An Interview with Mr. Ex

Chapter 1: Him and Her

Chapter 1 : Him and Her

(present - In Jade's office - 4 and half years later)

(Jade)

It was one hot Monday noon and Jade was perfectly happy doing her job when her best friend Megan came inside the cabin, a file in her hand, a guilty smile on her dark painted lips.

It was not a file, it was a time bomb waiting to explode. Jade didn't know it then, and so she gave her friend a disinterested look before she went back to her work. She had a lot of things to do right now and if Megan wanted to talk, she had to talk. She shouldn't just sit there staring Jade work. And then Megan started to talk.

"Interview with Jared... Olivia can't.. mother sick..." Jade could not hear a lot of the words coming out of Megan's mouth, because Megan was talking too fast, but Jade got the gist of it and her anger skyrocketed. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in front of her, who was also her best friend and her boss—or more like her second boss. The original boss was Megan's husband of three years, Isaac Brent.

“Insane, this is just insane. You can not do that to me.” Jade almost screamed as she stared at Megan with cold and hot eyes.

The other woman shrugged casually, her gorgeous face a cool façade of nonchalance, like she hadn't just dropped a bomb on Jade just a few seconds ago. Her dark red lips were pulled up in a reassuring smile that made Jade angry. "Isaac wanted me to ask you. He thinks you are the best and he wants the best."

Of course, Jade was pleased to know that she was their best, but she didn't want to do this interview, not even for that praise.

"No freaking way. I'm not gonna to do that. I can't, you should tell your husband to find someone marginally average. And you- you how can you even ask me to do that, Megan? Why will you ask me? You are the one who always advised me to hell stay away!" Jade hissed at her best friend.

"Because I know you can," Megan said with a frown as she looked at her best friend from college days. "You know, Isaac can’t move everything to find someone else on such a short notice, and you’re his best choice here, Jade, and you know that. He wants you to do it.” Megan said with so much sincerity in her words that made Jade pause.

Jade closed her eyes with a sigh as she thought about what Megan was asking her to do. She thought hard, without letting emotions or feelings interrupt and cloud her judgement, but then she shook her head.

No way in hell can I deal with that devil...

"Meg, I just can not be professional in that situation. He is..."

A devil incarnate. My personal hell.

And heaven, as well, if those hidden magazines under your mattress is any indication. Her conscience was a villainess. It was her damnation.

"You have to be professional, because he is no one to you now, Jade." Megan said as she stared at her friend, her eyes thoughtful.

"And this is your job."

Jade knew Megan was only explaining everything patiently and pleading with her to do the interview, because Megan was her friend. After all, this was Jade's job. Interviewing. Researching. Writing. And one should not need any more incentive than that.

Megan was the boss here and Jade had to do whatever Megan asked her to do, no matter what and that was how it had to be, except Megan was doing all this cajoling, only because Jade was her best friend from the very second day of college, even though they were as opposite as fire and ice.

And Jade, trusty, amazing Jade would never have said no to Megan if it wasn't for him.

“Why can’t Olivia do the job again? You never even told me about this alleged interview before and suddenly you are hurling this at me...” Jade complained, her voice full of accusations, as she placed a trembling hand on her forehead.

Jade wanted to pull her head inside her body and hide—at this moment, she would have given anything to become a turtle—and never come back out of herself, ever again. Then she wouldn't have to face him. And his stormy eyes that would slowly serrate her heart with criticism and condemnation.

This was cruel, fate was cruel. I don't deserve this, you cruel cruel thing. You are never going to let me enjoy my life in peace, are you? Why do you f*cking hate me so much?

“Her mom was in an accident, Jade. You know that." Megan looked at Jade, her brows drawn together. "She’s going to Texas to take care of her mom, and it was so sudden. She wouldn't have left me in a hitch if it wasn't for that, Jade.You know Olivia, she isn't irresponsible.” Megan explained again, her brows in a knot.

I am not irresponsible, either. Jade thought with a belligerent sneer.

Of course, Jade understood what Megan was saying, but her thumping heart, her teetering nerves... they were not listening to any reasons. The sound of its beat was loud, agonizing and it echoed inside her head, its vile voice threatening to destroy everything she had so carefully built in the last four years away from him. Facing him directly would simply annihilate everything she had carefully rebuilt from the ground up. Once again.

Could her heart, this heart that had already been broken, take another blow, again?

No. Not at all. I am not that strong or brave. I pretend, but in reality, I am just a coward. Nothing but a coward. I have never been anything but a coward. Now I just wear this mask of carefully composed lies.

No, you are not a coward. You are only a coward when it comes to him. Her conscience was fast to assure, but knowing that was also not a consolation.

“What about Rochelle or Nate?” Jade asked as she pressed her fingers to her aching head. It felt like someone was building a house inside her head. Thud. Thud. Thud. It was noisy, loud and painful. "Nate would do it if I asked." Jade said hopefully. Nate had been her best friend since her college days, so was this monster sitting in front of her. OK, she was not really a monster, she was a great friend, except right now, she was not. Not at all.

