“Yes, my girlfriend, she’s back,” he answered, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite spot. “Oh…ummm…” I found myself stuttering, finding it hard to make up a sentence. I couldn't decipher if this was supposed to be good or bad news. But why is he referring to her as his girlfriend, when he has me, his wife? Before I could figure out what to say, he let out the words I'd dreaded to hear for the past three years. The very words, I for once hoped I would never hear for the rest of my life. “We can finally go our separate ways, let’s get divorced,” he effortlessly said, taking one more bite from the pancake before him. ***************** The very day Melissa Mugins set her eyes on CEO Listowell Gordon, she fell in love with him. For her, it was love at first sight. Finding herself in a compromised situation, she accepts Listowell’s offer to be his contract wife for just a year. Its been three years now, and although their contract has long expired, none of them has brought up divorce. Today, Melissa plans on telling Listowell a great news, but before she could speak, she's served divorce papers.
View MoreMELISSA'S POV
I was pouring the coffee into the mugs when I heard his footsteps from upstairs. I turned, just in time to see him heading to the kitchen, his hair slightly messy from sleep. He smiled when he saw me, and my breath caught in my throat at how handsome he looked. My cheeks flashed pink as I recalled the steamy night we had shared the previous night. His touches were too sweet to resist, especially since I had craved them for so long. He had been away for almost a week on a business trip, and while he was away, we couldn't communicate much. Although that's quite unusual, I would guess he was only busy with work. I had received great news in his absence and I was more than excited to break it to him but his phone was mostly out of reach, so I had to keep it to myself and wait for him to return. He came back last night and I've been finding it hard to keep it to myself. My heart swelled with pride and joy as I envisioned his reaction. I will break it to him at breakfast today. “Good morning,” he greeted and planted a kiss on my cheeks, his voice deep yet gentle. Pulling back slightly to look at him, I responded with a warm smile, “Good morning”. “Smells amazing,” he complimented, pulling a chair across to dig into his meal. “But you didn’t have to go through all that trouble.” “It’s no trouble,” I countered, trying as much as possible to compose myself. I could feel my heart racing, the words I’d been holding onto for weeks now, dancing melodiously on my tongue, ready to come out anytime soon. “Actually….” I began, breaking the silence that had enveloped between the clinging of cutlery on the plates. “I have something I need to tell you.” I finally let out, taking a few more bites of the pancake. His eyes widened slightly in curiosity and said, “That’s funny because I also have something I want to tell you too.” I blinked, caught off guard by his words. He had something to tell me? My mind raced, trying to guess what it could be. Maybe it was something about work, or perhaps he had planned a surprise for us. The possibilities were endless, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever it was, it would only add to the joy I was already feeling. I gestured, smiling up at him. “You go first then.” He smiled, and his masculine handsome face instantly turned into a cute boyish grin. I stared back at him with an identical look, in anticipation of hearing the news he bore. What could have possibly caused his eyes to gleam with such joy? “Lisa,” he called out, using the nickname he had given me, the one that always made me feel so special. “Guess who I met this week.” I tilted my head, intrigued but also puzzled. “Who?” “Wendy,” without a flinch, he answered, his voice filled with a kind of awe that made my stomach flip. The name hit me like a punch to the gut, the smile on my face slowly fading. “Wendy? Is it the Wendy I have in mind? His ex-girlfriend? The woman who had disappeared from his life years ago, leaving behind nothing but heartache and unanswered questions?” I inwardly asked. My mind struggled to keep up, to process what he was saying. I feigned a smile and repeated the name he had mentioned earlier. “Wendy?” I asked, nervousness evident in my voice. “Yes, my girlfriend, she’s back,” he answered, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite spot. “Oh…ummm…” I found myself stuttering, finding it hard to make up a sentence. I couldn't decipher if this was supposed to be good or bad news. But why is he referring to her as his girlfriend, when he has me, his wife? Before I could figure out what to say, he let out the words I'd dreaded to hear for the past three years. The very words, I for once hoped I would never hear for the rest of my life. “We can finally go our separate ways, let’s get divorced,” he effortlessly said, taking one more bite from the pancake before him. Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes, his words echoed in my head, each one irritating than the last. I was frozen, unable to move, think, or breathe. It took me a moment to realize my eyes was deeply focused on his. I immediately averted my gaze and tried speaking, but no words came out. The room suddenly felt dark, my gaze weary from the spinning going on in my head. Divorce? The word, repeated itself in my ears, loud enough to irritate my senses. It was as if my world and everything I'd built in it was falling apart. “What do you mean?” I finally gathered my thoughts and asked. I was so sure I hadn’t heard him right. This is Listowell Gordon, my Listowell, the man who had just held me in his arms, who had made love to me last night like he couldn’t bear to be apart from me. The same man who was sitting across from me now, looking at me with eyes that were full of happiness. But how could this be? How could he be happy about this? “I—” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Divorce?” He nodded, squeezing my hands, still smiling as if he hadn’t just shattered my world. “ We can finally move on with our lives”. My chest churned in pain at his words. It was as if my heart was being pierced with a thousand pins. Move on? After all these