The Last Wife

seven

• brilliant businesswoman •

"There must be a mistake!"

I storm into the office and bang the desk.

"There's no way that asshole is the owner of this company! No f*****g way I get to call that asshole my boss! How did it even happen! Ugh! I hate that stupid stinky asshole!"

"Asshole?" Erik walks in, carrying a black briefcase. "That's not the appropriate way to call your new boss, Mrs. Ford."

"You are not my new boss!" I scowl at him. "I'm the new boss!"

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Poor thing. Your husband didn't tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

He sighs and looks around the room.

"Can you two please excuse us?"

He takes a seat when the two assistants leave and looks up at me.

"Have a seat."

"I'm perfectly fine standing."

He scoffs. "Acting tough, huh?"

"Get to the point, Erik! Not all of us have time to waste on bullshit like you."

"Ouch."

He suppresses a smile and sinks back on the seat.

"On your wedding day, Harvey Ford decided to give me a gift. Apparently, he wanted to settle down with you and start a family. I guess that's why he sold seventy percent of this company to me while he left thirty percent for himself. He wanted to sell the company but still wanted some shares."

"That's a lie!"

"Still don't believe me?" He asks with a smirk.

"None of this makes sense!"

"Let me make it make sense."

He dumps the briefcase on the desk and takes out a single document. He hands it to me and grins broadly.

"Harvey signed the contract himself." He says happily. "Do you believe me now or do I have to read the contract out loud for you to understand it?"

"Why would he do something like this to me? Without even consulting me?" I ask angrily.

"Because he wanted to turn you into a housewife, not the brilliant businesswoman that you are."

My heart warms at his words but I shake that off and scowl at him. I know he doesn't mean what he just said. Just the other day, he called me a cheap cheating slut!

"But you signed it!"

"Yes, because being your boss sounds like an exciting job."

"So that you can make my life a living hell?"

"Every single day."

I burst out a laugh.

"It's honestly pathetic to watch just how obsessed you are with me. Can you just move on? You are not the first man to be cheated on, sir! Grow some f*****g balls and get another girl!"

He scoffs, forcing a smile.

"You're really so full of yourself, Ruby."

"How can I not be when my f*****g ex can't move on! I cheated on him but he's still so stuck on me! It's embarrassing!"

"I'm not stuck on you!"

"Says the man who bought my f*****g company just to unleash hell on me!"

"First of all, it's not your company! It belonged to Harvey before you killed him! And second, I didn't buy it because of you! I bought it because your husband was so convincing and so desperate."

"I didn't kill him!" I snap.

"All the fingers are pointing at you, Ruby! You wanted the money and you wanted to run away with your lover! Harvey was an obstacle standing in your way. He had to go!"

"That's what you told the cops?"

"Plus the fact that you're a gold digger who targets rich older men. And not to forget a cheater."

"If you don't stop running your mouth to the cops about me, I'll make you regret it."

"Or what? I'll end up six feet under like your husband?"

"Maybe worse than that."

"Let's see you try."

"Don't mess with me, Erik."

"Are you threatening your boss!" He gasps.

"You are not my boss!"

"You still don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you." I grin at him. "I just don't want to work for a bossy, mean and evil boss like you."

"What do you mean?"

"I quit."

****

"You quit!" Alex snaps.

"That's what I just told you."

I huff, tossing myself on the couch.

"But you can't quit! That's your company! Our company!"

"It's Erik's company now."

"There must be a mistake, Isa. There's no way he's the owner now."

"He showed me the documents himself. He owns seventy percent of the company, which technically and legally makes him the owner."

"If he owns seventy percent, then that means you own thirty percent."

"That's correct. But that also means that I work under him."

"Then that's still something."

"I don't want to work under that asshole, Alex. He will do everything in his power to make my life a living hell!"

"I can kill him, you know..."

"No! Don't lay a finger on him!"

Alex chuckles.

"You still love him. That's why you don't want to work under him."

