Love Hate Relationship

Chapter eighteen

The next day, Sasha was picked up by Vanessa in her white limo and they left for the afternoon party. Gary knocked on his boss office door and entered "Boss, mistress has been picked up by your mother" he reported.

Michael was standing beside his desk drawer and was flipping the pages of a document in his hand when he heard Gary's report, he looked at him and nodded before returning his eyes on the papers. Gary turned to walk away then "wait" he heard and turned to face his boss again.

Michael walked around his desk and perched on it while still looking at the document "here, send this to her company" he handed the document to Gary who took and went through it.

His eyes lit up in surprise when he noticed it was a contract and not just any contract, a contract a lot of other big companies will fight to have "boss, why are we sending this to mistress company?"

Gary watched as a rare smile appeared on his boss face, he has been working alongside Michael for like ten years now but this is the first time he is seeing such a happy smile on his lips "she owes me" was his reply before he walked back to his seat and sat down, the smile still playing on his lips.

"I don't understand" Gary's face showed his confusion and that only brightened Michael's smile.

"She owe me twenty million dollars and paid five million last night, she still has extra fifteen to pay and I don't want to make things that difficult for her" Michael answered.

Gary thought on his words and when he figured it out, his eyes lit up "so boss is having me send this seven million worth contract to her company so that she will use the money to pay you?"

"You see, that's why you are still by my side" Michael admitted.

Gary wowed in his mind, why is it that his boss is acting as if he is possessed at times? If he knew he was still going to give her contract that will help her pay her debt then why make her pay the money from the beginning? "But boss if I am correct, you giving her the contract and still have to be the one to pay her for the contract, isn't that equivalent to paying yourself?"

"She doesn't know that and yes, you mustn't let her know the contract is from me, is that clear?" Michael asked.

"Yes boss, very clear" Gary answered still surprised "but boss, since you knew you will be giving her contract to help pay for her debt, why not tell her to forget about the money?"

"I can't tell her that, she has to pay for her clothes herself."

"But it's still your money." Gary stated.

"But she will work for it" Michael smiled.

Gary heaved a sigh, his boss is really making him confuse on his feelings for his wife, does he love or hate her? Why is it that he will act like a monster in her presence and be a darling husband who dotes on his wife behind her back? He shook his head and bowed before leaving the office. All though he has been by Michael's side for ten years, he still finds it difficult to figure out what the man is thinking.

Sasha walked with Vanessa as she introduced her to all her friends and Sasha found herself really glad she had gone shopping yesterday if not, what kind of embarrassment would she have caused her sweet mother in law? Every woman here was dressed to the highest, none wants to be overshadowed as they all dressed in top notch dresses, she couldn't imagine dressing in anything lower. Michael was right, the ladies here all understands quality.

"Vanessa" someone called and they both turned to see a woman dressed in navy blue gown approaching them.

"Stella, what a pleasant surprise. I thought you said you wouldn't be coming?" Vanessa asked as the woman walked up to them.

"I was able to finish what I was doing yesterday and I also heard that you would be bringing your daughter in law along and I really want to meet her" the woman called Stella smiled.

"That's so nice of you, I hope you didn't stress yourself too much yesterday?" Vanessa asked with a sweet smile.

Stella smiled "oh it's nothing. So, this must be Michael's bride, she is as beautiful as they say."

Vanessa looked at Sasha then "I'm blessed" she chuckled "Stella meet Sasha, dear meet Stella Hertz. Her family and ours have been in business for a long time" she introduced.

"Nice meeting you Mrs. Hertz" Sasha smiled and the woman forced a smile her way.

"Same here dear" she said but Sasha could see it was also forced, what again this time? Has the woman met her before? She thought.

"Where is your daughter?" Asked Vanessa.

"Oh, she is talking with Gloria, you know she is thinking of engaging her to her son" Stella answered.

"That's wonderful, so we will be planning another wedding soon?" Vanessa said in glee.

"Mm" Stella forced a smile "okay then, I will see you two later" she turned and walked away.

"She doesn't like me" Sasha stated which got Vanessa to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You are good with studying emotions" she complimented and Sasha smiled "when she mentioned coming because she heard I will be bringing you along, I knew she just wanted to see you. She didn't attend your wedding, claimed to have a very important business to handle in France and so left, but I think I saw her daughter on that day" she explained.

Sasha listened to her explanation and figured something was amiss "did she want Michael to marry her daughter?"

Vanessa laughed "you are very smart. A child that comes from you and Michael will be a genius" she praised "yes, right from when they were small, she had wanted to betrothed them but Joseph and I are against child bride, we have always wanted our children to grow up and find love. So we said should they grow up and fall in love, then they will have our blessings. They left the country when Michael was twelve and so there was no communications. They met again in college and so returned to the country after their graduation.

She visited Michael a lot but he seems to be not interested, we waited for the news that they are getting married but nothing came and they were both advancing in age. Stella got worried and seek my help which I rendered by mentioning to Michael about marriage and then he asked me to find a bride for him. Kira was the first choice I made because of Stella but Michael rejected instantly, he wouldn't even consider it. I tried to nurture him to marry her but he was adamant, he said if she be the only woman on earth, then he wouldn't marry." She sighed as she remembered the day he made the statement.

Sasha had been listening to her story but had got lost when she heard the name Kira, she looked at her mother in law and she  smiled "I chose two other daughters of our business partners but all he rejected. I happened to bump into your mother in a restaurant and remembered she heard a daughter, I asked about you" she smiled "she said you are okay, I asked if you were married and she said no, I didn't tell her my plan then because I wanted to be sure Michael will accept first."

Sasha was listening really attentively, she really want to know how Michael accepted her "I came home that day and called him to come home. Let's have a seat" she pulled Sasha with her to seat and they sat down, she called a waiter and took a glass of lemonade and also for Sasha "when he came home, I already have your files ready and your picture, I showed them to him and I must confess, I think he froze when he saw your picture" her brows creased in thought for a moment "then I heard him, 'call her family, I will marry her' just like that, I was surprised" she looked at Sasha "and it makes me wonder if you two knew each other before."

Sasha bit her lip "I went to the same highschool with him" she admitted.

"Wow, no wonder" Vanessa sighed "ever since then, Stella hardly attends anything I'm invited to, that's why I say, she came here just to see you."

"You said her daughter is Kira?" Sasha inquired.

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"Well, actually yesterday I went shopping to one of Michael's shop, I ran into her a lady called Kira and she just wouldn't let me go, always looking for a way to shame me" Sasha gurgled as she thought about it.

Vanessa was surprised at that "wow, what happened then?"

"Well Michael showed up, and settled everything with just few words. Kira I think was angry because he didn't acknowledged her and again he came to my rescue."

"Now I know why Stella is here, she wants to see the woman Michael rejected and treated her daughter like that for" Vanessa laughed at that "really, that is so childish."

The rest of the woman joined them then and the party started, Sasha noticed that Kira was just glaring at her, if eyes were leasers, she would have been dead by now.

Stella tried a lot to get Sasha to talk, mostly about things she was sure she doesn't know and Vanessa always came to her rescue which annoys Kira to the last.