Megan pushed the dull brown file in front of Jade slowly. "Just look at it." Megan said without an ounce of regret in her voice. Jade wanted to pull her hair or claw her eyes out. Either would be so good right now. She just wanted this anger to go away, and the fear that was growing along with anger.

It was just her work. She had to do her work, she couldn't say no to work. He was no one to me. He only had a power over me if I give him that power. This will be just...

Work. Work. She tried to think of it as just another work she had to do. But how could she?!

Of course, Jade had done so many interviews in two years of her life at MIB news.

With egoistical, arrogant men who felt like everyone else was born beneath them and she had put them in their places. She had interviewed men who were bitter and difficult and entitled, even though she hated every moment talking with them and their persistent sneer. Oh and she had always done it all without even a frown.

She had even interviewed the biggest misogynists who had ever been born, who looked down on women—not every successful person is an inspiration—and she had done it without punching them in their noses and breaking them. Of course, she had subtly put them down and their ego and their views and values with her cleverly worded questions and indirect comments and barbs, but she had done it all with a super professional smile. A smile that had never slipped her lips. And she was proud of herself for that.

But this was not just another job. He was not just another arrogant, insolent man, even though he was all that and more. He was arrogant, impudent, selfish, cold, calculating... he was every bad thing that could have happened to her.

He is also every good thing that could have happened to you, the small voice at the back of her head commented. She ignored it. She didn't need to listen to her own voice telling her of his good qualities. She only needed to hate him now.

This was not going to be just another interview she had to do. This time it was a hell of a lot more personal than anyone could even think.

Jared Wilson. Jared Wilson. Why would you come back to my life?

Jared Wilson, Billionaire, founder and CEO of TechNets, handsome devil, arrogant jerk, devil in disguise, the forbidden fruit made out of desire and lust. She could go on.

Jared Wilson, her first kiss, though that kiss had cost her five bucks.

Jared Wilson, Jade's first ever love, and the love cost her, in the end, her happiness.

Jared Wilson, ex-husband extraordinaire, and the marriage cost her everything.

Oh Jared Wilson, I don't ever want to see your smug face again!

***

(In Jared's office)

(Jared)

It was the same Monday noon, but Jared's conference room was cool, though his eyes were hot, spewing fire. His tall, lean figure was strung tight, ready for the hunt. His fist were balled on top of the dirty green folder as he composed his heart and his eyes.

He controlled the anger rushing through his veins, curbed his need to grab the man standing opposite him by his foot and hang him upside down and then let him die a slow, painful death.

But Jared was not someone who would give in to his temper.

Calm and cool, was his mantra. Always, except when it comes to two people. One, his best friend Tom Foley, who always knew the right buttons to push because Tom had known Jared from too early to not know everything about Jared, and second, the Satan's sister, who had always known which brake to press, which lever to break so that he would run wild and uncontrollable and mad...

Stop thinking about her right now. This is not the time to think about that little devil.

"If you have the audacity to try and trick me into the deal, at least do it smartly. Stupidity, Mr. McCannaugh, is not an attractive trait. Stupidity makes me feel very, very angry." Jared's voice was soft, controlled, but the way he said those words... it was meant to break his opponent. The man standing opposite to him looked like he was just hit by the thunder or lightning. His face went pale as he took a step back from Jared as if he was afraid for his life.

But Jared Wilson, Jared Wilson didn't use his hands to destroy a person. That would be too messy. He used his wit, his smartness, his sly, manipulative brain. Jared didn't believe in brute force. He believed in smart force. Without intelligence, everything else was just a waste of time and effort.

Jared looked at his Cartier watch with a frown marring his sharp features. His dark grey eyes glinted like freshly sharpened steel knife as he cut the man standing next to him with his eyes.

Jared Wilson hated lies, but more than that, he hated stupid people who couldn't lie right. Lying without getting caught, now that, that would get an appreciative smirk from Jared.

"If you have the spine to pull off a scam, at least do it without getting caught. I would have appreciated that, if you hadn't get caught, I would have even given you a slap in the back, as well, Mr. McCannaugh, but this... this is just a stark show of your ineptitude. I don't deal well with incompetent people. It is such a waste of my time and money. Wasting my money, I could've forgiven, but my time, it is precious, Mr. McCannaugh. We will no longer be dealing with each other. For your sake, I hope you never see me again." Jared Wilson looked at the man with a cool glint in his eyes.

The tall man looked chalky white as Jared stood up from behind the chair. His secretary, Hannah, came to him before he even made a sound. She was a competent secretary, and he liked how she was always professional. Her hair was always in a ponytail and her suits were always pressed. He appreciated her professionalism, he admired her proficiency. "What do you need me to do, Mr. Wilson?" She asked as she looked at him, her eyes never once leaving his face. She didn't look at the man standing there, shaking, she didn't wonder what had happened. She had one job; doing what Mr. Wilson told her to do and she would do just that, because she was very good at her job.

