Chapter 4. The Invite.

After a whole week of tiresome coaching, I was finally understanding things bit by bit to the point where I could handle a few papers on my own. My in-laws have disregarded my invitation to see me in my office or attend board meetings no matter how many times they were urged, in summary all of them were against me so I knew I had to use other methods since this was not going to work, it was high time I faced them.  

       

        "Are you going to keep sighing like this?"

       "Hmm?" I raise my to find Mark myself under Mark's chest, raising my head up I discovered that we were only but a few inches away from each other, his hand over my shoulders frimley placing this big hands on the table, we locked eyes for a few seconds and I got lost, imagining the face of Joe  seeing this now and learning about my past feelings, my heart ached and I quickly turned away. Clearing my throat I rolled my chair a bit away from Mark and listened at a safe distance. "What were you saying?"

        "You were sighing so much, it's the sixth time already."

        "Oh dear. I have?"

        "Would I lie about something so silly." I guess he does have a point. Resting my chin on my palm I take a deep breath and sigh once again but this time it was intentional. 

Mark raises one eyebrow as he stands properly, folding his hand as he watches me. "I meant to do that." I say to avoid any sort of presumptions. Dead silence covers us both except for the ticking of the office clock, stealing a quick glance I realise at this point that it's quite late. 

The office was disorganised, we were swallowed in a pile of papers that were arranged in rolls. At least three pens were left abandoned with one in my hand and meals were untouched, I had forgotten that I ordered takeouts as well as a result of overwork.

        "Would you like to take a break now." 

         "That sounds very much needed." Mark walks back to his seat which was a table right opposite mine. It's funny how we share the same office when we were practically opponents. Childishly I roll my chair back to my table and put down my pen. 

My body feels so heavy and dull, my head hurts like a thousand grasshoppers were jumping up and down in my head it also feels like I could feel my brain rise up and down like it were a beating heart or banged repeatedly by something, if this wasn't stress I don't know what is.

My heels were starting to ache as well when I took them off and massaged them. I could still very much feel Joe's hand as he massaged my feet that night. "Stop doing that." I hear Mark say. I looked left and right to make sure he was indeed talking to me. There seemed to be absolutely nothing wrong with what I was doing by any chance.

        "Doing what?"

        "The thing with your face, you're grinning, and I don't want to know what it is you're fantasising about."

        "Well if you didn't then you should have asked, it's not to your interest anyway so don't bother about me telling you." I think I should get new shoes, these ones were starting to ache. I remember I still had some collection of shoes Joe had bought when we went shopping a week before our marriage. That day, he looked at me and said, 'we'll get as many shoes as possible, cause believe it or not, you're going to need them one day so don't refuse it like you always do.' 

Then I didn't understand but I guess I do now. If I had known better I would have asked for more. If I sit here it won't do me any good. 

After sitting here for so long I don't think I can stand regardless of my determination, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Like a pregnant woman, I hold on to the left hand of the chair and hold on to the right hand as well, using both sides as support, I struggle to stand up by raising myself. It was the actions of not a lazy person but a tired one. I hear Mark clapping and when I glare at him I find him laughing. "Wow, all that drama just to stand up."

        "It's my first time being this buried in work alright so don't blame me.'' I beg him. 

Not minding the mocking fellow I stroll around the office to exercise my bones even though it stings. "I'm not wearing any heels again and that's final."

         "Hmm suits yourself." Mark stands from his seat and walks into the private room in the office, leaving the door open, moving my head toward I try to peak on him. "Would you like a drink?" Ah, so he went for that.

         "No thank you, I can't hold my liquor, plus I have horrible hangovers so prefer not to drink at all, but I do drink wine though, fruit wine." Mark walks out of the room, staring at me like a freak without saying a word. "You don't need to say anything."

         "Hmm. Certainly, well that's your loss." He walks out with a glass and the bottle of alcohol and pours some for himself, releasing the tie around his neck and unbuttoning the buttons on his neck collar and taking off his suit but leaving his jacket on. His white shirt inside looked as if the buttons were going to pop out any minute soon, his body seemed too muscular and big for the shirt to hold on to. Mark slipped his fingers through and ruffled his dark hair that it fell on his face. He raised his glass towards me as if about to toast and said, "So, how have you been preparing for your debut, you know haven't had an official one yet. I'm sure you're aware of the invite on your table, the celebrities would like to host a welcome dinner for you, since the envelope is opened I'm sure you know the rest."

        "I'm not going."

        "Suit yourself, but, you sure are afraid to not make an appearance in the social world, they're rumours about you, you know. If you keep hiding it'll not only affect you but my cousins reputation. Whatever and however you wish to handle it is entirely up to you."

He wasn't lying, I was afraid, those rumours about me, I've heard them all but I pretend to be deaf to avoid causing a commotion. Let's ignore the invite. 

My stomach began to growl, unable to contain the emptiness in my stomach. I could hardly feel a gap in my stomach and each breath I took made it feel like my insides were becoming closer and closer to the point where it could touch itself. "You'll die if you keep starving yourself, lucky for you I ordered more take out than regular junk food." I felt more insulted than comforte. He's gotten much more rude than I remember him to be. 

Mark's phone rings and he picks it up, listening to it while enjoying his liquor. His face carves into a frown and then his mood drops. "Is something the matter?"

         "Hmm." He answers, standing up from his chair. "There seems to be a problem, I'll go now, when the delivery arrives don't forget to pay the bill, it's on my desk just so you'd know. I'll be on my way now."

Picking up his suit, Mark walks away and closes the door behind him. 

His words reply inside my head and I take another look at the invite on my table, pick it up and repeatedly rotate it. 

I guess it won't hurt to make an appearance. I'll simply handle my family right after that, if they refuse to come peacefully I'll just have to, well, dig a hole for them, one they can't free themselves from.