The first win

Jason let out a breathless chuckle, looking at me with confused eyes.

"I don't understand, what... What did you say?"

"I said no, Jason. You have shares in this company too. Lots of it by the way even though you didn't deserve that much. Sell it."

"Don't embarrass me in front of people, Carmen. This isn't the right time for a prank."

"Boss," Ivy slinked forward, "you know you haven't really had time for your wife recently. She's trying to punish you a bit so you can change. I'm a woman so I understand."

Jason shut his eyes and groaned, swallowing hard. Then he plastered a very fake smile on and grabbed my shoulders a little too tight.

"Look babe, I understand that you feel.. neglected. But we've discussed this."

"No. We didn't discuss anything. You said I will sell my shares, I never agreed to anything."

"Ma'am —"

"Do not speak when my husband and I are having a discussion, Ivy," I hissed, glaring at his secretary.

"Don't speak to her like that just for wanting to put some sense into you!"

"If anyone must do that, it can't be her. And there's enough sense in my head, enough to know that I love this company, I have put in time and sweat into it and I don't want to sell a drop of it. If that's all, I'll have to leave."

I shrugged off his hands on my shoulder and headed out.

"Calm down everyone!" I heard him yelling, "just a little lover's spat. We'll erm.. resolve it quickly and come back. My wife is very.. forgiving."

Right, I really was.

When he cheated on me, I forgave him.

When he called me barren even though he refuses to go to the doctors with me, I forgave him.

I literally have to milk his sperm out of myself for the IVF tests without a shred of complaints.

When he hit me so hard I wore bandages, he threw himself on the ground and begged, threatening to kill himself.

I forgave him like the good, idiotic wife I was.

So of course he'd believe that. I made him believe it.

But Jason Whitlock is in for a rude awakening.

"Stop right there young lady!" His mother's harsh words trailed her son who was also running after me.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself I wasn't supposed to flip completely overnight. I still need to take everything from him and make sure he has no way of killing me before I show him my full hand.

"Mum, did you need anything?" I asked my voice sweet.

"Where do you think you're going? Come back here and sign these papers!"

"Mum, shh! There are cameras everywhere!" Her son shushed her.

Her eyes widened and she tried hiding that ugly look of disdain on her face

Jason finally got to me and grabbed my hand.

He began pulling me to the left side of the building where the outside restrooms were.

His bodyguards stopped the cameras from following us.

"Where are we going babe?" I asked, trying to pretend I wasn't boiling inside.

He finally got somewhere dark and empty and slammed my back against a wall.

"What's the meaning of that bullshit back there? What stupid drama are you acting?!"

"Jason I don't understand, why are you yelling at me?" I asked, tears staining my eyes on purpose.

He raised his hand and hit the side of the wall where my head was and turned back.

He paced back and forth and then returned to me.

"Carmen, we're going to go back in there right now and you're going to sign those papers!"

Behind his shoulder, I saw the hint of men in suits with their hands in their pocket.

Lucian's men.

My husband was puffing, looking at me like a frustrating math equation.

"But I don't want to sell my shares," I reiterated, cocking my head to the side.

"What you want doesn't matter!" He screamed, and then recollected himself quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Look, getting that investor again, it'll be impossible after today. People will laugh at me! You must sign!"

"I don't want to, Jason. You know how much this company means to me. You know how hard I've worked for it. You can sell yours, it's the only way things don't end badly for you tonight."

He suddenly grabbed my neck and two men moved forward.

I raised my hand for them to stop behind Jason's back.

The plan can't collapse so soon. I can endure a little pain.

"What are you doing, Jason?" I cried, "Are you going to hit me? You promised you would never do that again."

"I'm warning you, Carmen, if you don't go back in there and sign those papers.. I'm going to divorce you!"

Then he stepped back and waited

For the usual crying, begging and throwing everything I had at a man that would one day want me dead.

I just stared back.

"Didn't you hear me? I said —"

"I'm not selling my shares. Look, I'm tired, I worked really hard today so I'm going home."

"So you won't change your mind?"

He sounded like a whiny, little spoilt brat and I felt disgusted all of a sudden.

Has he always been this greedy or has my love for him blinded me so much?

If I hadn't heard his plans, would I have given him what I'd worked so hard for just because he's threatening to leave me?

"Okay, I'm begging you now," he grabbed my hands, "is that what you want? You want me to beg you? I'll beg, I'll fucking beg, just.. sign the damn papers!"

"Please leave my hands, Jason, you're hurting me," I cried in return.

Let's see who's a better actor.

He let out a rough exhale and pulled away.

"It's fine. You can go. But you will regret this, I promise."

He walked away and I followed him after fixing my clothes.

His mother was getting the details from him at the door and I walked past them.

"How dare you?!" She hissed at my behind and I sighed and turned back to her.

"Mom, I told him I don't want to sell so he can sell his own. He has a large share too so why do I have to sell mine?"

Her face reddened as she swallowed her words.

I left them there and went back into the car.

"Lucas, take me home."

As the city passed by in a flash, my phone lit up with a message.

Lucian.

{That was such a good show, Little Dove.}

Then he sent another, a video.

It started with his confused face as he was manoeuvring the device and then I saw my husband trying to explain to the Press why the sale couldn't happen.

"But Mr Whitlock, we heard your wife saying you should sell your own shares. Wasn't that what you said will happen here?"

Oh, I didn't even realise he'd lied to them.

He fumbled for words before replying. See

"Yes but my wife doesn't want me doing that so.." he trailed off, suddenly sweating buckets.

"Did you cheat on her? Was that why she refused?"

The hall went quiet.

Then hundreds of reporters began firing questions at him and his bodyguards had to pull him away.

The video ended

I should be happy, it's my first successful win but there was just something stuck in my throat. Jason was the love of my life, I could have never imagined hurting him this way.

So it wasn't joy I felt, it was anger all over again that he made me do this.

When I got home, I showered and went to bed.

Well, I was about to when Jason burst into the room, alcohol stench following him.

"This is all your fault."

That's all I heard before he pounced on me.