The Billionaire's Desire

Chapter Seven

Sometimes in this sorry life, the heart plays a trick on us. It forms an attachment with or without our permission, chooses whom to love irrespective of societal achievements or status. It looks beyond the physical features, the beautiful eyes, the long, gorgeous hair, the acrylic nails, the matching fashionable Louis Vuitton and picks a lady with hair sticking at every corner, a faded Pajamas, bare-footed and cheeks stained with tears. 

"Sebastian?" Amy called out as soon as she flung open the door. 

"Good morning" I tried not to smile, but her smile was infectious, she looked amazed.

"How did you get here? who gave you the address, my room number..." she was asking so fast.

"For starters, how about you let us in, I promise to confess all of my evil deeds" I suggested with a wink.

"Oh my God!, S-sorry please come in" she opened the door wider to let us in.

"Now I must warn you, this is no place for a true gentleman like you" she rushed on. 

I turned to her with an arch of my brow.

"I-I mean it doesn't have the basic comfort facilities" she explained nervously.

The room looked clean. Clean sheets, clean kitchen counters, clean walls. She had everything in one place; the kitchen, the bedroom, I spotted an old computer system that had seen better days and a table, it looked so beautiful. I stopped my scanning and plunged into one of the bean bags in the room. She didn't even have a couch.

"So what do I offer you?" She croaked nervously.

"You" I replied with a smile. Okay, that was not what I was going to say. Besides me, Seth cleared his throat as he regarded us with a known smile.

On the other hand, my wife's cheek was stained with embarrassment.

"I think I need to check on the car" Seth volunteered.

"Of course Seth, I'll be needing some time alone with Mrs Carter". 

"Sir, Ma'am" Seth nodded to the both of us curtly before waltzing out of the room silently.

I crossed to the corner of the room towards the little library and picked up a book. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw my wife watching me.

"Well?" She broke the silence.

I was scanning through a Jane Austen.

"Well, what?" I asked back.

"s**t!" she exclaimed, a hand on her waist and the other on her brow as she paced the room.

"You came here to tell it's over right?" she asked with a burst of high pitched laughter.

"You know, I always knew from the very first day that I wasn't your type of woman, I mean who marries someone like me even if its a joke" she kept pacing.

"But, you would have waited, I think the universe is unhappy with me. I just lost my job and I am about to lose a husband. Girl...you have a knack of keeping it together" another peal of high pitched laughter followed.

"Amy...you..." I started.

"C'mon Sebastian" she interrupted "you don't have to sugar coat it for me, I understand and I promise to cooperate. Are we getting a divorce, an annulment or is it possible to revoke a marriage license within 72 hours?" She was sounding hysterical as she furiously wiped off an errant tear that slipped to her cheeks.

"Amy" I called out softly "what is wrong with you?".

"Me?" she poked at her chest "well how do you explain losing a job and a husband in less than 72 hours" She plunged on a bean bag.

"I get it universe" she stared into space "I know I was born a failure, an unwanted child; but you don't have to rub it in every goddamn time. At least cut me some slack".

"Amy..." I started again.

She stopped me with a raised hand.

"You know what! I blame you for everything" she advanced towards me like a wounded lion. 

"I was living my life the best way I could. Some days, I had to go with 2 meals in a day if I am lucky or just one but I was contented. I was so f*****g contented". The tears were coming in torrents now.

"At least, I had a steady job but it took you less than 72 hours to destroy me and take me back to square one. I am losing everything because of you Mr Carter" she poked me on my chest.

"Amy...if you can just listen for one second you'll ...".

"No! you'll listen to me. You know it makes complete sense now. You simply came for revenge. When I worked at Ace 59, I had a lot of s****l advances from men like you but I refused to sell my body so because of your ego, you tricked me into marrying you, made sure I skipped work and boom...I just hope you're f*****g happy Mr Carter or is it, Mr Sebastian Christian Carter?" She mocked.

Pain, grieve... I watched my wife prance around the room in hysterics. All I could see was a wounded girl, someone who has been through hell and still stood tall. I saw suffering and dark secrets lurking behind those beautiful eyes. 

"Amy" I growled and crossed the room in quick strides towards her.

She backed away with fear in her eyes.

"Forgive my ranting Mr Carter, I promise not to breathe a word of whatever happened, please don't hurt me" she was leaning against the wall.

I stopped a few inches away from her, I hated that she was afraid of me.

