Shameless duo

It was night when Ben returned home from the hospital with Vivian.

Ben paused by the entrance and took a glance around the living room. The house which used to be a cozy home suddenly was shrouded in sadness.

“Ben, why aren’t you entering?”

Hearing Vivian’s soft voice, he flattened his lips and stepped in.

“I’m hungry, get the servants to prepare me something.”

Ben glanced at her, “We don’t have servants in the house.”

Vivian gasped, “What do you mean? Then who used to prepare everything? You?”

“Where do I have the time? All the work in the house was done by Meera.”

“Then, get her to prepare something for me. I can’t cook and the doctor said I mustn’t starve.”

“Right. Her brother hurt you, so she should take responsibility until you’re well,” he helped her to the couch before adding, “I’ll be right back.”

Ben left for the stairs and soon enough, he arrived at their bedroom door. He stood there for a few moments, thinking of how to start a conversation before he turned the knob and entered.

Entering the room, he immediately said, “Meera, for the good times, Vivian and I won’t press charges on your brother for wanting my unborn child dead. In return, you should come prepare something for Vivian. She’s not a fan of cooking.”

Ben was met with a wall of silence.

“Meera, don’t play hard to get. I know I messed up, but I’m ready to compensate you abundantly. You and your brother can leave the country and start a new life. You’re still young and would definitely find yourself another man... After all, you have lots of admirers, even as a married woman, let alone as a divorcee.”

“...”

He waited a little longer before calling her again, “Meera?” He stepped forward and when he arrived at the bedside, he yanked the covers and to his shock, no one was there, but the divorce papers.

With a frown, he picked the papers, “I know her stubbornness won’t make her sign it. She’d rather die than... “ his voice trailed off when he saw her signature on one of the pages.

Shocked, he roughly flipped the pages– she had signed all the pages that required her signature. At the last page, there was a small note written:

[ I didn’t take anything away from the house but my files. I don’t need the alimony either. And don’t worry about the fans, I won’t tell them anything. Happy fatherhood.]

It was Ben’s turn to stare dumbly at the divorce papers, credit cards, and wedding ring that was attached to it.

He dashed to her wall-in-closet and was stunned to see everything intact– from her designer bags, to branded clothes, and shoes. Even her favorite cosmetics and hair were not touched.

A lump formed at the back of his throat. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. How could she just leave as though she’d been planning it? She couldn’t even wait and beg him to not leave! Where would she go now that she left him? She has no relatives except her brother.

Suddenly, her friends came to mind. He pulled out his phone and was about to call one of them when he heard:

“Ben, is she giving you a hard time? Just grab her by the hair and— “ Vivian paused and glanced around the empty room, “where is she?”

“She left. Let’s find a restaurant to eat at.”

“No!” she suddenly screamed, feeling angry. “What do you think people would say if they saw us together at this time of the night? My reputation is on the line here!”

Ben stared at her for a while, then said, “And my reputation? You haven’t stopped thinking only about yourself, have you?” he glared at her.

Vivian retorted, “When do men ever get their reputation tarnished? Only the women suffer, so why are you nagging? Besides, you’re the CEO of a reputable company and I’m a celebrity. It’s two different things, Ben.”

Ben thought about it and held her hands, “You’re right. I was the selfish one. Meera promised not to reveal our divorce to the fans. So, don’t worry about your reputation.”

“She did?” Vivian furrowed her brows. Why? A word from her and her 50 Million fans on I*******m, F******k, TikTok and other platforms combined would eat her and Ben alive, so why Is she choosing not to fight back?

Ben handed her the written paper. After reading through it, a scowl formed on her face, “And you believe her?”

“Meera always does what she says, so yes, I trust her and you should.” With that said, he turned for the door.

Vivian gritted her teeth as she squashed the paper in her hand. ‘Trust her? Of course, I trust her but I have no intention of stopping here.’ She thought while the resentment in her eyes grew stronger