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Chapter 5
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2024-12-03 21:04:56She had tried to have one at a time, but it didn’t go so well. And so, she decided to indulge herself into work rather than one filled with fake love and commitment.
What an irony it was now, that she was indulging herself in said fake love and commitment.
‘’Yeah.’’
The driver nodded and started the engine, driving off to the cafe she was meant to meet her new husband.
Well, fake husband.
The cafe they chose was a famous one. Not only was it famous, it looked like those fancy restaurants only rich and elite people went to. Alexis suddenly felt out of place.
‘’Should have worn a skirt instead,’’ she muttered to herself. Well, there was no need to think about it now. She thought, taking a deep breath before walking through the pull-in doors.
When she entered, the sight that greeted her was surprising to say the least. The ceiling was elaborately decorated and a grand staircase led to a finely lavished second story of the building. The walls were a semi-white pallor with hints of lavender and stairs that were carved out of fine wood that Alexis had only seen in magazines.
This place put Sam’s cafe to shame. It was even big enough to occupy her cafe and still have space for two more. She wasn’t even sure she could call it a cafe at this point. It looked like a dinner hall.
Just who was the guy anyway?
At the corner of her eyes, she spotted two men seated. One leaned against his back on his chair, arms crossed and looking completely tensed. The other sat on his chair comfortably, sipping out of his cup of coffee. When he saw her, his eyes immediately lit up.
Alexis instantly recognized them as the customers from yesterday.
‘’Alexis,’’ the pretty boy said, walking up to her. He held her hand as he led her back to their seat. ‘’Glad you could make it.’’
‘’Thank you, huh,’’ she stared, noticing that she didn’t know his name.
‘’Matt.’’ He beamed.
She smiled. Of course, Sam mentioned him. ‘’Mr. Matt.’’
‘’Mr. Matt sounds too formal. Please call me Matt.’’ Matt laughed clearly more excited than she or the other person were.
‘’Idiot.’’
Alexis' eyes shifted to the dark haired man who had remained quiet just like he did yesterday. When Sam had told her someone needed a wife, she had pictured some washed out loser who had no backbone in his home and followed everything his mother told him. But now, seeing him, she could tell he was the kind of person who was rather prominent.
Haven Gray.
No wonder his name sounded familiar.
Not only was he popular as a businessman, he was popular for his looks. He was really handsome, Alexis would give him that. If she thought he was handsome yesterday, he looked even more stunning today.
No.
She shook her head. Ogling her pretend husband wasn’t today’s plan. She was here for business.
‘’Mr. Haven,’’ She greeted him with a hesitant smile as she took her seat. ‘’We met yesterday—’’ She stretched out her hand.
"Can we get to the chase?" he rudely interrupted her, ignoring her and causing her eyes to narrow slightly. ‘’We don’t have all day.’’
Alexis scoffed as she retracted her hand. Well, not only was he a rich, good looking businessman from a prominent family. He was also a dick-head.
Was it too late to change her mind and go home?
Alexis wasn’t happy to say the least. Just five minutes and she wished she could wipe the smug look off Haven’s face. He should be grateful she agreed to do this. Not every person in their right sense would agree. And yet, here she was.
Haven folded his arms over his chest. After brooding for a minute, Matt, sensing the sudden rise of tension, coughed lightly, placing a brown envelope on the table.
‘’What’s this?’’ Alexis asked.
‘’Your marriage contract.’’ Matt urged her to open it. Grabbing the envelope, Alexis slowly opened it. Inside was a stack of paper stapled together, along with a box. When she opened it, she gaped.
‘’A ring?’’ she asked questionably, staring at the two men. Haven’s attention wasn’t on her again. His eyes roaming around as though he found the place suddenly interesting to look at. She dropped the box, reaching for the paper. It had information about different people and her supposed relationship with them. Even the story of how she met Haven was already printed down. She glanced at him again. It was a ridiculous story if she was being honest.
She dropped the paper on the table, brushing her bangs off her face as she smiled hesitantly. ‘’You really don’t plan your things halfway.’’
‘’Of course. "I worked really hard on these last night." Matt laughed as he said this.
‘’And the rings?’’ she couldn’t help but ask. They were really beautiful. What a shame they were going to be used for the wrong purpose.
‘’Got them myself.’’
Was she marrying Matt or Haven? She wondered.
‘’So, what do you say?’’ Haven asked.
