Three

May’s POV

I think with my heart first, before my head, and that’s why I’m here right now, running the errand Asher sent his butler. This morning, when Asher had called the house and asked the butler to bring him some files he had left at home, I had thought it was better to use the opportunity. 

As soon as the taxi dropped me in front of Asher’s building, I walked to the executive elevator that would take me to his floor, not getting stopped because the security guys knew who I was. 

Although, I wasn’t too sure I might be welcomed like this with all the bows if they knew their boss was trying to divorce me.

Stepping off the elevator, I made my way to Asher’s office at the far end of the floor, with the file I had brought in my hand. Asher shared this floor with three executives and some employees that worked for each of them, so it was a filled floor as opposed to the normal secluded floors CEOs used.

Swallowing my nerves as I walked down the hall to his office, I thought of how I was going to invite him out to have lunch with me, and that was what I was thinking about when I rounded the corner that would take me to the open offices on the floor, when I bumped into someone.

Looking up to see my stepfather, I furrowed my brows in surprise, surprised to see him, and wondering what he was doing here. “Hello, Will!”

“Hold that greeting to yourself, May.” Will said and my frown deepened. His mouth was twisted in a cold sneer and his eyes looked like they were blazing.

Confused, I asked. “Huh, what’s going on, Will?” 

The employees around the open space we both stood at were now glancing at each other, and staring at us, probably wondering what was going on. 

I looked around and my cheeks heated up as I saw people now focused on us without even hiding it. 

“I heard you don’t want to sign the divorce papers. Don’t you think you should leave your husband if you can’t make him happy? Don’t you think that’s the right thing to do?” He asked me, his voice rising.

I grabbed his arm, and started to pull him so that we could go have this conversation at the stairwell exit, but he jerked back his hand, probably realizing what I wanted to do and what I was avoiding.

“We’re standing right here to talk about it. Why won’t you sign the papers?” He asked. 

“Why should I divorce my husband? Did he tell you I was making him unhappy?”

I knew Asher put him up to this when I refused signing but I didn’t expect Will to yell this to me here in the open like this.

Will threw his head back and laughed like I had said something funny. “You must be either naïve or stupid. Do you really think you were making him happy, or that this was some love union?” He asked me.

“That’s none of your business, Will.” I said, trying to walk away from him but his voice stopped me.

“Is the money he’s offering not enough? Is that it?” He asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. “It’s either that or you’re trying to latch on for more.”

What was he talking about? “I don’t care about the money, Will. You shouldn’t either.” I don’t even know why I had to go through this just to explain things to him. 

“If you don’t sign those papers easily, I’ll make sure to force you to sign them. You shouldn’t yearn for more when the offered money is more than enough.”

“What are you doing here?” I heard someone ask me, and even before I turned to face the person, I knew it was Asher. He had to arrived when my step father was talking about me yearning for more money? 

Damn, this was so embarrassing.

When I turned to look at him, my breath hitch at how beautiful he stood there, with those intense eyes scrutinizing me. I raised my hand up to him. “I brought the file you asked the butler to bring.”

“Why would you do that? I didn’t ask you, did I?” He asked, his features harsh, and he was regarding me so coldly. 

“I know, but I wanted to ask you to lunch, so I thought to bring it myself.” I said, my heart thudding in my ear, and my throat closing up. All these was happening because of the look on his face as he stared at me. He looked as if he was talking to someone that didn’t deserve his time.

“What do you think you can achieve by doing this? How am I supposed to respect you when you take the servant’s job onto yourself?” He asked.

Trying to explain, I started. “Huh, I just thought to…”

“Of course, you thought. You have a lot of time on your hands, sitting pretty in my house doing nothing all day. That’s why you can think of lunch when others are working.” He said with a harsh voice, the sneer on his face was even harsher.

“You should divorce him and stop making a mess of everything.” Will said, grabbing my shoulder, but I shrugged his hand off. 

“But I was just showing care, Ash.” I tried to explain again why I had come here instead. “Trying to catch lunch with my husband does not mean I’m idle or anything.” 

Asher grabbed the file out of my hand and shook his head. “That’s what you should keep telling yourself. You think providing a servant’s service makes it okay for you to enjoy my wealth? You don’t love me and you married me for money. We both know that, and I’m putting an end to this farce!”

Why was he talking like this, out here like this for everyone to listen? I stood there with pain in my throat, literally, and I couldn’t move. 

Will walked around to stand in front of me, and then he said. “You better sign those damn papers so that I can get the one million dollars he promised. You know that’s a good amount, right? And it’s going to help our family a whole lot. Stop holding out in hopes of getting more money.”

Our family? What was he talking about? The money he collected the first time was used in saving his business and his ass from all those loan sharks he had turned to when things started falling apart.

Will was the most self-centered man I know, standing here talking about family. If he cared one bit about me as his family, would he stand here making a ridicule of me out here in public like this? Making things even harder than they were already?

I looked at Asher again to find a cold look on his face. It seemed like he didn't care what happened to me, or if I was embarrassed or not. He looked at me like I deserved this ridicule and he couldn’t care less. 

I grabbed his arm, strong arm that felt so lean with muscles against my hand. “Asher, I’m sorry you think I came here with an ulterior motive, but that’s not the case at all.” My voice was all shaky, but I held back my tears. 

Crying wasn’t going to solve anything. 

My stomach was in knots, tightening so much that my body started to tremble, but I tried not to show it. 

When Asher spoke, his voice was calm, and his face showed no explanation. “I don’t really care what you do with your idle time, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that would change anything.” He said, then he started to walk back to his office. 

My body sprang into action before my brain could stop it. I ran after Asher, grabbing at whatever part of him I could grab at. My hand bunched up the edge of his suit and he looked over his shoulder at me in disdain. 

“Stop messing around, May. It doesn’t matter what you need, I don’t care, just do what I want from you so we can both stop making each other miserable.” He said. 

“I don’t want your money. Don’t you get it? I love you and I’m trying to prove myself to you. I’m trying to show that I care” I exclaimed.

“And how’s bringing me the files I asked the butler to bring, going to prove that? Isn’t this just an act of desperation to hold your claws into me?” He asked, his brows raised. “No matter how you try to put it, I know this is just some attempt to grasp at more money. So, just sign the damn papers and let’s get this over with,” and with that, he walked back to his office, jerking his shirt from my grip.

I stood there with my head hung in shame, as the people went back to doing their work when their boss walked away. I felt so humiliated, and for a few seconds, I wondered why I didn’t just agree to sign those papers and leave him like he wanted.