Ryan's eyes wandered around the room to see if there was anyone else she was speaking to. No one. His eyes darted back to her. A rapist? Is she starting to run out of her mind?
“What are you talking about?” Ryan forced himself to ask even though what he wanted to do right now was to throw anything he could possibly throw, turn the room upside down to show Stephanie that she isn't the only one capable of getting mad.
She stared at him, anger visible on her face. "So it has now come to this, huh? Drugging me just so you can sleep with me?" She didn't shout this time.
Drug? Ryan tried to stand up but his body felt numb again. The last thing Stephanie should ever think of if she had even the slightest bit feeling for him was that he would drug her. And to think she was the one who seduced him last night… his mouth opened slightly to say something, but no words came out. All the words in his head wanted to rush out at once. He couldn't even form a sentence to deny what she was accusing him of.
Stephanie threw another shoe at Ryan. Her hand shook slightly in mad anger as she gathered the blanket around her and walked to the drawer. If she had known that this is what Ryan would resolve to make them have a child, she would have sent him to another room.
"It seems just like you, Ryan." She stopped when she got to the drawer. "Drugging and raping me just because you think a child will solve your poverty problem."
She opened the drawer and threw out things from it.
"You think getting me pregnant would make me consider you as a proper man?" She threw one drug tablet toward him to make sure he feels his stupidity. Only that the Ryan she knew doesn't have any feeling of stupidity. Maybe it's his lack of ambition that makes it impossible for him to think like a normal man. Hell, a normal man!
"To hell with you, Ryan!" She shouted, still looking for the emergency contraceptives.
"To hell with you if you think I'm going to have a child for a loser."
If humiliation were a currency, he was sure he would have been the first man ever seen to build a house in the air with the constant humiliation he's been subjected to in the past three years of his marriage to Stephanie.
Stephanie's family members made it clear to him that they knew he was made of nothing other than poverty and yeah, they treated him worse than a piece of trash.
Had he really been this stupid? He remembered what Stephanie told him on their wedding day just as the guests started to leave and they were alone for some moments. She asked him would Ryan stay at home being a househusband to support her career. And what had been his reply? He had grinned!
He reached into his pocket to get his cigarettes, he pulled out an empty hand. He had almost forgotten that he was too poor now to even buy that.
He couldn't stand it anymore. The woman he loved only did see him as a substitute for her ex-boyfriend?
After being married for many years, she thought Ryan was the kind of person who would rather force her just to make her pregnant to maintain the marriage?
And she‘d rather take abortion pills than have a baby with him?
Ryan walked over to her and gripped her wrist, forcing her to look at him.
"Last night. Did you remember anything?"
She laughed. "I remember. Yes. You raped me!"
Ryan shook his head, "Anderson?" He looked at Stephanie's pale face and continued, “You moaned his name.”
“I didn't...” Stephanie subconsciously tried to deny it, but then lifted her chin. “So What?” She jerked her hand from his grip, "He's way better than you."
“If you said so. ," Ryan said. "Let’s get divorced. I've had enough."
Silence enveloped the room at Ryan's demand for a divorce. Stephanie blinked her eyes repeatedly, her anger evaporating and completely replaced by a headache.
"What?" Her lips quivered. "What did you just say?"
"I want a divorce. Today."
"Why would you mention that out of the blue? Do you think a divorce is a joke?"
"This marriage isn't working. And…" Ryan looked into her eyes. "I can't do this any more. I've had enough of being the one you let out your anger on." And, Ryan thought, I can't continue living this stupid life in the name of love where you have no respect for me.
"If that's the case, I will find something to do about it. A divorce isn't necessary, especially since it will affect you."
"Affect me? As in, I'm too poor to stay alive?" Ryan asked sarcastically.