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‘’I said it's a ridiculous idea,’’ Alexis said and quickly added. ‘’But I’m here anyway.’’Haven’s brow furrowed as he pushed himself forward in his seat, leaning so close to Alexis, she leaned back in hers. When he stopped, she caught her breath, uncomfortable with their proximity. The scent of his cologne wafted through the air and it smelt good. It reminded her of dew. She looked into his gray eyes and swallowed nervously. His presence was almost overbearing. Clearing her throat, she told him. ‘’You’re too close.’’He leaned back and chuckled for reasons unknown to her. Alexis turned to Matt, his arms folded as he watched them. ‘’I think your friend is nuts.’’Matt laughed and agreed with a shrug of his shoulder. ‘’Maybe.’’‘’I’m not nuts,’’ Haven said. ‘’I just wanted to test out something.’’‘’Well, next time try not to get too close. You could receive a punch.’’ Alexis raised her fist, letting him know she wouldn’t hesitate to. ‘’Anyway, before I sign anything, I want to know ho
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"Something about a poor girl divorcing her rich husband sounds interesting to me," she remarked with a playful smile.‘’Alright,’’ he agreed. ‘’If that’s what you want.’’She extended a hand forward and this time he took it. ‘’Well then, I guess we now have a deal.’’ Alexis’ phone went off for the fifth time in just three minutes. Annoyed, she pulled it out of her apron pocket to see the name Haven Gray flashing on the screen. She frowned. Jeez, what kind of accurate time keeper was he? Fine, she knew she had agreed that he could call around two since they apparently had somewhere to be today, but it wasn’t even two yet. Why was he in such a hurry?Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of answering quickly, she pocketed her phone back, putting it on silent.‘’Was that Haven?’’ Sam asked, coming out from the back room.‘’Yeah,’’ Alexis said. ‘’I told him I’d be at work by this time.’’‘’It’s not like you can’t answer while working.’’ Sam said with a stare. ‘’Just tell him you’re bu
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Not that she needed to anyways.She heard Haven sigh on the phone. ‘’Don’t overthink it. You won’t have to do much.’’‘’Right,’’ she said. Of course she won’t have to do much. All she had to do was act her part. She did a bit of drama in high school, so it shouldn’t be a problem.‘’I’ll come pick you up soon,’’ he said. ‘’I give you two hours.’’She stared at the wall clock. That meant she had an hour to shower and get ready. She heard a click. She scoffed. What a dickhead. He hung up on her.‘’So, where are you lovelies going?’’ Sam was back.‘’A date,’’ Alexis deadpanned.‘’How exciting!’’ Sam gleaned.Alexis didn’t share in her glee. Exciting? Annoying and nerve wracking was more like it."At the very least, you will get free food," Sam said.‘’That I won’t be able to stomach?’’ Alexis sighed. But Sam was right. At least she would get free food.Alexis waved goodbye to Sam as she left the cafe shop and hopped into her beat up corolla. Her apartment was only a few minutes away, ten
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She turned to look at him and immediately, she felt out of place. He was wearing a navy coat over a white button up shirt. Her eyes trailed down until she met the shiny belt that held up his expensive looking jeans.At least he was wearing jeans. ‘’I think we might have to stop at a boutique,’’ He suddenly said."No," she snapped.‘’You look like some gangster sidechick.’’She scoffed. Did he need to hint at everything? He stared at her for such a long time, she felt embarrassed under his scrutinizing gaze. Unconsciously, she pulled her jacket over her. ‘’I already made an appointment, so there’s no need refusing.’’Before she could ask what appointment he was talking about, he pulled the gear into drive and pulled into the road. They drove to wherever he was taking her to was quiet. He didn’t say anything and neither did she. After a while, bothered by the deafening silence, she spoke up.‘’You have a nice car.’’‘’Thank you.’’Another silence. It was obvious he wasn’t in the talki
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She suddenly felt odd. Wouldn’t people look at her like some homeless person? But then again, she was with Haven.Two men stood by the door, ready to receive them in, their heads already low in a short bow. A woman dressed in a dark skirt and suit, stepped out and walked towards them with a smile.‘’Mr haven, so nice to have you here.’’ The woman extended her hands inside. ‘’We’ve made all arrangements as requested.’’''Thank you, Lara,” Haven said. He made to move when Alexis unconsciously dragged him back.He stopped, turning to her with a short frown. ‘’What?’’She blinked, wondering why she stopped him. ‘’Nothing,’’ She said, averting her eyes. She noticed the condensing look Lara shot at her before she turned to walk into the mall. With a dejected sigh, she followed Haven inside.As expected, the inside was just as incredible as the exterior designs outside. Everything was organized, even the sales-persons were all dressed corporate. The minute they walked in, Alexis could feel
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Like the second dress, this one was also black. She ran her hand across the cloth’s edge. It felt like suede but looked like fine silk, no doubt of the finest quality. It seemed like eternity before she finally wore the dress. It was tight just below the ribcage and loose around her neck, black as night. It flared under her waist, stopping just two inches above her knees. The back of the cloth was a wide opening that showed her neck to the base of her spine. Alexis whistled to herself.Now, this was a killer outfit. It was more of a street sexy, rather than an extravagant sexy. Exactly her type of clothing. She turned to Haley, feeling confident. From the look on Haley’s face too, she was certain this was the one.‘’It’s lovely,’’ Haley said.‘’I choose this one.’’‘’Wonderful.’’ Haley sounded relieved. ‘’Now, let’s move to the shoes section.’’Alexis gathered her old clothes and followed after her. ‘’Could I get a sneakers instead?’’ Alexis asked.‘’With that gown?’’ Haley scoffed.
