| Body |
My husband and boss Adam, is laughing at every joke that leaves the lips of his first love while I watch them through the glass doors that separates his office from mine.
I had been dutifully preparing some documents that needed his signature and also setting up his meetings for the day like I have done for 7 years as his secretary but since Sophia’s arrival, I have been unable to get any work done.
I feel a pang in my chast every time Adam laughs, almost tearing up at the thought that he has never laughed like that around me. I stare at her slender frame, her lush black hair that bounces back into place even when she throws her head back in laughter and the grace in every of her movements. Sophia is an epitome of feminine grace and every of her features is proof of why Adam has been hung up over her even though they separated years ago. Even though he married me.
The dark binds of his office are brought down abruptly, blocking my view of them both and now all I can see is black. It is as if Adam is trying to prevent me from prying even though I am his wife and privacy shouldn’t be a thing between us, especially when it comes to a woman he used to love so much.
I still remember how shocked I was when she walked up to me earlier, heels clicking ever so sophisticatedly on the office tiles. I saw the feet cladded in shiny red heels before I raised my head to look at her.
“Aria, I didn’t know you still worked here! I can’t believe Adam is still making you work even after you both got married. That man is something, isn’t he?”
She said, smiling sweetly with blood red lips that would look horrifying on me if I dared to try that shade of lipstick. I couldn’t speak, caught in the shock of staring face to face with her after all these years, especially as she still had the same aura of wealth and confidence that I have always known her to possess. For a split second, she made me feel insecure in my gray office wear and my tight bun hair and the fact that I wore little to no makeup.
“Sophia!”
Adam’s voice was what broke me out of that trance I was stuck in as he stepped out of his office and there, right in front of me, he hugged her ever so tightly like an old time friend before he led her back into his office without sparing me as little as a glance.
Now, they are alone together in his office, the blinds of his office pulled shut so that I can’t see them but can only hear their muffled voices and his own laughter every now and then. I squirm in my seat uncomfortably each time they laugh, gripping the edges of my table tightly and too destabilized to get any work done while they are both holed up in there.
I stare at the calendar on my table. Today’s date is marked with a red marker and I sigh deeply. Does he even know today is our third wedding anniversary? Every year, it seems like I am the only one who remembers it and now with Sophia’s appearance, I can already tell that today will pass by like it’s just another day.
I knew she was coming today. Being his secretary is the only reason why I knew the things Adam would rather keep from me. He already briefed me about a new business partner that just returned to the country two months ago and will be at the office at any time. What I didn’t know or should I say, what he purposely kept from me was that the so-called business partner was Sophia Bradley and perhaps the reason why he has been more cold and indifferent than usual, ever since her return.
My heart aches at the realization but it aches even more because there is nothing I can do about it. I have never had a place in Adam’s heart but he has been the only one in mine. I loved him from the very moment he saved my life years ago but I can say the same for him.
He always reminds me even without speaking, that our marriage is nothing but an attempt at fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes and I knew if he had gotten his way, he would have never looked at me twice, not to talk of getting married to me.
Grandfather’s love for me is perhaps the only reason I am still sane in this loveless marriage. The old man never ceases to show how much he cherishes me but when has that ever been enough? I am married to Adam and not his family.
The clock ticks endlessly, yet Adam remains in there with her.
Their laughter dies down all of a sudden and I can barely hear a word they are saying. Unable to hold back anymore, I stand before the restlessness kil ls me. I am his wife and I deserve to know what is going on. To look natural, I quickly make two cups of coffee. After all, I am his secretary and this is a part of my job.
Nervous sweat breaks out on my forehead as I make my way to his office with unsure steps. Inhaling sharply, I open the door and step in. My heart clenches at the sight of them both, relaxed in each other’s company as they sit so close to each other on one of the couches in his office. I swallow hard and try to walk over to the table with the best confidence I could muster.
“I made coffee.” I say but they don’t even acknowledge my presence, lost in each other and whatever they were discussing. I study Sophia for a moment, watching as she twirls her cherry blonde hair with a finger while seated with one leg crossed over the other to reveal a prov0cative amount of thi9hs, smiling so brightly that I can’t tell if she’s faking it.
I want to turn around and leave but my feet fail to move. I can’t just leave like this. For how long will I keep quiet and svck it up?
“Sir,” I call, looking directly at Adam. We are married but he never fails to remind me that I address him as my boss at work. Adam doesn’t even make a move to look at me and anger rises inside of me, slowly boiling.
“Sir,” I call again and that is when he finally regards me with a cold look that almost deters me but I remain firm under his gaze.
“There is something I need to talk to you about, it’s important.” I lie right through my teeth. I can feel Sophia’s gaze burning through me but I try not to look at her, for the fear that my confidence would slip away if I do.
Adam just waves me off.
“It can wait. As you can see, I have a guest.”
“It can’t wait.” I say, even more firmly but he is already back to smiling and listening to Sophia speak like a lovesick teenage boy. I call him a few more times and unable to hold back any longer, I call him by his name instead.
