Chapter 9 - The Woman Beside Him

"Kristen? Did I hear the voice of a man?" James asked, a gust of anxiety and jealousy flurried into his heart. 

"I have to hang up, I'm still at work." Kirsten ended the call before any of the two men could speak again.  

Matthew was displeased to hear her lie. 

"Who is that and why did you lie?" Matthew asked, his cold voice made Kirsten tremble. However she quickly recovered and answered back.

"A friend. And I wasn't lying, remember I am working for you. Am I right?" She responded and sidled away from him, completely forgetting her reason why she came to the kitchen. 

Matthew watched with a scowl as Kirsten walked out of the kitchen. He followed her to the bedroom and she was already under the sheet. Her eyes were closed and her back was facing his side of the bed.  

She didn’t move a bit even when she felt the sheet being lifted and he climbed onto the bed. All of a sudden, a hand was pressed against her shoulder and she was turned to face him. Too sudden, leaving her stunned to be able to dodge when he dipped his head to claim her lips for a domineering kiss. 

***

Early in the morning, Kirsten woke up. She went into a fit of coughing the moment she woke up. This woke Matthew up from his deep sleep. He reached out for her back and gently stroked it. 

Distressed by her coughing fit, Matthew got up from the bed and took large strides to the kitchen. Carrying with him a glass of warm water lemon with honey, he returned to their bedroom.  

"Drink it," he said as he continued to stroke the back of the coughing woman. 

Kirsten looked at the glass and lifted her eyes to him, with a faint smile she said, “Thank you.” And then took the glass and guzzled the liquid.

His action wiped away her grievances against him. He wasn't bad after all. Perhaps it was just his personality. He didn't smile and he talked too little. 

Using his thumb, he wiped the droplet of water on her lower lip. As if electric current surged through her body at the sudden contact of his thumb to her lip. 

To check if she was having a fever, he cupped her face and slid them down to her neck. Kirsten blue eyes grew wide and her mouth agape in trepidation and Matthew caught it all. 

"You're thinking that we're going to do it again, isn't it?" The corner of his lips curled up a little bit but Kirsten missed it. 

"You were exhausted from all that we did the night before. Get some more rest," Mattthew tucked her under the sheet. 

Blushing, she closed her eyes as she couldn't look the man in the eyes and only opened them slowly when she felt him leave. 

Matthew was already in his suit when he re-emerged in the room later. 

He sat at the edge of the bed and said, "Rest and don't go anywhere." 

"Can I go to see my mom and brother?" She wore a pitiful look on her face. She was just testing if she could persuade him using this tactic. 

"Okay." His brief answer was proof that he was a man of few words. 

Truly missing her mom and brother so badly, Kirsten was so happy that he didn’t object and allowed her. Euphoric, she sat up surprising the man as she hugged his neck, whispering in his ears. “Thank you.”

Wordlessly, Matthew just patted her back lightly before standing up and straightening his suit. 

Kirsten looked up to him and checked his expression but his face gave no hint of what was going on in his mind. The man walked straight to the door. Not a back glance was given to her. 

Kirsten shrugged her shoulders. She lowered her feet on the parquet flooring and ambled to the bathroom. 

***

"Sweetie, you look beautiful in your dress," Gillian praised her daughter. "Does your new job pay more than your previous job?" Gillian could tell that the dress was expensive. 

She didn't know any expensive brands but merely looking at the fabric and design of the dress, it was surely expensive. 

The muscles on Kirsten's face tensed for a while making her smile froze, shortly her face relaxed and answered, "Yes, mom. But it will really take a lot of my time. But I will talk to my boss if he can give me at least a day off during the weekends." 

"I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult place, sweetie," Gillian said with watery eyes. 

Kirsten wasn't her eldest child but she was the one she came to rely on as her eldest daughter married early without finishing her studies. It was just her husband who was working for their family and she didn't want to ask her daughter's help worried that it would strain their marriage. 

"Don't cry mom, everything will be fine after a year. My debt will be paid at that time and I will be spending more time with you and Knox.” Kirsten hugged her mom. 

