"You fucking bastard! So you've been cheating on me with my best friend this entire time?"
I never thought I would say those words in my life. The idea that Marcus would ever cheat on me never even crossed my mind. We were always so happy together, or at least we used to be in the beginning. Now, I don't even recognise my husband anymore.
I first started to suspect Marcus of cheating on me about six months ago when he returned from Hawaii. He had been growing even more distant, and I just couldn't figure out what had changed between us. Was it something I said? Was it something I did? No matter how hard I tried, my husband had completely given up on our marriage, and there was nothing I could do to fix it.
"Maybe he's just going through a midlife crisis," Emily had told me when I mentioned it to her. Emily was my best friend since elementary school, and we had always been as close as sisters. We grew up right next to each other, and we were like two peas in a pod. It was always Olivia and Emily, never one without the other.
Since Emily was an only child like me, we bonded immediately and became best friends. We went to the same schools, wore the same clothes, hung out in the same places and we often had crushes on the same guys.
Now that I think about it, maybe I should have seen this coming.
Emily and I moved to New York together after we graduated from college, and my dad got us an apartment in Brooklyn. We'd both studied marketing and emerging media in college, so we usually ended up applying for the same jobs. I know it wasn't a smart move, but we both really wanted to work in the same place. And if we couldn't, then maybe we could end up working close to each other.
But then, everything changed when we found ourselves at Reynard Technologies, the largest tech company in the States. Emily was the one who suggested we should apply there, even though the chances of getting a job there were like one in a billion. Getting a job at Reynard was harder than getting into an Ivy League school, and I wasn't even hoping for anything when we applied.
And yet somehow, a few days after we sent in our applications, we were both called in for an interview. I was over the moon when I got the email, and Emily and I celebrated with an impromptu dance party before we went out for drinks.
On the day of the interview, we both arrived before anyone else. I was directed first into a large boardroom, where I was shocked to find six terrifying people staring back at me from across the table. I recognised the man in the middle immediately as Marcus Reynard, the CEO of the company.
My heart dropped at the sight of him, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Marcus just oozed confidence, with his sharp jaw, and deep black eyes which seemed to stare deep into my soul. His hair was slicked back, framing his handsome face. He was wearing a charcoal suit, and he looked like he was worth several hundreds of millions of dollars, which he was.
What the hell was the CEO himself doing interviewing potential employees?
"Welcome, Miss Carson," he said smoothly in a crisp English accent. "Please, have a seat."
I sat down timidly, trying not to be overwhelmed by how closely they were staring at me. I was particularly aware of Marcus's fixed gaze on me, and when he smiled at me, my heart soared. He explained that even though Reynard Technologies was a gigantic corporation, he still liked to know everyone who worked under him, because the business was more of a family than anything else. He liked to be involved, and he liked to get down and dirty. As he said this, his lips curved up in a soft smirk, and I suddenly imagined those lips all over me. I swallowed discreetly and forced myself to focus on something else. Like his long and manicured fingers... I could imagine them all over my body, on my neck, caressing my cheeks, my face, my breasts...
Fuck!
This was going to be difficult.
I tried to answer all the questions they asked as well as I could, and I explained how eager I was to work and help the company in any way I could. Marcus seemed pleased with my answers, and the other board members all seemed to be satisfied with my answers.
When the interview finished and I was on my way out, Marcus suddenly said, "What do you like to do for fun, Miss Carson?"
I turned back slowly, confused by the question. "Um, sorry?"
"After a long and stressful week, what do you like to do in the weekend?" he asked. I had to think of the right answer, because I didn't want to seem like a boring person who had nothing going on in her life.
"Fishing," I blurted out suddenly. "I always used to go fishing with my dad. But I also play golf sometimes."
His smirk widened, and he nodded knowingly. "Good to know."
I left the room in a daze, utterly stunned by how effortlessly handsome one person could be. When I returned to the lobby and found Emily, she practically leapt on me and started to ask as many questions as she could get out. But she was whisked away before I could answer any of them, and I sat there quietly and tried to control my breathing. There had been something charged between Marcus and me, even though I had no way of proving it. I could feel it in my chest, and I wondered if he felt it too.