years? After everything we’ve been through? Why do we have to divorce just because she's back? How did those words freely come out of his lips? Isn't she the one supposed to move on? I felt the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. I couldn’t cry, not now, not in front of him. Not when he was looking at me like this was something to celebrate.MELISSA’S POV The sound of the waves kissing the shore, the gentle breeze blowing through my hair, and the scent of the ocean clung to me like a memory I never wanted to let go of. I lay on the lounge chair beneath a woven umbrella, my sunglasses shielding my eyes from the rays as I enjoyed the breeze. Crystal’s giggles could be heard from a distance as she ran back and forth between Nancy and Edward as they played in the sand. A tiny bucket was in her hand and she was hopping from one end to the other, her braids bouncing behind her. Edward, Nancy, Crystal, Listowel, and I had all come for a vacation in Santorini. After taking over the company, Listowel had worked long days and nights to get the company back on track so it was only wise that we came on this vacation. Listowel’s best friend Edward had insisted on tagging along so I also invited Nancy to come with us just so Edward wouldn't feel left out. Nancy, Chrystal, and Edward seemed to be having a great time on
LISTOWEL’S POVJames' wife added. “This is a joke,” she muttered under her breath, pacing up and down. “It’s some kind of setup. It has to be!” James slammed the back of his palm into the nearest table. “You knew! You knew you had a kid and kept it from everyone just to steal this!” I didn’t flinch. I looked him dead in the eyes and said, “I didn’t steal anything. I earned every bit of it.” Before they could all retaliate further, I pulled out my phone. Daniel’s voice quivered. “What the hell are you doing?” I clicked into my contacts, my chest thudding steadily with rage. My thumb hovered over the number for a second longer than necessary before I pressed call. “National Revenue Authority,” the operator answered. “How may I direct your call?” “This is Listowel Gordon,” I said calmly, my voice slicing through the tension like a scalpel. “I’d like to request an immediate audit of Gordon Incorporated.” James lunged. “What?! No—You can’t—” Daniel tried to snatch my phone
LISTOWEL’S POV SIX MONTHS LATER It's been six months since my grandma passed away. Throughout the whole period, not even once did I get a peace due to Danuel and James' constant demand for the family will to be read. It's so shameless that they couldn't wait for the 12 months rule our tradition stipulates. We had called the lawyer the other day and he scheduled today to be the day for the reading. With all three of us alongside the lawyer converged at the mansion, the room was too quiet for such a significant day. I stood by the large bay window in Madam Gordon’s study, the sunlight casting long streaks across the Persian rug. The family lawyer, a stiff, pale man in a charcoal suit, sat at the grand mahogany desk, shuffling papers. His face remained unreadable, like someone used to handling secrets and grudges disguised as property titles. James and Daniel sat across from him, flanked by their smug wives in designer dresses that looked too celebratory for a will
MELISSA’S POV Listowel reached forward and turned off the car radio so abruptly that the silence that followed hit harder than the news itself. The laughter we’d all been sharing just seconds ago vanished. I turned in my seat to look at him. His jaw was clenched, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel like he wanted to snap it in two. Even Crystal’s giggles in the backseat died off slowly as her curious eyes moved from her father to me. My heart sank for him because I knew what was going through his mind. That company, Gordon Inc… was his blood and sweat. It was something he spent so many years building to this state. Watching it fall apart in the hands of men who never truly cared for it must’ve felt like betrayal on every level. Yet he continued to stay silent. He didn’t say a word not even when we got home and Crystal went off to play in her room. At dinner, he was still quiet, poking at his food like it was just another burden. Later in the evening, h
MELISSA’S POV “Show me her picture,” he whispered. I nodded, already pulling out my phone. With shaky fingers, I opened my phone gallery and found a photo of Crystal. She was laughing wholeheartedly with a cotton candy in her hands. Her eyes shone bright as the small dimple on her cheek, a trait she got from Listowel’s accenting to her cuteness. I held the phone out to him. When he got hold of it, he stared at the screen for a long, long time. Then, as if a dam inside him had broken, endless tears fell from his eyes. He sank to the couch, tightly holding the phone as he admired the little girl he never knew he had. “She’s so beautiful,” he choked out. “God, Melissa… she’s perfect. She looks just like you. No, just like us. I mean look at her tiny nose which resembles mine, and she also has your smile…” He looked up, disbelief drawn all over his face. “We’re going to see her,” he blurted. “Tomorrow. No, tonight.” “The earliest flight is tomorrow morning,” I said th
MELISSA’S POV It’s been a month since everything ended. Emily was sentenced to 80 years in prison for attempted murder and assault. Wendy was also sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder and possession of illegal drugs. On the day of the final ruling, Wendy’s grandpa refused to appear in court. He disowned Wendy as his own and publicly stated his will that his assets be shared between care homes across the city and Wendy’s unborn child. He left nothing to Wendy’s name. Emily on the other had her father, Mr. Coleman try to use his connections to intervene but her plans didn’t go through as the people especially the junior ballets she had assaulted in the past came out to speak their truth. Even Mr. Coleman himself was found guilty of sexual harassment at his company so he couldn’t do much. Both Listowel and I were in the courtroom when the judge sentenced these devils to a sentence and sent them to jail. I had giggled and laughed in their faces when they we
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