-Three Hours Earlier-
Michael Barron sat in his office overwhelmed by many unfinished projects. There were several prospective acquisition propositions to be assessed and approved. Another long evening awaited him at work. He refrained from complaining as he battled the urge to read the private investigator’s report on his wife. Michael couldn’t understand his fixation on something irrelevant. He battled several emotions after the investigator informed him, she either was having an affair with some foolish author or she planned to leave him. Regardless, she no longer visited the spa and was now renting an apartment. She had him paying for her love nest. That irked him to no end.
Michael knew he needed to call her and ensure she avoided him. He couldn’t face her right now. Michael felt he would harm her or do something completely in appropriate. He knew it was too late about the latter problem.
He’d called his personal lawyer and ordered him to deliver a set of separation and divorce papers to him in the morning. By then, he knew his temper would have gone from fiery hot to ice cold. He’d use the threat of a divorce to force his wife to end whatever this torrid affair was. She couldn’t afford to divorce him because she’d have nothing. He owned it all, and she now depended on him completely for her survival.
This was all a culmination of several plans and an error in allowing his anger to outweigh his logic. He’d planned his life years in advance so that everything he did now worked toward a future goal.
Michael decided he’d marry his longtime lover and sometime girlfriend. After all, she was lucrative, and her family connections would benefit him in the future. That fit his goal to be in his first marriage before he was thirty. The first marriage was a trial run to determine if married life suited him and his desired lifestyle. Michael didn’t plan to stay with whoever he married for longer than five years.
He’d set up a series of tests for Aria to encounter. From working with the woman, she hated in college to signing a prenup. Aria showed her true colours quickly and headed for the hills, just like Leon said she would. She bulked at signing the prenup, so Leon offered to sweep her off her feet and take her away. Aria took him up on that offer. The worst ten thousand he’d lost in recent years.
Michael knew Aria would come to her senses and come crawling back, eventually. But he made sure that the ship sailed by adding several unenforceable clauses into the event planning contract. Juliette was so easy to push to sign the document. He barely felt a pang as she signed her life away to him for five years.
He’d written into the contract it was her responsibility to get the bride to the wedding. Failing that, she would have to replace the bride with a suitable replacement of his choice before the ceremony began.
Moments before walking down the aisle, he had her sign the prenup. He knew it was all a selfish dick move, but he’d done it.
The true dick move was blaming her for Aria leaving. Though he’d not had a single problem with Aria until he’d introduced Juliette as the wedding planner. Many problems followed, and Michael didn’t care, really. A wedding and five years of marriage ensued. But Aria did everything possible to make Michael believe Juliette was unprofessional and didn’t know her business.
Aria and Leon had a relationship that was filled with ups and downs. That relationship spanned three years now. Michael married Juliette and his life quickly lost the high drama aspect with Aria out of it. He could forget about Juliette and know when he got home, she’d be fine.
Having a wife didn’t stop him from having fun with anyone. She was often absent or out of her comfort zone. So, he left her at home.
When he didn’t want to attend a function, he would send her alone to handle it. She handled it like a pro once he taught her a few simple rules.
Besides his affair, his life ran smoothly, and he saw no reason to make any changes. He desired things to remain unchanged.
After placing a call to Juliette and having a rather odd but brief conversation with her. Michael contemplated whether he should go for dinner first or continue working.
With files and reports spread out over the glass top of his desk, he was deep in thought. He toyed with the tie he’d just removed when his heavy office door opened. Someone invaded his private space. Invaded by a bleach blonde with too much floral perfume and enough hair spray to hold a flag in place during a category five hurricane.
Aria Caine entered his office with a large takeout bag from a restaurant she knew he liked. Clad in a broad smile and a skirt that would give a wide belt a challenge over which one covered more flesh. Between the sky-high heels in bubble gum pink, and a matching purse, she’d found jewellery to match it. Lately, the woman resembled a lifelike cartoon character. She’d once been a classic beauty until she stopped using a stylist and made her own style decisions, believing she was a style influencer of some sort.
Currently, she and Leon were on the outs again and Michael knew this because Leon called him to warn him.
Every time she broke up with Leon, she came crawling back to Michael. Despite her cartoonish appearance, she still possessed beauty and a nice physique. Her daddy paid enough for it. Michael had no intentions of a long-term commitment with Aria, yet she seemed oblivious to her past actions and expected an engagement.
He was married, and she expected him to ask her to marry him. The hair spray seemed to have affected his memory, as he didn’t recall her being this simple.
“Hey Micky! I brought you something to eat. A big, powerful man like you can’t go hungry.” She knew Michael hated the name Micky, or any other nickname. But when she said it in that mock baby voice, it was cringe worthy for him. She’d barely entered his office, and he already felt annoyed with her.
Like most women, she serves some purpose in his life. She was only a source of sexual pleasure, with no other worth. When they broke up, Leon didn’t care about her actions or the people she associated with. Michael knew Leon wouldn’t perceive it as a betrayal. He knew how much Aria catted around on him between dating sprees.
“What do you want Aria? I’m working.” Did he want her to take care of some personal business for him?
