Chapter 87 - EVERYTHING FELL APART

SIENNA.

I gave Lauren the fright of her life when I barged into the office just three hours later.

“Son of a…! Seriously, I can’t believe he had the audacity to ask me for something like that. Is he actually thinking I’m his whore? To take advantage of my suffering like that? At what point did I allow him to control my life like that?”

“Wow, Sienna, take it easy. You didn’t actually go to beg Aiden, did you?”

“Ugh, I can’t stand him! I fucking hate him! I wish he’d drop dead already!”

The whole place went dead silent. I could practically hear my thoughts.

“You can’t be serious, right?” Lauren asked, rolling her eyes because she saw how much Aiden’s words got to me.

“I’ve never been this serious before. Can you believe what that asshole asked me? It makes me sick just thinking about it,” I yelled, waving my arms.

“Blow my mind!”

“So, he said he’ll help me with my mother, but there’s a catch. He needs to bang me again.”

Lauren looked confused.

“No big deal. You’ve done it before. I mean, you’re his wife, right?”

“You gotta be kidding me! That guy is a jerk!” I shouted my lungs out until I heard myself.

“Apologies, if I pissed you off. I thought it was normal, you know?”

“Lauren, his proposal is totally wack! Yeah, we’re married, but that doesn’t mean he can ask me that. Besides, our marriage is just a contract that will expire sooner than we thought.”

I was so bummed about how I said that.

“You sound so cheerful,” Lauren commented, reading my mind.

“I just want my mother back on track as long as she is willing to do it. But it looks like Aiden doesn’t believe me. No way without banging me.”

“Sienna, let me take you for a treat! I’m certain that a fresh setting would make a difference. How about it, huh?”

I loved Lauren’s idea, but I struggled to appreciate the little things that made me happy. My brain was all over the place.

“Why not give it a shot? Who cares? I’ve got nothing to lose,” I shrugged.

We didn’t talk at all after we hopped in Lauren’s car until we reached the diner. Aiden’s proposal was still on repeat in my mind. Seriously, what’s the big deal about one more night? Anyway, I was into everything he did to me, from the teasing to the real deal, so it wasn’t something I hadn’t experienced before.

Out of nowhere, the car became really uncomfortable and way too hot, given what I was thinking about.

This man had such an enormous impact that he got me all excited just thinking about him.

“And we are here,” Lauren finally said.

“The Red Pan, huh?”

“You must be dying for some Thai food,” Lauren said, grinning.

I was dying for something to eat, anything would do. I was starving.

The second I walked in, everyone was giving me the stink eye. They recognized me right away. They kept whispering, and everyone was saying my name. It made me lose my mind. So I hurried over to one of the restaurant’s clients.

“Hey you! Got anything to say? Come on, don’t sneak around. Don’t be a coward. Say it to my face!” I yelled at the poor guy, and he looked at me, all flustered. “What? Cat got your tongue?”

“Sienna, cut it out!” Lauren butted in, grabbing me and bringing me closer.

“But why on earth would I do that? You see how some people have no shame? Hey, listen up!” I broke free from Lauren’s grip and walked towards the middle of the salon, shouting. “If you’re curious, let me put your mind at ease. Yup, it’s me, Sienna Roberts, wife of the crazy rich sex addict. The one with the drunk and drugged mother. The one who destroyed the tycoon’s precious artifact and spent several hours in jail. I’m here to grab a meal with my friend and insist on being treated with respect and discretion. Your gossip and teasing don’t interest me. Back off and give me some damn space, okay?”

Suddenly, everyone stopped whispering and stared at me. Soon enough, everyone was doing their own thing. It was awesome to only hear forks on plates.

“Damn, my friend, you always blow my mind,” Lauren said, looking totally shocked.

“Aiden really messed with my sensitivity and made me defensive all the time. Well, it looks like everyone’s busy, so we can go ahead and order.”

The pasta was just how I liked it. The white wine went perfectly with it.

“You were really damn hungry, girl!” said Lauren as I was licking my plate clean.

“I’ve never tampered with my belly.” I lied, recalling how many tons of rice I’d eaten to afford to open my restoration office.

“Your stomach clearly wasn’t a fan of that,” Lauren said to me after it squealed noisily.

I cracked a smile after locking myself in for days.

“In any case, we have to find a way to get Aiden to help you with the money for your mom.”

“This is going to be difficult because he feels this is not part of the contract.” I said, having another sip of wine.

“ Or there’s another solution. Go back to the restoration studio and get your hands on all of Aiden’s collector friends who are loaded and do business with them. I bet a lot more money will come out of there and you won’t even owe the brute of a husband you have.”

I couldn’t breathe out of nowhere. The idea was awesome, but could I actually do it? The truth was, I liked Lauren’s idea. Time wasn’t a big deal. Especially since my mother was already in rehab. Things will move fast. Money problems were bringing me down.

“I mean, I could give it a shot, but being broke is what really scares me, Lauren! My husband is loaded, but I’m penniless. How messed up,” I said sadly, propping my jaw on my hands.

“Clients won’t be a problem. I’ll help you, you know that. The important thing is to get you and your mother back on your feet.”

“I’ll be grateful to you, Lauren, I promise!”

“I got it, no need to say it. Your dream has always been to become this famous restorer and now life is offering you this chance. So you’ll have enough money to pay for your mom’s recovery and maybe in the future for your sister’s too. This way, you can divorce quicker.”

“Sure, I think I can handle it. I just hope I have enough energy to keep going.”

Lauren’s words, and even what I said, made me feel so much better. My plan was to make a name for myself and gain respect. I wouldn’t rely on my dad’s money anymore, but he doesn’t have any now anyway. And I wouldn’t rely on Aiden’s money either, even though we’re still married on paper and I get some financial benefits from that.

I was feeling much calmer. It wasn’t sunny yet, but I had faith it would be. I didn’t need Aiden’s cash. I got this. He could keep them and whip up some potato salad if he preferred. I don’t give a damn anymore.

I had something else in mind.

“And that being said, as soon as we’re done here, we’ll get on the phones and call all collectors who make over 6 zeros in profit. We’ll do everything with our heads and make sure that Aiden Roberts doesn’t get in our way if he finds out that you turned down his offer and that you can manage on your own. It’s go time, my friend.”

What Lauren said made me feel so confident. I needed nothing else.

We were so close to getting up and making this dream come true, but then the waiter turned up the volume on the TV. “Dear Lord, Sienna, look!” said Lauren, freaking out.

And then everything fell apart.

We’re taking a break from our regular program for some breaking news. Tycoon Aiden Roberts has been involved in a tragic car accident that occurred in the Phillip Boulevard area. The current state of the billionaire’s health remains uncertain. We will return shortly with further information.