Leon knew Aria wouldn’t last with Michael. Michael didn’t realize that Aria and he were too toxic with each other. Michael needed tender loving care. Leon possessed something that Michael never experienced in his childhood. He also knew Michael completely denied this and tried to ignore his need for love or caring of any kind completely. Aria, too, tried initially to use their similarities to gain Michael’s attention. She, however, learned that attention worked well as a weapon and a tool. It didn’t solve or achieve anything with Michael, though. Her purpose using the sympathy and pathetic card served her, including pity for profit, benefits from sex to gain a place to stay. She also used it to punish people. Aria manipulated people to create discord for her own trivial motives. Aria destroyed her competition like that and hurt those that might block her from gaining her latest desire. Everyone believed Leon caved to Aria’s every whim, but in private, he didn’t. He knew he
Michael came home to find Aria’s luggage in the main entrance hall of the condo. This appeared to be easier than he’d expected. Michael planned to toss Aria out on her ear tonight. Yet, it appeared unlikely to happen now. It looked like Aria was taking the initiative and leaving on her own. He wondered if that meant she finally wanted nothing to do with him. He believed it was too good to be true. On their wedding day, she left him for Leon. Michael’s ego hurt more than his pride that day and he’d been blaming Juliette for every screw up. He’d listened to Aria and regretted going with Juliette to plan the wedding arrangements. Aria insisted on Juliette as the wedding planner, and Michael couldn't refuse. He dropped large amounts of money on anything and everything Aria wanted. He loved the way she treated him when she felt happy. Now he knew that happy for Aria was but a fleeting concept for her. Michael couldn’t be happy with her, and Aria couldn’t be happy
“He’s so mean, Leon, and everything is about him is just spiteful. I'm unable to fulfill any of his requests. I have no idea what to do. That’s why we hired servants. Baby, he doesn’t even know how to satisfy me like you do.” Aria was back to her childlike personality and pouting as she said this. Her entire appearance appeared if she’s been to hell and back again with Michael in control of her torture sessions. Michael snorted when he heard her words. His life was hell, and Aria didn’t help at all. He’d spent the week miserable with his existence and how unprepared his life had become without Juliette in it. Aria could have picked up Juliette’s mantle and stayed. Instead, Aria tried to manipulate him the entire week. She tried to compare the so perfect Leon to how unfair Michael acted toward her. Aria regretted leaving Leon after just a few minutes of talking. Michael became the monster in this situation as well. He found that part both insulting and annoying. He had no o
Promptly at ten in the morning, Michael and his lawyer sat at a conference table waiting for Juliette and her lawyer to enter the room. “You really want to use this clause? I’ll tell you it might not be enforceable in the courts and her lawyer may call you on it.” This new lawyer didn’t mince his words when he talked to Michael about it, and he didn’t hold back his opinion either. Michael had mixed opinions over this. The lawyer could cause problems later, but he appreciated his honesty and thorough analysis. “They’re late. Yes, I won’t sign the divorce papers until I know what is going on,” Michael stated determinedly as he adjusted his tie. He could never get the knot of how he liked it. His shirt felt wrinkled, and he’d run out of his favourite hair product. He wanted Juliette back where she belonged. There’s no way she could be happy alone. Did she take her medicine? Could she live on what she made from her books? Was there a lover? Or not? He
Michael could see she hadn’t taken her medication. She needed it to regulate the chemicals in her brain. He knew if she didn’t, this confrontation could cause many problems for her. “Juliette, you need to remember to take your medication regularly. Refusing it now is a terrible idea. How will you manage the rest of your day? Gentlemen, as you can see, my wife needs supervision to function and meet the demands of her life. I fully intend to provide that care. This is not acceptable. This was a terrible error, and I am unwilling to let it stand. If my wife wants a divorce, she will have to prove to me we can’t have a good marriage. We can revisit this in six months’ time. Until then, my wife will move back into our home, and we will resume our marriage in all ways. I will consider marriage counselling at a later date if it’s needed. It's not up for negotiation; I'll bring this before a judge if necessary.” “What? I don’t understand. You always told me our marriage was a tri
Juliette didn’t know what to do. Michael often wouldn’t accept the word no from someone if he wanted something badly enough. Could she survive through a lunch with Michael? It felt hard now, just sitting across from him. Juliette’s imagination had her believing Michael stared at her with a hungry stare. Like he’d missed being able to find his satisfaction by using her body. Oh, he didn’t leave her wanting satisfaction. Michael only failed to ask permission to her body and time. Juliette wanted to distract herself from these thoughts. She wanted him to have her for lunch, not take her out for lunch. He enjoyed that and his mouth skills were beyond talented, and headed towards masterful. This upset Juliette, because she’d not experience that satisfaction again. She closed her eyes, reminding herself of Michael's desire for her return. Doing exactly what she did before she’d left. “Juliette? You need to eat. I know you’ve not eaten. I can see it on
"Michael, you don't have to do this." I’m not completely incompetent. You don’t have to do this,” Juliette said as they finished their meal. “I don’t see why you suddenly out of the blue go from hating me to kicking me out of your life, and now, you’re insisting we try again. I don’t understand you at all.” She needed to understand this. “Is this all a game for you?” “It’s my life Juliette, I don’t play games with it.” Their conversation had taken a turn somewhere, and he didn’t like it. “No, but you do with mine.” Juliette said this. But he barely heard her. She mumbled this meekly, with no heat to her words. Her words almost sounded hollow. “I can't do anything to make you sign the divorce papers and end this sooner than expected.” “Six months, Juliette, and an honest attempt at fixing things.” Juliette had to stop looking at her plate to see his reaction to her next words. "How can you repair something that was already broken?" Thi
When they arrived at the front of her building. “I’ll have Edward pick you up from here. When would you finish? I want you home for dinner.” “I don’t know. Whenever I finish with all the responses to my readers. I'm uncertain about the duration, but I doubt we'll finish before dinner. He never cared if she ate with him before this. Michael only wanted to know dinner was ready and waiting for him. She only dined with him during their pretend married couple role-playing sessions at night. Dinner and sex before bed were his idea of what married life was about. Michael didn’t like what he heard from her. This didn’t bode well for her health. He now knew that she couldn’t burn the midnight oil, so to speak, without paying a high price for doing that. “You’re going to make yourself sick working like that, Juliette.” “Well, if I do, at least my being divorced from you means you won’t suffer from my failings. Ready to sign the documents yet?”