Vivian’s POV
“Is that Georgia?” another female staff rushed out and joined the one who turned up the volume of the TV.
I had no idea that people loved and fawned over Georgia this much, and although I would never admit it to anyone, it made me furious, because then it would make me understand why Syrus chose to be with her over me.
“Oh, gosh, so disgusting,” Belinda said angrily. The two female staff could not hear her, because they were too engrossed in listening to Georgia, and the only person who could hear and feel Belinda’s hatred was me.
“Yes, it is,” the first staff responded. “And it seems she and Syrus are now in a relationship,” she announced with glee.
Both of them squealed delightedly like kids who were taken to a candy store and asked to take as many candies as they liked. If there was anywhere I did not want to be right now, it was here.
“But we would like a hint, Georgia,” the interviewer pressed subtly.
The thing with these reporters and interviewers was that they always liked to fuel rumors or push for information; something to keep their blog pages entertaining and engaging.
“When we are ready, we would make an announcement,” Georgia said with a charming smile.
I gritted my teeth in annoyance. It was only a fool that would listen to Georgia and not know that she and Syrus had fully come back together.
“But wasn’t he married?” The interviewer inquired.
“Yes, but he is divorced now…something about incompatibility, but that is not my story to tell,” Georgia answered. She was freaking good at this thing that even Belinda could not deny it.
And here I was, trying to pick myself up after wasting time being Syrus’s wife. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I swiftly wiped them off with the back of my palm before Belinda or anyone would notice.
“The only person that suits Syrus is Georgia, there are no doubts about it,” the other staff said.
“I totally agree. He is so hot, and so is Georgia. It’s a good thing he realized it and dumped his wife, whoever she might be,” the first staff said.
“You two,” Belinda could not take it anymore. Well, I couldn’t either, but speaking up might draw attention to me, and I do not want that.
They turned and looked at Belinda quizzically.
“Don’t you have any work to do instead of standing here and watching a horrible interview?” Belinda scolded them.
Their eyes widened in shock.
“Or do I need to write a report against your services? It isn’t even lunch time yet,” Belinda said and they scurried out of sight.
“That wasn’t necessary, Bel,” I told Belinda the moment they left.
Belinda hissed, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV completely. “What did I say about him being a total jerk?” Belinda was mad as hell.
Well, what I was feeling could not be explained in words. I had thought that being divorced would make me automatically resistant to hurt where Syrus is concerned, but I could not even, out of shame, tell anyone how all I have just heard was making me feel, including Belinda.
“I was such a fool,” I managed to say without crying.
“No, Vivian, he is the fool for having someone like you in his life and taking you for granted,” Belinda countered me. I knew she was just trying to make me feel better. “And those naughty girls who have no plans for their lives…I am so sorry,” Belinda looked into my eyes, sensed my feelings and said genuinely.
I laughed sadly. “You cannot fault them. I am sure if they knew I was Syrus’s ex-wife, they wouldn’t have bashed me like that, or in my presence,” I said in their defense.
“Yeah right,” Belinda rolled her eyes.
“I think I should be grateful now that Syrus never flaunted me while we were married,” I said and chuckled drily.
“That’s very right, Vivian, because it would have been more embarrassing. You both have only been divorced for less than a month!” Belinda blew hot.
“She had always been there, Bel, and his mum likes her, compared to me. Everyone basically loves Georgia,” I said.
“Then to hell with everyone, Vivian. Gosh, this is so embarrassing, for real. He shouldn’t be treating you this way,” Belinda said.
It felt so good to have someone have my back, because somehow, it made the pain less piercing as it would have been if I was lonely and.
“This is the man you abandoned us all for? Come on!” Belinda spat.
“And to think that he was in my living room a couple of days ago talking about co-parenting and being an active parent in the life of my babies,” I said. Now, I was wishing that I had thrown him out the moment I opened the door and found him standing there, or that I had even denied being pregnant. Maybe if I had denied it, he would have left and never returned.
Just maybe…
But I had been so surprised by his visit and desire to be a responsible father to them that I had just allowed him have his wish easily. All the time we were married, Syrus never made anything easy for me. He never granted me the desire of a happy marriage, so why did I allow him in so easily?
“It’s not your fault, Vivian. None of this is, trust me, and you are way better without him,” Belinda said warmly.
Again, it felt good that she was sympathizing with me rather than judging me.
“If my colleagues think I am not the one for Syrus, then I wonder what others might be saying about me too,” I said. This was not something I had put into consideration before now, but now that I had stood and watched people talk down about me, it made me feel terrible.
“Oh please, only her naïve and gullible fans would think that way, and besides, you shouldn’t be thinking about what they said, okay?” Belinda said.
I nodded and tried to think of something else, but I couldn’t.