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‘’Our products are of designer quality, mind you.’’ Haley said. ‘’We don’t sell cheap products.’’‘’That’s a shame. You’d make a lot of money, even if you were selling rags.’’‘’Why you-’’ Haley moved forward. Even the sales person in charge of payment was taken aback. A low sigh from Haven had Haley stopping in her tracks. Without another word, he took his credit card and made his way out of the mall.Alexis stuck her tongue out at Haley, before following Haven out.Alexis wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or that Haven kept making side glances to her as he drove. She tried not to feel too self-conscious, but it was hard not too. She wasn’t used to being this scrutinized every now and then, especially from a guy she’d only know for two days.The car finally came to a stop in front of a trump tower. Alexis was staring at the huge building with polished panels so she didn’t notice when Haven had gotten down to open the door for her. She shot a leg out, moving to bring the other one
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The man must have caught up to it as well and he immediately changed the topic. As they were discussing business, Alexis turned her attention to the building. The inside was really beautiful, and the designs were sleek, clean, and of good quality. She had no doubt that even the marble floor underneath their feet was going to be squeaking clean if she touched them.She was about to react to her intrusive thoughts when Haven suddenly called out to her. She halted, her hands inches from touching the marble floor. Haven and the man stared at her, blinking. She straightened up, laughing lightly, her cheeks red from embarrassment. ‘’I thought I saw something on the floor.’’ She lied.‘’Let’s go.’’ Haven reached out to take her hand. She grabbed it without hesitation and he guided them both to a far corner of the lobby.‘’You don’t like that man?’’ The question was out of her mouth before she knew it. She remembered his rigid self and how he had looked hot when he was angry. ‘’I don’t like
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"I actually believed that we would eventually have to take sides.” Marcus could vividly recall the memories. He had been friends with Haven since high school, witnessing his journey through a painful breakup with his college girlfriend, who had betrayed him by getting involved with his roommate. Smoothly flowing friendship marked by shared experiences and challenges. The betrayal had caused Haven to build walls so high that they appeared insurmountable. His innate warmth and optimism were buried beneath layers of protective cynicism. When Fiona first re-introduced Alexis to their friend group few months ago, Marcus noticed the same wounded walls in her. Fresh from calling off her engagement to a man who had gradually tried to suppress her sparkle, in an effort to control her better, Alexis was portraying a demeanor characterized by sharp edges and cautious aloofness. Haven and Alexis moved around each other cautiously, like two wary cats, drawn to each other yet filled with insecuri
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The park seemed hushed, only the little giggles from the children playing and the jogging steps from around the park seemed to be the only sound apart from the heartbeat of both Haven and Alexis. Haven and Alexis sat across from each other, their gazes locked. Time seemed to stand still as they simply were, their presence filling the space with a quiet intensity.Haven's heart pounded in his chest. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time, every detail, every nuance, striking him with a fresh sense of wonder. Her eyes, a deep, captivating brown, held a universe of emotions. He could get lost in them for hours, exploring the depths of her soul.Alexis, too, was lost in the moment. She felt a warmth spreading through her, a comforting familiarity that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Haven’s gaze was steady and kind, a stark contrast to the chaos that often surrounded her. In his eyes, she saw acceptance, understanding, and a
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Haven's throat was fixed. He knew precisely what she meant—how they had both lost themselves in the splits and cleft of their fizzled marriage, getting to be individuals they didn’t recognize. "Do you ever think," he said, his voice scarcely capable of being heard, "about what us?" Alexis gave him a sidelong look, her expression softening. "All the time." They fell into a pensive quiet, the kind that comes as it were when two individuals share a history as well complicated for words. "I think," Alexis began gradually, "we were trying so hard to be what we thought the other needed that we overlooked to be ourselves." Haven gestured, her words resounding deeply. "No doubt. I thought I had to be this culminating supplier, continuously solid, continuously in control. But I wasn't truly letting you in. I see that now." "And I kept trying to be this perfect spouse," Alexis included with a little, self-deprecating snicker. "I needed to demonstrate that I was enough, that I could handle
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Alexis let out a little, severe giggle. “I never stopped caring, Haven. That’s the problem.” The genuineness in her voice cut through him like a knife, more sharp than any offended she may have tossed his way. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “If you never stopped caring, why did you leave?” She hesitated, her expression tormented. “Because I was tired of waiting for you to choose me.” Haven felt the air leaving his lungs as if she had punched him. “What are you talking about? I was continuously there.” “You were physically there,” Alexis whispered, “but your heart was someplace else. Continuously working, continuously building. I needed more than that.” He closed his eyes, blaming wrapping around him like chains. He had worked himself to the bone to donate them both a great life, believing it would be enough. But in the process, he had missed the foremost vital thing—her. “I thought I was doing it for us,” he said, his voice overwhelming with lament. “I though
