She couldn't tell him that people might cancel their contract with her father's company or told him that he wasn't respecting her. No, she couldn't say that. Especially when he was looking at her as he was now. She couldn't think properly when he was staring at her.

The sound of the footsteps outside the kitchen door made Mercedes' eyes widen in horror.

"It's Irene. You have to go"

"I'll greet her" he said. He didn't want to leave. They hadn't settled their issue yet.

"No, no, no! You cannot be here" Mercedes said. There was a hint of panic in her voice. Sam didn't understand why she looked so scared and he had no intention to leave yet. Therefore, he slipped into the pantry just as Irene walked into the kitchen. Leaning against the shelves, he had an entire view of the two sisters. This whole time, his eyes were fixed on Mercedes and he never noticed the differences between her and her sister. Looking at them at the moment, he could clearly see the difference. Irene was dressed in an expensive wool suit while Mercedes was wearing an old dress.

"You – you're back early" Mercedes stammered as she smiled nervously, looking at Irene.

"Yes" Irene said, yanking off her gloves. "I couldn't stay in the town without hearing people talking about you and that man!"

Mercedes' eyes darted to the pantry.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it here. Let's go to the parlor" she said.

"I don't want to go to the parlor" Irene retorted. She unpinned her hat and looked at Mercedes. "I am famished. I couldn't even have a luncheon because people cannot stop talking about your scandalous behavior and it made me lost my appetite"

"Irene, please. Let's go to the -,"

Mercedes' words were cut short when Irene squealed once she saw the bouquet of flowers on the table.

"Mercedes, why didn't you tell me that I have flowers? Who is it from? Is it Bobby? Or Jake? Or Ryder? It must be Ryder!"

She picked up the bouquet and searched for the card. Once found, she opened it and read it.

'To the most beautiful woman in the world' "How lovely" she read, smiling widely as she looked at Mercedes. She closed the card and saw that it said 'To Mercedes, with love from Sam' Irene had to read the card a few times till she understood. She flung the flowers on the floor and stared at Mercedes. Rage was in her eyes.

"He was here, isn't he? How could you, Mercedes? After everything that father and I told you, you still continue your licentious behavior with him! How could you, Mercedes?"

"Irene, please!" Mercedes begged. "Couldn't we -,"

"And brandy too!" Irene yelled as she took the empty glass. "This has gone too far. Wait till I tell father about this! Mercedes, I can't believe that you were so stupid! Don't you know that people, who love you, know what's best for you? Don't you understand what he wants from you? He wants to make you drunk and has his ways -,"

Mercedes was facing the pantry and she could see that Sam had stepped out from it, readied to battle with Irene. When Irene fumbled with her handkerchief, Mercedes rushed toward Sam and shoved him back into the pantry and turned to face her sister. She tried to pull her hand away from his chest but Sam grabbed it and never let it go. Her body was in the kitchen but her outstretch arm was in the pantry.

"With you" Irene finished. At that, Sam snorted. Irene looked at Mercedes with a frown.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked. Mercedes shook her head.

"No, I would never laugh at you. I -,"

Mercedes couldn't continue her words because Sam had taken her hand which had been resting on his chest and kissed each of her small fingers.

"You don't know a man like him, Mercedes. He's a seducer" Irene continued talking but Mercedes didn't even listen. Sam was nibbling her wrist and she was totally distracted with his action.

"Mercedes! Are you listening?" Irene asked.

"Yes" Mercedes said but it came out more as a whisper.

"You cannot trust a man likes him and father was right when he forbade you from seeing him again"

Sam stopped kissing Mercedes' hand. So, that's why she seemed so nervous just now, he thought. He resumed kissing Mercedes' hand while paying attention to the lies that Irene was sprouting.

"Father told you about his flirting and I saw him flirting around women when we were at church with my own eyes. He didn't even care that father and I saw what he was doing. He just wants to get as many women as he can get. I don't understand why he wants you as his conquest – but he did choose you"

There was a hint of distaste in Irene's tone when she talked about Mercedes. Irene looked at Mercedes with a concern in her face.

"Mercedes, father and I care about you and we only want the best for you. Trust us when we say that Mr. Evans is not right for you"

Mercedes was barely nodding. She had pushed up her sleeves before she started doing the dishes and now Sam was kissing her inside elbow.

"He seduces you because he wants to get into Jones' Freight Company. He wanted to be father's partner. He seduced you because he knew that between us, you're the one who has less experience with guys. He would try to seduce me but he knew that I know too much about guys that he won't be succeeding with his plan. Because unlike you, I won't let myself being humiliated in the public like he did to you. So, knowing that he couldn't fool me, he went to get you, and Mercedes, you believed everything that he had said! Tell me, sister, did he tell you that you are beautiful?"

At that question, Mercedes turned to look at the pantry. Her eyes met with Sam's pretty green eyes. She looked at him as if she was waiting for him to answer Irene's question. He nodded and smiled at her. He would caress her face while telling her how beautiful she was in his eyes but he was hiding. Therefore, he settled it by kissing her palm while his eyes were boring into hers.

"Yes," Mercedes whispered as she turned to look at her sister. "He told me I was beautiful"

"There, you see. He's a liar"

Once he heard that, Sam dropped Mercedes' arm and started to march toward the kitchen but Mercedes stopped him. She put her hand on his chest and gave him a pleading look as Irene turned to take a glass from the cabinet.