“Okay, let me take you somewhere nice for lunch to get you off this mood,” Belinda offered.
I smiled at her and nodded again.
“Don’t worry, I will handle this one,” Belinda said, her eyes filled with determination.
Vivian’s POVI decided that I wasn’t going to dwell on what happened at my place of work some days ago. It had been a couple of days now after the incidence, and after Syrus came and promised to be a part of the whole process, and nothing yet from him.Not that I was keeping counts anyway.I settled at the dining and scooped some cereals into my mouth. Belinda was right; it was useless brooding over any of it.“Hi, you,” my dad said as he stepped into the living room. He had just returned from his golf course. “How many bowls of that have you had?” he chuckled as he came over to me and kissed my forehead.Ever since I got pregnant and began to eat like an elephant, I have been constantly and mercilessly teased by my family and Belinda about being a foodie. In truth, the babies made me want to devour everything in sight, and I was barely a month gone.“How was your golf course?” I asked him, trying the steer the conversation away from me and my intense desire to eat as much as I could
Vivian’s POV“I don’t understand what you are talking about,” I insisted.I did not smell any form of alcohol on Syrus, and besides, he was hardly the drinking type, so I could not understand why he would show up at my door sounding weird and funny, and talking like someone who was drunk. After the divorce, I have hardly even been anywhere else aside the hospital.“You like to play games of pretense, don’t you?” Syrus sounded bitter and very pissed.“I honestly have no clue what you are on about, and frankly you are going to piss me off with such silly accusations!” I told Syrus. Yes, I swallowed and digested every ill treatment I got from both Syrus and his mother, not to mention his sister, Bonnie, but what I would not take was Syrus extending that rudeness and bullying to the place I call home.“If you have nothing to say, please leave,” I ordered him. It was a good thing that he had decided not to step into the living room today. Right now, I just wanted him to leave me alone.“If
Vivian’s POVI sat cuddled up on the couch like a lonely kitten. Aside the fight Belinda and I had when I turned my back on all of them and married Syrus, we hadn’t fought. Then, I hadn’t felt the impact of the fight, because things between Syrus and I were still very good, and I had him around me almost all the time, so there was barely time to dwell on the fact that my best friend and I were not on speaking terms.But now, the weight of it was gradually killing me.Ever since I divorced Syrus and came back home, Belinda had been by my side the entire time. Even when I felt she was doing too much, she remained consistent in her care and love. Belinda helped me find the job at my workplace, and she always stopped by to either check up on me, or drag me out for lunch.Gosh, it was only twenty-four hours and I already miss her this deeply.“Are you going to just sit here and sulk all day or actually go and talk things out with her,” Manny said as he sat close to me. He pulled me closer
Vivian’s POVI stood there, shocked to my bones, and frozen as ice. I literally could not believe what just happened. Well, maybe Manny was wrong for thinking that Belinda was not cold-hearted.In all honesty, I knew Belinda as a soft-hearted person, which was why when Manny said what he said, I just took the initiative and came here. Manny was wrong, and so was I. A bitter reality that I might have to get accustomed to now is that in my absence, a lot of things might have changed, including the attitude of people I once knew.My heart was shattered into a million pieces.Losing Syrus was one thing, but losing my best friend was another thing entirely. Belinda had been the closest female in my life, and just now that I needed her right beside me, I had gone and messed things up between us. I stood there like a log for a few more seconds before deciding to leave. My legs felt too heavy, and my heart bled, but standing there was not going to solve anything.So I turned around and manage
Vivian’s POVI don’t know why, but I allowed Belinda drag me all the way across town all in the name of shopping.“We really shouldn’t be doing this,” I told Belinda who took out her purse and began to apply some makeup on her face. “Gosh, Bel, in a taxi?” I said and laughed.Belinda would never cease to surprise me. She was always doing weird things, and when confronted about it, she would call it spontaneity. “A girl has to look pretty all the time,” Belinda said defensively.I watched her apply mascara on her eye lashes and shook my head in bewilderment. I also noticed that the driver was throwing us, Belinda especially, glances from time to time, but I said nothing. Belinda was never worried about how she was seen or perceived, and I stopped doing the worrying for her a long time ago.“You had your makeup done before we left your apartment, Belinda, and you spent an hour on it!” I said.“Yes, but that was some minutes ago. If I could retouch my makeup every passing second, trust
Georgia’s POVGeorgia tossed her purse on the couch; more like flung it as she and Bonnie entered the house.“Did you hear the things that unruly lowlife girl said to me?” Georgia was burning with rage.“She was so nasty,” Bonnie said.But Georgia could not shake the words off her system. For some reason, she was very upset that Bonnie could not even stand up for her and defend her just the way Vivian’s friend did for her. If Bonnie had been sharp witted just like her, then it would not have been a lost battle. Not only was Vivian shopping in the exact store that she shopped, she also had the nerve to set her up with her friend.“And we just stood there and did nothing,” Georgia said as she flopped on the chair. She did not want to specifically point all the accusing fingers towards Bonnie, because now that she was doing everything possible to get into this family, she should not be found pushing blames around.But at the same time, she refused to be a pushover like they did to Vivian