After Emily's interview, we headed home and spent the next few hours talking about how handsome Marcus was, and about what we would do if we managed to get the job. Neither of us said anything about the fact that one of us wasn't going to get it, and we both just lived in the moment.
But then, a few days later, we both got an email from the company. We opened them at the same time, and as I read the email, I was lost for words with each sentence I read:
Dear Olivia Carson,
Thank you for taking the time to apply for the position of Junior Marketing Associate at Reynard Technologies. However, after careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for this position. This decision was not reached lightly, as you were a very strong candidate. Unfortunately, we have chosen to go in a different direction.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you for your interest in Reynard Technologies.
Margaret Wheeler,
Senior Marketing Manager,
Reynard Technologies.
The realisation hit me like a high speed train. I wanted to sink to my knees and start crying, but then Emily suddenly leapt into the air in excitement beside me. I turned to find her dancing and screaming at the top of her lungs, saying, "I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"
I wanted to feel sorry for myself, but I was happy for Emily. If I didn't get it, then she deserved it. I wouldn't want anyone else to get it except her. And when she calm down and realised what this meant, she hugged me and told me that more opportunities would come.
We both knew they were just empty words, but I didn't argue.
I thought that would be the end of that, until about two weeks later after she'd started going to work and I was still sending in my applications to other tech firms. I was just about to leave the apartment when a knock came on the door, and I opened it to find Marcus Reynard himself standing in the hallway, wearing a black polo shirt and white sweatpants. My breathed hitched at the sight of him, and I couldn't understand what was happening. But he offered me a handsome, dazzling smile, and he pulled out some golf clubs behind him.
"Get changed," he said. "We're going golfing."
Three months later, I was standing at the altar and saying yes to this perfect man, who had swept me completely off my feet. It was like a fairytale, and I had never been happier. Emily was my maid of honour, and she was genuinely happy for me.
Or so I thought.
Now, four years later, I'm standing at the entrance of our apartment exactly where Marcus had stood that day, and staring into his cold, empty eyes. Emily was standing across the room, wearing his shirt and trying not to look at me. I couldn't even look at her, the hurt and betrayal so painful that I was starting to choke up as I stared at my husband. I waited for him to say something. Anything. But he just stared blankly at me, as though he couldn't even see me standing there.
"How could you?" I whispered, nearly breaking down as I stared at him. "How could you do this to me?"
"You weren't supposed to find out," he said simply, his voice cold and void of emotion.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I thundered. "Is that all you can say? I wasn't supposed to find out?"
"Liv..."
"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled as soon as my name left Emily's lips. "I don't want to hear whatever bullshit excuse you've cooked up."
I turned to face Marcus once again, who was still staring blankly at the wall behind me. He looked like he wanted to disappear, like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world but here. He didn't look like he was sorry. He just looked like he was disappointed that he was caught.
Without thinking, I yank off my wedding ring and throw it in his face, then I turn around and storm down the hallway, saying the one sentence I never thought I'd say:
"I want a divorce."
Dearest Gentle Reader, Thank you for clicking on this story. I hope you enjoy it. Please don’t forget to leave a comment if you did, and share it with your friends and loved ones (you can even share it with your enemies. I don’t mind). I look forward to all the amazing adventures we’re going to have together. See you in the next chapter.
