IVYI wanted to scratch Alexa’s face the moment she uttered that trash from her mouth, but Mark prevented me. I did not really care about creating a scene, because I had nothing to lose, but then again, Mark had been warning me off since I asked just one question.“How dare she?” I asked, fuming.“Just behave yourself,” Mark said.He looked and sounded more embarrassed than upset, and I wondered if he was regretting the fact that I picked out our matching colors for this event.“Why do you keep taking her side over me, Mark?” I asked.It was getting on my nerves too much and I hated it. “Since we arrived you have had your eyes glued on her and everything I have done has been disgusting to you,” I complained, because it was the damn truth.“Ivy, the right thing to do at an event is to act formal and cordial, but I doubt you have any knowledge of that, seeing that you barely even attend business functions and events. The only thing you are familiar with is parties and travels,” Mark sa
MARKI thought my heart would explode when the young man appeared right beside Alexa and made that statement.At first, Alexa did not say a word, and I thought it was a silly prank, but I was wrong.“Yes, he is with me,” Alexa nodded in agreement.The other gentleman chuckled uncomfortably. It was obvious that he was lusting after Alexa earlier regardless of the fact that he was standing with another woman, which was very disgusting by the way, but now, he seemed flushed and disappointed. Well, I hoped that my own reaction to his was masked, because I would hate for people to think that I was affected by Alexa being with another man, especially after flaunting another woman.“Great news!” The gentleman said a little too loudly. “Women need men in their lives, especially those who run a business like this one,” he said, almost sounding dumb.I knew men like him; they had wives at home and also mistresses, but they were never enough for them. As many times as possible, they always wante
IVY“Oscar!” I called in a whisper the moment I caught sight of him rounding the corner.It was a good thing that Mark was very engrossed in talking to the gentleman that he did not notice my reaction to seeing Oscar beside Alexa and hearing them both say that they were now together.I could have sworn that my heart exploded in that moment, and since then, I had been looking for every opportunity to talk to Oscar. I could not help it even if I wanted to. Fortunately, Mark had gone to use the restroom, and I hoped that he would stay there longer.Oscar turned and the moment he saw me, he walked to me with a cynical smile on his face.The corner we stood was very private and secluded, so no one would actually notice that we were standing and talking there. More so, these wealthy and influential men had no business sniffing their noses in places like this, and they were all carried away with trying to get a contract with Alexa or just mingling.Damn, I could not have hated Alexa more tha
ALEXAThe launch party had actually turned out to be better than I envisioned it to be, especially when Ivy tried to ruin it for me and ridicule me. By the time the party ended and Noelle and I found our way home, half of the men we invited had already booked a contract with me.“ATOM to the world, Alexa!” Noelle yelled in pure delight as we entered the living room.It was almost midnight and I was exhausted as could be, which was why Noelle’s enthusiasm surprised me greatly. I began to walk up the stairs with the intention to get to the bedroom, take a warm bath, and just sleep off the stress until dawn without thinking or worrying about anything else.At least, I still had a couple of days before I officially began working as a brand owner.“Where are you going?” Noelle asked and I managed to stop and turning around.I could not help the look of astonishment that filled my face when I saw Noelle holding a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses.“Gosh, no please,” I literally plea
MARK“How is my general health condition?” I asked Doctor Jones who had come in early the next morning for my general checkup.It wasn’t the day for my doctor’s appointment, but being that I would have to return to going to the company every single day, I needed to be certain that I wasn’t putting my health at risk. The last thing I needed was fainting or passing out in the presence of everyone else.It was bad enough to ruin my reputation.“From what I am looking at, we have a little problem with your health,” Doctor Jones said and I looked at him instantly, worried and alert.“Problem? How do you mean?” I asked him, worry etched on my face. This was really the last thing I wanted to hear right now. Mr. Devon had already informed me that the stakeholders would not hold out for me any longer, especially with the fact that I was now unmarried. Besides, I really wanted to fully and completely be whole again, and the last thing I needed right now was to be told of more health challenges
ALEXAThe phone screen burned into my eyes, the moans filling the quiet room like a sick joke. “Oh yes, harder, Mark, please fuck me harder!” My stomach twisted as I watched my husband thrust into another woman, her voice shamelessly calling out his name. The same name I had whispered in the dark when he was unconscious in that hospital bed, clinging to life. The name I had prayed over when I fought to bring him back. And this was my reward? This betrayal—on the night of our fifth anniversary? On my birthday? My fingers trembled as I gripped the phone tighter. A notification popped up, a fresh slap to my face. "Do you like the birthday gift I sent you, dear sis?" I didn’t need to check the sender. I could already see Ivy’s smug face in my mind, could hear the gloating in her voice. "See? Just a flick of my finger and he comes running back. Don’t think your pathetic care ever mattered. To Mark, you’re just a poor nanny." A poor nanny. A mocking smile curled my lips. Tha