“Adam!”
They both look up at me with a mix of expressions. That of Adam is pure anger while Sophia is obviously irritated. I know she has never liked me and back when I was just his secretary and she was his girlfriend, she complained about every single thing I did.
“Adam, what is this? Is this how you let your employees disrespect you?” She says it with absolute disgust and disrespect.
I am stunned at her words, so stunned that I scoff. Employee? She dares to talk down on me like that even when she knows fully well that I am not just an employee.
Adam stands, his tall frame causing his shadow to sweep over me while I grip the tray of coffee tightly in my hands.
“Aria, out. Now.” He commands and I am filled with so much hurt that my hands shake and my lips quiver.
“Why should I? I have every reason to be in this room and I have every right to speak for you to listen to me.”
Sophia stands at once.
“It seems as though your wife has a bone to pick with me and I will not sit here and take such insults.”
She begins to walk away and of course, Adam follows her. I try to move out of her way but my attempt fails when her shoulder heavily bumps into mine in a way that is too fierce to be considered unintentional. I lose grip of the tray and stagger forward and just like that, the hot coffee spills all over her very expensive looking dress and mine. She shrieks, backing away from me only to glare at me the next second.
“What the hel is wrong with you?” She yells. Adam rushes to her side in less than a minute, fussing over her stained dress and even offering her his handkerchief while I stand there, drenched in coffee as my husband takes care of another woman. I feel the tears prickling at the corner of my eyes but what does crying in front of this woman make me?
“I can’t believe you! What did I ever do to you? Go ahead and dislike me all you want but there is a limit to how far you can go and you just crossed that.” She says again, seething in uncontained anger.
Adam turns to me, eyes dark with rage. It makes me shiver. Makes me feel unimaginable pain to know he is mad at me because of another woman.
“Apologise right now!” He commands and I scoff. How can he stand there and take her side when I did nothing wrong?
“Why should I do that? I have done nothing wrong. She bumped into me!” I defend myself, my voice breaking. Lips quivering.
“I did no such thing!” Sophia says defensively but her eyes tell a different story.
“You heard me, Aria. Apologize to her right now.” Adam says again, still intently looking at me. I almost laugh at the fact that the only time he is looking me directly in the eyes after three years of marriage is when another woman is involved.
I shake my head, finding all of this hard to believe.
“So you believe her over me? You take her words for it but mine does not matter? I am your wife.”
“A wife I never wanted to marry!” He yells back and shatters what is left of my broken heart.
Chapter 2
I am speechless for the next few seconds as his words hit me like a freight train. I wait. I wait for his hard eyes to soften with remorse at the harsh words he threw at me but that doesn’t happen. He is glowering at me, nose flaring angrily.
“Adam, how…how could you say that to me?” I say, my eyes crossing over to Sophia who is now hiding her own frame behind his tall, muscular one, “In front of her?”
“Because it’s the truth!” He yells again, startling me into making a small helpless sound. Adam has never yelled at me. And even though it hurts me to admit that he is truly saying the truth, he has never said it to my face and I never really thought he would. I have always known it yet it hurts to hear it come from him. It feels like a thousand needles are pricking my heart and making me bleed out with so much pain.
He runs his fingers through his hair, seeming frustrated. Like he would rather not have this conversation with me. And just when I think it is over, he continues to speak, breaking me even further.
“You were nothing but a mere secretary who wormed her way into my life. If you hadn’t forced yourself on me that night, none of this would have happened! This marriage would have never happened and you know it.”
He brings up the past. Our past. The night that meant everything to me but clearly means nothing to him. I swallow over and over again till my throat and mouth become dry. I can’t cry. No, I can’t appear weak. Not in front of Adam and definitely not in front of Sophia so I keep my tears at bay, urging them to return before they spill down my cheeks.
“I never forced myself on you, Adam. Why won’t you believe me?” I manage to say but he raises a hand to tell me to stop talking and I clamp my lips shut.
“Do not stand there and try to look innocent, Aria because that is far from who you are. I simply said the truth and I do not care if you cannot take it.” He says and stares at me intently.
“Do not let what happened today repeat itself again. Know your place and I will not have any reason to talk to you like this. Do you understand?”
He lays emphasis on every word of warning he is giving me and turns his back against me before I can even open my mouth to speak again.
“Are you okay?” I can’t believe how his voice goes from hard to soft in the next second as he fusses over Sophia. Sophia makes a face that has me balling my fingers into a fist. A face that clearly says she is not okay.
“The coffee was hot and I think I might have to visit the hospital to prevent the burn from leaving a scar.” She says in a quiet voice. I look down at my own body that is also drenched in the same coffee. The coffee wasn’t hot enough to cause a burn but Adam believes her instantly. He pulls her into a hug and embarrassment washes over me like a bucket of ice.
“I’ll drive. Wait here, I will get my keys.” he says as he pulls away, rushing to his office table to grab his car keys before coming back to her side. He takes her purse from her and leads her out. They both seem so lost in each other that they forget my existence totally, leaving me to stand alone in the middle of the room.