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A minute, the walls around her heart trembling but not very falling. Perhaps, just perhaps, she might take another step. “Yeah,” she said unobtrusively. “I think I do.” Haven leaned back in his leather chair, checking the numbers on his laptop screen with a tired but fulfilled smile. Business was good, better than ever, in reality. Growing his firm had been one of the most risky choices of his life, but the payoff had surpassed his expectations. However, even in the midst of his proficient victory, a gloomy hurt remained underneath the surface, one that wasn’t so effortlessly relieved by benefits and development charts. He tapped a number of keys to distract himself and ran a hand down his face. He had a whole lot to do on his plate for the upcoming investors meeting that could serve as a major boost for the future of his company. His company that suffered a downgrade after the divorce with Alexis was slowly getting recognized and becoming a better version of itself.Outside the wide
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She moved awkwardly in her seat, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s easier that way. In case you don’t expect anything, you can’t get hurt.” Dr. Patel inclined forward marginally, her hands resting on the armrests of her chair. “It sounds like you’ve built walls around yourself to secure against dissatisfaction. But those walls also make it difficult for people to associate with you, don't they?” Alexis collapsed her arms firmly over her chest. “Yeah, well. it’s not like anyone’s trying that hard, anyway.” “Do you think that’s true?” Dr. Patel inquired tenderly. “Or is that something you tell yourself since it feels safer?” Alexis looked absent, jaw fixing. “What difference does it make? They give up inevitably. Friends, boyfriends. everybody. It continuously happens.” Dr. Patel let a minute of hush hang between them before she spoke. “Tell me about your last relationship.” Alexis moaned, rubbing her sanctuaries. “Do we have to?” “I think it could help us learn mor
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Alexis giggled, the sound light and free. For the first time in a long time, she felt confident. “Maybe,” she said, looking at him, “but possibly it’s worth the risk.” Haven’s grin mollified, and in that minute, something moved between them—something inconspicuous but irrefutable. As the night wore on and the wine vanished, they found themselves closer than ever before, their chuckling blending within the warm glow of the room. And for the first time since her engagement ended, Alexis allowed herself to accept the plausibility of love again—not the perfect, fairy-tale kind, but the chaotic, complicated, genuine kind. And sitting there with Haven, she realized that perhaps, just perhaps, she was precisely where she was meant to be.The cool night air brushed against Alexis’s skin as she strolled down the quiet street. She’d left Haven’s place a little later than she’d planned, but the lingering warmth of the evening was a welcome change from the usual rush.A sense of peace washed
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Alexis didn’t drag her hand away, but she looked down at the ring once more, her lips squeezing into a lean line. “Why does it feel like I’ve been left with nothing?” “Because shock could be a thief,” Haven said delicately. “It takes more than just the person, it takes your sense of worth with it. But that’s a lie. You still have all of you, Alexis.” For a long minute, neither of them talked. The hum of discussion and clinking glasses filled the hush between them, a foundation clamour to the turmoil whirling in Alexis’s mind. Haven gave her hand a soft touch. “Let’s get out of here. This place isn’t precisely built for healing.” Alexis wavered but at that point nodded, thankful for the life saver he was proposed to. They ended up at Haven’s flat, the air thick with the comforting fragrance of coffee and cinnamon candles. Alexis twisted up on the couch, holding a warm mug between her hands while Haven sat over from her, his expression open and understanding. “It’s not just Mat
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Alexis yanked her arm free, dazzling at him. “No, Matthew. You had your chance, and you blew it. I deserve way better than this.” Matthew’s shoulders dropped back. For a moment, the sound between them was the murmur of the TV. “Where did you indeed meet Deborah?” Alexis inquired intensely, incapable of stopping herself. Matthew moaned intensely. “She’s an old friend from college. She got into a few financial inconveniences, and I thought I might help.” His voice trailed off, as if indeed he realized how lamentable the pardon sounded. Alexis shook her head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You bet with our future for some lady from your past.” She turned and walked toward the door, her heart overwhelming but unfaltering. She had gone through for so long disregarding the signs, trusting Matthew would be the man he imagined to be. But presently, she saw the truth clearly, he had never been that man. “Alexis, please!” Matthew called after her, his voice splitting with edginess. “Don’t le
