Ambush

Chapter 10

Richard exhaled deeply, running a frustrated hand through his strands as he straightened his hair.

He was currently on his way to the Grand Villa, the venue Vanessa had picked for their dinner date, but he still couldn’t get rid of that numbing feeling at the back of his mind.

“What surprise could she be talking about?” he muttered silently to himself, as frustration boiled inside his veins.

When he was first introduced to Vanessa as the woman he was supposed to marry, he had seen her as nothing but a spoiled brat.

The few dates they had gone on earlier had been about her raving about herself and the kind of lifestyle she wanted to live once they got married.

She didn’t even care to ask about him, if he really wanted this. All she cared about was the fact that, since she was the daughter of a very wealthy business tycoon, it was only fair that she got married to someone of her standard.

But all of a sudden, after she discovered that he and her best friend Emily had a relationship before the marriage, it was like she automatically changed.

On the day of the wedding,when he was actually hoping to see Emily stand beside the bride as the chief bridesmaid.

He saw a different girl, and all the smile had faded from his face. She had, however, noticed the smile disappear the moment he realized Emily wasn’t going to be at the wedding.

During the ceremony, she had whispered something into his ear that he still remembered to this day.

“I know you were hoping to see your little Emily today, but don’t worry, darling i made sure she was out of our lives for good.”

That comment alone had drained the blood from his face and ruined the entire ceremony for him.

Yes, he knew he had chosen the company over her. And being a man of honor, he would not cheat on his wife.

But he had also hoped that, since Emily and Vanessa were best friends, he would still be able to see her on friendly occasions,regardless of how much it ached him.

But then he discovered that Vanessa had cut ties with Emily, even going as far as throwing her out of the apartment they both shared,because of something that wasn’t even her fault.

His chest had ached that day to the extent that, during the night of their wedding when he was supposed to consummate their marriage, he had gotten so drunk and used the driver’s phone to call Emily.

Vanessa had waited for him in the bedroom. The moment Emily answered the phone, he could hear the way her voice cracked, which meant she had been crying her eyes out.

He just listened to her voice say “Hello?” into the phone, tongue-tied and unable to say anything for fear she might end the call if she heard his voice,which she eventually did after not getting a response.

He had felt his whole world crashing down that day. The very next morning, Vanessa had insisted they have sex to solidify their marriage.

This time, he didn’t object. There was no point fighting it. He was married to her, not Emily. There was no point wishing it away,he had to face his reality.

After sex, Vanessa had stormed out angrily, which he noticed, but he couldn’t care less.

Insisting on not taking time off for a honeymoon, he had woken up the next morning on his way to the office, only to find out that Vanessa had angrily destroyed all the cars in the parking lot with a baseball bat. The reason? During sex, he had called Emily’s name instead of hers.

The thought still brought a smile to his lips to this day. Although he didn’t remember doing that, he knew that deep down, his subconscious still wanted Emily.

After that day, the wife he married. Vanessa, whom he thought was only a spoiled brat, turned into something else entirely.

Anytime she didn’t get her way, she would destroy things in the house and throw a huge tantrum like a wild child.

Anytime he tried to at least get to know her and see the good in her, she ended up proving how very wrong he was. There was no such thing as good in Vanessa Williams, the woman he married.

He had even had to involve his parents the day she threw a glass cup at him simply because he said he wasn’t hungry and needed to be in the office.

Only for their parents to arrive, and she had immediately burst into fake tears, claiming that Richard was the one treating her badly. To his surprise, both sets of parents supported her and instead scolded him for not being a good husband.

It’s been five years since they got married, and he had stopped trying to make it work between them.

After they consulted a specialist that Vanessa suggested, they were told that she could not give birth due to how small her womb was, it would not be able to accommodate a child.

The next statement that came out of Vanessa’s mouth shocked him to his bones.

“Thank goodness. Those little humans ruin women’s shapes, and I’m not about to ruin my life just to bring a mini-you into the world.”

She had gone on a two-month vacation after that.

Which was why it was a surprise when she showed up this morning at breakfast with the idea of surrogacy.

He knew the woman he married, she didn’t care about anybody but herself, let alone an innocent child that wasn’t even going to be born from her.

So what was she up to? He had noticed the late-night calls, the constant outings. And as much as he didn’t concern himself with her activities, this was beginning to be a thorn under his skin.

There was no way he would let Vanessa bring his child into a loveless marriage and into the arms of a woman who cared about nobody else but herself.

“We’re here, sir,” Harrison’s voice echoed through his head, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Stepping out of the car, he felt that numbing feeling at the pit of his stomach as he walked toward the grand building, one of the most luxurious restaurants in town. Trust his wife to always be seen in only the most expensive places.

He entered the building as the chauffeur opened the glass door, ushering him inside.

Heading for the receptionist’s table, he asked for the table reserved for the Williams and was immediately handed over to one of the staff, who accompanied him to the table.

As Richard walked behind the staff, his head spinning with thoughts, he knew Vanessa was up to something,but he didn’t know what.

Then his eyes landed on Vanessa, dressed in a luxurious evening gown. But his gaze quickly drifted to the other people sitting at the table, their backs turned to him.

She hadn’t told him they had company.

Getting closer, his eyes widened as they came into view.

The people sitting with Vanessa were both of their parents.

His heart skipped a beat.

So this was the surprise she mentioned?

This wasn’t just any dinner.

It was an ambush.

And something in the air told him it had only just begun.