"First of all, I don't love him! And second, I don't want to work under him because he's the meanest piece of s**t existing! And I hate him! And I can't stand him!"

He sighs and takes my hand.

"You know you have to do this, Isabel. For mom and dad. To get back the company, you have to work for him no matter how much you 'hate' him. Atleast until I cook up a plan to make you the sole owner."

"I hope that plan doesn't involve killing anyone."

"By anyone you mean Erik?"

I roll my eyes when the doorbell suddenly rings.

The short girl from the wedding, who is now Alex's neighbour, stands at the door. She quickly walks in with a tray of cupcakes and sets them on the table.

"Hi Ruby!" She greets me joyously.

"Hi there..." I still don't know her name.

She turns to look at Alex, her cheeks flashing.

"I made you cupcakes! Thought you'd like them!"

"They look sexy!"

"Not as sexy as you." She giggles as she watches Alex chewing on them.

"Thanks for the cupcakes, Sugar."

She looks away, furiously blushing with her face all red. Alex walks her to the door and they even hug before she leaves.

"That girl is nuts about you." I tell him.

"I know." He laughs, taking another cupcake.

"Stop leading her on."

"I'm not leading her on. I just said yes to her cookies."

"Is her real name Sugar?"

"Her name is Tony."

"A boy's name?"

Alex rolls his eyes.

"It's a long story."

"So why are you calling her 'Sugar' instead of Tony?"

"Coz she's so sweet."

"Did you tell her that you're gay and you're still stalking your ex?"

"I'm not stalking Miles!" He glares at me. "I don't even think about him..."

"Well, your phone thinks the f**k not."

"You've been going through my phone?"

"Yes. Plus, Miles told me that you and him are still in contact."

"You guys still talk?"

"He's still my best friend despite the distance. He's even planning to visit me soon. He calls me alot and we even Skype sometimes. He tells me everything!"

"What did he tell you?"

"That's none of your business. Just stop leading on that girl knowing very well you don't have feelings for her. She seems quite crazy about you and it's cruel to feed her false hopes."

I take one of the cupcakes.

"And these cupcakes are perfect!"

My phone rings in my handbag.

An unknown number is calling.

"Hallo?"

"We need to talk, Ruby."

****

"What is it you wanted to talk about?"

I cast Erik a still gaze as I sit opposite him at the dinner table.

I can't believe I said yes to this dinner after how disastrous the last one went. After how cold and heartless he was the last time I was here. I vowed never to come back and yet, here I am! Staring at him! Stupid me!

He clears his throat and grins.

"Can we eat first?"

"How sure am I you've not poisoned my food?" I ask bluntly.

"You know I wouldn't do something like that to you, Ruby."

"I'm not sure about that anymore."

"If you weren't, you wouldn't have come."

He stares at me for a long still moment, his brown eyes darkening with desire. I find myself biting my lower lip but I quickly look away.

"Why am I here, Erik?" I ask sharply.

"I don't want you to quit, Ruby."

"I thought I made it clear. I'm not working under you."

"And that's why I called you here. To discuss that matter." He pauses. "I have a proposal for you."

I take the glass of wine and sip it.

"I'm listening."

He leans on the table and smiles.

"I want to sell you twenty percent of my shares. That means we'll both be equal. You'll get fifty percent and I'll keep the remaining fifty percent."

"Sounds too good to be true coming from you."

"I also can't believe I'm doing this."

"But you hate me. Why are you doing this?" I ask in suspicion. "What's in it for you?"

"Sometimes for the business, you have to set your hatred aside. Despite the fact that you're a cheater, I believe you are a brilliant businesswoman with a bright vision. You are a great asset for this company, Ruby Rey. Despite our differences, I can't deny that. And there's nothing I'd love more than to work with you and make this company great. Together."

I spare him a smile.

"Having fifty percent shares means we'll both be CEOs of the company, right?"

"Correct." He smiles. "So, is it a deal?"

"Deal!"

He grins at me as he passes over a document across the table.

"Sign it."

****