006-Arabella
1139 Words
Rhys didn’t come back that night.
The next morning, Vernon was there with Frida and they helped me cure my hangover with their round the clock TLC and some home remedies that Frida had learned from her mother.
But there was no Rhys.
And that was the day I understood that if he can leave me in such a state, if he can walk away even after seeing just how much I needed him, then there is no hope for us.
That had been two months ago.
And since then, I had withdrawn myself from him completely. I didn’t plan any client dinners at home in hopes that Rhys would sit and eat with me, if only to keep up pretenses. I didn’t try to gain his attention. I even tried not to acknowledge his comings and goings.
If he wanted to stay like two strangers living under the same roof, then that is how we would be.
At the moment, I am sitting at my desk, currently staring at the email on my screen that has managed to send my thoughts in a whirlwind.
There is a knock at my door and I look up, past my gold and emerald green interiored office and find Leo leaning against the walnut wood door.
“Are we working late tonight?” He asks with a crooked grin on his lips but that is before he sees the expression on my face and his eyes suddenly fill up with worry as he strides inside. “What’s wrong?” He asks me as he comes to stand on the other side of my desk.
I lean back in my emerald green armchair, staring at the setting sun visible through the floor to ceiling window to my left.
“I just got news from Pierre.” I tell him.
Leo’s eyes widens as he stares at me for a moment before his entire expression ripples with excited glee, “what?” He all but squeals, “what did he say?” He asks almost ready to jump out of his own skin.
I sigh, “he agreed to let us open a division in France.”
Leo’s eyes sparkle with immense joy as he fist bumps and strides around the desk to give me a tight hug, “wait, why are you looking like this is the worst news ever?” He asks me, stopping in his tracks as he stares down at me with confusion.
I sigh, taking my head in my hands as I release a defeated breath, “it’s Rhys…” I mumble. “He has ruined everything for me. Pierre wants me to go there and live for the first two months so he can be certain that the firm will run smoothly. It has to be a collaborative effort from both of us. I don’t even know if Rhys will let me go.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Leo sputters, making me look up at him as he gapes at me.
“What?” I mumble, already feeling all energy draining from my body.
“You have been working on this expansion for more than a year, Bella! You’ve wanted this since way before you met that asshole and now that it’s finally happening, you are thinking about Rhys instead of celebrating this?” He questions, his hands placed on my shoulders.
I shake my head, “it’s not about that, Leo.” I whisper, and suddenly, it feels like my throat is slowly clogging up and I don’t know how to breathe properly.
Leo’s eyes soften as he leans against my desk and takes both my hands in his, “what is it, Bella. You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I feel like breaking down at the pure affection in his words. I have truly missed someone speaking to me with such love. Vernon and Frida are there but they are Rhys’ housekeepers and no matter how much they favour me, they will never be able to fully make me feel at home, simply because Rhys doesn’t want that to happen.
I nod my head, and taking in a shaky breath, I say, “it’s just, that I planned this with Rhys. He knew all about this deal and he even helped me with certain ideas that finally won Pierre over. And it was my intention that if and when Pierre agrees on this expansion and I have to leave for Paris then he’ll come with me and we’ll spend our time together in Paris.”
It is devastating how the last three months in this marriage have already become the worse moments of my life.
My family has broken all contact with me, Rhys refuses to love me but continues to use me in order to bully my father whenever he sees fit, and here I am, broken over the fact that I won’t get to go to Paris with him.
How pathetic have I become?
“Sweetheart,” Leo whispers, staring at me with sympathy which does nothing to soothe my raging thoughts, “your life does not revolve around him. I know that it’s hard, I know that you thought he was going to be the one. But what I don’t understand is that why are you still with him if he has clearly shown you that he doesn’t love you?”
Leo’s words send my heart into a painful twist before I breathe through it and say, “because he won’t divorce me, Leo. I know him.”
Leo quirks a brow at that, “have you asked him for it? Certainly he doesn’t expect that you would ask for something like that because he is a pompous asshole who only thinks about himself. But have you considered that you can still separate yourself from him?”
I blink up at Leo…
I have never really thought of it this way.
But then…
Do I want to leave him? And will he let me?
I shake my head, “I don’t know if I can ask him for that just yet. I don’t know why but I still have hope that the man I fell for is still somewhere in there. I mean, he is hidden under a lot of layers filled with hate and vengeance, but he’s there.” I tell him with my voice filled with conviction.
Leo stares at me as though he wishes to tell me something but then changes his mind, “all I want you to currently focus on is this expansion, Arabella. We’ve worked our asses off for this and you cannot let Rhys take this away from you. Do you understand?”
And that is when I know that I have to take up this deal.
For myself.
- Writer