"Irene, why don't you go and rest in your room? I'll bring your lunch for you later" Mercedes said.

"Yes, perhaps it is the best. You cannot imagine the horrible things that I've had to listen about my sister"

Mercedes tried to pull away from the pantry when Irene looked at her but Sam had a firm grip on her wrist. Leaving with no choice, she gave a small smile to Irene. Irene sighed as she left the kitchen to her room. Once Irene was out of sight, Mercedes turned and looked at Sam.

"Mr. Evans, you cannot -,"

She couldn't finish her words when Sam pulled her toward him, securely holding her in his arms and kissed her. At first, Mercedes was so shocked that she stood still, eyes opened as his strong arms pulled her closer to him.

"Mercedes," Sam whispered as he began nuzzling and kissing her neck. "Don't you understand that I am not interested in your father's company? It is you, who I have interest in"

Mercedes barely heard him as she basked in the weird pleasurable feeling that Sam had inflicted into her. The feeling of his mouth against her neck was making her experiencing new sensation – one that she had never felt before. Sam's big hands roamed against her body and Mercedes could feel that her knees were going weak. His mouth left her neck and Sam began peppering kisses on her cheeks, her temple, her eyes and her nose before settling back on her lips, kissing gently at first but once she responded to his kiss, he pressed harder. His tip of the tongue touched hers. At first, she drew away from him but he held her firmly in his arms.

It took some times for Mercedes to truly react to his touch. She had no idea how much longing and desired were buried inside her. Mercedes was a woman with lots of love but had no one to pour her love to. Her hand started to trail along Sam's back and she pulled him closer to her. Her breath became harder as Sam continued kissing her.

"Mercedes" he purred as he began running his lips and teeth on her neck. Mercedes' hands were buried into Sam's blonde hair. He groaned when she tugged his hair as their lips locked together. She kissed his cheeks and nuzzled her face into her neck, licking and nibbling at the skin there. He smelled good. He tasted so good. Mercedes couldn't think any longer. Her desire had overcome her rationality. She wanted him.

"Mercedes" Sam said or more like panting as he uttered her name, trying to pull away from her but finding it very difficult to do so.

"We have to stop" he said as he lifted his head to look at her. Her face was flush, eyes closed and her lips were swollen due to the kisses. She was a mess but she looked so beautiful in his eyes. He could feel his pants becoming tighter.

"Mercedes" he said once again but this time, he was groaning as he said her name. "I can't bear it anymore. We have to stop" He kissed her one last time before he pulled away. "I think your family won't be happy if they found us making love in the kitchen" he continued. Mercedes opened her eyes and looked at him. They were pressed intimately and his legs were between hers and she remembered how desperate she behaved a moment before.

"I – I'm sorry, Mr. Evans – I -," she was at loss of words.

"It's alright" Sam said, shooting her his lopsided smile as if it was nothing but she could clearly see the sweat on his temple. Mercedes was embarrassed. She started to back down from the pantry but Sam stopped her. He caught her arm but she pushed him away.

"Mr. Evans, I am truly sorry for - the way I behaved" she said as she moved to the kitchen, avoiding any eye contact with him. If she didn't look at him, she might forget how shameless she had behaved a moment ago.

"Please look at me" Sam pleaded. When she refused to do so, he held her shoulder and put his face in front of hers – looking straight into her eyes.

"You're not believing everything that your sister said, aren't you?" he asked. Mercedes said nothing.

"I haven't looked at any other women besides you ever since I stepped my feet in the town. Those two overdressed fillies sat by me. I'm not the one who sat by them. And at your father's office, I have never been anything but polite to the ladies"

Mercedes pulled away from Sam.

"Mr. Evans, your social life is not my concern. You can do anything that you want. You are free to pursue any young woman in the town" she said as she began slicing meat and bread for Irene's lunch. Sam could clearly see that she didn't believe him. Damn that little brat Irene, he cursed. Mercedes believed everything she said.

"I've never made any advance toward you sister -,"

"Are you implying that my sister lied to me?" she cut him mid-sentence.

"If the shoes fit, wears it!" The words were out before he managed to stop it. Mercedes glared at him.

"You may leave now, Mr. Evans and you are no longer welcome in here" she said sternly.

"Mercedes, I am sorry. I didn't mean to call her a liar even if it is true. I meant -," he trailed off when he saw that she was looking at him in anger.

"Mercedes, please go out with me. I'll show you how much you mean to me"

"As you did in the pantry? No, Mr. Evans. Unlike what you were thinking, I am not stupid. I know who I am. I am just an old maid who happens to have a rich father. You don't have to bother your time on me anymore, now that I know the truth" she said. The pleading look on Sam's face was immediately be replaced with an anger.

"I have never lain to you" he said through clenched teeth. "And I do not like being called a liar!" Sam continued as he stepped forward toward her while Mercedes took a step back.

"One day, Mercedes, you have to make a choice – either your own life or your family. I am willing to help but not when I was being accused of a liar and was told that I am courting a woman because of her father's money. If you take a little time to find out about me, you'll know that I am being honest with you. I'm -," Sam stopped. He won't tell her who he was if she didn't want to get to know him. If she believed her sister and everything that her family fed to her, he wasn't going to say anything. He won't defend himself from her.

"If you choose to be an old maid, I cannot do anything about it. It's good to know you, Mercedes" he said before he walked away.

Sorry for the wait! I'll try to update all of my stories as soon as I can but RL is being a bitch right now.

Thank you for reading ;)