Silence falls over me and I am left with my thoughts, licking the wound that his words caused. I have never been able to convince Adam that I didn’t force myself on him yet till this very day, he still believes I drugged him into sleeping with him on the night we were having dinner with his family three years ago. I can never forget the pure look of disgust and shock on his face when we both woke up in each other’s arms the next morning.
I knew since then that Adam would never love me, yet I was hopeful. As the years go by, the hope keeps dwindling with his grandfather, being the only support system in everything.
Sighing, I return to my office and pick up my phone. My eyes widens when I see that a number has called my phone repeatedly all the time I was in Adam’s office. The dread that fills me stems from the fact that I recognise the number as the hospital’s number.
I call back instantly, my heart racing. They pick up on the second ring.
“Mrs Miller, we have been trying to reach you all afternoon!” A female voice says.
“Why? Is something wrong? Is my grandmother okay?” I ask, rushing my words as I am filled with dread and panic.
“You need to be at the hospital, your grandmother—”
I don’t wait to hear the rest of her words. I race out of the room and call on a taxi to drive me to the hospital. I go straight to her hospital room but the sheets and blankets are already being neatly arranged and the bed is empty. More panic. More dread.
“Where is my grandmother?” I ask, “Where is she?”
The nurse cleaning the room gives me a look of pity that nauseates me.
“I am sorry, Mrs Miller but your grandmother died ten minutes ago and has been moved to the hospital’s mortuary. I am sorry.” She says.
The world around me stops and I don’t know how I am able to walk on my two feet to the mortuary where the Nurse leads me. She stops at the door and points to my grandmother laying on a table in the room, her body covered in a white sheet from head to toe.
I walk to the bedside with shaky legs and the moment I take the sheet off and set my eyes on her pale face, I burst out into a loud sob, wishing I could go back to a month ago so I can prevent that accident that made her this way. The accident that took my only living family away from me.
“Grandma…” I call in a broken voice as I reach for her hand. They are too cold, so lifeless and the tears begin to leave my eyes in torrents as I remember how warm these hands used to be when they held my face.
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” I cry, holding tightly unto her and hating myself for not being there in her last moments. I should have been there with her but I was too busy worrying about my place in my husband’s life.
The nurse comes into the room and says, “She asked us to give you this.”
I wipe my tears, sniffling as I take what seems to be a key chain from her. I couldn’t think of a reason why grandmother’s parting gift to me would be a key chain but I can’t seem to care. Her cold hands slammed me into the reality of what had happened. Grandmother is dead. I fall to my knees by the bed and weep, muttering and calling for her to return to me.
“Aria.” Adam’s voice calls from behind me. I am both surprised and relieved to find him there. He must have been contacted by the hospital as well and stopped by since he already came here with Sophia anyway. Sophia is standing in the room with us but I ignore her. I focus on Adam because I need him. I need someone to hold me and tell me everything will be fine.
“Adam.” I cry as I walk over to him and hug him without a second thought, my tears gathering and falling again. His body stiffens at my touch but I don’t let go. I need his warmth. I need him because he is really all that I have left and I can’t bear to lose him too. I expect him to push me away but he doesn’t. He doesn’t hug me back too but I can’t find it in me to care as I sob uncontrollably. My tears subside and I sniffle repeatedly and slowly let go of him.
He clears his throat and takes out his phone, saying; “I’ll place a call to start making preparations for her funeral.” He turns around to leave with Sophia also following him but I can’t bear the sight of him turning his back to me and leaving. I grab his hand.
“Stay.” I sound so weak and helpless but I do not give a damm, “Please, don’t go. Stay with me.” I beg.
Adam opens his mouth to say something but a sharp cry stuns us both. We spin around at the same time to the source of the cry and she is crouching, holding her stomach with an expression of pain. Adam rushes to Sophia’s side in a heartbeat and my heart sinks further down my stomach.
“Sophia, are you okay?” He asks with concern ringing high in his voice.
She shakes her head, “There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you but didn’t know how.” She says, holding her stomach as she looks directly at me.
“What is it?” Adam asks, still very much concerned.
“Adam…I…I am pre9nant.”
Chapter 3
Grandmother’s funeral is being held on a gloomy day, much to my displeasure.
I listened to the weather forecast so I could choose the perfect day for the funeral, and according to the forecast, the day is supposed to be sunny and bright just like Grandmother. I feel duped standing by grandmother’s grave with the sky covered in clouds that only worsen the dark and depressing feeling that has settled in my guts since her death.
I have cried so much that I have no tears left to shed at grandmother’s grave and now have to wear dark sunglasses to hide how red and puffy my eyes are rather than to complement my black dress.
There are a few people hanging around the other graves in the cemetery to pay their last respects to their loved ones and at each grave, there are at least two people; couples holding each other, families comforting each other and even church processions.