"Call our attorneys and terminate any and every contract and every previous deal we have made with his company, on the ground of the breach of clause 2.1 and 3.4. Inappropriate use of funds, and manufactured reports. I need all the documents on my desk tomorrow." Jared grabbed the documents from the table and handed them to Hannah. Hannah nodded obediently as she walked out of the conference room, her heels making strange clicking sounds.

Jared turned towards the sweating man. "Go. Do not appear before me ever again, or I will end you and your family business. You think I am here because my dad is rich like yours, Mr. McCannaugh? It took me years of patience and perseverance to find my place here. And I count my money, still, every night, because I came from the ground. I didn't get rich, I wasn't named fifth in the list of influential men, my company wasn't listed second in the fastest growing tech giants, because of some dumb luck, Mr. McCannaugh. It is smart work more than just hard work. You have a lot of nerve to try this with me. Get lost."

"I am sorry, Mr. Wilson, but please. My company staff will become homeless if I lose this project. I can't-"

"Should have thought about it before you tried to swindle me. Now, I am only talking because of your employees. If it isn't for them, I wouldn't have hesitated to destroy everything your father had built. Get out." Jared pointed a finger towards the door, and the man left with shaking legs. Jared unknotted his tie away and threw it at the table. He grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down, hoping this anger would subside and cool down. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

His phone rang. He picked it up and sighed when he noticed it was Tom Foley, his best friend and COO of TechNets.

"Yes."

"The reports from Johan on the background check of..."

"I know. Did he send the files to you?"

"Yes."

"Did you read it?" He asked as he unbuttoned the collar button with trembling fingers. He felt like he was suffocating. Even in the air-conditioned room, he was sweating and his heart was running ten miles a second.

"Yes. Can we meet, Jare? After I finish meeting with Mr. Miller at five?"

"Sure, Tom. When will be the meeting over?" Jared asked. Mr. Miller was the founder of Miller Technologies and they were trying to form a strategic alliance in the development of one of Jared's pet project. Developing an AI bot. TechNets was growing and entering into new market space quicker than they had predicted, and Jared was sure this new alliance would put him over the mark before the proposed time.

"Le Merde? Eight? And Jare, do you really want to know everything about her?" Tom sounded concerned.

"Yes, Tom, I do. I have to be prepared before I meet her again." Jared said as he stared at the ceiling above his head. It felt like it was spinning and falling. Even though everything in his life was going according to the plan at this point, somehow he still felt like there was this big gaping hole...

"But Jare... do you really want to do this interview? Meet her? Why go and slosh around in a pigsty when you know it is only going to make you dirty?" Tom said and Jared chuckled. Tom's metaphors were always a little bit out there, but he had to give his best friend credit for trying.

"A hundred for the effort, Tommy." Jared mocked his best friend. They had been best friends since diaper days, and then they went to same college, because they had always both been very infatuated with computers and languages and hacking. Though TechNets was Jared's brain child, he couldn't have come this far without Tom and Jared knew it.

"You are an idi*t. I am being serious right now. You always think and do and act insane when you are around her. Why go back into that madness again?"

"I know, Tom, but this city is only too big to keep our lives separate for forever. We are bound to meet sometime and it would be better if this meeting happened when I want it to happen, on my terms." Jared said in a confident voice.

"You have avoided running into her for four years, Jared. So..."

"It is about time I greet my ex-wife, right? A hello will do us both a world of good, don't you think so?" Jared teased his friend, but his face was devoid of smile. Inside he was burning in fury.

"Are you doing this purposefully to make me angry?" Tom huffed on the other end.

"No, Tommy, I am just trying to stop myself from getting angry. Really. Don't worry. I have to read some documents now and have to meet with the R&D team about the bot. You deal with Mr. Miller and iron out all the details. I would like to go to development phase soon. Meet you at eight, okay?"

"Okay, and I see no problem with the alliance. Everything is going according to the plan, Jare. So... I think this will become a profitable venture in a new direction for us. See you tonight, Jar-head, Bye."

"Oh, and Tom, do not be late, okay?"

"When have I ever been late?"

"Always!" Jared said and Tom chuckled before he hung up. Jared looked at his phone for a moment before he turned his eyes towards the file. But he couldn't concentrate on the file. His head was filled with Jade. Jade and her soft smile and her innocent eyes that hid cunning intentions beneath. She had been shy and timid at first and then bold and audacious and he had... he had lost his heart. Jared balled his fist and thumped on the table. Hannah, who was walking in with a cup of coffee for him, looked up at him, startled.

"Leave the coffee and no one disturbs me for the next fifteen minutes." He told Hannah and she nodded nervously before she walked away.

Jade Thompson. He took in a deep breath. Just her name was enough to send ripples of rage through his blood. But mixed with it was also... the tinge of something mellow and he didn't want to consider or even think about it.

Jade Thompson. Cheater, bad wife, sexy as sin, temptation from hell, Satan's little seductress. He could go on.

Jade Thompson, the only kiss that ever made him take a detour from his plans.

Jade Thompson. The only woman he had loved and the only woman who had the power to destroy his life.

Jade Thompson. Evil ex-wife, who had broken his heart for his stupidity of falling.

Oh, Jade Thompson, I can't wait to meet you again.

___