Chapter 4 Divorce Agreement
SIENNA
I sped out of the hotel and hailed a taxi. Yeah. I woke up in a hotel, and I was trying to remember how I got there, but the tension in my body didn’t give me enough time to do that. Maybe when I secure my job, I will be able to remember how I walked into the hotel and booked a suite myself.
Three minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of my workplace, and I dashed out after making the payment. One good thing about what was happening was the fact that the hotel was close to my company.
I sped into the company, took the elevator, and stopped on my floor. As soon as I stepped out, I was welcomed by the exasperated expression of my soon-to-be ex-husband, Ethan. That chronic cheater. He looked like he could cut my head off.
“Why are you just resuming, Sienna?” He fired, as though he had been waiting for me to arrive. My gaze wandered over the office until it found Angel; she gestured “Deal with it” with her eyes and shrugged. For a fact, I knew I was in trouble. Ethan would definitely transfer his aggression, guilt, and remorse to me, and I wouldn’t be able to fight back because I had something to hide. If nobody knew we were married before today, I shouldn’t let them know that we will be divorcing soon.
“Meet me in my office!” He snapped and scurried toward his office.
I glanced at Angel one more time, she only shrugged, telling me there was nothing she could do, and I followed Ethan.
When I got into his office, I immediately gave excuses. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Ethan. I was so tired yesterday that I didn’t realize when my alarm went off.”
“Where were you last night?” he asked, ignoring the apology completely.
“I don’t think you should probe into my private matters. I have a life outside the office too.” I shunned him immediately, my emotions unreadable. I saw his brows crease, but it was none of my business. “I will try not to come late again,” I said, bowed, and prepared to leave.
“I’m not done talking to you, Sienna.” He growled, forcing me to stay rooted. That bastard! He even had the audacity to yell at me after doing something shameful and disgusting. Gosh! It wasn’t his fault. I should be criticized for stooping to his level. I gave a man like him everything. I was literally living for him like a fool.
He opened his drawer and brought out a large brown envelope. My gaze didn’t flicker. I scoffed, my lips curling into a mocking smile. That must be the divorce agreement. He didn’t disappoint me. He waited until I caught him in the act before ending the game. OMG! I felt like strangling this shameless man. Why did I have to withstand so much from him just because we were at work?
“A divorce agreement?” I asked, a part of my brows raising.
He snapped his fingers. “Bam!” He chuckled. “This is the reason I like you so much. You are so smart, Sienna.” He cackled briefly. My stomach churned with irritation. It took a lot of self-restraint not to hit his head on the wall. “Let’s not make things difficult for each other. Just sign the papers, and let’s pretend we were never married. That way, you will be able to keep your job.”
I snorted. What audacity! Was he planning to sack me if I refused to sign the papers?
“And what if I refuse?”
The smile on his face disappeared. “Then I will be forced to roll in the dirt with you. I will make sure you lose your job and you are blacklisted from this business world,” he threatened.
A few bubbles of laughter escaped my lips. Ethan was fucking wicked. How could he be so callous? He would ruin my life if I refused to sign those damn papers? The same woman he once claimed to love, or maybe he never loved me. The same woman who gave up everything just to be with him. He was ready to do anything to take me down just because he found somebody else?
“You are vicious, Ethan,” I spat out, anger surging within me. My eyes reddened and glistened with tears. I didn’t want to break down. I thought I was strong. I thought I could handle things without breaking, but it didn’t seem so. The way he spoke to me, like I was never a woman to him, broke me into several pieces.
He didn’t respond nor spare me a glance.
“I will only sign the papers on a condition,” I let out, earning a glance and a smile from him.
He nodded eagerly. “What is it, Sienna? Tell me and I will have it done.”
The way he acted broke me even more. He was ready to do everything so he could be with her. Deep down, I wanted to know why he chose her over me. I wanted to know where everything had gone wrong, but I stopped myself. It was better not to know.
“Have you ever loved me, even if it was for a second?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Maybe this was the closure I needed to move on with my life.
“No, Sienna. It has always been your friend since high school. I chose you because you were available, not because I loved you,” he said calmly, as though he were advising his only son.
The tiny piece of my heart shattered. I knew the truth, but hearing it from him hurt more than anything. I was never the woman he loved. It had always been my friend, Bianca, yet I trusted her with everything. A lump clogged my throat, and it felt like someone was squeezing my chest.
“You can go back on your words and start begging me to take you back, Sienna. Please, don’t. I can’t take you back. It’s over between us. The only woman I want is Bianca.” He pushed the envelope toward me. “Please, sign the papers and let things end in my office,” he said.
Wiping the tears at the corner of my lids, I sniffed back the snot trying to slide out of my nose. Then, I removed a pen from my bag, opened the envelope, and signed in the required places. As soon as I finished scribbling the last signature, he dragged the agreement paper and skimmed through it with a wide smile on his lips. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ethan smile this sincerely and broadly with me ever since we got married, yet he could do that on the day we separated.
It made me confirm that I had always been a problem.
“Don’t go about telling people we were married when we’re already divorced, Sienna. Let the fact that we were once married die with you. That’s the only way to keep your job,” he mumbled, staring at the divorce agreement.
I rolled my eyes. He still had the guts to threaten me with my job after doing what he wanted. Ethan was a bastard.
A knock echoed, and he swiftly hid the document before the door opened. Angel strolled in. She noticed a strange vibe in the air, I could tell from her squinty countenance, but she quickly morphed her expression to normal. “The CEO asks everybody to gather in the conference room,” she said.
“Okay,” he simply said. “You all should excuse me.”
Angel bowed slightly and walked out. I followed without bowing. Ethan had lost every respect I had for him. There was no need to fake it.
•
Everyone whispered under their breaths as we anticipated the presence of the new CEO, the only grandchild of Grandmother Eliza, the founder of this company. Everyone attested to his good looks, but some people said he was calm, while some said he would be a devil. Whatever it was, I just wanted the day to end so I could cool off my hot brain somewhere. The sight of Ethan puked grossed me out so much that I wanted to throw up.
The door opened, and a young gentleman strolled in, followed by his assistant or secretary.
“Good day, everyone,” he said as he went to his seat. He’d already passed by before I could see him, and I could only see his back, but strangely, it seemed familiar. “I’m Lucian Gray, the CEO of Limelight Corporation,” he introduced as he sat.
My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when my gaze fell on his face.
The man from last night.
Mr. Mender.