MARCUS"I want a divorce."I never thought I would hear Olivia utter those words. As she walked down the hallway without even looking back at me, a strange numbness washed over me. For a while, I couldn't even think straight. I couldn't properly understand what she was saying, until I allowed the words to wrap around me like a warm blanket. And then I felt relief. I'd been waiting for an opportunity to end things with her for a very long time. It had been six months since the idea first came to me, and I knew that it would be the best way to end this sham of a marriage. And I was going to do it, until about four months ago when I got a phone call that sent me down this road. "Come home right now. I need to speak with you."A call from my mother was rarely good news. Even after all these years of retirement, she still liked to keep an eye on things. At first I thought it was something to do with the company. Maybe she wanted to talk about our latest project, or maybe she had learne
As soon as I got back home, I started to pack my things. I forced myself not to cry, focusing instead on the task at hand. The image of Marcus and Emily was burned into my memory, and I knew that I would remember it for the rest of my life. But I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. They could jump off a fucking bridge for all I cared. After spending so long wondering what exactly I had done to deserve this cruelty from my husband, it was satisfying to finally have an answer. He was more interested in fucking my best friend than fixing our marriage. I could picture the two of them right now, and even the thought of it made me want to sink to the floor and cry until my tears dried up. I couldn't bear to think about what happened, or the sad reality of what my life was about to become. I didn't know what I was going to do now, but I sure as hell wasn't going to stay in this house. For so long, it had felt more like a prison than anything else. I had no memori
MARCUS"Carlos!" I yelled as soon as I woke up, groaning when the pounding in my head continued. "Get me some fucking aspirin! Now!"The room was too bright, and I pressed the button to shut the curtains before I rolled over and pulled the sheets over my head. Thank goodness today was a Sunday, and I didn't have to go into the office. My head was pounding, like a herd of elephants were desperately trying to stampede their way out of my skull.Maybe I shouldn't have had so much to drink. But last night was a cause for celebration, and I wasn't going to waste such an opportunity. After four years of misery, I was finally free. And I'd celebrated by fucking Emily's brains out four times, one for each miserable year of my marriage. I half-opened my eyes and saw that the bed was empty, which brought a smile to my face. She was truly gone, and I was free. No more worrying about what she was going to say or do. No more stressing out over the fact that my marriage wasn't as perfect as I wan
"I'm sorry, Mrs Reynard, but it appears that your bank account has been frozen.""I'm sorry, what?" I stood in the doorway and stared at Mr Wallace in confusion as he handed me back the cheque I'd issued him just this morning. I'd managed to get a small apartment in the village, and the owner almost fell over his feet when I arrived here last night, looking for a place to stay. He recognised me immediately as Marcus Reynard's wife, and he couldn't wait to give me the apartment. In hindsight, maybe I should have gone for a hotel. But I didn't want to go anywhere that would attract too much attention. And almost every hotel in Manhattan knew exactly who I was. A small, modest apartment should have been the best option. But somehow, Marcus had frozen my account already. "I'm so sorry," Mr Wallace said, almost as if he was ashamed to even look up at me. "Surely there must have been some kind of mistake."I nodded absentmindedly as a hollow feeling settled in my chest. Marcus. This had h
"Thank you for seeing me, David," I said, sliding into the seat across from him. Even though the cafe was crowded, we'd managed to get a table at the far end of the floor, so we were secluded from everyone else. David leaned back and raked his fingers through his hair. There were more grey hairs on his hair than last time I'd seen him, and he was starting to grow a stubble. David was a buff guy, but not so muscular that he would seem off putting. He looked like he came from old money, with his expensive suits and flashy Rolex watches. "I'm not gonna lie, Liv," he said, sitting up straight. "This is going to be messy. Like Rebels versus the Empire messy. I've known Marcus for over two decades now, and he's going to come for you with everything he's got.""So I've been told," I said. "That's why I came to you. You're the best at what you do. And if there's anyone who can make sure I don't get screwed over, it's going to be you."Maybe I was stroking his ego a little bit, but I had to
Ciara Walters looked like she belonged on a runway that in a courtroom. She was absolutely stunning, her dark skin and luscious, jet-black hair making her look more like a wealthy heiress than a cutthroat lawyer. She was wearing a navy blue suit, and her Louboutin heels dangled off her feet as she sat across from David and me. Her piercing green eyes settled on me, and I felt small and insignificant in front of her as she stared into my soul. "So, let me get this straight," she said in a crisp English accent. "You want me to take on what could turn out to be the biggest and messiest divorce case in the country, without even getting paid?""A settlement can be agreed afterwards," David said. "You owe me, Walters. Don’t forget that."She glared at him as he said this, and something about the way she looked at him made me feel uneasy. But I knew David wasn’t that kind of man. He would never cheat on Brenda. No matter how hot Ciara Walters might be. “Well I’ll be damned,” Ciara chuckled
I was fully prepared for the uproar that the divorce would create. I prepared myself for the shitstorm that was headed my way, and I thought I would have it all figured out. But all of that changed the moment the news got out. Suddenly, I was being hounded by paparazzi everywhere I went. I thought it was stressful before, but that was when I was always being followed by the Reynard security personnel. With that layer of security gone, I was left standing naked against the storm, as a hurricane blew through and ripped me apart. And I had to somehow find a way to survive the sea of questions they hurled at me. “WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR YOUR DIVORCE WITH MARCUS?”“ARE YOU PLANNING TO SUE REYNARD TECH AS WELL?”“DID MARCUS CHEAT ON YOU?”“HAVE YOU SEEN MARCUS RECENTLY?”I wished I could just stand there and answer all their questions. I wished I could stand there and give them all the details they needed, and tell them about how heartbroken I was when I found out he was cheating on me.
