CHAPTER TWO:

KIM

“Mrs Pearce” I heard a familiar voice called out to me ever so softly as if the person was scared of frightening me.

I don't know how many hours had passed since I sat on the cold marble floor, but that familiar voice that called out to me gave me a sense of assurance.

I slowly raised my head towards the side that the familiar voice came from, and my eyes met with a forest green eye that belonged to Butler Lee. His brow furrowed, and his face contoured with worry.

I tried to plaster a fake smile over my face to ease the old man's worry, but that did not work.

“Don't try to tell me you're OK because you're not!” He said in a Russian accent, a little bit loud as if trying to scold me for faking a smile.

I nodded in agreement and allowed him to help me to my feet. Thank you, butler Lee, ‘I can go up by myself,’ I wanted to say, but I knew he wouldn't listen.

His big hands cupped my slender body frame firmly as if he was afraid I'd fall back. His other hand took one of my palms in his as he led me up the spiral staircase that leads to the master bedroom.

“You should take the elevator next time Mrs Pearce, the stairs are dangerous—”

“Hmm,” I replied, hoping he would stop nagging about that. But no, he continued.

“—Mr Pearce will not forgive me if anything happens to you under my watch” he concluded

His words had me smiling, a smile that did not reach my eyes. This is not the first time I've heard Butler Lee utter this sentence. He usually says it to me anytime I have way too much to drink or cry too much like I did today.

He would always remind me that I'd put him in trouble if anything were to happen to me. As if he is trying to pass across a piece of information.

Soon, we reached the second floor, and Butler Lee helped me to my gigantic bedroom to lie down.

“I will ask the maids to prepare you a bath. Dinner will be served soon, ma'am,” he said with his thick Russian accent.

“No, I can't help myself to a bath. I can have my bath myself,” I said, reassuring him when I noticed he gave me a ‘Are you sure’ kinda look.

“OK, ma'am, I will bring your dinner to you when it's ready”, he said, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

I slumped on the bed as soon as Butler Lee left the room. I lay flat on my back, staring at the ceiling while I replayed the event of the day over in my head. I have failed to make Nathan sign the divorce papers.

This is the twelfth time in 4 months!

How can he be so selfish and unmoved by my aggressive actions so he can sign those papers? What would he gain by not signing the papers?

He doesn't love me, that I know. And he will never love me, I sadly know, because he told me on our wedding night.

“So what the hell did he want from me? Why won't he just let me go!” I said to myself, hitting the soft mattress with my clenched fist.

I toss and turn frantically on the bed thinking of different ways to make him sign the divorce papers. And suddenly, I sit up as a bulb of an incredible idea lights up in my head.

“Yes!, this is what I will do!” I said firmly as I stepped out of the bed.

“Nora, ring the kitchen”

Nora is a smart home AI assistant that Nathan's subsidiary technology company built two years ago.

**beep “Ringing kitchen” beep**

Nora responded in a realistic human tone. That is what had helped his company to skyrocket sales when nora5 was built. Nora 1-4 had failed because they were striving to create an AI that didn't sound like AI.

“Mrs Pearce, do you need anything?” Butler Lee's voice came out from the other end.

“Not at all, butler Lee. I would like to eat my dinner downstairs, please,” I replied, excitement laced my voice.

“Are you sure madam?” he asked me, sounding confused.

“Yes, I am; please set the table. I will be joining Nathan tonight” I said, more like an order than a plea.

“I will do that, ma'am”, he replied courteously, and the intercom went off.

I walked hastily to the bathroom with excitement and new determination that this new plan had to work. I quickly peel off my clothes and dump them on the floor, clumsy Yes, but now is not the time to be graceful.

For the past 1 year and four months, I had practically vanished from Nathan's sight, after one year of trying to make him love me. I would wake up late while he would be at work and return to the comfort of my room by the time he arrived home.

We're the definition of day and night who do not meet unless in the event of the eclipse, and that eclipse is when I present him the divorce papers.

I thought being out of his sight would make him long for me, but that didn't work out. Then I ended up having him out of my sight so I could stop loving him, which, to my surprise, worked greatly.

So all I need to do now is make him see me wherever he goes! And I will try my best to irritate him every time.

They say you grow tired of people you see daily, so my new plan is to make him grow tired of him and make him sign the divorce papers willingly.

Fueled with this newfound idea and the determination to make it work, I turn on the shower and set the heater to a comfortable temperature while happily humming Unstoppable by Sia.

After a long shower, I tied a bathrobe around me and walked out of the bathroom. I dried my hair and applied a little makeup to look fresh.

I need to stop living pathetically. If Nathan doesn't give me the divorce I wanted because I initiated this marriage, I'm going to give him the reason why he needed to end this marriage. I would do anything to end this loveless marriage that threatened to drown the life out of me.

I rummaged through endless hangers that held my clothes and found a beautiful yet simple red dinner gown. Without a second thought, I slipped into the gown, and it fit perfectly, accentuating my curves.

“Hmm, lovely! I like this” I said to myself while twirling in front of the mirror.

I took one last look at myself in front of the mirror, feeling confident the longer I stared at myself. ‘you got this, Kim,’ I thought to myself.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, my demeanor changed. Anyone who saw me earlier this evening while displaying madness in Nathan's office will argue that I'm not the same person.

I gracefully walked to the spiral staircase and descended downstairs to the main dining room. I imagined for the hundredth time what Nathan's expression would be when he saw me.

Will he be surprised? Moved? Happy that I'm joining him? Or will he just be emotionless as he has always been?

I walk slowly towards the dining area, taking cautious, graceful steps, but the scene that welcomes my arrival makes me feel like a bucket of ice water was poured over me. My blood ran cold and my breathing hitched.

‘Eleanor Duke!’