Chapter 3

Marion leaned beside the wine cellar, twirling a glass of liquor.

Margaret walked into the room and halted when her eyes found Marion. She pouted in anger and flounced towards him. She picked up the bottle of liquor and threw it to the ground. The glass cup stopped halfway to Marion as he frowned at the shattered bottle, he diverted his angry face to Margaret.

“What’s this, Mom?” he leered.

“What do you think you’re doing to yourself, Marion, you’re killing yourself!” Margaret stamped her feet on the floor, tears bloomed in her eyes as she glared at Marion.

Ever since the disastrous wedding, Marion has ended up as the shadow of himself. All he does is drink and cringe at an obscure world.

As a result of what he did to Selene, his father took the family company from him and handed it over to his cousin's brother.

“You should be ashamed of yourself!” Margaret spat at his face.

“Why should I be?” Marion shrugged nonchalantly. “You and Dad should be the ones ashamed.” He gulped down the liquor remaining in the glass.

“How dare you say that? You should be lucky I stopped Harold from disowning you,” Margaret raved. Marion rolled his eyes, ignoring her.

“Get yourself together, Marion, please. Win your father’s love again and take the company from that homeless gold digger.” Margaret’s eyes softened as she spoke. She trudged closer to Marion and held his shoulder.

“I heard Selene has recovered, get married to her and get back the company,” she whispered.

Marion scoffed and brushed off her hand, he gave her a cold stare and walked off.

He sauntered across the house and reached for his car.

“Hey, cousin.” the last irritating voice Marion wanted to hear echoed behind him. He clenched his fist and seethed in anger.

“Cousin?” Carlos called again, mockery was laced in his tone.

“Can you stop calling me that?” Marion turned sharply and snapped.

Carlos raised his hands in mock defense.

“Yes, Boss,” Carlos mocked, a long whirl of laughter followed his snide remark. Marion frowned deeply, wishing he could rip the little man into pieces. Carlos’s wild laughter slowly died into a giggle.

“Don’t forget I’m the boss here,” Carlos muttered, his brows furrowed in pride.

“What do you want?” Marion snapped.

“Have you forgotten how you used to disregard me?” Carlos blabbered on.

“Get to the fucking point!” Marion roared furiously.

He was tired of listening to Carlos’s ‘do you remember’ stories.

Carlos was made CEO the week he left Selene, and ever since then, the quiet Carlos they knew transformed into a disrespectful boss. He not only acts as a boss in the office but also at home.

Marion always wondered why his father still retained his position even after witnessing the carefree life he lived.

“I have a pool party to attend today so I don’t think I will go to the conference,” Carlos said, playing with the gold cuffs on his wrist.

“Are you crazy? You know how important that conference is, huh?” Marion eyed him, irritated.

“I know, I know, that’s why I’m telling you about it,” Carlos waved his hands.

“What do you want?” Marion asked, getting a glimpse of where he was heading.

“Well…uhm..uh…” Carlos stuttered and avoided Marion’s glare, embarrassed.

“I want you to represent me,” he blurted out. Marion shot his head back in confusion.

Is he crazy? Why will Carlos want him to represent a crumbling company, is Carlos pulling his taunts again?

“I promise it’s just for tonight,” Carlos quickly added before Marion could protest.

“I won’t do it,” Marion replied.

“Look, I’m your Boss and you must obey me!” Carlos waved his clenched fist at Marion, frowning and glaring. Marion slipped his hands into his pant pocket, maintaining a cold blank look.

“Marion…”

“I told you I won’t do it, have you gone deaf?” Marion snapped. He swerved around and shuffled towards his car.

“If you don’t then I will…” Carlos muttered, smirking mischievously.

Marion slowly turned, his eyes dimmed.

“You wouldn’t dare!” he sneered.

“Watch me.” Carlos turned around and walked towards the house.

“Wait!” Marion called and Carlos halted.

“I’ll do it,” Marion relented, and a dark, triumphant smile spread across Carlos’s face.

~~~~~

Selene’s lips turned up in disgust as Victoria applied more rogues to her cheeks.

“Isn’t that enough?” Selene sighed, frustrated.

“No, it’s not. I haven’t even started, you need smoky make-up,” Victoria replied. Selene faced her with a sharp glare.

“I’ve been sitting here for more than an hour!”

“It’s worth it, sweetie, you’re going to represent the mighty Starlight group of company. Do you know what that means?” Victoria replied.

“I wonder what you will make me wear on the day I’ll be officially made the CEO,” Selene muttered.

“Leave that for another day, you should know what I’m capable of doing.”

“I’m nervous,” Selene shuddered. She wondered what it feels like to be amid legendary tycoons, businessmen, and women, she was already feeling like an ant before giants.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you will blow up their heads with your smoky beauty,” Victoria said.

“You’re getting it all wrong!” Selene admonished with an eye roll.

A sharp knock on the door ended their squabble.

“Who could that be?” Selene asked, eyeing Victoria suspiciously.

“Ah! The make-up artist is here,” Victoria said, shuffling towards the door.

“Make-up artist?” Selene widened her eyes.

“I can’t get the type of make-up that I want on your face, so I called for an artist. Don’t worry you’ll like her,” Victoria stuck out her tongue at awed Selene and reached for the knob.

“How long will this shit take?”

“Uhm…about an hour or two,” Victoria replied and pulled open the door.

Selene exclaimed dejectedly, cursing Victoria under her breath.

It took an hour before Selene was done with her make-up. Her jaws dropped as she stared at the beauty staring back at her.

“Is—is this me?” she gasped.

Victoria paid off the artist and snorted loudly.

“I thought you never wanted it,” Victoria grimaced.

“Well… I love it,” Selene shrugged, blushing embarrassingly.

“Don’t blush too much, it might ruin your make-up,” Victoria teased her. Selene chuckled, got up, and pulled out her coat.

Selene exhaled slowly as she slipped on the coat and strode out of the house gracefully. When they got to the car, Selene turned with worry smeared on her face.

“What?” Victoria asked.

“I’m nervous, I…I” Selene stammered and picked her nails nervously.

“Hey, you’ll be fine, okay?” Victoria coaxed her gently.

Selene nodded, inhaled, exhaled, and got into the car.

Throughout the ride to the conference venue, her stomach churned with nervousness and anxiety.

Immediately the door was opened, and the paparazzi crowded over her, taking pictures and asking questions, especially concerning her marriage with Marion.

The three bodyguards her father entrusted to her were able to whisk her into the large conference hall.

Selene felt her confidence restored as she walked past dignitaries she never imagined meeting in her whole life.

As she walked and waved at ‘not really’ familiar faces, her eyes landed on a figure and her feet stopped dead. There before her was Marion. He was dressed in an expensive tuxedo, his ever-handsome face had a rogue smile as he chatted with a female business associate.