Kirsten couldn’t forget how her mom took several jobs just to raise them and all those years she never once heard her mom complain despite the hardship she went through just to provide them shelter and food on the table. 

“Where’s Knox?” Kirsten coughed violently as soon as she asked. 

Their apartment was just a small two bedroom apartment, Knox could hear her voice from the bedroom but he didn’t come out. She and Knox have a close relationship and it was unusual that her brother didn’t come out. 

“He went to play with his friends.” Gillian’s voice faded as she went to the kitchen. 

Her eyes watered to hear that Knox came out to play. Her sacrifice has paid off as her little brother was back to his normal life as a kid. 

Gillian went back to the living room with a glass of warm water. “Drink it.” 

“Thanks mom,” she took the glass of water and drank it. 

Gillian lovingly stroked Kirsten’s shoulder length wavy auburn hair. 

Kirsten settled her head on her mom’s lap after drinking the water. She just loved it when her mom stroked her hair. 

***

“Kirsten, James is here to pick you,” Knox screamed upon seeing James standing outside.

“Coming!” Both James and Knox smiled when they heard her voice. 

“How are you buddy?” James ruffled Knox hair and the latter pouted. 

“Don’t ruffle my hair, I’m no longer a boy,” Knox said and rearranged his hair that had been disarrayed. 

“You’re still a boy,” simultaneously, James and Knox looked at Kirsten. 

James was stunned to see her wear a dress. Since the time he knew her, she’d always worn jeans and a shirt. 

He was mesmerized. She was beautiful even clad in jeans and shirts but she was even more beautiful in dress. 

“I’m not,” Knox answered, still pouting. 

“You’ll always be my little brother,” Kirsten tugged at James arm and walked away with him giving no chance for Knox to retort. 

***

“You’ve changed a lot after resigning,” Sherry commented looking at her friend. “You looked even more beautiful and refined. You must have found a good employer.” 

A blush spread on Kirsten’s face, remember her intimate act with her boss - cum -husband. Apart from Mr. Rossi, no one in the restaurant knew about the transaction that happened. They only knew that she found a high paying job. 

While the two women were busy talking, James dipped his hand in his pocket and took out his phone. He lifted his phone as if he was reading a message but he actually surreptitiously captured a photo of Kirsten. 

“Let’s meet again next week,” James proposed after they were done eating. 

“I’m sorry, I can't. I just started with my new work and I don’t want to leave a bad impression,” Kirsten said and lowered her head, feeling bad, lying to her friends. 

“I have been asking you to work as my assistant but you refused,” James expressed sadly. 

Kirsten shook her head. Working for James would spell disaster. All hell would break loose if she accepted the work. James’ sister Jenny Lincoln would never give her and James a peaceful life. 

“Guys, I have to go, Gustaff is waiting for me at my apartment,” Sherry waved her phone a sign that she received a message from her boyfriend, Gustaff Muscin. 

Sherry dashed towards the door after giving a peck on Kirsten’s cheek. 

While James handed his card to the waiter, Kirsten received a message from Matthew saying that he won’t be going home. And she appreciated him for informing her rather than ignoring her. 

Kirsten lifted her gaze away from her phone when she heard James say, “Let’s go?”

Like a gentleman James tucked Kirsten hand on the nook of his arm as they left the restaurant. 

Beautiful smiles bloomed on her face as James whispered something funny. But her smile froze when her gaze landed on the man who told her that he wasn’t coming home. Beside him, a beautiful and tall lady with her arms hooked around his arm. 

Matthew and the woman were obviously not going to the restaurant but to the hotel. So this was the reason he wasn’t going home. 

Who was the woman beside him? There was something between him and the woman. 

Inside Matthew was a whirlpool of anger as he recognized the man. He was the man that hugged Kirsten on the balcony two days prior to their wedding. 

Kirsten looked away and kept her pace but abruptly stopped when Matthew called her. “Kirsten.” 

James halted in surprise. ‘Why did Matthew Roosevelt know Kirsten?’ 

Monalisa’s mood became foul when he called a woman’s name, “Do you know her, Matt?”