ALEXAMark halted mid-step, his broad shoulders tense as he turned to face me. His blue eyes, so sharp and cold, narrowed dangerously as they fixed on my smaller frame. “Excuse me?” His voice was low, quiet, but there was an unmistakable warning in it. I refused to back down. My heart was pounding, but I kept my chin high, my voice steady. “Let’s get a divorce,” I repeated, staring straight at him. For a moment, he just looked at me. Then, a slow scoff left his lips, his expression twisting into something between amusement and disbelief. “Is this your attempt to get back at me?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. His gaze shifted toward the dining table, where the untouched meal sat—an entire evening’s worth of effort wasted. Then, just as quickly, he looked back at me. “Because what?” His voice dripped with condescension. “I didn’t spend your birthday with you? Or is it the anniversary?” There was no remorse, not even a sliver of guilt in his tone, and that hurt mor
MARKThe next morning, as I stepped out of my room, ready for work, I noticed something—something was off. The house felt… empty. Too empty. “Good morning, Mr. Ronaldo,” Jennifer, the housekeeper, greeted as she approached with a cup of coffee. Alexa had sent her away last night for our "special occasion," yet here she was, back in her usual routine. “Your morning coffee, sir.” I took the cup and sipped. The taste was familiar, just the way Alexa always made it when I had a long, exhausting day. Was this her way of asking for an apology? If it was, it wasn’t enough. No one had ever dared to raise their hand against me before. If she wanted forgiveness, she should have the decency to say it to my face. I handed the cup back to Jennifer and glanced around. “Where’s Alexa?” Jennifer flinched at my question. My eyes narrowed. “I asked you a question.” She hesitated before blurting out in a rush, “I apologize, sir, but earlier this morning, the madam packed her bags and l
MARK“How is my general health condition?” I asked Doctor Jones who had come in early the next morning for my general checkup.It wasn’t the day for my doctor’s appointment, but being that I would have to return to going to the company every single day, I needed to be certain that I wasn’t putting my health at risk. The last thing I needed was fainting or passing out in the presence of everyone else.It was bad enough to ruin my reputation.“From what I am looking at, we have a little problem with your health,” Doctor Jones said and I looked at him instantly, worried and alert.“Problem? How do you mean?” I asked him, worry etched on my face. This was really the last thing I wanted to hear right now. Mr. Devon had already informed me that the stakeholders would not hold out for me any longer, especially with the fact that I was now unmarried. Besides, I really wanted to fully and completely be whole again, and the last thing I needed right now was to be told of more health challenges
ALEXAThe launch party had actually turned out to be better than I envisioned it to be, especially when Ivy tried to ruin it for me and ridicule me. By the time the party ended and Noelle and I found our way home, half of the men we invited had already booked a contract with me.“ATOM to the world, Alexa!” Noelle yelled in pure delight as we entered the living room.It was almost midnight and I was exhausted as could be, which was why Noelle’s enthusiasm surprised me greatly. I began to walk up the stairs with the intention to get to the bedroom, take a warm bath, and just sleep off the stress until dawn without thinking or worrying about anything else.At least, I still had a couple of days before I officially began working as a brand owner.“Where are you going?” Noelle asked and I managed to stop and turning around.I could not help the look of astonishment that filled my face when I saw Noelle holding a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses.“Gosh, no please,” I literally plea
IVY“Oscar!” I called in a whisper the moment I caught sight of him rounding the corner.It was a good thing that Mark was very engrossed in talking to the gentleman that he did not notice my reaction to seeing Oscar beside Alexa and hearing them both say that they were now together.I could have sworn that my heart exploded in that moment, and since then, I had been looking for every opportunity to talk to Oscar. I could not help it even if I wanted to. Fortunately, Mark had gone to use the restroom, and I hoped that he would stay there longer.Oscar turned and the moment he saw me, he walked to me with a cynical smile on his face.The corner we stood was very private and secluded, so no one would actually notice that we were standing and talking there. More so, these wealthy and influential men had no business sniffing their noses in places like this, and they were all carried away with trying to get a contract with Alexa or just mingling.Damn, I could not have hated Alexa more tha
