Hello, Goodbye and Business Cards.

If someone ever told me that I would be seated around three men, one being my husband, another being my husbands’ childhood friend.

And the other being the brother to my husbands’ friend. Who also happened to be a man I just had sex with less than three hours ago, I would have laughed in their face and called them sick.

“Ava?” Matthew called me, pulling me out of my daze.

I realized he had been calling me for almost a minute but I was out of it.

How couldn’t I be?

I was walking on egg shells right now.

“Ava..?” Matthew called again. “Are you okay?”

Laughing awkwardly, I noodled my head in approval.

“This is Leo, my friend from the military. The one in the photo.” Matthew introduced.

“Leo meet my wife. Ava.”

Extending my hand, I quickly shook his hand with small smile.

“I have heard a lot about you, and usually you are as beautiful as he always mentioned.” Leo complimented. “This is my brother, my elder, Serge.. the storm was heavy and I picked him up on my way here.” He explained

Oh.. that’s why I thought he looked familiar in that photo. He was almost a splitting image of his elder brother.

“Nice to meet you, I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.” Serges’ deep voice echoes as he extends his hand for a hand shake.

Gently, I toke it.

But it was the same hand that had its marks imprinted on my neck right now.

I gulp

His grip on my hand is a little tight, lingering more than it should until I have to pull back my hand away from his.

I excuse myself to the kitchen to make tea for the guests and also try calm my pounding heart and clean the multiple drops of sweat on my forehead.

How was this even possible?

Serge Sterling?

Leo? Leo Sterling?

Why didn’t Matthew tell me his friend was a Sterling.

And why wouldn’t this night just go in my favour for once?

I know what I did was really wrong, but Karma had come for me quite too early.

The Sterling family was very known all throughout of Seattle and NewYork. They had companies in almost every sector of business.

Every business actually.

They dealt in Oil and Gas, Foreign Trading, Agriculture, Banking and Finance investments, Logistics and Transportation.

They did every business and somehow, they were also successful and everyone knew them.

Well everyone apart from me. I never had the time to chip in the gossip about that family with my workmates during our shifts.

I only knew our boss, Serge Sterling who was the head and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling General Corporation.

The thing is, the Sterlings, specifically Serge Sterling had a not so great reputation. He was usually addressed as arrogant, rude and most of all, a Casanova . But he was also famous because of his looks.

Dear god

He had a sharp jawline that almost felt hand made, his nose had that beautiful perfect shape sadly sitting on his face effortlessly, he had deep green eyes that always looked like they were in a forest fire. His hair was all black and always silk, perfectly combed to the back of his head at all times and he smelt.. like..

Closing my eyes, i needed to take a deep breath and concentrate.

This wasn’t what I expected my mind to drift off to.

The whole point is, he possessed demonic characters and charm because had the largest Corporation almost all around America so who would blame him.

They were the rich men after all.

My hate for that family became permanent the day he humiliated me in public. And the funny thing was he didn’t even remember me. He didn’t even recognize that it was me as few hours ago.

I scoffed

Why would he?

Matthew being friends with a Sterling was a sad reality and surprise for me because of the fact that I had actually had sex with the head of that family and I thought it would be a secret i take to my grave.

I didn’t expect the truth to come knocking right at my door.

So much for revenge was a dish best served cold because I was getting it from fate now and I was getting it hot.

Really hot might I add.

Taking a deep breath, I headed back to the living room holding a full tray of hot green tea.

Gently, I serve everyone and join Matthew at the couch ignoring how my hand was burning because it was trembling while I gave Serge Sterling his cup and ended up spilling tea on my fingers.

Matthew and Leo seem caught up in a conversation that I couldn’t understand which left me staring at every possible corner in this room like I was new in my house.

Serge Sterling too was quite, slowly observing the room with his eyes, he is drinking it all up to memory.

Unlike Leo, he hasn’t touched his cup of tea. Probably doubting it.

Rich snobs.

I scoff, looking back to my cup.

“Honey?” Matthew calls me.

I didn’t realize I had scoffed loudly but judging from the two pair of eyes looking at me right out, I guess I did.

“Ohh. Sorry, the tea is just too hot.” I pretended

The third pair of eyes wasn’t looking, he was staring, just like he did back in that building, like he knew who I was, warming me that my life was in his hands, quietly yet loudly reminding me of the unspeakable fate that would befall me if tried and scoffed at him again.

I panicked.

Feeling like a captive in my own house, like a fugitive in my own living room.

His gaze then fell on our wedding anniversary calendar and lingered there for a minute.

Then all so slowly, it moved to something else and his eyes turned dark squeezing in the process, his jaw tightened and the grip on his phone almost made his hands become pale. He seemed furious. Like he was a minute away from snapping.

Curious at what it is, I turned my head to look at what had possibly gotten such a man worked up but the moment I did, I chocked on my tea.

Matthew quickly turned to me and hit my back, trying to help me regain my breathing but my teary eyes couldn’t stop staring at the cleaners’ uniform with a Sterling logo and name tag i had left on the table.

“Are you okay?” Matthew questioned once I was able to breathe again.

“Yeah, yeah.. thanks babe.” I smiled

I wasn’t okay. I was far from okay.

He had seen my uniform.

He looked furious.

I couldn’t stop the bile that was rising to my throat.

“You were right Leo, Matthew has an excellent taste. But I can’t imagine life being easy as a cleaners’ husband.” He echoed before standing up.

“Actually, Ava loves it at her company.” Matthew defended

Fixing his gaze on me in an almost predatory manner, he responded.

“Am sure she does. But does she ever tell you why she works late some stormy nights.” He had a dark smirk in his face.

Something in my stomach twisted. Like I was about to pass out from the tension in this room.

“Tea? Anyone?” I stood up too. Gesturing with my cup if anyone needed a refill.

“We were just leaving.” Serge Sterling interrupted

“Now? We just got here Serge.” Leo reasoned from the couch.

“I have something important to get to. I will leave you at this.” He said, keeping his eyes glued to me

“I will see you out then.” Matthew stood up.

“No. She can, she is the host after all” Serge pointed at me.

Laughing nervously, I rushed to the door and opened it, excited and relieved at the same time that he was finally leaving.

He pushed past me and went outside before getting into his car and speeding off.

But looking down, I realized he had dropped a business card in my sweater pocket.

It had his name and company details.

Then slowly, I turned it around.

“Come Clean or I Will.”