I am alone, with no one to comfort me since no one else bothered to attend my grandmother's funeral. With her gone, I realize how lonely I actually am and the thought deals another blow to my already damaged heart. I try hard to get the heartbreaking events of the past few days off my mind and when I finally succeed, I turn my focus back to my grandmother.
She’s smiling in the framed picture placed by her tombstone and I force a smile as well as a fond memory of her slips into my mind.
“Aria, my child, you can’t frown like that everytime or you’ll get wrinkles like me before you are even my age!” She would say and then go ahead to spread my lips into a smile with her fingers.
Grandmother was a cheerful soul who would tell me stories, mostly the ones about my birth and how she knew from the very first day that she set her eyes on me that I was going to be a really beautiful and amazing child. I shared everything with her and talking to her about my marriage was one of the things that made it bearable. I don’t know what I’d do without Grandmother.
Tears start to gather in my eyes again and I take off the sunglasses to wipe them off before they start to fall. I already promised myself not to cry anymore; Grandmother wouldn’t want that.
Sniffling, I begin to place the things I brought with me by her grave; Tulips, which were her favorite flowers; Peaches, her favorite fruit and finally some sweets because grandmother had a really sweet tooth and never listened to me whenever I told her they were bad for her age.
“There are no sweets in heaven, Aria. It’s only right that I take as much as I can down here before the big guy calls me up there.” She would say at the same she unwraps another candy and tosses it into her mouth. She would talk on and on about ‘The big guy’ and ‘Up there’ like she was always prepared for the day she would die.
I can’t help it anymore, I burst into tears, falling on my knees by her grave as it dawns on me fully that she is really gone.
“I should have let you have all the candies in the world. I should have been there with you at your dying moment. I should have held your hands and told you it’s gonna be okay. I–” My voice breaks, the deep regret and tears choking me and making me lose my train of thoughts. I can’t think of a thing to say anymore and so I just cry, sobbing so hard my body shakes.
I hear confident footsteps approaching me and feel a presence behind me that causes my sobs to come to a pause. My heart races and hope swells inside of me when the person puts a hand on my shoulder. I whip my head around, expecting to see Adam but my hope quickly shatters when I see that it is Adam uncle, Regis.
“Regis.” I say, sniffing and wiping my tears in a rush.
“Here,” He hands me his handkerchief, stuffing it in my hand and closing my palm around it before I can even refuse. I say a barely audible thank you before I dab at the tears with the hanky that smelt like him.
“I came as soon as I heard, I’m sorry about your Grandmother, Aria.” He says in a sincere and kind voice. Regis has always been kind to me even when I was just a secretary.
Whenever he came to visit his nephew at the office, he would stop to say hi and hand me a canned coffee with a smile on his face. However, he left the country to study a few days before our wedding and only returned not too long ago. This is the first time seeing him since his return and the kind look in his eyes assures me that if he had been around, I would have had another person rooting for me just like Adam’s grandfather.
“You didn’t have to.” I say quietly, trying to downplay how much it actually means to me that at least, one person cares enough to be here with me. Regis looks around as if searching for something and then he frowns when our eyes meet again.
“You’re alone? Where the hel is Adam?” He asks, his voice a little hard.
My cheeks redden in embarrassment. Regis has only just returned and probably doesn’t know anything yet. I am not willing to talk either. I force a smile and begin to pack the excess things I bought for my grandmother's funeral.
Regis joins me wordlessly and I sigh in silent appreciation of how he doesn’t ask anymore questions. He takes everything from my hands even before I can protest.
“Did you drive here?” He asks and I shake my head. I came here in a Taxi.
“C’mon, we’ll take my car.” He says and walks in front of me. I have no choice but to follow him.
We have just gotten outside of the cemetery when a car drives into the parking space right beside Regis’ car. The car is familiar and I keep doubting who it belongs to until Adam steps out of the car, eyes trained on me as he walks over. The first thing I notice is his Royal Blue suit and I feel the slow brewing of anger inside of me. How could he show up wearing that? It is like a blatant disrespect of my Grandmother and I can’t stand to watch her get disrespected even in her death.
It is clear that he came from the office; little surprise there and it would have been better if he didn’t come at all as I now realize how looking at him only infuriates me. He had managed to avoid me in the past three days since the hospital incident. Three days since Sophia announced that she was pre9nant and shook my world. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who the baby belonged to as he walks towards me now, I feel nothing but resentment for him.
“Is it over? Crap, I must have lost track of time.” He says before turning to his uncle and giving him a tight smile of appreciation that I find nauseating.
“Thank you for being here with her, uncle.”
Regis merely crosses his arms, staring back at his nephew, “Care to explain why you are only just coming?” Regis thows the question at him and I face Adam too, crossing my arms.
“Yes, Adam. Tell me what was more important than being at my grandmother’s funeral.” I already know the answer but I still wait to hear him say it so I can have a reason to hate him even more.
“I really wanted to be here, Aria but you know…” He trails off, running a hand through his hair, “I had to be with Sophia.”
The sound of her name is what does it for me; the same woman who is the reason I wasn’t around to witness grandmother’s dying moments.
