Tired.
There was no other name to use to describe her feeling at that moment. Slumping onto the brown leather couch, Isabella recalled with bitterness, the meeting she just had with the bank's representative.
The company was running more and more into debt and she was not seeing a way out soon. Grabbing her phone to check the time, Isabella realized it was almost time to go home.
Home.
That was another problem of its own. A problem she would deal with once she gets there but at that moment, she needed to work out a way to get her company out of the extraordinary debt it was in. Getting up, she walked towards her desk and dialed her secretary to come inside.
"Hey Isa."
"Caleb." She sat slightly against the edge of the glass desk.
The blonde man walked towards her, his stride different because of some accident on his father's farm. Something that had to do with chickens or something. On seeing the look on her face, he sat back and made a whoosh like sound, "I take it the meeting didn't go well."
"Things are actually worse. We can't get more loans anymore, we risk being closed down anytime soon." She faced him and asked, "What do I do Caleb? I have no idea. No one around wants to help. Nobody wants to form a meagre, they keep saying the business is old news."
"I know you can't bear losing this company, so we just have to try harder when it comes to saving the company. But Isabella, apart from some issues we have right here, you know where the main problem is."
Being suddenly reminded of the burden waiting for her at home, heaviness befell her chest. "I am trying Caleb. I am trying to get him to stop being so wasteful but he will not even listen to me."
"Leave him Isabella. Why don't you just get rid of that man?"
The misery within her flashed through her face for some seconds, Isabella got up to hide it. "It is not that simple Caleb. I wish it were, but it is not. Forget that for now, what new ideas do you have to get us out of this mess? Cause the way we are going, by next week, more than ninety percent of the staff would be laid off."
Sighing, he uncrossed his leg, his hand went to his rough chin to scratch out some ideas, "There is this charity event happening next week Thursday."
"Okay?"
"It is going to be held in Hotel Achilles and you and I know the kind of people that hold events there."
"The rich part of this world. Go on." Isabella took her seat.
"I can get us an invite and we can maybe mingle with the crowd and who knows, someone might be willing to merge or buy us out of this situation."
A quick frown lighted Isabella's tired face. "Buy out? No. No Caleb, I am not selling my company, I worked hard to convince my father to not sell this place to some stranger but to let me head it. So, no buying out."
"Oh." Caleb smiled apologetically. "I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Well, that is probably the only chance we have to get anything done about the debt."
"It is our only option, we just have to do it. Work on getting those invites and I will work on portraying the company in a good light."
"Okay. I guess that is settled. How much time do we have till the bank takes an action on closing us down?"
"A month."
"Okay. Things are going to work in our favour at that event, I can feel it." Isabella just had to appreciate his optimism. Contrary to his bright declaration, Isabella was a bit unenthusiastic. She really was glad that she had Caleb, she was happy she had befriended someone like him.
"I guess it is time to go home." Caleb nodded and made to get up. "My regards to your father and get something done about your walk, you are starting to have a stride similar to that of the chicken that attacked you."
"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight Isa. Stay safe."
Safe.
She needed that word. An image flashed in her head that caused her to grimace. She did really need that word.
~
The whole room smelt like alcohol and that was a bad thing already.
"Gabriel," Isabella gently called as she laid her bag and jacket on the nearest chair. The scent getting stronger as she walked, Isabella just had to wonder how many bottles he had.
The night before, she had counted close to fifteen bottles.
"Gabriel."
"What the hell are you shouting my name for?"
Closing her eyes to prepare herself for the drama ahead, Isabella turned to face her husband of more than five years. Her husband that always got people asking; why are you with him?- anytime they are together. "Gabriel, why is the house reeking of alcohol?"
"Who are you to question me?" The tall man walked towards her, a scowl on his face. Grabbing her elbow forcefully, he continued, "This is my house and I can do whatever I want to in this place. Is that clear?" Isabella nodded quietly. "I fucking asked if that is clear!" he roared.
"Yes Gabriel."
His hand pressed further into her skin to her discomfort, but she stood there anyway, not a complaint on her face. "You are my wife not my boss and it should stay that way." Her petite figure staggered as he forcefully released her. Isabella almost found herself kissing the brown tiles if not for the remaining stamina she had within her.
Her eyes following Gabriel as he walked to wherever he was going in only boxers and a white singlet, Isabella wondered whether to ask him if he had eaten.
"Oh, by the way, the money you hid in your clothes, I have spent it. So don't bother looking for what is not lost." She was not asking him any shit about eating.
"What on earth are you talking about Gabriel? That money was supposed to last us for the next six months. I was just about to take that to the bank. How could you just... What on earth did you spend it on?"
Gabriel shrugged, his hand going on to scratch the region just above his upper thigh. "Things. Don't beat yourself up too much, you will get more. That's why you are working."
Her hands fisted, Isabella felt like crying. "You were not supposed to touch it Gabriel."
"Listen," his anger re-surfaced, Isabella took a step back even though he wasn't that close, to avoid him getting physical. ", this is what you get since you refused to give me a son."
"Gabriel..."
"Give me a son and I will stop wasting your stuff." She dropped onto the ground. "Don't wait up tonight, I will be out having fun."
"You are going to gamble again, aren't you?"
If he heard her, he did not show. As the door of the bedroom slammed from within, Isabella felt her shoulders slump. The heaviness in her chest was so much, it seemed it had found somewhere else to extend to.
If only a miracle could happen, she thought as she got up to find something to eat. Because at that stage that was just what she needed to get out of her mess.
Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. The past few days have been a mental hell for him. Apart from his norm of attending meetings after meetings, the fact that he was so close yet far from his real family members tortured him.And there was the fact that he had not found a suitable time to devote to searching for a wife.He needed a break, he needed some sort of entertainment. At that moment, in order to find his plans working out perfectly he needed a clear mind.Charles picked up his phone and called in his secretary."Sir, you called me.""Yes," he poured himself some whiskey, his one and loyal company. ",are there any events in town that I can attend? I need a break.""I don't know...""Miss Kane, you are good at what you do, instead of telling me you don't know any, I should be hearing you will be finding out if there is any."The slight cruelty in his voice did not appear to move her, that was one of the reasons he had
"So, it is basically a hotel?" The fat man asked again."She just said..." His partner gave up trying to explain anything to the man who was making light of the little meeting they were having.And Isabella was trying so hard not to get unduly angry. Her free hand kept tugging at the table cloth, the same time, her smile widened. "Yes, it is a hotel. But a vintage kind of hotel.""Why would anyone want to stay in such a place?""The services offered there are like no other sir. Everything about the hotel is amazing, magical. Our guests always have a good time.""If it is so magical, why is it failing?" David Maxwell's secretary gasped with shock at the directedness of his boss. Isabella could feel it, the anger, it had made its way to her chest. Her hold on the cloth became fiercer, it shifted off the table.Caleb placed his hand over hers to placate her."We are actually working on ways to improve the standards of the hotel. We just
It really was him. Isabella sat back into her chair. She had been hoping it was a dream, but it wasn't. He really kissed her. Anthony... Charles actually aroused her without trying hard. After six years he was still that good. Her fingers grazing her lips, she recalled to the last detail how he took her with more intention than he used to when they used to date.That same day, when she got home and took a look at Gabriel, Isabella realized it had been a while that she felt so strongly aroused. Her husband never took the liberty to make her feel good during sex. All Gabriel ever wanted to do was empty his nut into her.Feeling sadness set in again, Isabella wondered how life would have been if she had not run away few minutes to her tying the knot with Anthony. She wouldn't be derived of intense intercourse, certainly. She probably won't have a failing company to be worried about too. Sighing, Isabella reasoned that it was useless to swim in regret at that stage. If any
There was definitely something off with her.It was as though she was lacking something or maybe she wanted something so bad.Whatever it was, Charles wondered what it could be.Sitting back into the leather chair he had specifically had constructed to his taste, he wondered when she exactly was going to walk into that room and ask what his proposition was with attitude.He smirked to himself. She sure acted like she did not break his heart six years ago. And he knew her so well, it was sure that she would keep up with that attitude for a while until he decides to break it. Smiling even more, he could totally picture the defiant look on her face once he does kill that attitude.Charles groaned inwardly.She was driving him crazy.So, so crazy.And that was wrong to him. He should be the one making her regret. He was m
"Are you joking right now?" Charles was impressed. He wasn't sure why- it might partly because she still maintained a cool look- but he was."You heard me Miss Shade. Marry me and your debts will disappear, I assure you."Isabella let out a bitter chuckle as she got up. "You must be joking.""I most certainly am not.""So, you just want me to marry you." She moved dangerously yet graciously towards Charles."Be my wife and that's all you need to do.""Did you hit your head? Or don't you know that it is stupid to tell a married woman such nonsense?"Charles's eyes narrowed as he thought confusedly, 'She is married?'He checked her ring finger for both hands but there was no sign of her being married. He wondered if she was lying. The man who had her situation checked didn't mention anything about a husband and truthful
AUTHOR'S NOTEHey guys, before you go on with this chapter, you should know that there is a bit of violence towards the end. Even though I tried to make it less graphic, if you do not roll well with reading stuff like that, you can always skip it. Thanks for reading :)~Isabella violently adjusted the neck of her gown which felt like it was growing into the length of her neck to suffocate her more and more. But she was just harming the poor gown whose neckline did a good job of giving her chest breathing space.Her hands leaving the almost mutilated material, Isabella found a nearby bench to sit on to gather her thoughts properly.At that moment, the only source of help at that moment was putting her in a spot. A spot she definitely did not see coming.Recalling his proposition which he said with all seriousness, Isabella wondered why her of all people.
Like every other human on earth, Claire Oxford had her past sins.And typical of such sins, it was back to haunt her and take grasp of her son, Charles. Wondering what he was doing at that moment, she took another second to silently pray that he did not stray or fall into wrong hands.As she took a seat on one of the cushions in her tailoring room, Claire wondered if it would be safe to let her husband know of the situation.She certainly did not hide her previous shameful marriage with Ordinaz from her husband. And she appreciated that he did not judge her based on the fact that she was sold to Ordianz, he even accepted her son with whom she had run away with when troubles kept mounting troubles in Ordinaz's home.No.She shook her head as her eyes wearily wandered the huge room that reeked of lavender and was a sight to anyone who loved expensive garments. Telling her
Isabella felt dirty.She did when Gabriel first slept with her. Hours she spent under the shower trying to console herself, trying to assure herself that things would be okay. She had told herself she wouldn't regret her decisions.Years after, nothing was okay. No amount of days spent under the shower could assure her of better days in Gabriel Manifold's house.As she gathered the mattress into a corner of her office, Isabella immediately cringed. The pain was still screaming into her head, her whole being was crying for help.But she was tired. Fighting was a ridiculous thing to her at that moment. She just wanted to give up or maybe give in. She was sold off to her husband anyway, she might as well let him finally use her the way he wanted.She could give up the company and become a sit-at-home wife who does nothing but follow her husband words. Occasionally, she could visit h