"Richard was never with Catherine?""He was never with her," the lady admitted. "He tried but never got the chance to be with her because she kept rejecting him each time he made an advance toward her.""And how do you know all this?" Edna asked."Because he told me. He was never bothered to mention the fact that he tried getting her but each time failed no matter what he did."Edna noticed the edge in her tone when she spoke. The lady was clearly trying to suck in her emotions but she wasn't handling it well."How did that make you feel?" Edna wanted to know. She was trying to take advantage of the lady's vulnerability and it was working."I've never felt good about it," the lady stated. "It was disrespectful to me because he was always rubbing it unknowingly to my face that I would never be good enough for him. Of course, it hurts to know that.""Yet that didn't stop you from staying with him.""I love him. That's all that matters."Edna shook her head. She couldn't believe her ears
"Okay, okay. I'll speak."It was then that Derek decided to let the man go. But even when he did that, it was kind of rough that the man almost fell to the ground.He watched as the man adjusted the shirt he was wearing in order to look more appropriate. He also noticed the scars on the man's face which came from beating him up.Derek had never been prouder of something he had done than this."It was never Catherine," Richard finally confessed."Then why did you lie to me that it was her?""How on earth was I to admit that I was messing around with someone that I made to look so much like her?""So you're telling me now that you made someone impersonate as my wife just so you could fulfill whatever stupid fantasy of yours, is that it?""It wasn't a fantasy.""Shut up, you idiot!" Derek barked at him. "You shouldn't even have the mouth to talk now that I know all this! I should involve the police at this point."The man didn't seem fazed by his threat of the police. He wasn't surprised
"After blackmailing Catherine and not getting a positive response from her, I decided to stalk her in order to get more evidence about her relationship with that man," Richard stated."What did you get from stalking her?" Derek wanted to know."I was able to find out about her strange movements. She always left the company at noon and I figured it was the man she went to meet each time. But I never got enough evidence to back that up because it seemed she knew she was being followed and so hid her tracks well."So, Nadia wasn't lying about her going out of the company every afternoon, Derek thought. Except that all along, it wasn't with whom he thought she did it with.How was there a man in the picture that he had no idea about? Was this so-called man the reason she attempted an abortion if she actually had one?He still had to deal with the man in front of him first which was why he decided to put off the thoughts from his head for the time being."All this while, and I'm talking ab
"So terrible that you had to delete any evidence you had against her?" Derek asked."That kind of terrible, yes," Richard agreed. "Asides from being a senior manager at the Jackson and Sons Consortium, I don't know if you know that I run a small enterprise with my wife. It's sort of like a family business passed down to us.""Yeah, Edna told me.""Well, I'm sure she forgot to tell you that all of a sudden at some point, our enterprise went from bringing in huge profit for us to almost getting us bankrupt.We went from being a top small enterprise to almost getting the business confiscated from us.""The only thing she told me was that you have neglected the business and it's mostly her doing these days.""She isn't wrong about that. But before I decided to let the business go and focus on my position as a senior manager of the Jackson and Sons Consortium, we lost major deals and potential clients.Not just that, we also lost ongoing clients and every other partner that worked with us.
