The Deal With My Husband

VENESSA'S POV

Bianca watches me with a concerned expression while applying her makeup. It puzzles me how she manages to look younger with time. She puts a lot of effort in perfecting her appearance, but only surgeries can take ten years off a person's face. I do not think she gets them just to be clear. Perhaps it is angels who wash her face at night.

"I care about you deeply, Venessa. And to be honest I would hate to see you separated with your husband. We both know that you have terrible luck in attracting men. Who do you think will help you pay that loan if you divorce Marcus?" she questions. 

There are things I haven't told her. One being that I am pregnant with a stranger's child. Or that I plan on escaping the city with a new identity once I get the divorce. None of those things would please her so I must keep them to myself. 

"I am certain that Marcus cannot help me pay the loan even if he had the money to," I tell. 

She still shakes her head. "Most husbands cheat, Venessa. It's not a good enough reason to end your marriage."

I am shocked by her words. I honestly used to think she is smart, but it sounds like someone hacked her brain and replaced intelligence with absolute stupidity. 

"Can you at least lend me a couple thousand dollars? It doesn't have to be for my legal f*e," I ask.

She sighs in what appears to be annoyance. "If I had anything extra I would be helping you pay the loan. My father's businesses haven't been doing well lately, so I obviously don't have enough for both of us," she answers. 

Sounds like I wasted time coming here. But it's good that I now know that I cannot depend on her. 

"I will get to my office to see if I will luckily get a new client," I say, getting up from my seat. 

"You really do not know the person who called your cellphone to tell you where Marcus was cheating?" Bianca asks.

"No."

"You shouldn't trust strangers, Venessa. Some just want to see your marriage fall apart," she says. 

I barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. But I snort out loud which is no different. "The stranger wasn't the one lying to me. Thanks to them I now know who not to trust," I say and quickly make my way out of her apartment before she can feed me with more stupid advices.

This time I am lucky to find a cub to take me to my office. But I wait for eight hours not even a begger passes by. A small interior designer like myself cannot have client daily. So I am not that disappointed even as I head home. 

I feel tempted to accept the prestigious legal representation that the anonymous stranger hired for me. But I am utterly afraid of who the stranger may turn out to be. 

I walk into my bedroom to find Marcus standing by the bed. I wonder what he is looking for as we have been sleeping separately for the last five months, an initiative he made after confessing that he didn't like being in the same bed as I when I was waking up early to make our breakfast. For some reason I found more comfort in here alone than I found laying by his side. 

He has what looks like a new dress set on top of my bed. It doesn't look expensive, but it's fancy. Like the ones I imagine his new girlfriend wears. 

"Where the hell have you been? I have waited hours in here," he complains as if he had told me he was going to be in here. 

"Some of us have to work to earn a living," I reply and he scoffs. 

He doesn't seem interested in talking about that though as he picks up the dress and holds it up for me to see.

"My mother called. My Godforsaken family is having a reunion which I must attend," he informs. "I don't want them to see you looking like a street person so I bought this nice dress for you to wear on the first day. Surely you can afford to buy yourself another to put on the second day," he adds. 

A family reunion? I only met his mother before we married and she didn't seem to like me very much. There was a time I would have given up anything to meet his entire family, but not anymore. I do not intend to meet them now when I am desperately looking for ways to divorce him. 

"You do not need to worry about me ruining your precious reputation in front of your family with a terrible outfit. I am currently too busy to attend such an event. You should pick someone else to act as your escort," I say. 

He appears dumbfounded by my reply. I imagine he was expecting me to jump up and down like a child because I used to act way too impressed by his little, cheap gifts. I faked lots of joy to make him feel greatly appreciated. Now I wish I never met him. 

This dress isn't a gift he bought out of love, but because he thought I would insist on meeting his family thus he had to ensure that I wouldn't be an embarrassment. I would be completely fine if he takes his beautiful girlfriend to pretend to be me. 

"I thought you have always wanted to meet my family?" he questions.

I shrug my shoulders and turn to leave the room as I do not really have to answer him. 

"I really need your presence in this event.  I will pay you to come if I have to," I hear him say. 

I halt and look back.

"How much?" I ask. 

"Umm . . . five hundred dollars," he grudgingly answers. "I cannot believe you are charging me for your presence at  my family's reunion. Aren't we family?" 

"This marriage isn't going exactly how I imagined it would go when we married. So I am not sure I should be meeting your family. Not even for five hundred dollars," I answer. 

Once again he appears baffled by my words. Clearly he does not think there is a way I could have discovered that he is a cheater on top of being a narcissistic partner. Of course I wouldn't have known if it were not for the mysterious caller who gave me all the hints I needed to know where to check.

"Of course you're unsatisfied with our marriage. You're a gold digger who found out that I wanted a loving wife not a paid escort!" he angrily roars.

How can one be so utterly ridiculous? He wasted a massive loan I borrowed to fund his business yet I am the gold digger. What gold am I digging exactly?

I bet he thinks he can guilt me with pathetic accusations. I have no time to argue with him.

"Earlier today you said that you regret having me as your wife. I am totally fine with that. But you cannot expect favours from me. If you want me at your family reunion I want three thousand dollars," I state. 

His jaw almost hits the floor. It feels like a millennium passes before he finally answers in a sad tone.

"Fine. Just make sure your appearance is perfect. I cannot have my rich brother think that I married a beggar." he says. 

I had no idea he had a rich brother. It makes me curious why he isn't choosing to have his girlfriend pretend to be his wife instead.