Vivian’s POVIt was a new week, and I was starting it off with a good spirit at work. I had decided before getting to work that I would be happy regardless. Belinda had forced me into picking out more clothes than I had anticipated to buy. Apparently, she wanted me to have more than enough clothes.“I really don’t care for myself, Vivian. You know I have more than enough clothes,” Belinda had said in her defense.“I know, but you should pick some for yourself, after all, you dragged me all the way out here,” I had countered her claim.“No, thank you. You know I want absolutely nothing to do with that jerk’s money,” Belinda had said.Her words sort of stung, but I let it slide. She knew I didn’t also want any of Syrus’s money especially now that we are no longer married, yet she forced his money into my bank account. Another thing that had stung was the way she had flippantly said it, without recalling that it had been this very issue that had almost caused a rift between us.Belinda
Vivian’s POVGeorgia’s announcement sent my nervous system reeling. I almost passed out when she said it, and I knew deep down that if Syrus wasn’t in on it, she wouldn’t be making such a public announcement.Hours later, when the TV had eventually come on, I had to listen to those exact words of Georgia all over again without being able to take my eyes away from the smile on her face, and the glint in her eyes. Somehow I felt that she was looking straight into my eyes and taunting me.I couldn’t stand it, so I excused myself and dashed off to the restroom. No one would suspect that it was the “fast rising star’s” announcement that had turned my mood upside down.When I got to the restroom, I cried my eyes out. Here I was thinking that I had gotten over Syrus completely, so whatever he did, or whoever he was with would not affect my emotions in anyway, but I had been totally wrong. What made it even more heart-wrenching was the fact that it was the same Georgia who had been responsibl
Vivian’s POVMarie wiped her teary eyes and continued, and I was more curious than ever to hear all about it.“So instead of Vale to have an impersonating staff member fired, he asked me out for dinner,” Marie said.“In front of everyone that he had already bragged that he was getting you fired?” I couldn’t help but ask.One thing I realized about this conversation which Marie began without warning is that it eased whatever we were both feeling in our hearts. Before now, Marie had been troubled about Mr. Vale’s health, and I had been troubled about the revelation I got about my family from Leon, but now, we both just seemed happy. It was as though the love that she shared; the same one I had resented before now was a soothing balm to me. It reminded me of the love and thrill I had felt with Syrus when we initially met years ago. It had been intense and deep, and it had been the best time of my life, and surprisingly, the memory of it did not fill my heart with anger as it usually woul
Vivian’s POVI stayed with Marie in the hospital after we took Mr. Vale to see his doctor at the hospital. We hadn’t exchanged a word, and there wasn’t even a need to. As we sat close to each other, I heard Marie mumbling words of prayer to God for Vale. I couldn’t hear the words she spoke, but somehow, I was deeply touched. As much as I would love to resent them, there was no doubt that they loved each other like never before.“Marie?” The doctor called.We both stood up straighter and looked at him. Marie had been so soaked in her supplication and I had been immersed in her devotion to him that we both hadn’t noticed the presence of the doctor.“How is he?” Marie asked instantly. I found myself praying and wishing that nothing bad would happen to Mr. Vale. Not that my feelings towards him for abandoning his family had changed, nor my feelings towards Marie for taking a man away from his family had changed, but I still didn’t want him to die.If I didn’t want someone as dangerous as
Syrus’s POV“I have been asking you if you have anything to say to me, but you keep evading the question,” Nancy said as she stood in Syrus’s bedroom. Bonnie was also present.Syrus felt like a piece of shit, because of the news that was flying around on the internet. He should have known that confrontation with a man like Ken alone was a bad idea, but then again, no one knew this part of Syrus’s life. Even Vivian who almost got to know, Syrus managed to keep her in the dark, but now, things were slowly getting out of hand. Ken had been so good and smart with what he was doing that he ensured that his face was faced out of the camera. The only person the world could see was Syrus, and of course, to them, he was trying to kill an innocent citizen simply because he was wealthy and powerful. Syrus had stayed holed up in the house, because right now, he could not bear to face the judgmental faces of everyone that knew him, including the colleagues that he hired himself.“What the heck
