Chapter Seven—Guilt

Chapter Seven—Guilt

Gianna’s nose twitched at the stench of her ex husband. It was evident he reeked of booze the moment he stepped into the office, his eyes looked so gloomy that she was sure duffel bags were stuffed underneath, his aftershave was hazy and his hair which was always perfectly sleek was a tad disheveled—her surprise, most of all, was his crooked tie. She never made sure he went to work wearing a crooked tie when they were married.

She glanced around shortly. The office was more spacious than the last time she was in it, traces of her were gone—from the wedding photo frames hung by the wall to her “Best Husband In The World” mug he always had by the desk. Every bit of her love for him, thrown to the boxes, leaving a soulless gray office that wreaked of devastation.

Justin let out a breath as he plopped down on his chair, he picked up his phone and made a short call to the secretary for a pot of hot coffee. Harsh as ever, she wondered how he’d gotten so much worse over the years.

“I’m fine,” She muttered blandly, “I’m not staying for long anyways.”

He couldn’t help but study her. God she was different, he thought. The shy and timid Gianna, his blonde girl next door, now with black wavy hair that reached her waist. She even wore more makeup now, She was just too beautiful from the last time they separated….he hated it.

“Coffee or whiskey?” He asked, ignoring her words.

Gianna frowned, “Whiskey?” Wondering when her ex husband became such a devout alcoholic.

She paid his question no heed and he muttered over the phone, “Coffee would be just fine. Be quick with it.” Silence followed next, “So…..” He drawled, “How can I help you Gi—

“It’s Miss Lawson, Mr Santiago” She cut him off abruptly.

He chuckled softly, “Come on. There’s no use being so formal with me.”

“This is a formal meeting Mr Santiago,” She replied, face void of any expression, “Or have you forgotten your vices?”

She got him there, her eyes used to be so full of vigor but now she was just a soulless version of herself. She hated him, he could see it radiating all over her, the despair she felt. For some reason, it genuinely made him uneasy.

“You’ve changed.” Justin finally muttered after a minute of silence between the two.

“I’ve grown.” She responded, whipping out documents from the suitcase behind her, “Now let’s get to business.”

He frowned deeply, “The last time I checked, you kicked me out. Now you’re open to do business?”

She sent him a death glare, then placed the papers in front of him. Justin smirked a little, a mischievous glint sparked at the corner of his eyes, thinking she was coming around. After all, no one wins over Justin Santiago. It was only a matter of time before he used his million dollar investment in Lawson Corp to take over their board.

His eyes skipped over the first letters and gloom washed over his face, he skipped through the papers as his eyes frantically studied the contents before shooting Gianna a look, “Wh…What is this?!!”

She shrugged, “It’s exactly what you think it is.”

“Come on Gianna-

“It’s Miss Lawson.”

“Fuck Miss Lawson, you’re my ex wife and I know you as Gianna so drop the bullshit formalities. I’m not signing this!” He yelled, finally letting go of the last reserve he had in him.

“You will sign it Mr Santiago and you will sign it now!!” She fired back as she rose to her feet, “The last time I checked I was blindsided by our divorce, feels good to be at the other end doesn’t it??”

“So that’s what this is huh?” He chuckled, rising to his feet as he paced back and forth, “Revenge? Is that what this is Gianna?”

“No”, She lied through her teeth, “I’m clearly taking back what’s rightfully mine. My privacy. You will sign these papers, stating you’re to stay away from Lawson Corp and it’s rightful over, failure to do so would grant you a hundred million dollar fine.”

Justin couldn’t believe his eyes, the woman standing in front of him wasn’t the Gianna who walked out of his office three years ago. It was at this moment he finally realized, he created this monster…..the emotionless figure standing right in front of him with a ludicrous proposal, he created it!

“I was going to take it easy on you Gianna,” He sighed, “I really was.”

She smirked, “Sign the papers Mr Santiago.”

He stared at it one last time, “I’ll have my lawyers look into it. You know that better than anyone, don’t uselessly sign papers.”

Gianna’s teeth clenched tightly at his painful jab, clearly an attack towards her father. Justin convinced him to sign the papers, filled with hidden clauses of his betrayal. Her hatred for him spiraled even more.

“Fine then,” She shrugged lightly, “Call your lawyers. Do whatever you want. Stay away from me.”

Justin watched her walk out, his heart wrenched even harder as a deep sense of regret suddenly filled him. He missed her, he missed her terribly and it hurt even harder knowing it took three years to finally realize what he wanted, and why his life was so miserable.

Justin Santiago wanted his wife back.

He opened the last drawer next to his desk, the photos and letters all remained the same, stacked carefully in a corner he seldomly reached. He couldn’t just burn it, as much as he wanted to. All a sham, claiming it was a reminder of his past and what not to do—-he was a liar, it was all a reminder of the woman he knew he betrayed, a trophy of the guilt eating him alive for the past three years.

After a dejected sigh he grabbed the phone on his desk, “Call my lawyers and the financial team. I need them to have a hundred million dollars ready by tomorrow.”