CHAPTER 7

SHARON'S POV

“Oh my gosh!”

“Oh my gosh I'm so fucked right now “

Claire picked up her phone and scrolled through her missed calls

“What's wrong dear?”

Don't give me that shit, this, all of it wasn't meant to happen.

“If I can remember clearly, I was sober, you were sober, I think it was meant to happen.”

“I feel like ripping your eyes out of your skull!

Sharon called me nineteen times”

“You can't just leave Claire, I'm sure she can handle herself.”

“I'm her best friend”

“Okay okay!”

Donald slipped his hand into his drawer and brought out several bundles of cash

“This should cover it, right?”

Fuck!

Is that how you look at me?

Like I'm some gold digging slut?

“I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I —”

“You what? You just assumed that everything I do is for money? I'm sure you think I'm her friend because she's rich”

Listen Donald, I dance at a club for a living, I'm not rich and fancy. But I followed you home because I wanted to, not because you're rich.

I'm so sorry for assuming otherwise—

You know it's fine.

There was silence

“I don't take my gifts back Claire, that's one thing you should know. Just think of it as a friend gifting a friend

Though I think we're a little more than that

don't you think?”

Claire's cheeks flushed red.

“Where have you been all my life Donald Pavilochenki?”

“I'll drop you off”

“Okay”

Claire really had no idea the type of guy Donald was

*****************

Sharon POV

I adjusted my shades so that they would slip too far from my eyes. They were two sizes too big, but who cared.

I needed a quick disguise to escape my current nightmare

For some reason, Claire wasn't picking any of my calls. At some point, I would have to stop bothering her with all my problems. I was getting married and she was still sorting her life out

That was the problem, I was getting married—

To Luca- asshole-Pavilochenki!

I ran my hand over my neck at the same spot his hands once were. He was menacing, almost scary. Of all the people in the world, it had to be the asshole I slept with. Come to think of it, maybe the world really is a small place, maybe there aren't many assholes to go around, and I just happened to bump into one twice.

He almost choked me, and there was nothing I could do about it. He knew my secret, he could end the marriage, he could destroy my life in an instant.

All of a sudden, my mum's suggestion didn't sound so bad.

I was wearing a black bob wig, the pain I had to go through to hide my very eye-catching hair. I was dressed in semi formal attire, and I was at a jewellery shop shopping

For necklaces that would hide a good portion of my neck. It was absurd really, but I had a feeling my marriage wasn't going to be a happy one. Unfortunately, my plan or rather my mum's plan involved me complying and submitting till the time was right. I wasn't going to spend that time making the headlines for “Abused Billionaire CEO’s wife” or “Business marriage or happy union?”

I picked up a black necklace that looked like a choker, it seemed like something Claire would want, so I picked it up.

I really wanted to discuss my problems, all of them with my best friend, but this didn't have to be about me. Why did I always have to make everything about me?

At that moment, I decided that I would try to face my problems without burdening her. She had her own life after all.

I took a silver butterfly necklace for myself. It was wide enough to conceal any future handprints inflicted by my soon to be husband, provided he strangled me at that same spot.

Then I felt that it was enough and decided to go pay for them.

A tall, broad shouldered man walked past me. I froze immediately. The hairs at the back of my neck stood up and goosebumps graced my skin. I was almost cold

I felt a familiar but deadly aura around him, but I didn't want my instincts to be right at that point. I prayed, I hoped, I really wanted my instincts to be wrong.

Maybe if I didn't turn to look at him, I would never find out.

But curiosity got the best of me, and when I turned, he was standing there

staring—