Night time came and Derek left the office in his car. He had all his stuff packed at the backseat and it almost looked like he was going for a ride out of the city.For the first time in more than a week, he wasn't going to be spending the night in a hotel. After deliberating throughout the evening, he finally decided it was time to go back home.He wasn't sure how Catherine was going to take his sudden return back home. He wasn't even sure if she would be home. But it was time for him to face his fears and get more facts from all of this.Just because of the fear he had in him about going home to meet her, he intentionally rode slowly all the way to the apartment.Normally, he was the type of driver that would wish everyone would be at least a bit faster than normal while not exceeding the speed limit. However, this time, things were different.Eventually, he arrived at the apartment. For about a minute or more, he stayed inside the car without getting down from it.Different thought
The next day, Derek planned a proper meeting with Nadia. He asked her to meet him at any location she pleased and she chose a waffle house for confidentiality.He arrived at the waffle house few minutes before the appointed time and got himself a table while waiting for the lady to arrive.When he checked the time on his wristwatch, he figured it was twenty-five minutes after seven. It was enough time for him to finish up with the little meeting and get home to his wife.Nadia arrived something around seven forty-three, a bit later than the appointed time.Immediately, she apologized, "Sorry for keeping you waiting. Was caught up with a task at work.""It's fine," he told her with a neutral tone as he wasn't even that bothered about her tardiness."Do they have anything chilled here? I'm hot," Nadia announced as she blew on her face with her hand."I'm sure they do. Waiter," Derek helped call the waiter who arrived in a few seconds. "Get the lady anything cold, thank you."The waiter
Several days passed but Derek still hadn't gotten a word yet from Marcus about what he asked him to look into.He was growing impatient because the lack of information was keeping him on hold from doing what he had to do to get more details on what Catherine's activities have been in general.It even made him worried that he wasn't going to be getting any news from Marcus in a long time coming.At the Cora Limited, there was an ongoing meeting that involved him and other members of the team that conducted the deal with New Age Holdings.The board decided to meet with them in order to congratulate them on getting through with a project as huge as that.Of all people in the conference room, Derek was the least interested. His private life was in shambles and he was trying to figure a way to deal with it.The irony of it all was how he was able to secure a deal but not secure his home. Made him wonder what type of man he was.Immediately after the whole congratulatory meeting ended, Dere
Being the weekend, Derek was able to take some time off to check the hospital himself. He still hadn't gotten anything from Marcus and couldn't wait anymore for him.Before leaving the house, he lied to Catherine that he wanted to meet with a business partner whereas his destination was someplace else.One thing he noticed about Catherine's attitude when he was informing her about where he was headed was that she was nonchalant about it.It was the first time he was seeing her acting that way to him but he couldn't figure out what that meant.He arrived at the hospital much later after about one hour drive. Riverdale Health Centre was largely inscribed at the top of the hospital building as he got down from his car to assess it.Finding his way into the building, he first went to the counter where two nurses could be found on duty."What can we do for you, sir?" one of them asked him as he looked around the hallway, noticing that it looked similar to the picture that Nadia showed him.
"What are you talking about?" Marcus asked, his expression a mixture of confusion and surprise."You know what I'm talking about. Stop acting like you don't," Derek said."Well, I don't. And I'll be leaving now before you consume me with your bullshit.""The past two weeks made me realize something, Marcus. And it's the fact that your enemies are actually the ones closer to you. You have been my enemy for but u didn't know all these while.""Did you drink something? Why are you speaking nonsense? And since when did I become your enemy?"Derek stood up, facing the man directly. "That's a good question… When?""Can you two sit your asses down and explain to me what is going on here?" Catherine said to them, almost screaming at them.Derek looked at the woman. "I haven't said you should talk," he told her."And since when did you get to give me how and when I should talk?""Since I found out that my allegation against you has always been true."Catherine wasn't getting a hang of what was
As Marcus was reluctantly finding a way to get in between the couple, Catherine, who still had a frown etched on her face, whispered to Derek."What is he doing here? I thought it's supposed to be just you and me," she said with a stern tone."I know I said that. But Marcus is just here to join us briefly. I can promise that his stay here won't be for long then we can have the time to ourselves," Derek told his wife.Catherine wasn't buying that. And she was this close to telling him to send Marcus away when the man eventually came back with an empty chair which he placed in the middle of the couple.Marcus took a seat but was still confused about what was going on because this wasn't what he had in mind when he got the invitation from Derek to show up at Kingston Hotel."What's going on here, Derek? Why is there a cake on your table? Is it someone's birthday?" Marcus directed the question to Derek while trying to make a guess.He couldn't deny that he noticed the hard stare Catherine
