Chapter 03

Sarah’s POV

I walked into the kitchen the next morning and did a takeback when I saw Richard rummaging in the freezer for something. “What are you doing?” 

He jumped which caused him to hit his head on the freezer top and then glared at me while rubbing his head. “What are you doing?” he threw my question back at me and it was my time to glare at him. 

“Where were you last night?” I asked, shocked at how strong my voice came out when I was a bundle of nerves on the inside. I had never said more than two words at a time to Richard before and now I didn’t even know if he’d hit me for being so gutsy. “You didn’t come home last night.” 

He eyed me for a while and then hissed, turning his attention back to the freezer which seemed more attractive than me at that moment. The nerve of this man. Had it been any other day, I would have let it slide and walked away to go and cry in my room or the bathroom but not today. After last night, I was tired of being so silent and not speaking up for myself. Maybe if I had done this sooner, things would have changed. 

“Since when did my not coming back home become an issue?” he retorted and I blanched. I hadn’t prepared myself for his reply, at least not that one but I stood my ground. 

“Maybe I’m done keeping silent,” I whispered and he studied me silently, those beautiful blue eyes of his twinkling. Damn him for being so fine, so fine that I didn’t care that he had stood me up last night. I wasn’t sure stood up was the right word for what happened since he didn’t even know I had been waiting for him but what gives? A husband was supposed to come home to his wife at least on some nights. I could count on one finger the number of times he had made it back home in time for dinner. And even then, the times he had eaten dinner out of those times were barely equaled five. Eyeing him, I wondered if there was another way to get through to him without being fussy. 

Taking two steps in front of me, I stood in front of him, close enough to smell his fragrant cologne that on another man would have been wrong but suited him, and placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his chest. My heart was beating wildly in my chest and I wondered if he would push me away before I even got a chance to speak. But he didn’t make a move to stop me and neither did he peel my hands off his skin like they disgusted. He just stared. 

I blinked back tears as I came to a realization. He wanted to hear what I had to say. “I know this marriage didn’t start as well that, a real marriage but perhaps we can make things work?” I took a deep breath as I finished speaking and stepped back, giving him space and time to process what I had just said. 

It took a few minutes before I could get a reaction and it wasn’t the one, I had been expecting. Hell, I expected him to scream at me, push me away, or even walk away angrily but when he started walking towards me with a dangerous look in his eyes, I gulped and took a few steps back. I had put my foot in my mouth and now he was going to kill me. If this was how I died, could I at least say bye to my mother first? I was still expecting her call after last night to check up on how things went. 

“So, you want us to be a real couple? You want me to hold you like this...” he paused as his hands came around my waist and I shivered at his closeness. Oh God, we had never been this close before. His touch sent electric shocks through my body, delicious sensations and I never wanted them to stop. “You want me to fuck you, for you to scream my name every night and then wake up in my arms the next morning?” 

Usually, I would have blushed and pulled away but I don’t know why his words had the opposite effect on me. I felt myself inching closer to him, wanting to feel some more of his body heat close to me. I was so entranced by his words I didn’t realize when he took a step back or when he pulled his hand away from my face until I felt water splash on my face. 

“Only in your dreams dear wife,” he said those last words like they tasted bitter on his tongue. “This is a sham of a marriage, always has been and will be.” 

I opened my mouth to respond and then closed it back when nothing came out.

He smirked, the smile at the corner of his lips wicked and menacing. “Some minutes ago you had so many things to say. Cat got your tongue?” 

I opened my mouth again to speak but footsteps from behind me interrupted me. 

“Good morning Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams,” Desmond greeted as he walked into the kitchen and I remained where I was, unable. I was trying to make sense of what had just happened. 

“We are stopping at the donut shop two blocks from the office and then we’re heading for Martins’ office immediately. I have some urgent work for him to do for me.” Richard informed him as he walked past me after sending me one last smile. 

I turned and watched them walk away, my head swimming with different thoughts. I was still trying to make sense of what had taken place here. One minute everything had been going fine and then the next minute, the rug had been pulled out from underneath my feet. 

“What just happened?” I asked the empty kitchen, my voice bouncing off the walls.