“Did you really come all the way here to tell me you were with another woman you slept with and impregnated?”
“What?” Regis is the one who speaks, his voice echoing his shock as he looks from me to Adam. Adam’s usual blank look remains as if he is unaffected by my words and the pain he has caused me.
“Let’s not do this here, Aria. You know I can’t just leave her.”
I scoff.
“I never stopped you. You know what? You should have never come here. You should have stayed with her since that is where your loyalties lie now and I am no longer in the picture.”
Adam frowns, moving closer and intimidating me just a little with his height and muscular frame, “What does that mean? You are my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” I say the words without even thinking. I didn’t think any of this through but I don’t care because my entire being seems to agree that this is what’s best for me,
“I want a divorce, Adam.”
His eyes grow wide, unable to contain the shock at my words and I am proud of myself that I finally got a reaction that isn’t anger or coldness from him.
“Both the divorce papers and my resignation will find their way to you soon.” I add before he can get over his shock and I don’t wait for him to reply as I turn to an equally stunned Regis.
“Take me home, Regis.”
Chapter 4 Adam’s POV
I want a divorce.
The words circle around my head non-stop.
Of all the shets I have had the pleasure of hearing–and trust me, I hear a lot of crap as a CEO–Aria asking for a divorce out of nowhere has to be the worst. I am a man who takes pride in my strength and ability to handle situations no matter how unexpected they are. It comes with the job, yet for some reason, I am unable to utter a single word or move my feet until she gets into the car with my uncle. When I finally come to my senses, she is long gone, leaving me to drown in the pool of shock she created.
I am shocked at her audacity; the way she looked me in the eyes as she hit me with those words. Aria’s cold hazel eyes totally betrayed the meek and timid trait that I have only ever known her for. I am equally shocked at myself for actually being affected by it when I shouldn't have batted an eyelash, after all, I never wanted to marry her. The three years of living with Aria felt like I was in bonda9e created by her own deceit and my grandfather’s overbearing attitude.
I never cared about Aria yet the sound of divorce numbed me completely that I am unable to think straight until the door to my car opens and reminds me that I am still standing still in front of the cemetery. My personal assistant steps out of the car and speaks.
“Sir, your appointment with the Taylor Enterprises is thirty minutes from now. It’s more than an hour’s drive from here, we should leave now if–”
“Cancel it,” I say, heading back to the car, not quite in the right mind to process anything, not even a meeting whose outcome was worth millions of dollars. My assistant follows behind me in a hurry, obviously confused.
“But sir, that isn’t the only appointment for the day. You also have…” He starts to read out my packed schedule for the day as I finally get into the car.
“Cancel them all!” I say, settling into the leather seats of the car and loosening my tie at the same time as it feels like I am slowly losing the ability to breathe, “Get in and turn the dann AC on.” I command him, unable to prevent my anger and irritation from reflecting in my voice. Finally noticing the negative emotions rolling out of me in waves, he mutters his response before getting into the driver’s seat and pulling the car out of the cemetery’s parking lot.
We get to the highway, air is emitting from not only the AC in the car yet I feel heat rising from inside of me and not even loosening a few buttons on my shirt helped. All I can think about is Aria and the dammed divorce. My shock is long gone and I am now stewing in nothing but anger, bordering on rage.
Who the hel does she think she is?
What gives her the boldness to think she makes the call for divorce?
If anyone should be asking for a divorce, It should be me. I am the one who married her against my will. She’s the one who found me so irresistible that she went as far as dru9ging me just to have me. If anyone deserves to slam divorce papers in her face, it is me but the thought never crossed my mind.
She’s a good secretary, dutiful, efficient and always at my beck and call. She also doubles as a good wife, never getting in my way or needy for attention. Aria takes whatever I give her; the little time, the irregular sax and the little communication, all that I deemed appropriate for our kind of relationship.
The sudden switch has me racking my brain, thinking of different possibilities and all the things that could have gone wrong. A thought crosses my mind and it intensifies my anger in a way that I can’t even understand.
“Find out if Aria has been meeting anyone lately. Men in particular.” I say. My assistant meets my eyes through the rearview mirror. His eyes fail to hide his surprise that I am asking him to look into my wife and the possibility that she’s been seeing other men. I can’t rule out all the possibilities and if Aria has really been cheating on me, I swear to God–
My phone vibrates beside me on the leather seats. Sophia’s name pops up on the screen in a message notification. She’s asking me when next I would be available for an appointment at the doctor’s office. Seeing Sophia’s message douses my anger but leaves me with a far more disturbing emotion. I thought of all the reasons why my quiet wife is suddenly asking for a divorce but it never crossed my mind that impregnating the woman I once loved could be the reason.
I think back to that day two months ago when yet again, I let drinking lead me into making the worst decisions. All I had to do was pick Sophia up at the airport, drive her to her hotel and return home. Instead, I took the invite to have a drink in her hotel room; for old time’s sake, she called it. We did more than just have a drink that night and the outcome is the baby growing inside of Sophia. I can’t call it a mistake yet deep down, I know it should have never happened. I should have never let myself get tempted by the thought of how being inside of Sophia will feel after three years.