There was always the calm before the storm. You could feel it in the air, and you could almost taste it. I first felt an inkling that something was about to happen when I woke up to find seven missed calls from Ciara, and two missed calls from David. That immediately told me that something was wrong, but before I could call either of them back, I saw a text message from David, which was one simple line:‘Stay off the internet.’That immediately sent a chill down my spine, and I started to wonder if something terrible had happened. Could it be something related to Marcus? My parents? What could possibly have happened that would make them think I needed to stay off the internet completely?Against my better judgement, I knew I had to check it out. So I hopped onto Twitter and scrolled to the search page. Since my timeline was curated based on my location and my particular interests (which had mostly been updates about me and Marcus recently), the first news article I saw went through m
ETHANSometimes, you just know you're going to have a very awful day. From the moment you wake up, you can feel that this is just not going to be your day. That's exactly how I felt earlier this morning when I rolled out of bed. The first thing was when I realized my phone hadn't charged throughout the night. I must have forgotten to plug it in. I groaned and slapped it on the charger, and when I headed for the bathroom, I slipped just as I was about to walk in and slammed my shoulder against the wall. That was just the preface. On my way down, the elevator got stuck and I had to wait for someone to fix it. After that, I came downstairs to find that someone had keyed my car for absolutely no reason. At that point, I wanted to scream. I was ready to just go back up and call it a day already. But then I saw Liv's reply to my 'good morning' message, and it brought a smile to my face. For just a little while, I forgot about the shitty day I was having. Just texting her brightened my da
Here’s a secret about me: I don’t really know how to act as a girlfriend. I’ve never really been in a serious relationship that was progressing gradually. Throughout high school, I always kept my head down and never bothered with boys or anything like that. It was always just me and Emily against the world. And after passing through high school and college still being single, I’d immediately gotten into a relationship with Marcus. Come to think about it, that wasn’t really a relationship. It was a one-sided strategy where he basically love-bombed me until I had no other choice but to succumb to his wishes. And yeah, I did fall for him at the time, which was stupid on my part. But I learned my lesson, and I would never do that again. With Ethan, however, I found myself constantly worrying if I was doing the right thing. Even three weeks after we officially started dating, I still felt like I was slipping up constantly. He had this habit of sending me cute messages in the morning so I
It's funny how fast time seems to go when you're having fun. It seemed like only a few minutes since Ethan and I arrived at the picnic, and yet when I glanced at my phone briefly to see the time, I realized we'd been there for an hour. Where did all the time go?We'd only just arrived, and he'd asked me about my college days while we ate. I had barely gotten into my first year before I realized that time was flying by, and we would soon have to leave. The food was amazing, the view was amazing, and the company was perfect. It was such a magical evening, and I almost didn't want it to end. "Something tells me you don't want to leave," he said, noticing my expression. "I mean do we have to?" I asked. "We could stay," he suggested. "You could move out here, and not have to worry about the noise and chaos of the city. We could get a place here, and have picnics like this all the time.""What is it with you and trying to get me to move?" I laughed. "You already asked me to move to a d
MARCUSThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a pair of ballet slippers. They were sitting on the bedside table, with glitter all over them and the insides looking worn out. Sunlight was streaming in through the window, and I had to squint my eyes in order to see properly. "Hi," a strange voice said from across the room, and I titled my head slightly to find a little girl sitting across from me. She must have been about five or six years old, with pigtails and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a tiny ballet outfit, and she looked like she was enjoying herself as she played with her tutu while staring at me quietly. "Hello," I said, my voice sounding raspy and dry. "Where am I?""You're in the guest room," she said calmly. "Grandpa says you're not to be disturbed.""Grandpa?" I asked confusedly, slowly pulling myself up. "Where is your grandpa?""He's on the balcony with the pretty woman," she said. "He doesn't know I'm here though."I felt like I was reading a book where se
