CHAPTER FIVE

                                       LALIYA’S POV

The familiar sights and sounds of Texas city welcomed me back, coupled with the arms of my older brother, Crone. It had been three years since I set foot in my hometown, yet it was like I never even left for a moment.

This was the city I was born in, the city I had grown up in, and the city I was known in. While my father’s companies had connections all over America (all over the world in fact), I always preferred to stay in Texas.

My brother pulled me into a hug and I sighed in his embrace. How I wished to spend a lifetime just secured in his arms. Not many words were exchanged between us, other than him suggesting to drive us to his house since my house was empty and he didn’t feel good to leave me all alone yet.

Apparently, he had sent my househelps home after I had gotten married, which made the whole house void of a living soul and probably dusty at the moment. I would have to stay with him for some time, while my house is cleaned and ready to be lived in once again. I didn’t mind though, after all he was single and it wasn’t my first time sleeping over in his house. He was the only one who tolerated my silly sleepovers, since he was my immediate brother.

As we pulled into Crone’s house, a pang of nostalgia washed over me so hard that I shut my eyes and took a sharp intake of breath with a smile.

Crone ushered me in with a warm grin, his features trying to soften in order to hide the look of concern that spoke volume without needing words. “Welcome home, sis.” he said with a gruff voice and ruffled my hair, while I swatted his hand away with fake annoyance.

I used to be really mad whenever he did that, because it always made me feel smaller than usual, but now I missed it and wanted him to ruffle my hair all day.

I followed him through the familiar corridors and into the guest room that I usually used whenever I visited him. The room was almost exactly the same as I remembered it, from the floral wallpapers to the fur rug that I bought myself because of my liking for fluffiness.

As if seeing the look on my face, Crone ushered me in further with a smile on his face. “No one has used it since you. I turned the second room on the upper floor into a guest room for other people to use instead, because I didn’t know where to put your things.”

“Thank you,” I whispered and plopped on the bed.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to do anything?”

“I’m okay,” I replied matter-of-factly. Crone still didn’t drop his worried gaze, so I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I won’t let them break me, Crone. I promise. I’ll resume office tomorrow.”

My brother's eyes warmed up and he returned the squeeze I gave him. “That’s the sister I’m proud of.” I chuckled in response. “Also, about what you said on the phone…”

“I meant it,” I replied almost immediately, knowing what he was talking about. “Ruin Santiago for me. He used me to get the ownership of his company, I want him to watch that company fall before his eyes.”

Crone let out a soft scoff and nodded his head. “I guess it’s time to get to work then.” He laughed and kissed me on my head, before leaving the room.

As I brought out my bags to unpack, I realized that I forgot to drop the ring Santiago gave me at our wedding. I would find a way to send it to his house, I wanted nothing of his with me. I had guessed that he was an asshole on the very first meeting I had with him before the wedding, but I confirmed my suspicion on the night of our wedding.

                                       WEDDING NIGHT

I groaned and picked up my gown to enable me to run faster, in order to meet my newly wedded husband that was running into the house in a bolt. 

He wasn’t exactly running, but each step he took was so bold that I had to run to catch up to him.

What asshole was this man? We literally just had a wedding and he’s running as if I was a stranger. I meant I was a stranger, but why was he acting as if I couldn’t be seen with him?

It was already bad that Teal and Crone called that they wouldn’t make it and I was the only familiar face I knew at the wedding. Now the man I would be calling my husband for a while, is running away from me as if it was ‘Stay Away From Laliya’ day.

“Can you slow down?” I breathed out as I refused to give up and kept running after him. I might as well agree that he was either deaf or determined to get away from me, because rather than slowing down like I told him, he took faster strides that made me wince.

I had spoken to him already and had seen him interact with people, so I could confirm that he wasn’t deaf, which left me with the latter. Trying to get away from me. I wasn’t hurt by that because unlike the way my brothers’ portrayed the situation, both Santiago and I were victims of our fathers. But we could either make the best of the marriage or decide to be immature and complicate things.

We finally got inside what was going to be our home and my jaw dropped. This was a beautiful and massive home. The furniture and ceilings were so visibly expensive that I could guess how much the house was.

Brad was in charge of the housing section in the Barbados empire and I usually spent quite a long time with him, before he decided to be an assholic brother of course, so I could guess that the house cost about twenty million on a minimum.

Santiago stopped walking suddenly, causing me to hit my head on his back. I groaned out from the pain and rubbed my forehead to soothe the ache.

“Ouuch!”

“Your room is over there. Never let me see you unless it’s needed.” 

My mouth flew open and I let out a scoff. Who did he think he was? ‘Never let me see you?’ Wow, he's so rude. I wasn’t expecting us to be friends, but I wasn’t expecting us to be swoon enemies either.

“What?” I asked to be sure that I didn’t just hear him talk to me like that.

“I do not acknowledge you as my wife, so never bother me. My room, my office, my space. Those are the places you should never be. I would absolutely detest being in the same place as you, so avoid me as much as you can.”

He turned to leave to his oh-so-special room, but I blocked the way before he could get past me. How dare he treat me like I was a maid? Or someone below him?

“Why are you talking to me like that?” Rather than replying to me, he tilted his head in a visibly condescending way that I was so close to smacking him in the face with my shoe. “You… you’re so rude. I know we don’t know each other, but I thought we could at least be friends for the short period of time that we’d be here together. I’m your wife!”

An evil smirk latched on his lips and he took small steps toward me. “So what?” he asked. “You want me to carry you to bed? You want me to explore your body? Tell me, do you want to sleep with me?” he kept asking all his questions while still walking to me. He finally closed the space between us and brought his mouth closer to my ear. “You are my father’s wife, not mine. I am serious, Laliya Barbados, never let us be in the same space ever. I am a man who strongly hates when my orders are not being followed.” And he left.

I should be ashamed to admit this, but goosebumps covered my exposed skin, and it was all because he spoke so close to me. Each tingle of his mouth to my ear sent shivers down my spine, but I was quick to shut it down.

Now was not the time to thirst after my jerk of a husband.

I stood in the room for what seemed like a couple of minutes. My lower lip quivered and I clenched my fingers into fists. I couldn’t believe he just treated me like that.

I thought we’d find a solution and be friends till we eventually get a divorce and go separate ways. How could he dismiss me like that? Then he made it seem like I was lusting after him. I had never hated someone so fast. I doubted I even hated anyone at all. But I hated this man.

My legs soon began to wear out and I became extra tired. I couldn’t bear to wait for even a second more, so I left for my room.

I slumped on the bed and kicked my feet in the air, cursing at the man who frustrated me, but wasn’t even here to witness getting cursed.

I hate you, Santiago Meadows. I hate you so much.