MARKI thought my heart would explode when the young man appeared right beside Alexa and made that statement.At first, Alexa did not say a word, and I thought it was a silly prank, but I was wrong.“Yes, he is with me,” Alexa nodded in agreement.The other gentleman chuckled uncomfortably. It was obvious that he was lusting after Alexa earlier regardless of the fact that he was standing with another woman, which was very disgusting by the way, but now, he seemed flushed and disappointed. Well, I hoped that my own reaction to his was masked, because I would hate for people to think that I was affected by Alexa being with another man, especially after flaunting another woman.“Great news!” The gentleman said a little too loudly. “Women need men in their lives, especially those who run a business like this one,” he said, almost sounding dumb.I knew men like him; they had wives at home and also mistresses, but they were never enough for them. As many times as possible, they always wante
IVYI wanted to scratch Alexa’s face the moment she uttered that trash from her mouth, but Mark prevented me. I did not really care about creating a scene, because I had nothing to lose, but then again, Mark had been warning me off since I asked just one question.“How dare she?” I asked, fuming.“Just behave yourself,” Mark said.He looked and sounded more embarrassed than upset, and I wondered if he was regretting the fact that I picked out our matching colors for this event.“Why do you keep taking her side over me, Mark?” I asked.It was getting on my nerves too much and I hated it. “Since we arrived you have had your eyes glued on her and everything I have done has been disgusting to you,” I complained, because it was the damn truth.“Ivy, the right thing to do at an event is to act formal and cordial, but I doubt you have any knowledge of that, seeing that you barely even attend business functions and events. The only thing you are familiar with is parties and travels,” Mark sa
MARK“Why would you do that?” I whispered to Ivy, almost angry.My voice would have been high because of how angry and disappointed I was, but I knew better than to be loud. It would draw attention to us, and it wasn’t good for my reputation. “It was just a question,” Ivy said without remorse.“This isn’t the reason why I allowed you to come with me, Ivy. You shouldn’t have done that,” I scolded her.It had been some minutes since Alexa hurried off the stage, and even though her best friend was doing a very good job with covering up for her, I was worried about the outcome of her disappearance. I know I shouldn’t even be bothered, but I just couldn’t help it.There was something about Alexa Silver now that struck me.She was very different now. Seeing her in that dress and on stage addressing men of power, wealth, and influence intrigued me. She had now become the perfect definition of the woman of my dreams. I never knew that Alexa could be this beautiful and bold, and while she spo
ALEXAI went right into the dressing room, panting like a deer that had just completed a marathon. My heart was thumping really fast and my head was beginning to bang loudly.Noelle came in almost immediately.“Alexa, I am so sorry,” she said instantly. “I tried to prevent the coordinator from allowing her say a single word, but I couldn’t, and also, I did not want to give the crowd a bad impression,” Noelle explained hastily as though it was her fault.Yeah, it was because I didn’t also want to give out a wrong impression that I allowed Ivy mockingly and stylishly bully me. What she asked was a very sensitive question, and that alone was enough to ruin everything that we had both worked for. One thing that was for sure was that people were more than interested in knowing family secrets and stories. If they knew what was going on between my dad and I and why he wasn’t present, half of them might take their leave and never contact me for a business contract.“It is not your fault, Noe
ALEXAI was about starting my speech on the stage when I caught sight of Mark and Ivy who just entered the hall. Fortunately, I hadn’t already begun, otherwise their entrance would have stalled my speech, and everyone, or most people would have noticed. They were both dressed in matching colors, an obvious indication that they were a couple, and as Ivy clung dearly to Mark’s side, they almost looked like a pair made in heaven.Anyway, I had to quickly remind myself that I was on the stage, and that every prominent man in the hall were here because of me, waiting to address them. Whatever I would say now would determine if all this was worth it or if I was going to sink, and I reminded myself that I didn’t want to sink at all.“Good evening gentlemen and their ladies,” I started after taking a few deep breaths. I had already determined in my heart not to look in Mark and Ivy’s direction so that I wouldn’t lose focus. If I was to do this, I would have to do it well. “Thank you all for
MARK“You look dashing, honey,” Ivy purred as we met in the living room. “And we look perfect together,” she added with a smile on her face.It was time for Alexa’s party, and although Ivy’s dress looked fabulous and it was fitting for what I was also wearing, especially with the fact that we were a couple again now, I just couldn’t bring myself to feeling happy.The last twenty-four hours had been spent thinking about my choices and decisions.“Are you sure you really want to marry Ivy, especially with the fact that you have a sexual condition, and worse, thoughts of another woman in your head?”I had continued asking myself, but then again, my inheritance and position was at stake. I had already decided that after this party, I would be returning back to work.Mr. Devon was right; if I had paid rapt attention to the company’s policies, I would have known what was at stake, and at such, I would never have allowed that divorce pull through, but then again, it wasn’t until Alexa asked