“Micky, are you in a mood? Can I help you make it better?” Aria pouted as she leaned on the glass top of his desk, knowing she gave him a full view down the top of her blouse. The woman’s loose blouse revealed everything, since she wasn’t wearing a bra. She clearly offered him whatever he wanted. He wanted a moment of procrastination. Maybe he could forget it was her lips wrapped around his cock? He was also uncomfortable with that. Lately, he’d found he wasn’t interested in other women touching him intimately. Michael would usually brush it off as some weird anomaly. He was uneasy about testing a suspicion he had. Either he had lost interest in sex, or only his current wife could satisfy him. That part currently bothered him. What if he found his desired second wife before the five years were over? He pondered his desires too; what if he found his next wife less enticing than Juliette? Was his desire for her stronger now? Or could Aria make him forget? She used to do
Eventually, he tried to sleep, but that wasn’t working for him. He’d made her sleep with him and now he was used to holding her. Now a pillow was a poor substitute for her soft curves, even though it smelled like her shampoo and her. By morning, he was in an increased foul mood. Angry, he went to cancel her bank and credit cards. Her gym membership and her country club membership card. But he found he was too late. The cards and accounts had already been cancelled. In utter frustration, he texted her phone. [Where are you? Come home right now. This is ridiculous and absurd. We need to talk now.] The reply he expected to get never arrived. What he received was this: [I am home. The separation and divorce papers are all signed. The guests observed me signing the papers, and I have dated everything.] [They are on your desk in your home office. I added a business card to the pile with my lawyer’s contact
Juliette’s morning started out differently from her usual morning. She didn’t set her alarm, having slept in for once, because she could. If sleeping until seven in the morning counts as waking up late. Last night she took care of what she called ‘operation clean break.’ She cancelled her life with Michael, packed up the remains of it when she finished, and sent the pieces back to Michael. Actual pieces, she’d cut every card into many pieces. Let him figure out what he received. The last payment, thankfully, made to pay him back for paying her student debt, was in the bank account before she cancelled her card. She was free to start her new life without him. The payment was slightly larger, but she wanted to finish before he caught on. He’d argue about it until he had his way, and she was bound to him financially again. Despite all her efforts the previous night, she still experienced a moment of panic upon waking up naturally, without the aid of her
Michael received no answer when he went to the apartment building Juliette was supposed to have her love nest in. It annoyed him, but he came up with a phone number for this A.K. Crusader and when he called it, no one picked it up. It went straight to voicemail. A voicemail message clearly recorded by Juliette played. “Leave your name and number with a brief message.” This was only getting stranger as he went along. Michael didn’t want to talk to her lawyer. He wanted to talk to her. His investigator claimed he’d followed her and found her meeting with two men. One who followed her as she went shopping before returning to this apartment. They left shortly after arriving. A quick call to the investigator told him he was sitting outside of her lawyer’s office and the man went inside with her. Was this man A.K. Crusader? Michael wanted to know. “Who is he? Is he, her lover?” “I’m unsure about that currently, but he follows her around like a lost puppy dog. I’ve not seen them kiss o
“Aria, what are you doing tonight?” “Oh, I don’t know. What am I doing? You tell me Michael.” He briefly glanced at his phone. Didn’t she run out of his office last night with her lipstick smeared over her lips? She was embarrassed because Leon called him while she was trying to give him a blowjob. This was another strike against her. Michael knew he couldn’t stand to have a stupid wife. She’d have to prove she’s smarter than she sounds right now for him to even entertain the idea. “Not now, maybe later Aria. I need to get into an art gallery this evening for a private showing. It’s the Levee Gallery. Are you familiar with it? Would you have a connection there? Who could get us in there?” Michael waited for the disappointed whine from her when she realized this wasn’t a booty call. “Oh, that’s perfect Michael. I thought I’d have to miss it all together, because I would not attend alone. Nothing more boring than wandering as the const
Julie entered the bathroom in a hurry. She didn’t want to miss anything. Julie wanted Hugh Dawson, the artist, to see her as acceptable. Who’d been sweet enough to do her book covers for nothing but only for her mention that he’d created them for her? She mentioned every time he made the covers for her. With three books published, his name appeared on each cover as the cover’s creator, beneath her name as the author. Tonight, Hugh wanted to unveil publicly the cover of her fourth book for her to thank her for the exposure of her books gave his work. Rising Tides and Passions Voyage, was her latest novel, a second chance romance of two single people on a couple’s cruise. Julie was nervous he’d expose her identity in his showy excitement. She told Hugh that she’d be here, but she didn’t want him to identify her as the author. Juliette stressed that this was his event, and she didn’t want to detract any attention from him. She wanted to avoid people seeking photos or autographs from her.
“Did I see you with Juliette Monroe? Where did she go?” Michael said. His casual ability to sound both polite and superior simultaneously amazed Julie. “Julie went to use the restroom before the event to avoid missing anything.” Beckett Heinz, or Beck as his friends called him, said. “So, you are friends of hers?” Michael asked. He then continued when Aria rudely interrupted him. Julie didn’t know how Aria wasn’t feeling annoyed by the wild swinging of her drop earring. They sparkled intensely, as Aria sought maximum attention. Even now, Julie worried her outfit was too understated for this gathering. Unlike Aria’s over the top outfit. They expected creativity from Julie and crazy from Aria. Aria’s words ran right over Stephen Jones, Julie’s agent. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Michael dear?” Aria said in a loud voice with a huge smile. She wasn’t really asking. She demanded to be the centre of attention. “We work w
Michael finally found Juliette. He couldn’t believe she’d wear that dress here. It was too far beneath her station and his. What was she thinking? She owned a closet full of appropriate clothing, and if that didn’t work, he would rent or buy something for her. She was his wife, after all. Then he remembered exactly why he needed to speak with her. He ignored Aria. The woman grew tired of chasing him. Juliette appeared uncomfortable, and the look on her face told him he wasn’t welcome. Michael wanted to be heard and understand the truth of what was going on, with no further interruptions. Who were these two men? She had been discussing their marriage, and Stephen felt entitled to share his opinion, as if it held any weight. “Michael, before you say anything. I have nothing to say to you. I know they did not invite you and I have told you never to contact me directly. If you need to contact to me, go through my lawyer.” He noticed she