Chapter 7

Sarina's POV:

The nerve of that jerk! There I was, sitting at a table in the same coffee shop where I had once bought coffee for that pervert, Maximus, watching him talk to that woman—Miranda.

She was dabbing at her eyes like she was crying, but there wasn't a single tear in sight. Just because Maximus couldn't see her didn't mean no one else would notice her act.

Miranda was Maximus' ex-girlfriend. She had dumped him the moment she found out about his condition. She probably thought he'd never walk or see again, so she bolted faster than she could say "goodbye."

Well, I'm just guessing. Maybe she wasn't happy because Maximus couldn't satisfy her anymore, so she left. If she only knew how much of a pervert he still was, she might've stuck around.

I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and walked over to them.

Miranda shot me a death stare, but as if I cared.

"Aren't you done yet?" I asked, my voice sharp.

"Sorry, love. We're finished talking now," Maximus said as he backed his wheelchair up.

I quickly moved behind him to push it.

"What? No, we're not done talking yet, babe," Miranda cut in.

"Oh, talk to yourself then," I replied coolly.

The nerve! Calling him "babe" when Maximus already called me "love"!

"What did you just say?" Miranda growled at me.

"If you didn't get it, that's your problem. Max, are we done, or should I leave you here so you can get a ride home with your assistant?" I asked, half-hoping he'd say yes, just so I could walk away.

"Come on, babe. Let's not end things like this," she pleaded, her voice desperate.

"I'm married, Miranda. There's nothing I can do about it," Maximus said firmly.

"You can! Why don't you just get an annulment?" she suggested, her audacity boundless.

I really wanted to slap this woman.

"My wife is here. Why are you saying things like that?!" Maximus snapped, and I smiled inwardly. Even though he was a pervert, at least he knew where we stood.

"I thought you loved me?" Miranda said, her voice wavering as if she were about to cry.

"Yes," Maximus replied, and I whipped my head toward him, ready to gouge his eyes out. "But I'm married now and intend to keep it that way," he added.

"No, please! Don't make yourself suffer by staying with this bitch. She doesn't deserve you!" Miranda cried out.

"Excuse me?! And who deserves him—you?" I retorted, incredulous.

The audacity!

"Did you forget how you ran the moment you found out about his condition? You left him! And by the way, I am not a bitch—maybe you are," I fired back.

Miranda's eyes widened, her nostrils flaring. She hadn't expected me to know that much.

"I had my reasons, babe. I didn't want to leave you back then. Why do you think I'm here if I didn't love you?" Miranda explained quickly.

"Because you saw him at the hospital and wondered why he was there. Then you found out he was going to have surgery, so you showed up all pitiful," I shot back.

"That's not true, babe. I just accidentally saw you earlier, so I wanted to talk to you," she lied.

Did she think Maximus was stupid just because he's blind now? I shook my head.

"Let's go, Sarina," Maximus suddenly said.

Oh, so now I was just Sarina—where was the 'love'?

"We're leaving, Miranda," he said.

I began pushing his wheelchair, but I stuck my tongue out at Miranda before we left.

I wheeled Maximus out of the coffee shop before he could change his mind. Ha! I wasn't about to sit there while they flirted before me.

-

We continued living together, and Maximus kept up with his treatments.

His doctor noted improvements in his therapy, which made me happy because now he could stand on his own.

The only thing I wasn't happy about was Miranda's constant visits. She wouldn't stop, even though Maximus always told her that things between them were over.

At least, that's what I heard when they talked. Who knew what they said when I wasn't around? Maximus might have been saying all the right things just because he knew I was nearby.

-

As the days went by, I had to admit Maximus was impressive.

Even though I knew why we were together and the price he paid me, he never forced me to do anything I didn't want to. Sure, we made out, but that's as far as it went. His hands hadn't wandered much beyond exploring my body.

He was also surprisingly affectionate. Even with his condition, he was thoughtful and sweet. Sometimes, I couldn't believe he was real.

The only thing ruining it was Miranda, who once again showed up at one of his therapy sessions.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, unable to hide my irritation.

Instead of me being the one to help Maximus, she always managed to beat me to it.

"I'm taking care of my boyfriend," she replied without hesitation.

The nerve, right?

"Who happens to be my husband?" I shot back, emphasizing that last word to make sure she felt at least a little shame.

"He's my boyfriend, and we're engaged. You're the one who destroyed our relationship!" Miranda snapped.

Wow, now I was the homewrecker?

"You left him when you found out about his condition!" I quipped.

"That's enough, Sarina," Maximus cut in, making me whip my head toward him.

Why was I the one he was stopping?

"You didn't tell me you wanted her here. If you had, I wouldn't have wasted my time coming with you," I said.

"That's not what I meant. I just don't want people staring at you both. It's embarrassing," he reasoned.

"Should I be embarrassed? I'm your wife! She's the one hanging around, claiming to be your girlfriend, and you're okay with that?" I barked.

"That's not what I meant, Sarina," he replied.

"You know what? I don't care. It's probably best if I leave you two. You'd both be happier," I snapped, storming off.

It was so frustrating. I was the one he scolded, while Miranda shamelessly claimed they were in a relationship. I already looked like a fool, insisting that I was his wife, yet he said I was the one making him feel embarrassed.