Chapter 2

TAYLOR'S POV

I was on my knees scrubbing the floor when Flynn rushed in. Two weeks had passed since I slid the attestation papers under his study door but not a single word had come back.

"What is happening? Have you made all the necessary preparations?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, getting to my feet. "I just tidied the guest room too."

He had not shouted at me once since he woke up. That gave me just enough courage to try again.

"Em Flynn, can you sign that attestation letter today? The application is closing soon."

"I said I will sign it and that is when I am free!" he yelled.

I bowed my head and said nothing.

He went upstairs and came back looking refreshed. Not long after we heard the gate creak open and a cab pull in. Flynn walked straight to the entrance. I stayed by the kitchen doorway.

"Flynn baby I am here!!"

Flynn rushed forward and they hugged at the door. The woman pulled back laughing and they walked together to the dining room talking over each other. I watched from the doorway.

"Oh my Flynn baby I missed you so much. How much you have grown," she said, holding his face in her hands.

Flynn leaned down and let her kiss his cheeks. I turned and straightened the dish towel by the sink that did not need straightening.

I cleared my throat. The guest looked back at me.

"Who is she?" the woman asked.

I stepped forward. "Hello I am..."

"That is Taylor. My maid."

Flynn's voice cut through mine. I looked up at him. He stared back with eyes that said keep your mouth shut.

"Oh you are the one taking care of my Flynn baby all this while? I am really appreciative Taylor." She smiled broadly, the kind of smile that belonged to someone genuinely kind. "I am Esther Cleff. Flynn's wife to be. I hope we get along well."

"Welcome to Colorado Miss Esther," I said. "It is nice to finally meet you. Mr Ashville does talk about you a lot."

I did not spare Flynn a single glance.

~~~~

"What is all this rubbish Flynn? You brought a woman here without even telling me?" I said the moment we were alone in the hallway.

After eating I had carried Esther's bags upstairs but Flynn stopped me at the bedroom door and told me to put them inside and move my own things to the guest room. I carried my box out without a word, set it in the corner of the guest room and hung my two good dresses in the wardrobe that still smelled like the perfume Flynn bought me on our first anniversary and never bought again. Then I went back downstairs. Now Esther was freshening up and Flynn and I stood in the hallway facing each other.

"You have no right to question my actions in my own house Taylor Carson!" Flynn said. "You will stay as my maid in this house until Esther leaves."

"You mean I will sit here and watch you two romance each other?" I said. "Flynn, are you in your right senses? Is this really how you want to treat me?"

"Have you forgotten you are not my wife? Should I bring out the contract so you can read the clause that says either of us is free to do whatever we want now that I am CEO?"

"Even if we have an agreement you should at least consider my feelings!" My voice cracked. "That woman looks younger than me and judging by the bags she brought she is not leaving anytime soon. And you want me to serve her like a maid?"

Flynn's arms went akimbo. "You had better make sure she does not find out what is between us Taylor. Keep that mouth of yours sealed or else..."

"Or else what?" I asked.

Something in my voice surprised him. It surprised me too.

"Flynn Ashville, you came to me," I said. "You asked me to marry you for your family business and I stayed with you for two years taking every taunt you threw at me. You called me illiterate. You called me uneducated. And this is my reward? Serving your girlfriend as a maid?"

He grabbed my jaw so fast I gasped. "Who the hell do you think you are? Have you forgotten you are just a broke bar girl?"

"I am your wife Flynn," I said. "Whatever else I am, I am still that."

"Not for much longer," he said.

"Flynn please," I said. "After everything I have endured in this house, at least respect me enough to send that woman away."

"Respect you?" He laughed. "Taylor get out of my face."

His grip tightened. "You should be grateful you were ever called my wife! Now get your head bowed like you always do and serve my girlfriend or else..."

"Divorce."

The word fell out of my mouth and silenced everything.

Flynn released me slowly. "What did you just say?"

"I said divorce." I straightened and looked him dead in the eyes. "Let us end all of this right now."

"Taylor Carson are you out of your senses?" he started but stopped when I shoved papers directly into his face.

"Divorce papers," I said. "The same papers you were planning to serve me after I finished playing maid to your girlfriend."

Flynn looked at the papers then looked at me. "What are you saying?"

I reached into his chest pocket and pulled out one of his pens. The pen scratched across the paper. I signed and threw it back in his face.

"I will leave before you show me the way back to the slums I came from."

Flynn stood there holding the papers. "Taylor, you are making a mistake."

"The mistake was staying this long," I said.

"Where will you even go?" he asked. "You have nobody. You have nothing."

"I had nothing when you found me Flynn," I said. "At least then it was honest."