I want the child. It’s my baby and I don’t plan on losing it but it comes at a price that I never thought would be a problem which is the divorce with Aria. I can’t let Aria divorce me. I need her. At the office and in my home. She’s been my secretary for seven years and no one can do her job like her. I also pay her well and make sure she doesn’t need anything as my wife. How does she plan to survive without me anyway? Does she think that by asking for divorce, she has put herself on a higher level than me? What game is she playing with me now? Ha! Women thinking that they can live without a man and his support.
As I think deeply about these things, I also think of a way to remedy them.
I just need to do something to appeal to her.
“What do women like?” I asked my assistant.
He hesitates at first, surprised by the sudden question before he clears his throat and answers, “Erm, designer bags I guess and oh, flowers.”
I am already scrolling through an online store on my phone, clicking away at every expensive bag that catches my eyes until I have already ordered a number to last her an entire year. Then we make a stop at the flower shop on the way home. Turns out there are more than a hundred thousand flowers and I can’t even decide which one to get for Aria because apparently, women have favorites when it comes to things as trivial as flowers as well. In the end, I pick Lilies because the attendant at the flowershop claims it’s most women’s favorite.
I head home after that with only one single thought at the back of my mind; I won’t let Aria divorce me.
Chapter 5
I’m thankful that Regis doesn’t ask any questions as he drives me back home.
He offers to drive me into the compound but I turn him down and wait till he drives off before I sigh and walk into the house. The house is brimming with maids who rush over to me the instant they hear the door open but I raise a hand to stop them all from coming close to me.
I am no longer the mistress of the house.
I walk past them all to get to my room. Adam and I only share a room when he is looking to satisfy his saxual urges. He crawls into my bed and peppers kisses all over my body till I give in and that is the only time I ever feel wanted by him. As I walk into the room, I refrain from staring at the bed for longer than I should, afraid that the memories of us tangled up in sheets with him buried deep inside of me will break my resolve. And right now, I have only one resolve–to leave Adam for good.
I begin to pack while that resolve is still strong, not even stopping for one moment to think about the fact that I have nowhere to go. I can’t bear to stay one more day under the same roof with Adam, knowing how deeply his betrayal cut. I only pack a few things that are important, assuring myself that I will come back for the rest of my things later when the divorce is finalized.
I am only halfway through packing when I hear the sound of a familiar voice that never fails to send chills down my spine and even right this moment, I can already feel the chilling crawl of dread and it makes me stop packing immediately.
Adam’s mother, Elodie and his sister Eva are here.
I exhale sharply, trying to keep my breathing under control and to also keep the terrible memories of them from flushing into the forefront of my mind. A few more deep exhales and I finally get a hold of myself, resuming packing my things. Once I finish packing, I haul the heavy suitcase out of the room and walk into the living room where Elodie and Eva are seated on one of the couches, legs crossed over one another like they owned the place.
Elodie has her signature scowl on her face that doesn’t fade even when I bow to greet her.
“Why are you here?” Elodie asks, standing. I am confused by her question and my inability to give an answer makes her scoff, her face contorting into the ugliest form annoyance can take.
“I almost forgot how dumb you are.” Elodie says again. Dumb. Her favorite word to throw at me the way she pleases and of course, it doesn’t hurt less today. In fact, it is even more painful now that I realize that besides having to live with Adam’s indifference, I have also had to deal with his mother’s hatred and utter disrespect for me and all along, my response has either been silence or an apology that she never deserved.
“Why are you here instead of the office, huh?” She sneers and continues, “My son works tirelessly day and night just to make money for someone like you to leech off him, all he asks of you is to do your job as his secretary and yet you can’t even do that one thing? Do you think you are entitled to his money just because you are his wife?”
Her words are like hard blows to the chast, every single word that strung her sentences together hitting nerves and breaking right through them. I feel something rising inside of me. It has always been there but I have always managed to control it.
To top it all, Eva, Adam’s snobbish sister had to chip in, “She’s a trickster who duped my poor innocent brother and I wonder why isn’t she at the office! Such a lazy bumm! I don’t even know how Grandpa accepted such a penniless betch to be part of our elite family!”
“I had to be at my grandmother’s funeral.” I respond simply, hoping the scowl on her face will disappear but it gets even more profound and she adds a scoff for good measure. Did Elodie and Eva not know that my grandmother died?
“Is she dead for real? Or is it just an act?!” Eva has the guts to ask me and I glare at her.
Elodie continues, “Of course, that’s your excuse for being a lazy gold digger. Tell me, did that grandmother of yours teach you to go after other people’s money instead of working for your own?”
That very thing that has been rising inside me since I saw Adam’s mother reaches its peak. It’s anger. It is red, pure and fiery and controls my whole being that I can not even bring myself to care about anything other than keeping my grandmother’s name from being soiled.
