Divorced from the Alpha (Beasts of Arizona Series #1)

Chapter 3

Three days. That’s how long I have been staying at Ambrose’s place. I did nothing but to do some of his household chores and sometimes, gardening. The weeds are slowly eating up the spaces for the flowers. I wonder if he has someone who does this for him.

Ambrose was out of the house for two days. He was not kidding when he said he’s not always home. He really rarely goes home. The last time I’ve seen him is two days ago. He bought some groceries before telling me that he’s out of the country for a week for a business venture.

And now, I’m bored.

I sighed and stared at the beautiful chandelier above me. “How rich is your owner?” I asked. “I wonder if I can be as rich as he is in the future.”

I shut my eyes and rested my head on the couch. I wonder what he’s doing when he’s alone here. It must be so lonely to be alone in this huge mansion. He has a lot of money but is that really enough to be happy?

My mother always told me that there’s no genuine happiness in money whenever I told her that I want to be rich someday. At first, I thought that she’s only telling me that so I would stop dreaming because that is impossible. We were omegas, the lowest rank in the pyramid.

Maybe it’s the same case as Ambrose. He’s got a huge mansion but he’s alone. I’ve only been here for three days but I have already felt empty. I wonder how Ambrose has to deal with this feeling.

I shook those thoughts away. I shouldn’t be thinking about that anyway. I will leave this place when I finally find a place to stay in the city.

Ambrose kept telling me that the city is way harsher than the forest. But he hasn’t known the cruelty of the dark and dangerous jungle yet. He can’t say that if he’s already seen the real face of the forest—the predators lurking around. As a matter of fact, I don’t understand why his house is situated in the heart of the forest. Did he not think about the dangers of the forest?

Sure he’s got high gates and high walls but we don’t know what could happen.

I sighed and decided to just use his computer to look for a place to stay in the city. Phoenix would be a good choice but I need to look for a job that pays well first. I need to be able to afford the cost of living in the city.

I searched for cheap places to stay but failed terribly. The cheapest I have seen costs around six hundred dollars. I need to work an entry-level job with at least two part-times to be able to finance my living. I sighed once more and listed the jobs I can do before searching again.

I can do housework, cooking, gardening, serving and clerical. I finished a vocational course in college because that was all we could afford. I am not exactly dumb so maybe I can still land a good-paying job in the future. Maybe I could also fulfill my dream to be an actress. I have some experience on school plays. I know that’s not enough but maybe that could be a start.

It was past one in the afternoon when I decided to eat lunch. I heated the leftover food from breakfast. Ambrose’s fridge is filled with food but I feel guilty whenever I take something out even though he told me to eat everything I want. He reiterated that before he drove away.

I wonder what he’s doing with all the money he has. I wonder what his work is, too. Ever since I was left alone in this huge mansion, I couldn't stop thinking about the nature of the work of Ambrose. Surely, he works a blue-collar job. He can’t have a house like this if he’s just a salaryman or an ordinary employee. He definitely holds a high position in a company to be able to afford a house this big.

Maybe when he comes back, I’d ask him. After all, he let me in here. I could probably ask a few questions about his life, too.

After washing the dishes, I received a call from the telephone. I don’t really know if I am allowed to answer this because what if this is his friend? Or his mother? Or his girlfriend?

Wait…what if he has a girlfriend? What if his girlfriend gets mad at me for staying here alone with him? I mean, that’s not a surprise. Ambrose is handsome and I’m sure his charisma could charm anyone.

My feet went cold at the thought. I remained standing in front of the phone, staring at it as it continued to ring. I thought hard if I should answer it or not. If I hear a woman’s voice, I would just hang up. Simple. And then I know that I won’t have to answer any of the coming calls.

I took a deep breath before slowly taking the call. I was careful not to make a sound until I heard Ambrose’s voice on the other line. “Hello, Crystal?”

I heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, it’s you!” I beamed.

“Yes, who else would it be?” he asked in a low baritone.

I chuckled awkwardly. “I was contemplating on answering the call because I thought it’s your girlfriend calling,” I told him.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said nonchalantly. “What are you doing right now?”

I bit my lower lip in shame. But at least I know now that he’s single. I have nothing to worry about. “Eating,” I replied.

“Snacks?”

I shook my head even though he wouldn’t see. “No, lunch,” I told him. “I got busy looking for a place to stay that I forgot about the time,” I explained.

“Okay,” he said before sighing hard. “I’m coming home tonight.”

My eyes widened. “Really?” I asked, suddenly excited because I won’t be alone in this huge mansion anymore. “What do you want for dinner?”

I heard him chuckling. “Anything,” he replied. “I’m catching a flight in twenty minutes. I’ll be there before dinner time.”

I smiled and nodded. “Alright! I’ll cook something good for dinner, then. Take care!” I replied before hanging up.

Finally, some company!

***

I fixed us some good dinner. I cooked some pasta and chicken pastel. It was almost seven when I was done.

