Chapter 9 Rivalry

(Sybil’s POV)

“Let go of me!” I wriggled around, trying to break free, but that just caused John to tighten his grip on me.

“You belong to me, Sybil,” he insisted. “Nobody else can have you. Got that?” With every word he said, his hot breath hit me in the face.

“I don’t know what planet you’re living on,” I said, struggling to free my hands, “but I don’t understand why you think it’s okay to treat me like this.”

He looked at me intensely. “What’s the problem with you all of a sudden?”

Seriously? The man had me trapped against the wall, completely powerless, and he had the nerve to ask me what my problem was. He was the one who had a problem, if you ask me.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. John was so surprised by it that he let go of me. He stormed back over to the window.

I ran to open the door, grateful to whoever was on the other side. To my immense joy, it turned out to be Alex!

Alex entered the office and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my shoulder. It was always surprising when he did this, since he was considerably taller than me. “Sybil, this is a pleasant surprise! I didn’t think I’d see you until tonight!”

He reminded me of a particularly affectionate golden retriever sometimes, the way he held me so tight. You’d think he’d been gone much longer than three years, the way he was clinging to me.

“Come on, Alex,” I laughed, gasping for air, “I can’t breathe!”

John walked over to where we were standing. I could see how angry he looked as he glared at us. “Well, well, the golden child has returned!”

I buried my face into Alex’s shoulder, trying not to laugh. John was the golden child, not him. Alex had never been the kind of person who let his family’s wealth go to his head. For as long as I’d known him, he had always been very down-to-earth and approachable. 

Ever since our school days, I’d always felt that I could talk to him about anything and everything. Whether I needed a shoulder to cry on, or wanted to share good news, I knew I could depend on him.

Alex let go of me and turned to John, giving him a simple nod. “John.”

John, looking very grim, returned the nod. “Alex.”

He’d always seen Alex, who was two years younger than him - 27, the same age as me -, as a rival. I knew that it had something to do with how they were raised. 

Their parents  had always pitted them against each other from the very beginning. They were both constantly seeking approval from their grandfather, the patriarch of the Rutherford family. It was unfortunate that it had to be this way. If it hadn’t been for all of this, I was sure that they could have grown up to be close friends, as well as cousins.

And maybe John would be a better person. I was angry with him for everything that he had said and done since our anniversary, but I also held his parents responsible. They were the ones who had molded him into the man he was today. He was still the same spoiled brat that I was sure he had been as a child, acting like the world owed him everything he wanted.

I knew now that he saw me more as a possession than a wife. 

“By the way, I ran into Willa on the way up here,” Alex said. “What’s her problem? She looked pissed just now.”

I shrugged. “I have no idea, but I’m sure John knows what her problem is.” I gave John a cold look.

John remained silent, averting my gaze. He stood there, staring at the floor and silently fuming.

“Anyway,” I said to Alex, “could you give me a ride to your mansion tonight? I would love to be able to spend some quality time, just the two of us!”

John’s head snapped up at this. His eyes narrowed at both of us, and I was sure he would have something to say, but his mouth stayed closed. 

“Sure, that would be great!” Alex grinned at me. He didn’t seem at all surprised that I wouldn’t be going with John. He couldn’t possibly know about our problems, since they hadn’t started until a couple of days ago. 

I knew that John wouldn’t have confided in him. I didn’t even think that they’d had any sort of conversation during the entire three years that Alex was away. 

John abruptly put his arm around me, holding me close. “That won’t be necessary, Alex” he said coldly, “Sybil and I will be going together. She is my wife, not yours.”