Empty handed

Chapter Two.

Marie fished out her cell phone,calling the first person that comes to mind, her private jet operator.

“Miss Marie, it is such a pleasant surprise hearing from you, is there something I can help you with?” The male voice came from the opposite side of the cell.

“Roger?” she sniffed, alerting the older man.

“Marie, what is the problem?” Roger had always taken Marie like she was his own, hearing her break down over the phone makes him want to kill someone, and it wouldn’t be hard for someone of his past. “You only need to give me a name.” he demanded.

“No Roger, I just need you to prepare the jet, we’re going home.” She couldn’t contain her tears anymore.

“Say no more.” And home, they went.

Marie burst through the front door of her parent's mansion, mascara streaking down her cheeks. Her private pilot lugged in her Louis Vuitton suitcases behind her. 

"Mom! Dad!" Marie cried out. 

Her mother came rushing into the foyer, immediately embracing Marie in a tight hug. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Marie could hardly get the words out between sobs. "I...I caught Alejandro in bed with Jessica!"

Her mother gasped, shooting an 'I told you so' look at Marie's father as he entered the room. 

"That no-good son of a--" Marie's father grumbled under his breath.

Marie's mother shushed him, guiding a distraught Marie over to the sofa. "Now, now, let's not say anything we might regret."

Marie collapsed onto the couch, her body shaking. "I just...I don't understand. How could he do this to me?"

Her father sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We warned you when you married him that he was no good. We knew he didn't deserve our little girl." 

Marie's mother nodded in agreement. "But the important thing is you're home now. We'll take care of everything, don't you worry."

She sobbed like a child in her mother’s arms, “He is not like that, Mum, I just don’t know why he would allow something like that to happen.”

Marie's mother stroked her hair gently. "Oh honey, men like Alejandro don't need a reason to stray. He never appreciated what he had in you."

"Your mother's right," her father chimed in. "That man was out kicking up dust from day one. This was inevitable."

Marie shook her head, tears still flowing. "But I thought he loved me. I thought we had something special."

Her parents shared a knowing look. Her father squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You did have something special, sweet pea. But Alejandro was too foolish to see that. His loss is someone else's gain."

Marie looked up at her parents through blurry, mascara-streaked eyes. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew they were right. "What do I do now?" she whimpered.

Her mother tilted her chin up. "You hold your head high. You remember who you are - a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman who deserves the world. You get everything in order, talk to your lawyer, and you move forward."

“Lawyer? That would mean divorce Mom.” Marie countered, but before her mother could reply, the father interrupted.

“You should let the poor girl get some rest after that long hours of flight, Valerie.” He said in a gentle tone, looking deeply into the weary soul of his daughter.

“Okay fine, but get ready for what I said, someone has to teach the young man a lesson about taking things for granted,” Valerie said through gritted teeth as she led Marie to her room.

“I will take the bags, thank you, Roger.” Reese addressed the private pilot who looked concerned as his client was being guided upstairs by her mother. “What is it?” the father asked.

“She cried sir, but she wouldn’t give me a name,” Roger grunted, making Reese chuckle as he took the bags from him, nodding in gratitude that such a man was around to care for his daughter.

The next few days were literal hell for Marie and everything she came across, even the housekeepers were tired of having her around, but no one dared speak, after all, she was their boss.

“Who made this trash coffee?” Marie asked in an uninterested tone as the kitchen personnel squeezed herself into a corner to avoid the wrath of her. “No one, really?” she asked again, this time louder.

“It was me.” Came the timid response making Marie turn in the direction of the voice.

“It was you? If I fired you now, do you think I would be prosecuted or killed for it?” the woman shook her head as her heart beat in her chest so loud she could feel it on her feet.

“No ma’am.”

“Then why do you think you should not be killed for making this ridiculous coffee?”

“I am sorry ma’am, would you like me to make you another one?” she quickly asked, but Marie had other plans entirely in mind, one that she wasn’t able to execute as her mother came running, knowing her daughter was already raining terror down on her staffs.

“And what do you think you are doing?” Valerie walked in with raised brows, looking suspiciously at Marie who was holding a knife with her hand as white as a sheet. “And should you be drinking coffee in your condition?” She eyed her.

“Just teaching her a lesson that she will never forget.” She replied without taking her eyes off of the woman for a second, then it clicked, “What condition?”

Valerie chuckled nervously, “What has this man done to my daughter?” she asked herself before speaking loudly, “Leave us Elizabeth, I’d like to talk to my daughter alone.” The woman scurried away with her tails between her legs, thanking whatever stars were above for saving her.

“Mom, I know what you are about to say, I am fine, I just wanted her to know the differences between her coffee and the one I love to drink.” She shrugged her shoulders, playing with the hem of her sweater.

Valerie hummed and walked closer to her, “Coffee? Don't you think you should cut down your caffeine intake with the baby?.” Her mother asked with a pointed look.

Marie chocked on her own saliva, “Baby? H-How do you know?” She stuttered, but her mother chuckled.

“I understand the need for you to keep it a secret, honey, but your secret is safe here for as long as you want. But, it won't be a secret for long if you stay copped up inside, why don't you take a stroll around to get reacquainted with the city, it's been a while, wouldn't you agree?” The gentle but stern mother suggested.

“You know what? You’re right, Mom.”

Marie dashed outside and for once since her betrayal, she felt alive again.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled Marie's nose as she hurried down the busy sidewalk, lost in thought. How could he want to divorce me? I know we haven't talked a lot, or at all and he ignores me most of the time, that doesn't mean he could do that without consent.

She was so distracted that she didn't see the man in front of her until they collided. "Oh!" Marie cried out as the hot coffee in her hand splashed out onto his suit.

"I'm so sorry!" she said. 

The man looked at his stained shirt and jacket and then up at her. To her surprise, he smiled kindly. "No worries at all," he said. Though she was frazzled, Marie couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, with warm brown eyes and a chiseled jawline.

"Here, let me buy you another coffee to replace the one I just spilled," the man offered.

Marie hesitated. She knew she should keep going; she had errands to run for her mother. But something about this stranger's gentle smile made her want to stay.

"Ok, sure. I'm Marie," she said, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Marie, I'm Xavier," he replied, shaking her hand. His touch was comforting and Marie felt herself relaxing slightly for the first time in days.

Maybe her mother was right - she just needed some fresh air and a change of scenery from the family estate. As she and Xavier walked into the bustling coffee shop together, Marie pushed Alejandro and his betrayal from her mind, if only for a moment.

“I know exactly what to do.” She thought to herself and took out her cell phone, this time to do what she had been pushing off. Her induction as her father's heir.

“I'm ready Dad,” that was the first thing she uttered when she got home, leaving the old man confused.

“Ready for what, sweetie?” He questioned.

“Remember, how you always tell me to not worry about my gender, that I could do well if I ever decide to succeed you, well to be your heir, I'm ready.” the gleefulness in her voice couldn't be missed, it delighted her father to no end.

Meanwhile, as Marie was ready to take that next step, Alejandro was busy tearing the city apart looking for her.

“Marie?” He called into the empty apartment, hoping she was back.

The saying that you never know what you have until you lose it weighs heavily on Alejandro's mind as his dampen spirit tries it's hardest to make it through each day without Marie.

“I'm back sir, but there is no sign of her anywhere.” The private investigator he hired to look for Marie comes back empty handed. Again.

He screamed, throwing the glass of scotch in his hand at the wall, “Well, look again and this time, don't come back unless you have a lead.”