I took a bath because I have been working all day. Thankfully, Ambrose has a lot of spare clothes that fit me. He was kind enough to give me some before he left.

When I find a new job, I will definitely buy a lot of clothes for myself.

I was combing my hair while looking out the window when I saw Ambrose’s car coming. I immediately dropped my comb and ran downstairs towards the door.

Ambrose was already standing outside the door, about to open it when I beat him to it. He looked at me, a little shocked before smiling. “Good evening, Crystal,” he told me in his usual low voice.

I smiled and nodded at him. Now that I am already in front of him, I suddenly feel embarrassed because it seemed like I was very excited to see him. I even opened the door for him.

Well, I won’t deny it. I have been bored inside the house for three days. I have only been talking to inanimate objects and to myself. Sometimes, I would turn the TV on and talk to whoever is talking on TV. I can only imagine how Ambrose was able to do it.

But then again, he’s got his business. Maybe it’s tiring to talk to several people daily that his only happiness is his time in solitude.

I opened the door wider and let him in. “Good evening, A-Ambrose,” I replied and immediately want to run away when I stuttered over his name.

Ambrose smiled and walked inside. He’s wearing a simple white V-neck shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He looked so casuall but I can’t deny the fact that he looked so divine. “I’ll just change,” he told me before walking upstairs to his room.

I smiled and watched him go up before walking to the kitchen to prepare the table. I was really excited when I was cooking but now that I am here, I feel suddenly nervous. What if he doesn’t eat chicken? What if he doesn’t like my cooking?

I have learned to cook from my mother and I can say that I am good but I still can’t stop worrying about Ambrose’s verdict on the pasta and chicken pastel. Are they even a good match? I don’t know.

After a few minutes, Ambrose came down with a loose black shirt and a pair of jersey shorts. He doesn’t even look stressed about the flight at all. He looks fresh and handsome—like he usually is.

He looked at the table and smiled. “Wow! I love chicken pastel,” he said before pulling a chair and sat. He smiled at me and motioned for me to sit, too. “Come on. I’m already starving. The flight was short but I waited long before I boarded.” He explained before placing rice on his plate.

I bit my lip and did as I was told. I watched him get some chicken pastel until he tasted it. When I saw him smiling and nodding in approval, I felt like the big thorn in my throat has been relieved. At least, he likes it.

I began eating, too, as silence enveloped the atmosphere once again.

I would take a glance at him from time to him and catch him smiling weakly as he ate. It really gives the cook a sense of fulfillment when someone appreciates what he made. In my case, the approval I see on Ambrose’s face gives me a different sense of achievement.

“You cook really good,” he commented. “It tastes like the pastel I always come back to from my favorite restaurant.”

I blinked at him. “Really?” I asked, shocked but a bigger part of me doesn’t really believe it.

He nodded. “Maybe you could share me your recipe so I can cook one for myself, too,” he chuckled before taking a bite on the chicken again.

I smiled and nodded. “Sure,” I replied. “I’m grateful that you like it.”

He gave me a look. “Are you kidding? I love it!” he beamed before taking some from the pasta, too. His eyes widened in delight. “Wow, this is good, too!”

I chuckled because I find it adorable that I’d see a muscular man reacting like this. It’s cute. He’s cute. “Thank you,” I smiled.

“No, thank you!” he countered. “You can be a cook or something,” he began. “What do you want to be in the future?”

I sighed and smiled. I have always loved watching the celebrities act on TV and the models walk the runway for a good fashion brand.

“If I tell you I want to be an actress, would you believe me?” I asked him back.

Ambrose smiled and nodded. “Of course. Why would you think I wouldn’t believe you?”

I shrugged. “No one ever believed me before when I told them that.”

He chuckled weakly. “Then, don’t believe in them, too,” he replied. “The only person you have to believe in is yourself. That dream will only be futile when you give up on it.”

I blinked at his words that made some sense to me. But then, I still need to be better than this to be able to make my dream attainable. “What about you?” I asked. “Did you really want to be a businessman?”

He smiled and shrugged. “I don’t really have a dream,” he replied. “I guess, I already had my future planned even before I was born.”

I stared at him and observed his facial expression. I have always studied the faces of the people I am talking to. Well, they’re not a lot because most of the members of the pack hate me. But then, I think I already know and I can already read it when someone is being sincere.

Is there really a person who doesn’t have a dream? I don’t know. But Ambrose’s face looked so genuine when he said that.

“It must have been hard on you,” I told him. “You know, having a pre-planned life.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s okay for me,” he replied. “At the end of the day, I am living comfortably. I am happy.”

“Alone?” I raised my brow. “Are you really happy living in this huge mansion? I have only stayed here for three days but I already feel sad. I already hate it.

He smiled weakly. “I hate being alone but I love the silence that it brings. Sometimes, we all find peace and solitude when we’re by ourselves.”

That, I couldn’t agree more.