“Before you say anything, I’m perfectly capable of flying us there,” Ethan said. “I took flying lessons when I lived in Germany for a year.”I couldn’t even bring myself to speak. I just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, allowing him to lead me towards the helicopter. It looked so massive up close, and I’d never been this close to one before. “Ethan, I’m scared,” I said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”“Yes, I’m sure,” he replied. “Babe, you have nothing to be afraid of. I’ve got you.”It was easy to say that while we were on the ground. Once we were in the air, it would be an entirely different story. I stared up at the chopper’s blades, as if it would somehow shrink into something more reasonable. It seemed to glow in the sunlight, a pale grey colour that somehow didn’t make me feel better. I still felt nervous as Ethan made his way towards someone standing in a white uniform, who smiled and shook his hands politely. “All set?” Ethan asked. “You’re good to g
After breakfast, Ethan said he had to run home for a few minutes before he would come back and pick me up. I was sad to see him leave, but I had to get ready for our date so I quickly rushed back to my room to get ready properly. I was in the middle of picking out the right outfit when Rachel walked in, a smug look on her face. "What time did you get in last night?" she asked. "I thought you weren't back yet.""We got in pretty late," I said. "You weren't home when we got here, so I assumed you were staying over at Blake's."She stared down at her feet awkwardly, then asked in a quiet voice, "You didn't hear any of that last night, did you?""Hear what?" I asked, feigning ignorance. In reality, Ethan and I had sat on the floor of my bedroom and laughed at the sound of Rachel screaming Blake's name while her headboard banged against the wall. It was so funny that Ethan and I were laughing for the entire time, and I almost thought I cracked a rib from how much I was laughing. "So, wha
It's funny how you don't notice the little things sometimes. When there's something right in front of you, you spend so much time with your attention elsewhere, never truly noticing the beauty in the little things. Take waking up, for example. It's such a normal, mundane thing. You open your eyes slowly, and like a robot which has been programmed to carry out its tasks, you roll out of bed and go about your day.But even something as simple as that becomes a million times better when you're in love. From the moment my eyes fluttered open and I saw Ethan smiling at me, I knew it was going to be a good day. He looked so effortlessly handsome, his bed hair falling across his face and making him look about ten years younger. There was something boyishly cute about the sleepy look in his eyes, the way his lips stretched into the most perfect smile I'd ever seen, with the sunlight streaming in behind him and making him look flawless. I felt like I was in a movie, and the handsome male lea
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Ever since my conversation with Mr Jones, I felt like something was definitely wrong somewhere. Could it be that I was walking into a trap?Surely not. Ethan would never do that to me. That sounded like something Marcus would do, not Ethan. After being married to the bastard for six years, I knew exactly what he was capable of. And this had his name written all over it. Still, I decided to go and see for myself. I made my way over to the apartment shortly after leaving work, but not before I grabbed my pocketknife and made sure it was secured in the sleeve of my shirt. Whatever was go to happen, I was prepared for it. It didn't take long to find my way to the apartment. By the time I got there, it was already dark outside. I paused and looked up at it, wondering why Ethan dragged me here of all places. The street was relatively quiet, with a few teenage boys biking just up the street. Someone was playing drums in the next stree
MARCUSI couldn’t stop thinking about Olivia the entire day. The prospect of seeing her again was like a shot of cocaine straight to my brain, and I couldn’t focus on anything else. I imagined her standing in front of me again, my fingers in her hair, my lips on her neck, while she sighed and moaned in my ear the way she always used to. Time just couldn’t move fast enough. Maybe it was just the fact that I hadn’t been with her in so long. Even when we were married, I couldn’t deny that the sex was good. It was the only part of our relationship that didn’t completely go to hell. Now that I’d been away from her for so long, I wanted that back. And no matter what, I was going to get it today. I spent most of the day pacing around the penthouse, playing video games and looking at old photos of Olivia. Everything was in place for that evening. I would get to the apartment before her and lie in wait. Once she got there, I could find a way to convince her that we were meant to be togethe