“Do not talk about my grandmother like that!” I yell and she jumps slightly, startled by my outburst.
“Did you just yell at me?” she says, taking a step forward but I don’t flinch as I stare back into her eyes.
Eva approaches me and she lashes out, “Did you just shout at my mother?!!!”
Eva has always tried to demean me and every possible way at every chance presented to her. She grabs my arm, presses it harshly, making me wince in pain. Elodie smiles and as usually, she is greatly entertained.
I push Eva with the other hand and she tumbles on the sofa. She remains shocked for I have always allowed them to bully me and this time, I retaliate.
“Did you forget your place? You are nothing but a–”
“Gold digger who married your son for his money, yes, I get it!” I snap at her, having had enough of the name calling every damm time, “But you don’t have to worry about that anymore because I already filed for a divorce. I am leaving your son so you can go ahead and swallow all of his money for all I care.”
I turn around to leave, huffing as I drag the heavy suitcase with me but then Elodie clamps her hand down on the suitcase to stop me. She looks at the suitcase in amusement.
“You are really leaving!” Elodie can’t even hide the joy in her tone.
“Yes, so please just stop and let me go.”
She shakes her head, “Not so fast! You can’t just leave.” And then she signals to two of the maids who have been standing, watching the whole exchange.
“Search her!” She orders when they come forward. They hesitate and she glares at them.
“Did you not hear her? She is no longer the mistress of the house. Search her right now.”
I am too stunned to react when the maids finally snatch my suitcase from me. Eva tries to hold me preventing me from snatching back my bag from the maids.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I say, my voice shaky.
“I can’t just let you leave. Who knows what valuables you have stolen from my son inside that germ ridden bag of yours.”
My mouth opens and closes several times at her words as I can’t even come up with a single string of sentences to say to her. I just watch as my things come tumbling to the ground in the rough search. Tears of humiliation burned at the back of my eyes. I don’t struggle any more from Eva’s grip and she stares at me triumphantly.
“What is that? Hand it over.” Adam’s mother says when one of the maids found a gold bracelet I had lodged into my case. Grandmother’s bracelet, the only thing I have left of her.
“No!” I rush forward to stop her from handing it over but I am too late. Adam’s mother is already holding and inspecting the bracelet.
“Oh, wow! Mom, you finally found something she stole from Adam!” Eva exclaimed enthusiastically.
Upon saying those words, she drags me and throws me onto the marble. I hit my nose. As I touch it, blood is coming out. I wipe it quickly and spring up to my feet.
“I knew it! You took something. Did my son buy this for you? What gives you the right to think you can walk away with something he got for you after filing for a divorce?” Elodie snaps.
“That doesn’t belong to your son! It is mine and I will appreciate it if you give it back.”
She does the exact opposite and only continues to accuse me of being a thief until the door opens and Adam walks in. I don’t feel relief at his presence like I usually do when his mother treats me this way, instead, I feel nothing but resentment for him. I want to scream how much I hate him to his face.
His face twists into confusion when he sees the situation.
“What is going on here?” He asks, walking further into the house and looking from his mother to me.
“Thank goodness you arrived, son. This leech was about to leave with something that clearly doesn’t belong to her.” His mother responds.
“And she hit me!!!” Eva adds, almost in tears, complaining to Adam.
This time, Adam is too shocked to ask me why I hit his dear sister. I thought,as he did in the past, he would force me to apologize, but this time, he did nothing. I wonder why.
My eyes are starting to water for some reason and I am confused as to why Adam’s appearance suddenly triggered them yet I smile through the tears.
“Adam, will you please tell your mother that I have never gotten a gift from you?”
Adam falters, seemingly speechless for a second as he stares at his hands. I also look down at his hands and I finally understand why my eyes sting with tears and why I am sniffling in preparation of a sneeze that rocks my entire body. Lilies. I am all ergic to them.
Despite the tears rolling down my cheeks, I start to laugh. I laugh so hard, ignoring the burning gazes of everyone present in the room who probably think I have gone crazy. I sneeze in between laughs, yet I don’t stop laughing as I turn to Adam’s mother.
“I have been married to your son for three years and he doesn’t even know I am all ergic to lilies, yet you think he is capable of getting me a bracelet?”
I shake my head at my sad reality.
Chapter 6
Adam hands the flowers over to one of the maids, asking her to put it in a vase or whatever. He clears his throat, trying and failing miserably to hide his embarrassment in front of his mother, his sister and the maids.
“The flowers weren’t for you.” He says, voice hard as he stares at me for a brief second. I barely even feel anything when he says that because I genuinely don’t care anymore, I just want to get the hel out of this house and never return. I don’t even care about the rest of my things which I am yet to pack, I just want to turn my back on this horrible life already. I hear Eva sniggers.
Adam seems like he wants to say something to me but then he decides against it and turns to his mother instead.
“Mum, please return the bracelet to her.”
She snorts and shakes her head stubbornly, “I am not letting her leave with it.”
