Selborne 's POVMaxwell Ratliff 's attack took me by surprise. The smile on my face when l saw him turned into a grimace as his fist connected with my jaw. As l landed on my back, the uppermost question in my mind was why.I met Max through Dr Ralph. Our friendship was cordial, we respected each other and never once had a disagreement. I thanked the stars there were people around us, otherwise i would be a goner. Max and I were almost the same size and weight. The difference between us was he worked out while my visits to the gym were sporadic. His bodyguards whisked me away to the hospital. I lied about the source of my injuries during the physical examination. It was embarrassing to tell my colleagues a friend beat me and i had no idea why. “Dr, you have strained your back, you have to stay overnight. From tomorrow you are on one week leave.” The attending physician gave me the devastating news. My job was the only exciting thing in my life. My relationship with Cathy was new, l

Nora's POV My heart threatened to stop. I eyed the water dispenser and wished somebody could fetch me a glass of water. I got to my feet, my weak knees carried me to the water dispenser. I gulped glass after glass of water, l stopped when my stomach revolted. The water revived my strength. This was it, the end of my marriage. Marylin was my last hope, if she was like this then the whole Ratliff family hated me. I could feel my heart bursting into flames and turning to ashes. My contractual marriage to Max turned into something beautiful. He initially hated the marriage but came around. He showered me with so much love l had no choice but to love him back. As I stood swaying in my mother in law's office, the urge to fight for my marriage resurfaced. The how part would come later. I decided to visit my husband again, if he killed me, so be it.I shuffled to the door, my joints heavy. I opened the door and peeked out, Marylin stood with her back to me, talking to a waiter. I quickene

Nora's POV I was transfixed to the spot until Max’s fleet of cars vanished from my sight. I leaned on the car door for a long time, the dizziness passed. I trudged to my office on lead feet. Upon reaching the office, l laid down on the couch, the ceiling pattern fascinated me.I counted each flower painted on it, l got tired after the twentieth flower. My eyes closed, images of my first encounter with Max danced behind my eyes. The violence of our first meeting morphed into a beautiful marriage until the devil decided to visit. Behind my closed eyes, tears trickled down on both sides of my temples. I wiped them away as they raced towards my ears. Somebody knocked and entered without permission. “You have heard? Here l was thinking l'm the bearer of good news, apparently someone beat me to it.”I sniffed and propped myself on my elbow, “ what are you blabbering about Ross?.” “Your baby daddy of course, you are bawling because of that twit?.”I gave him the evil eye, “Ross, if you h

Max's POV I played with the stapler, my body in my office but my mind on the other side of town.Nora's potent stare stayed with me for days after it happened. Her reaction did not surprise me. On my way to the hospital, l rewinded our night of intimacy and subsequent days. Nora laid bare her innermost emotions. My body felt her love for me by the way her round, dove, hooded eyes stared into mine, the way she sniffed me as if imprinting my scent in her memory bank, her soft touch as her hands glided over the contours of my body. The hatred l perceived on her pale face contrasted with the love that deep down l knew was reserved for me, nobody else. Navigating through life minus my wife chipped away at my resolve to divorce her. Her scent lingered in our bedroom, her ornaments scattered throughout our bedroom maimed me emotionally. I deserted our bedroom and migrated to the guest room.In the initial stages of my talks with the guys l resisted the idea of divorce, did a turnabout a

Nora's POV Plans to leave the country progressed slowly but steadily. Cathy earned her mantle. She liaised between me and her uncle, who was a head honcho at the medical training university in Zurus. Emails were exchanged almost everyday. I got the job. Cathy introduced us the first time she visited me. I changed direction everytime he appeared, he instilled fear in the students, me included. He did not remember me physically but said he recalled a fidgety, shy girl his nephew brought before him years ago.In the last week prior to my departure, Cathy and l met at The Wolverine, Shad Roland's classy hotel. The prices were atrocious, the food out of this world, it was worth it. I treated Cathy to lunch after the hard work she did. She exclaimed as we took our seats, “ girl, you have become somebody in a short period. Wolverine no less, l salute you.” She gave me a mock salute.“You deserve it. Friends like you are scarce, i'm a lucky babe.”Post lunch we stretched our legs at the pu