"About what happened last night…" she took her lower lip between her teeth. "I'll give you a chance to explain yourself but you and I are not sleeping in the—" "I'm not asking for an option, Steph. I asked for a divorce and that's what I'm going to settle for," Ryan said. There are two reasons for which Stephanie has been keeping Ryan as her husband all these while. First one is obvious. Even with his lack of ambition, the guy knows how to cook, clean the house and make sure everything is in order. The second one… just thinking about it made her breath catch in her throat. Grandfather was the one who ordered that she marry Ryan. All those bitches and sons of bitches that were from her mother and father's family side only had to hear that she's divorced Ryan and they would cut her inheritance. She sighed and looked at Ryan. "Ryan, I can forgive you if—" "I already told you what I want," he said, an anger that Stephanie had never noticed before was on his face. "If you're thinkin
The car door opened and a tall man who looked like he was in his late forties walked toward Ryan, about two bodyguards escorted him. The man was no other person than the family butler. He bowed slightly before Ryan. "Sir, your three-year period agreement with the master has ended and since you couldn't keep Miss Stephanie with you all these while, you should return to New York and inherit the family business according to your promise." Ryan was fifteen years old when he was abducted by people he couldn't recognize, and he had lost his memory since then. When he was at the orphanage home, he accidentally saved a man sprawled on the floor. The man turned out to be the master of Hill's family. He took Ryan to the Hill family and three years ago, Stephanie's grandfather, to show his appreciation to Ryan, asked that Ryan get married to Stephanie. Ryan had been under the impression that the Master of the Hill's family might have arranged the marriage for an extra purpose, but he ne
"Master said you don't have to return home now if you don't want to, but you have to manage the subsidiary of the conglomerate here in Atlanta," the butler said as Ryan read through the contract. "What if I don't manage the subsidiary and at the same time don't return home?" "I am afraid, Sir, Master would have to retaliate against the Hill family." Ryan glanced sharply at the butler. "What?" He asked, more shocked than surprised. "Dad told you that?" "Yes, Sir." Ryan shifted his weight on one leg. His father had him cornered. Before Stephanie's grandfather died, the man had made Ryan promise that he would take good care of the Hill family business. Even after what had happened between him and Stephanie in the past few hours, he couldn't bring himself to watch her family business get destroyed because of him. But wait a minute… He glanced at the butler who was waiting for his response. "Dad told you he would retaliate against the Hill family if I don't manage the subsi
Mrs Hill raised her chin in a haughty manner. She dressed in expensive clothes and wore one of her heel shoes that often made Ryan wonder how she found it convenient to walk in them. She was accompanied by some women wearing expensive clothes too. Each of them were carrying shopping bags, making it obvious that they had just gone on another show-off shopping, displaying how much money they had. Ryan's eyes moved back to Mrs Hill who was looking at him in total disdain. "What is wrong?" He asked. Mrs Hill was slightly caught off guard by the cold manner in which Ryan responded to her. If it were some other time, he would have bowed immediately he saw her. Is he sick? "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be home getting the breakfast ready for the family, you ungrateful idiot," She said in disdain. "Ungrateful idiot?" Ryan asked coldly. "What more do I have to do so that you can be satisfied?" He moved closer to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ever since I go
Ryan could not help the smile that came on his face as he listened to the woman who used to be his mother-in-law threatening him with divorce. "Ma'am, I already divorced your daughter. Save yourself the bother," Ryan said. The confusion on her face and the way her veins appeared because of her tight grip on the phone amused Ryan. He has never thought he would be able to get any reaction from her other than disdain and mockery. The call connected and Mrs Hill heard Stephanie's voice at the other end. She wondered if what Ryan just said was true but if it was, then it is a dream come true. Stephanie deserved to be married to a wealthy man. "Stephanie, I can't put up with your husband's attitude anymore. I can't! He is getting more rebellious every second." Mrs Hill saw Ryan sneer and walk away. "Ryan…?" Stephanie asked at the other end. "He disrespected me in front of the society women just because I asked him why he isn't home to cook breakfast. As if that is not enough, he wa
"I see you are new here, call me if you ever feel stuck. I will be at your service even if it is in the middle of the night," the cab man said. Ryan looked from the cab man to the card. He wanted to ask the man why he thought he would need his service again but he collected it. Inside the car, the cab man had made him two different men, maybe there would be another rumour that would make him a man with three contrasting identities if he spent more time with the cab man. Outside the Villa, Ryan stared at the building for a long time. He's spent six years in this place. He let out a deep breath and went inside, deliberately using the steps instead of the elevator to go inside the room he used to share with Stephanie. He had only taken two steps when he saw a man climbing down the staircase. The man Stephanie had moaned his name. Ryan felt a bile rising in his throat as his eyes met with Anderson's eyes. Anderson grinned at him. Deciding to ignore Anderson, Ryan continued c
"I am not saying you shouldn't call the police if you want, but you should take a look at this first so that you will know who to get arrested," Ryan said. Stephanie glanced from the papers Ryan was holding to him. She wondered what he was up to. She grabbed the papers from him and opened it. Inside was the details of the debts that Anderson owed and something else… she scanned through the evidence She had been drugged the night before. She let out a gasp as she realized who had planned the whole thing. Anderson! There were pictures that had been taken from the CCTV camera of the bar where she had been last night. The bar man had added something to her drink after he was seen with Anderson. "What…?" Her lips quivered. The papers fell from her. She slowly looked at Anderson. "What's wrong?" Anderson scrambled from the floor. He ran up the stairs to where she was and picked the papers from the floor. His eyes scanned through the page. He ran his hand through his ha
After Ryan left, his words seemed to hang on and cause an uncomfortable silence in the room. Stephanie remained where she was, staring at Anderson. But Anderson needed no one to tell him that even though she was staring at him, her mind was faraway. Anderson finally decided to move closer to her. He took a step toward her, but she took two steps backward. "Babe—" "Stop. Don't come closer." She raised her hand to accompany how well she meant what she said. "I am sorry, babe. I didn't do it for my own selfish interest. I did it for you," Anderson said. Noticing Stephanie's puzzled face, he continued talking, adding his excuses together. "I wanted to help you escape this miserable life quickly. Even if you had come to me last night, nothing would have happened between us. I swear. You mean a lot more to me than you can ever imagine," Anderson said. His lies seemed to have some effects on her as her face slowly began to lit up. "Can't you see the freedom you have now? Tha