"I will never hurt you," I told her.

She eyed me suspiciously but relaxed a bit.

"I am sorry for my outburst, I am not having a good day and I don't blame you for whatever happened to me" she crossed the room to the kitchen counter and started fumbling in her purse.

"I'll just give you the ring and...how do we go about the divorce or whatever?" she finally stopped searching and produced the ring from the purse. 

"It's a beautiful ring" she whispered as she came towards me "thank you for giving me the chance to wear something this beautiful".

"Do you want to keep it?" I whispered back.

"N-no" she inhaled sharply "I mean No, thank you but I couldn't this really looks expensive" she smiled wistfully.

I placed my hands underneath her jaw.

"Amy...I still want you to be my wife" I started disregarding the shock on her face.

"But..." she started speaking.

"You'll let me finish" I interrupted her.

"I came here to apologize for what happened yesterday. I am sorry for being so overbearing and expecting you to automatically become a robot for me, in future I promise we'll work at your own pace".

"Wait!" she plunged into a bean bag again, maybe it was a way of expressing her emotions.

"You are not divorcing me?" she asked.

"No" I responded.

"Jeez!" she sighed in relieve "you must think I must be really f*****g mad. I am so sorry Sebastian, I just opened my mouth and threw my whole foot inside".

"It's just that I am so used to people disappointing me, giving up on me even before we start. Heck! my own mother rejected me" she gave out a nervous laugh.

"I am really sorry".

"It's nothing" I smiled gently. 

"So when..." a thunderous knock on the door, stopped me in mid-sentence.

Amy sprang up like she was just stung by a scorpion as she regarded the door nervously.

"Are you expecting someone?" I asked her.

"N-no, I mean Y-yes" she stammered "I'll just get the door".

"Maybe, I should come with you..." I suggested. The knocks were getting louder now.

"N-no, you don't have to, I've got this" she swallowed nervously and approached the door.

As soon as she turned the key in the lock, ( the door was not locked; we forgot to lock it after Seth) a thin lady pushed past her, causing her to lose balance.

"Why did it take you so long to open the door?" The lady barked. She had a furious look on her face.

"I am sorry Madame" Amy whispered soothingly "Please can we take this outside, I've got a guest'.

Thwack! 

The lady covered her left cheek with a slap.

"How dare you suggest that I leave my own house? You can have the president of the United State for all I care, this is my house and I am not about to let anyone make suggestions on how to run it" she fumed.

"You can't just go around slapping people across their faces," I said from the corner of the room. I wanted to keep quiet and stay out of Amy's business but I'd be damned if I want people to keep hitting the woman that bears my name.

"And who the f**k are you to tell me what to do..." the woman started saying but stopped mid-way when she came face to face with me.

"Mr Carter?" her voice was trembling, at least she recognized me.

"I said, you don't go around slapping people across their faces" I regarded her sternly.

"I-I am sorry S-sir" she croaked nervously.

"You should be apologizing to the lady, not me".

Amy was rubbing her smarting cheeks while she regarded the exchange in silence.

"I am s-sorry Amy" she apologized with a nervous smile.

"I think I'll just be on my way then" she made a beeline for the door.

"No" I boomed "You'll not move an inch".

"Why did you slap my w..." I started saying.

Amy gave a short laugh while she stared intently at me. I was too angry to think and I nearly made a mistake.

"Why did you slap her and who are you?" I tried it again.

"F-first" she stammered as she looked from me to Amy and back again "I am sorry, it was never my intention to hit her. I just came to collect my rent and I got carried away".

Amy dropped her head in embarrassment, I could see a blush rising from her neck.

"How much does she owe you?" I asked the shaking woman.

"1,800 dollars" she mouthed.

"Give me a second" I walked towards the kitchen as I pulled out my phone to call Seth.

After some minutes, Seth came upstairs with cash.

"Here's 4,000, that's more than enough for a year. I don't want you bothering her or else you wouldn't want to be on my blacklist".

"I am so sorry sir, I wasn't thinking" she apologized for the umpteenth time and fled the room.

"Thank you so much," Amy said as soon as the woman left the room "I'll pay you back".

I simply nodded my head.

"Can we get out of here?" Amy suggested, "I think I've had enough from this room in one day".

"Where do you want to go?" I asked as she picked her purse.

"Home, let's go home Sebastian" she replied.

I was winning.