Chapter 2

• "Would you stop glaring at your phone and just eat your lunch," the voice next to me spoke.
• I threw my homemade sandwich back onto the plate pushing my phone towards my business partner and best friend, "What do you mean don't be angry. I told him to great ready for a job interview, look where he is." I pointed out.
• Nelly placed her burger on her plate wiping her hands clean before reaching for my phone and looking up at me, "You have instagram?" she asked.
• "That's not the point, look at him!" I sighed.
• Nelly's lips lifted up as small chuckle escaped from her mouth, "Don't tell me you made instagram just to stalk Sterling?"
• "He's getting a massage!" I threw my tissue onto the plate, "Wasting my money getting a deep stone massage, he's meant to be at the interview right now. Oh god why does he keep on doing this to me!" It was already half past three and I was waiting for a call from the interviewer to tell me how he went. It was a very prestigious firm and I thought finally, someone who would give this stupid man a job.
• "It does look relaxin-I mean, what a terrible man." Of course it was funny to her it wasn't her money he was wasting. "Why do you hate him so much. If that was my husband I would be on honeymoon number six with him, hasn't it been a year since you guys got married?"
• I tried not to say that it was because she jumped people based on looks and not their intellectual ability.
• "How can you not hate a man that has zero decency, speaks vulgar, wastes money on everything and anything and comes home drunk knocking everything down. God he disgusts me." I leaned back in the chair rubbing my temples.
• Nelly shrugged as she continued to eat her burger, "Have you tried cutting him off from the money?"
• I scoffed grabbing my bottle of water, "Don't you think I have?" I had tried everything, to even begging the bank to only let me use the card but of course it was a shared account and there were two cards and unfortunately he had one of them because he was an account owner.
• Why did my parents think it was smart to give us a shared account, it was my account, it should be my money.
• Last time I tried transferring all the money out, he went crying to our parents who made me put it back. My father owned a 49 per cent stake in my business and threatened to give it to Sterling if I didn't comply.
• "Maybe he went to the interview, and then went to get a massage?" Nelly said trying to defend him. I didn't want to hear anymore from her.
• "Whatever, I have a business meeting with Joe now." I got up gathering my mess before getting ready to go meet Joe.
• * * *
• By the time I got home, I was absolutely exhausted and I needed that massage Sterling was getting. My body ached and my brain hurt. It was a horrible business meeting with Joe because the first thing Joe said when I walked into the room earlier was, "I need a favour."
• I wasn't opposed to helping people, but at the same time I had so much on my plate I wasn't sure if I could help him and myself and run the company.
• I closed my eyes trying to relax now that I was back home, but of course, that was short lived as the door slammed open hitting against the door stopper and then shut again. A familiar cologne wafted into my nose.
• Just breath Aedan.
• "Why are you sitting on the ground?" his voice was deep, a sign that he was drinking again.
• I opened one eye seeing Sterling leaning against my door frame, "Can I help you with something?" I asked.
• What was he doing in my room?
• No doubt judging that I was sitting on the ground and leaning against the bed rather than sitting on the bed. Personally, I felt safer on the ground, almost hidden.
• I had ten messages from my interviewer by the time I had come out of the meeting with Joe. I was so embarrassed that I had once again put my business name on the line to get Sterling a job. He blew it, again. At this point I just didn't know how much more I could handle from him.
• We were just too different to make this work.
• "Actually, you can." Sterling said, walking into the room with his dirty shoes. I pursed my lips, he knew I hated wearing shoes in the house. I could already see some dirt on the ground, great, steam cleaning was just another expense apparently.
• "Why is your room so cold?" he asked, and I mentally answered that it was because I don't waste money leaving the heater on 24/7. He talked again, before I could respond or possibly because I wouldn't have responded anyway.
• "Whatever. I'm going on a cruise with the boys and I need you to cover for me."
• I sighed running a hand through my hair before rubbing my temples, so much for some meditation. I stretched me legs out wriggling my toes. Wearing heels all day often gave me foot cramps when I get home. I tend to massage it myself for ten minutes and roll my feet on a ball to release the tension but I hadn't done that yet.
• "Why would I do that?" I asked. Did he really expect me to do him a favour, did he know that he was the last person I wanted to see after not going to his interview.
• "Because its my parents anniversary and I don't want to go see them and you need to tell them I'm on a business trip." he said as he jumped on the bed.
• "No."
• I closed my eyes trying to ignore him out and get back to meditating, I had a stressful day at work and all I wanted to do was...relax.
• "Why not?" he pestered.
• "Why should I?" I asked keeping my eyes closed but I could tell that he moved closer.
• "Why won't you." I felt his breathe.
• I sighed opening my eyes looking up at him on the bed, sprawled on his stomach leaning down so he was near me.
• "Wait." I said realising something, "Who is paying for your cruise?" and of course the answer wasn't something I liked.
• "You of course."
• "No I am not!" but before I could say anything else he had already walked out closing the door to my bedroom and I groaned throwing the water bottle next to me across the room. So much for working out my anger issues.
• I had to try and get my bank card cancelled tomorrow.
• * * *
• "Are you okay Ms Hart?"
• "I'm fine, thank you Emilia." I nodded as I took two tablets hoping this headache would go away. I could hear clatter upstairs, and looked at the clock, well the man was up before noon for once. I drank my glass of water as I heard the stomping down the stairs.
• "Emilia where is my jacket?" Sterling screamed as he came rushing down the stairs. His grey eyes narrowed on him as he looked between our housekeeper and me.
• "Did you take it?" he accused me.
• I nearly choked on my water, "Why would I want your jacket?"
• "Because you hate it."
• Well...he had a point. I really did want to burn that leather jacket but it just meant that he would go buy a new one, and I didn't want to waste money like that.
• I ignored him going to the fridge to prepare my lunch for today, I really didn't feel like another sandwich but I needed something quick and easy to eat between meetings. I knew I had a busy schedule.
• I grabbed the break out of the fridge and stopped, what was that smell? I sniffed the air as Emilia went to check the washed clothes to see if his jacket was there.
• I turned around to look at Sterling, his fingers flying on the keyboard of his phone as he texted away.
• "Did you just smoke a cigarette in the house?" I asked as I walked towards him.
• "What are you a dog? And no I would never smoke a cigarette." He said giving me a look, "It was a cuban cigar."
• Of course he smoked a cuban cigar at seven in the morning, I bet he downed a glass of rum with that, or scotch or whatever foul liquid he drank.
• I went back to the kitchen quickly putting together a lunch as he continued texting.
• "You're leaving for work earlier than usual." he commented as I put on my blazer and headed towards the door.
• I looked over my shoulder, "And why do you care all of a sudden."
• "Just wondering, are you visiting your boyfriend?" he said.
• My palm tightened on the handle.
• I opened the door taking a gust of the cold air, it was like a slap in the face.
• I turned around to look at him. "Cheating is what you do, not me." I pointed out. Sterling narrowed his eyes at me and I closed the door behind me as he said something.
• I didn't care anyway. It wasn't like we had a proper functional marriage. It wasn't like I could smell the different perfume on his clothes when he came home drunk. It wasn't like I saw the messages on his phone when he left it to charge in the kitchen.
• We might be married on paper but our hearts were far apart.