" Mr. Alistair, we've been waiting for you, please come to the podium sir." The moderator said and Alistair smiled evilly again before walking toward the house.
"Why are you interrupting my precious date?" Lacey heard him ask and she rolled her eyes. Who made the clown her date? She wondered but didn't say anything.
She sighed, at least she had managed to escape today. What excuse would she give tomorrow when he asked for more than friendship. She rolled her eyes, well when she got to that bridge she would cross it eagerly.
She returned to the house and saw that the party was in full swing and she didn't know what to do. She was the only person who didn't know anyone. There were clusters of people everywhere talking in hushed whispers and she felt lonely.
She noticed a man staring at her and she stared sideways, she hoped that he wasn't coming to talk to her about whatnot because she wasn't in the mood to entertain a conversation which was leading to only one thing, being their girlfriend or their side chicks like Alistair had proposed.
The corporate world was a cutthroat industry. Only the ones who were ready to sacrifice their morals were going to climb up the ladder at all cost and for someone who wasn't thinking of how to damn the consequences they were going to have to stay at the bottom for long.
Her phone buzzed and she switched it off, she couldn't wait for the party to be over. Truth be told, she would have loved to cuddle in her husband's arms as that would have been the best way to relax.
"But you chased him away." Her subconscious told her and she sighed heavily. She didn't have any choice because he was not ready to change his ways. What would it take him to get a good job and even if he didn't get a good job, he should at least make himself useful but he would always make sure that he disgraced her without remedy making her mother always make her seem like a failure.
In her defense, Mark was doing well in the beginning but after sometime things went awry for him and things went downhill plunging them into abject poverty which she found it difficult to come out from. She was now struggling to make ends meet, coupled with living with her parents, sometimes she felt like running mad but she always had a rethink. If she ran mad, who was going to make sure that she was safe?
The man arrived close to her and she turned toward him, " Good evening, sir. How might I help you" she asked politely hoping that he'd get the drift and walk away but he smiled instead.
" I've been staring at you from across the room."
And how is that any of my business? She wondered but didn't say anything as she watched him.
" You have been standing here all alone and I don't think that's good for you."
'Well, that's none of your business.' she thought but maintained her smile. If he was smart, he should know that she was not interested. Alas, he wasn't smart because he proceeded to begin another conversation.
" So, what do you say? Let's go over to the garden and have a discussion if you don't mind."
" I do mind, sir."
He raised his brows in surprise, it was as if he had never been turned down before and she chuckled inwardly. Then he better get ready to be wowed because he was going to be disappointed.
" Why?"
" I don't walk with strangers."
" Even with strangers who can turn your life around?" He asked with a small smile on his face. His gaze was unmistakable, he was clearly mocking her. She bet he had heard that her husband was broke.
" Well, I have a job, I'm quite content with what I have." She said.
"Doesn't mean that you shouldn't look for more." His eyes raked over her figure greedily. If she were an ice cream, she was sure that she would have disappeared into his mouth.
" Contentment doesn't cancel desire but cancels desperation," She replied simply and he nodded sarcastically.
" These morals wouldn't help you in the long run, you need more money to take care of yourself. When I say this, I don't mean that you look shabby but you can do better, you and I know this. Divorce your husband and be with a man who can take care of you very much so that you won't ever need to lift a finger or work another day in your life." He said.
" What did you say your name was again? Okay, that's it, nothing." She said with a small smile. If he wanted to go low, she would show him that she could go lower.
His face contorted into a fit of rage and she was excited to see him angry, " I'm not sorry for striking your ego. You need to be put down sometimes." She said and walked to the other corner of the room.
" You can't walk away from me, you can't." He trailed off as she walked away not waiting to hear what he had to say. He didn't have the right to insult her that way. It was all Mark's fault for pissing off the wrong people but what she wouldn't stand for was to be bullied by those men.
She exited the house and discovered that she might be stuck here. How was she supposed to get home now when she told her driver to leave so early? Her expectation was that the party was to last for a maximum of two hours and she would leave but as it stood, she probably miscalculated.
Her phone also began to ring, "Have you gotten him to agree to signing the contract?" Mr. Dave's voice thundered through the receiver and she almost snapped. If it was that easy why didn't he come out here and try to get Alistair to sign?