"I'm home," Derek announced as soon as he got into his apartment. "Where are you, Kathy?" he called out as he went to take a seat just so be could relax himself."I'm upstairs," was the response he got from his wife to which he nodded."Alright, I'm coming."Two minutes later, after getting a cup of water, he was on the way to their room upstairs with his briefcase in his hand. He was sure that the woman would be busy when he gets there and it was no surprise that she was on her laptop when he got there.She was sitting close to where the mirror in the room was and he watched her from where he was standing, seeing that she was typing into her laptop. There was also a document on her laptop which she kept glancing at occasionally.He dropped the briefcase on the bed and then took off his jacket which he also placed on the bed. Then he walked over to her, standing right behind her.In that position, he bent and put his hands around her waist. "What are you doing?" he asked as he whisper
"How did it go?" Derek asked the lady who seemed to be more interested in the ice cream she was consuming than him."How did what go?" Gina asked in return as she scooped a mouthful from the cone. As the cream melted down her mouth, she felt a sensation that made her giggle without a care in the world."Now that was weird," Derek stated but then got back to his question. "How did the meeting with Eugene go? Was he able to convince you this time around?"Gina wanted to take another scoop from the ice cream when she heard that question which then put her to a halt."Hmph, of course not. I already told you that I wouldn't be accepting his offer, didn't I? It seems like you forgot to relay my message to him," she said and then got back to her ice cream.At that point, Derek was getting annoyed with how immersed she was in it. He just had to hold in his annoyance lest he snaps at her."I did relay your message but it was too late for him to turn back," he told her."So you mean you just to
"I think it would have been better if you had called me before coming over to the company. What if I was away? It means you would have wasted a full trip down here," Derek said in a scolding manner to the woman sitting opposite him.Edna didn't care about what he was saying and she revealed that completely through her expression. It was as if she just wanted him to talk and then get through with it."At least I met you in, didn't I? I don't understand why you're making a big deal out of it," the woman said.Derek didn't respond to that, perhaps worried that he was going to speak out of line if he did."So, why did you reject my offer? You had a long time to decide and at the end of it, you said no. There has to be a reason. And it had better be a good one."He sat there quietly for some time before he finally decided on saying something."It doesn't feel right, Edna."The woman's gaze at him was a mixture of stern and confusion. "What doesn't? Owning a business or my offer?" she asked
Derek felt a little tired as he walked back into the Cora Limited after having lunch at the eatery down by the road. It was supposed to be his go-to place whenever work got overwhelming but today was just different.He just wanted to try something different other than skipping meals or simply just having something little in the company's eatery which only made light snacks.He knew that having a meal at his go-to eatery would affect his work rate but he was willing to risk it.A honk from a car caught his attention right after he passed by the parking lot. He was sure that it was for him which was why he turned around to find out which car had honked at him.It didn't take him too long to find the car as well as the person who operated it. And right out of that very car, Eugene Leviathan stepped out, looking all smiley like there was something good he wanted to talk about."Mr. McKay. Good to see you again," Eugene Leviathan said to Derek like it was the first time he was seeing him i
"Who's that again?" Gina asked, trying to rack her brain for any information related to the name Derek just told her."The ex-wife of Richard Langston," Derek responded."Wait, isn't that the man that you thought was having an affair with your wife?""Yes.""Oh. So when did you get this close to his wife so much that she offered you her business to handle?"The way Gina said it made it seem like he was having an illicit affair with Edna and that didn't look good at all."Ex-wife, Gina. They are divorced now. And the way you say it, it sounds like I'm doing something wrong with her.""I never implied it that way. You're the one with the ideas here," she defended herself."Whatever," he said. "Edna and I kept in touch after we both realized that we were chasing the wrong thing. But it didn't change the fact that her husband was a chronic cheat.Anyways, their business was handed over to her by the court but she doesn't want to be around here anymore which is why she wants someone else t
The sudden sound of something slamming on to his desk knocked Derek out of his thoughts. It came as a shock, that for a few seconds, he couldn't get a hold of himself."What did you do that for?" he asked through gritted teeth. He was furious at the person that did that just to get his attention."I've been calling your name but you didn't hear me." He heard Gina's voice and that meant she was that person."Well, you should have called harder."He had to put both hands over his face just to take out the wobbly feeling that had overwhelmed him from the shock.He was still furious at that point. If it had been someone else other than Gina, he would have taken his frustration out on the person. He could only keep his rage to himself because of her."I'm sorry," Gina apologized. "I shouldn't have done what I did but I was getting scared when you didn't answer which was why I resorted to that."He looked up at her. "What happened to tapping me, Gina? Wouldn't that have been much better?""
"You do realize it's my weekend you're consuming," Derek pointed out to Jasmine who was dragging him."I know," she said. "But there's no one else I could call."She came to his place that afternoon and told him that she had an event to attend but didn't have anyone to go with which was why she decided to come to his place.He had declined the offer at first but she kept insisting and even resorted to pulling him out of the house. If Catherine had been home, the sight wouldn't have been pretty.At one point, when they were about to get to his car, he pulled his arm out of her reach."I can't follow you," he told the lady who turned around to face him."But why?" she asked with a pout."I've got to go to work tomorrow, Jasmine. I can't afford a day out at this time when I should be resting.""And I'll be out of the city by tomorrow too. Let me have this, please."Her emphasis on the 'please' was a bit infuriating due to the way she made mention of it. It was as if she wanted to do anyt