Adam grunts, a sign that he is slowly losing his patience, “ I have never seen that bracelet mother, it belongs to Aria. Please, give it back.”
Adam’s mother doesn’t immediately move to do as she is told but the moment she does, it is with an annoyed huff as she tosses the bracelet at me. I catch it in my palms while she heads back to sit in the same position as earlier when I first walked into the living room.
I fall to my knees by the mess the maids made out of my clothes and then I begin to arrange them again, rushing through the process so I can get out of here fast to stop the repeated sting of humiliation. Adam standing there and just watching me clean up his mother’s mess without as much as an apology from either of them only adds to the rising level of humiliation.
Once done, I stand and face Adam squarely, taking in the same clothes he wore to the cemetery earlier and getting reminded of all the reasons why I am making the best decision of my life.
“As I said before, it is over between us. The divorce papers and my resignation letter will find their way to you soon.” I say, ignoring the way his face twisted, “Goodbye, Adam.”
I turn around before I can even hear his response. I don’t want to look at Adam, not anymore. I walk away from him, going straight for the door and turning its knob for what I hope is the very last time.
I have barely taken a step outside the door when Adam’s strong hand grabs my upper arm and twists me around to look at him. I have worked with him for seven years, four of which I was just his secretary and that was enough for me to know the kind of man Adam Miller is. He is usually composed with a blank expression that shows how in control he is.
Right now, Adam is neither composed nor in control. He seems like he has lost grip of it and the meaning of those words don’t even matter to him anymore as he holds my arm in a tight grip. I struggle to break free of his hold.
“Let me go.” I snap at him but Adam only narrows his eyes at me, his anger burning past his blue eyes.
“You can’t just leave, Aria.” He growls.
“You can’t tell me what to do, Adam. At least not anymore. Let me go!”
“Does this even make any sense to you!” He yells in my face as he lets go of my hand to run his hand through his hair, “ You can’t just spring this kind of shet on me.”
“It’s not springing if we have both had it coming from the very moment we shared our vows which you have already broken. We both know this marriage should have never happened so cut the crap and let me leave.” I say, practically fuming before turning around in another attempt to leave.
“What about grandfather? You are taking such a big step without talking to the old man who set it all up anyway. The man who has been nothing but good to you.”
I turn back to face Adam, hating his attempt at making me feel guilty. My thoughts go to his grandfather momentarily and I try to imagine the old man’s reaction to me filing for a divorce when he cares about me so much. However, I don’t waver. I refuse to let those thoughts come between me and my freedom. I refuse to put the wish of another over my own happiness.
“I will talk to grandfather. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about.” I say and make another attempt to leave but of course, Adam doesn’t give up as he speaks again.
“I won’t sign it Aria, I won’t sign the goddamm papers!”
“What the hel is wrong with you?” I yell out my frustration, “Why won’t you just let me go?”
He stares me down, eyes burning stubbornly, “I won’t sign the papers and I won’t accept your resignation either. The company has rules you have to follow and you can’t just decide to resign without prior notice especially when there is a lot of work at the office which I pay you to do!”
I scoff, unable to believe his nerve. Unable to get over his selfish thinking and absolute lack of remorse for the things he has done.
“You have Sophia, don’t you?” I shoot at him and his brows furrow.
“What does that even mean?”
“Everyone adores Sophia. She is smart, beautiful and can get your work done for you and oh, don’t forget the fact that she is also pre9nant with your child! How perfect is that?”
Adam’s mother springs up, surprise evident in her features. Clearly, she is just learning about her coming grandson.
“Adam, is what she says true? You have a child on the way?” Eva asked excitedly.
Adam’s expression don’t give anything away and he doesn’t even spare his mother or sister a glance. He is still looking straight at me.
“Aria, what happened between Sophia and I wasn’t intentional, it just–”
“Don’t you dare make excuses for her! Who cares what she thinks? Sophia is who you have always deserved. The only woman who actually deserves to be my daughter-in-law.” Adam’s mother cut in while making sure to give me a nasty look that doesn’t even surprise me anymore.
I shrug at Adam, a way to show him that I was right. Everyone wants Sophia, including him and he can’t even bring himself to deny it. He continues to ignore his mother.
“Aria, it was an accident.” He says again and I nod, like I am agreeing to his words.
“Three years ago, you didn’t think the same way. You didn’t think you accidentally slept with me but instead believed I had gone as far as dru9ging you to sleep with you. What changed, Adam? Because all I see right now is a bloody hypocrite and a coward who would rather blame others for his mistakes.”
When I turn my back to him this time, I don’t stop walking. I don’t turn around.
“Aria! Aria, get back here while I am still being nice. Aria, I swear to God if you walk out that door, I won’t take you back even if you go on your knees. You need me, Aria. You can’t survive without me!”
Adam yells after me but I don’t stop walking as his arrogant words only fueled my desire to get away from him as fast as I can. I block out the rest of his words as I open the door and welcome my peace and freedom.
I am never going back to that sad reality.
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