Two

Tired.

There was no other name to use to describe her feeling at that moment. Slumping onto the brown leather couch, Isabella recalled with bitterness, the meeting she just had with the bank's representative.

The company was running more and more into debt and she was not seeing a way out soon. Grabbing her phone to check the time, Isabella realized it was almost time to go home.

Home.

That was another problem of its own. A problem she would deal with once she gets there but at that moment, she needed to work out a way to get her company out of the extraordinary debt it was in. Getting up, she walked towards her desk and dialed her secretary to come inside.

"Hey Isa."

"Caleb." She sat slightly against the edge of the glass desk.

The blonde man walked towards her, his stride different because of some accident on his father's farm. Something that had to do with chickens or something. On seeing the look on her face, he sat back and made a whoosh like sound, "I take it the meeting didn't go well."

"Things are actually worse. We can't get more loans anymore, we risk being closed down anytime soon." She faced him and asked, "What do I do Caleb? I have no idea. No one around wants to help. Nobody wants to form a meagre, they keep saying the business is old news."

"I know you can't bear losing this company, so we just have to try harder when it comes to saving the company. But Isabella, apart from some issues we have right here, you know where the main problem is."

Being suddenly reminded of the burden waiting for her at home, heaviness befell her chest. "I am trying Caleb. I am trying to get him to stop being so wasteful but he will not even listen to me."

"Leave him Isabella. Why don't you just get rid of that man?"

The misery within her flashed through her face for some seconds, Isabella got up to hide it. "It is not that simple Caleb. I wish it were, but it is not. Forget that for now, what new ideas do you have to get us out of this mess? Cause the way we are going, by next week, more than ninety percent of the staff would be laid off."

Sighing, he uncrossed his leg, his hand went to his rough chin to scratch out some ideas, "There is this charity event happening next week Thursday."

"Okay?"

"It is going to be held in Hotel Achilles and you and I know the kind of people that hold events there."

"The rich part of this world. Go on." Isabella took her seat.

"I can get us an invite and we can maybe mingle with the crowd and who knows, someone might be willing to merge or buy us out of this situation."

A quick frown lighted Isabella's tired face. "Buy out? No. No Caleb, I am not selling my company, I worked hard to convince my father to not sell this place to some stranger but to let me head it. So, no buying out."

"Oh." Caleb smiled apologetically. "I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Well, that is probably the only chance we have to get anything done about the debt."

"It is our only option, we just have to do it. Work on getting those invites and I will work on portraying the company in a good light."

"Okay. I guess that is settled. How much time do we have till the bank takes an action on closing us down?"

"A month."

"Okay. Things are going to work in our favour at that event, I can feel it." Isabella just had to appreciate his optimism. Contrary to his bright declaration, Isabella was a bit unenthusiastic. She really was glad that she had Caleb, she was happy she had befriended someone like him.

"I guess it is time to go home." Caleb nodded and made to get up. "My regards to your father and get something done about your walk, you are starting to have a stride similar to that of the chicken that attacked you."

"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight Isa. Stay safe."

Safe.

She needed that word. An image flashed in her head that caused her to grimace. She did really need that word.

~

The whole room smelt like alcohol and that was a bad thing already.

"Gabriel," Isabella gently called as she laid her bag and jacket on the nearest chair. The scent getting stronger as she walked, Isabella just had to wonder how many bottles he had.

The night before, she had counted close to fifteen bottles.

"Gabriel."

"What the hell are you shouting my name for?"

Closing her eyes to prepare herself for the drama ahead, Isabella turned to face her husband of more than five years. Her husband that always got people asking; why are you with him?- anytime they are together. "Gabriel, why is the house reeking of alcohol?"

"Who are you to question me?" The tall man walked towards her, a scowl on his face. Grabbing her elbow forcefully, he continued, "This is my house and I can do whatever I want to in this place. Is that clear?" Isabella nodded quietly. "I fucking asked if that is clear!" he roared.

"Yes Gabriel."

His hand pressed further into her skin to her discomfort, but she stood there anyway, not a complaint on her face. "You are my wife not my boss and it should stay that way." Her petite figure staggered as he forcefully released her. Isabella almost found herself kissing the brown tiles if not for the remaining stamina she had within her.

Her eyes following Gabriel as he walked to wherever he was going in only boxers and a white singlet, Isabella wondered whether to ask him if he had eaten.

"Oh, by the way, the money you hid in your clothes, I have spent it. So don't bother looking for what is not lost." She was not asking him any shit about eating.

"What on earth are you talking about Gabriel? That money was supposed to last us for the next six months. I was just about to take that to the bank. How could you just... What on earth did you spend it on?"

Gabriel shrugged, his hand going on to scratch the region just above his upper thigh. "Things. Don't beat yourself up too much, you will get more. That's why you are working."

Her hands fisted, Isabella felt like crying. "You were not supposed to touch it Gabriel."

"Listen," his anger re-surfaced, Isabella took a step back even though he wasn't that close, to avoid him getting physical. ", this is what you get since you refused to give me a son."

"Gabriel..."

"Give me a son and I will stop wasting your stuff." She dropped onto the ground. "Don't wait up tonight, I will be out having fun."

"You are going to gamble again, aren't you?"

If he heard her, he did not show. As the door of the bedroom slammed from within, Isabella felt her shoulders slump. The heaviness in her chest was so much, it seemed it had found somewhere else to extend to.

If only a miracle could happen, she thought as she got up to find something to eat. Because at that stage that was just what she needed to get out of her mess.