Vivian’s POVThe revelation I got from Leon still had me reeling with shock. Hearing that Dad had used up our inheritance and wanted to give me out in a contract marriage to pay off his debt, I had thought that that was the height of betrayal from my family members, but this was worse than I could take.Ted now had blood in his hand!I shuddered at the remembrance of it. Thankfully, when Leon brought me back to the house, Marie and Mr. Vale had been too engrossed with having their lover’s time together to even notice that I was drenched in dread, so I had just delivered what I was sent and I went into my room. I could not even bring myself to eat anything. In fact, the thought of food made my stomach retch.This was no longer a case of drug dealing; it was a murder case. First of all, Ted had gotten involved in drugs, which was even a great crime in the country. Then he had killed Jane in cold blood simply because she had betrayed him. To make things even scarier, he had planted a pi
Syrus’s POVSyrus got home at past midnight, drenched and drained. His mission with Ken had failed woefully. After asking Ken that question, Ken had laughed at him to scorn.“If you didn’t, then who did?” Ken had asked without remorse. “You were the one with the wedge hammer that day; I only walked in and saw that you had just murdered the Frenchman,” Ken had said.Syrus had almost fallen defeated, because on a face level, that had been what had happened, but Syrus was determined to get to the bottom of it. More than anything else, he wanted to get this guilt hanging over his head; this guilt that Ken was now threatening to use against him. Syrus was a businessman, and he knew what deadly scandals could do to his company. Once the news got out and the world knew that he had murdered someone, he would never recover from it, and Syrus had gone too far to let anything stop him now. He had sacrificed too much to let a sin from the past crawl up to destroy everything. “I don’t remember an
Vivian’s POV“I still want to know,” I told Leon insistently even though my heart was pounding greatly.I was asking myself if I truly needed to know about it, because Leon’s words sounded dreadful, causing my heart to beat faster than usual. Maybe I should just let sleeping dogs lie, especially now that I had gotten far away from Ted, but how far away can I ever possibly get? Each time I think I have successfully run away from a problem, it pops right back up and stares at me squarely in the face. For instance, the last person I expected to run into in this peaceful town that I had gotten a job was Leon, the same man whom I had seen with Ted who had a dangerous look in his eyes. These were signs that I could never actually run away from my reality. There was Ken and the conniving inspector that I had fled from. There was Ted who had verbally threatened me right in a house that I had called home for years. I couldn’t continue running away from difficult and harsh truths, especially the
Vivian’s POVI waited for Marie’s package to be brought to me, but it was taking longer than necessary.“Ma’am, please how much longer is this going to take?” I asked, because my legs were beginning to get weak.“A little while longer,” the attendant responded politely.I waited and waited, and I wondered why it was taking so much time. I began to feel sweaty and hot in my stomach, and extremely uncomfortable, but I did not know what else to do.“Here,” Leon turned.I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice. Then I turned around and saw him holding a glass of juice. “I have been watching you, and you look like you are about to pass out,” Leon added when I didn’t make any move to collect the juice from him.“Where did you get this from?” I asked him skeptically.“There’s a restaurant just by the corner,” Leon answered, his hand still stretched at me.I took the juice from Leon, because I realized that I highly needed it, especially with how long I have been standing and wai
Syrus’s POVSyrus got into his car and drove off without his driver.He needed to handle this alone and he could not do that if he went with anyone else. Ken had made him believe that he killed the Frenchman and he had lived with that guilt for years ever since, but now, Syrus wondered if that was true. The last thing he remembered was drinking the coffee that Ken served him which he prepared when no one was looking at him. He could not fathom how he stood in front of the Frenchman all of a sudden. Syrus could not tell what happened around that time. After he took the coffee, everything around Syrus had just fizzled out.And now, Ken was using the incident to hang threats above his head. No, he could not just sit idly by and watch Ken destroy his life. Syrus even wondered why he hadn’t thought of that day’s incident before now. It was a long drive to the small town where Syrus was certain Ken’s small hospital was located. He had never been there, so he could not tell exactly where it
Syrus’s POVSyrus had been in the learning room with the Frenchman for hours learning the ropes on how to bring his father’s crumbling company back up.“In business, you must make up your mind to choose the company above anything else,” the Frenchman was speaking. “As you begin to flourish, there will be times when difficult choices will be thrown at you, even regarding the people you love dearly, but remember to always choose your inheritance and legacy,” he continued.Syrus nodded diligently. They had been on rigorous training and tutorship for months now since Anderson referred him to the Frenchman in order to save his legacy from collapsing. His father might have abandoned it, but Syrus couldn’t; he shouldn’t, because it was his legacy. Without the company, he would be left on the street with his mother and sister, and Syrus could never allow that to happen.“I knew your dad before now,” the Frenchman continued. “His name and company were on the lips of virtually everyone in the c