The Beginning of the End

CHAPTER ONE

 Olivia Davidson stared at the content of the shopping cart and her brown eyes roamed back to the array of shampoo well laid out on the fancy shelf. 

 Ignoring the exorbitant price boldy inked on the price tag, she placed a pair of the shampoo in her cart and rolled it forward, ever slowly to the smart looking attendant that sat behind the counter.

 "Total amount is $5000. Would you like to pay in card or cash?" Asked the attendant, in a high pitched voice after punching on a mechanical calculator for a few seconds.

 "Card please," Olivia mumbled, tucking a piece of her honey colored hair behind her ears and staring down at the groceries she had shopped. She hoped that she had not forgotten anything since that would mean coming down to the shopping mall again.

 "And Oh... How Damian hates it when I'm forgetful," She thought with a grimace.

 "Can I have your card?" 

 Olivia snapped out of her thought instantly and slipped the card out of her bag "I'm sorry, here it is."

 The attendant swiped the card on the other device while Olivia's eyes roamed to the tag on her shirt. Linda Jenkins. Cool, sounds like the name of a female attorney or anything of that sort. 

 Linda slowly shook her head and stretched the card towards its owner.

 "Can't be accessed, sorry."

 "What?" Olivia blurted out in disbelief.

 "I guess it's connected to some other account somewhere and the supply has been disconnected, kinda." The attendant shrugged, casting a pitiful gaze on the beautiful woman who frowned in perplexity.

 "I'm sorry but I have to return these." 

 "Yeah, totally." Olivia sucked in breath and proceeded to empty the trolley by placing its content on a mini cart on the counter.

 "Have a nice day." Linda nodded at Olivia and the latter reciprocated with a lame smile.

 Once outside, Olivia hastened her steps till she was at the park, she entered her car and released the breathe that she had kept in since she exited the mall.

 She sighed and fisted the wheel in frustration wondering what just happened. It was limitless, the entire money encapsulated in that one card of hers. How is it possible that all the money in there vanished in a space of one day? She had only filled her tank the previous day!

 She made a mental note to make inquiries from her husband, he was the sole owner of the card. 

 The drive to the estate was a few minutes shorter than the normalcy. Olivia drove to the basement where an array of several expensive cars lined up. She descended from her vehicle after killing the engine and walked into the elevator that led her straight to the vestibule. 

 "Is the master in?" Olivia asked one of the butlers who stood by the entrance of the living room.

 "Yes ma'am. He arrived a few minutes ago and he is in his study." 

 "Thanks." She told him and walked past him to the passage which led to Damian's study, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

 She massaged her chest with mutters of "It will be okay, everything will be okay."

 It was a norm for her to chant affirmative words as she goes to see her husband when he gets back from a trip. She dreaded his temper like fire. Damian was like a ticking time bomb that would explode if care is not taken and she did not want that.

 Olivia placed her hand on the door knob and halted suddenly, controlling her ragged breath so she could listen to whatever was being discussed in the study.

  "I had a life too, my family wouldn't let me remain with just one degree. You know the circumstances following my departure from NYC, and yet, you choose to leave me for that half baked woman whom you call a wife." Said a familiar female voice. 

 Olivia released the knob and clutched her bag tighter, the urge to barge into the study and tear the lady into pieces overwhelming her, but she kept her calm.

 "If you never left, she wouldn't be here. We had a bond that was too good to be true and I had enough to cater for us and our endless generations to come. I loved you, Laurie, but..."

 "Shhh, that's more than enough. Let's get back together, let's forget the past and start anew." 

 "Oh, I'm working towards that already. I never loved Olivia, I just used her and she has fulfilled her purpose. It's time to let her go."

 "Poor Olivia," Laurie purred and cackled.

 Olivia felt her world crashing down into shambles at the words she just heard. It was hard to believe that Damian would say all that like one without a heart. She had been loyal, supported his every decision without saying a word and had stuck with him despite his apathetic behavior to her because she loved him, and now, he was going to get rid of her.

  She turned back with intentions of flying to her room and crying her eyes out. On second thoughts, she decided against that and turned the knob making way to a heart wrenching sight to see.

 Seated nonchalantly on the wide desk was Laurie Giovanni, Ex girlfriend and PA to Damian. Olivia accessed her from the corner of her eyes, Blonde, tall, long slender legs and dressed like a world class model. So this was Damian's type?

 Olivia knew little or nothing about their past but judging from what she was seeing and have heard, they were pretty close before they splitted. 

 Her breath hitched in her throat and the blood drained from her face into other parts of her body. She had expected the lady to stand up and act like a normal PA that she was but none of that happened, instead, the duo bore holes through her with their eyes. She felt like an unwanted visitor intruding in a couple's romance session.

 "You are early this time," Olivia finally said, tryinng to control her emotions.

 "I wonder when you started keeping tabs on him," Laurie sneered from the side.

  "Last time I checked, I wasn't talking to you." Olivia codly told her.

 Laurie's eyes flared open "That would be a big privilege, talk to classless people like yourself instead." 

 This jabbed at Olivia's chest and she turned to Damian, hurt.

 "Can you please tell her to leave?" The blood in her head roared and Olivia glared back at the lady who smiled satisfactorily at her.

 "There... The mouse finally squeaks." Laurie taunted.

 Damian just remained stoically seated, unfazed by the exchange of words. 

 He was dressed in a charcoal colored suit that spelt class, and was sitting with his legs crossed on the chair.

Olivia took in his appearance in one glance. Recessed narrow eyes glared at her, their icy blue hinting at the lack of empathy she knew so well. 

 "And why should I do that?"

 "Because I am your wife and and I request room for private conversation with my husband." She blurted out.

 "I don't think you have the right to request for anything anymore."

  Olivia stood unblinking, trying to process what she had just been told. Surely, he wasn't going to actualize what he and Laurie discussed, was he?

"You seem to have forgotten, Olivia, that our contract is limited. 5 years, and we should be done"

His words immediately had her heart dropping lethargically to her stomach, like a balloon leaking helium. She could only stare in disbelief as her mind raced back to how it all started.

"...You will be paid the sum of a million dollars and you will have access to my properties and my limitless credit cards if you agree to sign the contract..."

And now... Damien's next words broke into her thought, jerking her back to reality. It was a reverse of everything he had said to her five years ago, a bombshell that tore her heart into a thousand pieces as he spoke the words.

"It's time. You do not have access to any of what is mine anymore. My cards, the cars, my whole damn property." His words contained so much frost, sending severe shivers down her spine. 

"In other words, we're getting divorced, little wife."