The Billionaire's Torment

Chapter 5. Artificial insemination

Max

My secretary Zoey Catland and l settled into Ted Reese's office. We haggled over the price of one of my helicopters Ted wished to hire for a year. You see, apart from the airplanes, l owned helicopters. Three were leased to the government, on a yearly basis for an astronomical amount.

Ted needed two. AS we went back and forth with the negotiations, Ted’s landline phone rang. He answered and passed the phone to me. I frowned, irritated. 

The phone call floored me, my wife was at the reception area, looking for me. My wife? Since when? I hoped Nora was not going about telling people l was her husband. What did the troublesome girl want now? I gave  permission to let her come up. 

She arrived in a fluster, her face flushed, hair all over the place, she resembled a Tasmanian devil. Her eyes raked over Zoey before she greeted everybody. So that was the reason Nora followed me to the meeting? Zoey? 

Women and their endless tricks, which included monitoring.It was one of the many reasons i hated having one under my roof. “ Can we talk?.” 

She whispered in my ears. Guava laced breath teased my nostrils. l took a deep breath,  turned my head so she could speak into my face,“ what?.”

I wanted to smell the sweet scent again. “ Can we talk outside?.” She spoke right into my face. l placed my lips above hers, almost touching hers.

 “ What's this about.?”

 I breathed on her flushed face,“ please come.” 

She moved away and headed out. At the door, she gave Zoey a once-over  again before she exited. In the corridor, Nora seemed not sure why she called me out of the meeting. Her eyes darted this way and that way, avoiding mine. “ Why am l here?.”

Her shoulders twitched, her shoes scuffed the floor. “ I.. l came to tell you, l.. a.. accept everything.”

l snorted, “ look at me.”

Her eyes skirted across my face like a deer caught in the headlights. “ Don't do this again, my meetings are important to me, when you feel jealous go and watch a movie or something. I bet you saw me and my secretary as we entered the offices. Stop acting like a love strapped fool.” 

One tear trickled down her soft cheek. The single tear tugged at my heartstrings. l patted the feeling down. 

I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her towards the elevator. I bid her goodbye. 

After the meeting, l went home and rested for a bit. In the evening, l hit the club, The Falcon. It was owned by a friend of mine, Shadrack Rolan. I owned five percent of the club. The club was my go to place when my waist became heavy, you know what l mean. 

Shad, as we fondly called him, waited for me in our usual private booth. We bumped shoulders and took our seats. Robert Malek, our other friend from Soulbare City, started his nonsense as l reached for my drink. “I'm married, Shad is married and Sam is married. When are you getting hitched? Don't you get tired of visiting one butt today and another tomorrow?.” 

I chugged my drink, glared at him, “ marriage has not stopped you from visiting different bums, has it?.”

That shut him up. Robert was a serial womaniser. My gaze landed on each of the guys,“ boys l'm in deep trouble. MY mum has landed the most uncouth,  messiest, unruly girl on my lap. Guys on Monday l'm getting hitched.”

The guys rose to their feet as one,“ what.?” They chorused. “ Yes, you heard me, so next Saturday l might not make it, my bride to be is a jealous bitch. Today she ambushed my meeting because she saw me with Zoey.”

The boys roared into laughter. Shad slapped my biceps,“ welcome to hell's view dawg, is she at least passable?.” 

Passable, our code word for ‘was she beddable'. l lightly punched Shad on his silly head,“ hey, that's my wife moron. She is not bad but, her dress code leaves much to be desired. Her hair is the worst, it looks like a bird’s nest.” 

We rounded our outing at midnight. l went home. I tossed and turned in bed. Visions of Nora in my bed tormented me. A surprise awaited her on our marriage day. Not wedding day, see the difference?. 

On Monday, we met at the City Hall, got our marriage certificate without a problem. It was apparent she made an effort today. Her hair was gorgeous. I perked her cheek and we raced out of there.

I took her shopping, no expenses spared.  She chose beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories.

I realised her handicap was money, hence her dress code. I felt ashamed for badmouthing her to my friends. 

We stopped at my mum's restaurant, had a lovely lunch with my family. My dad was not invited. The rift between us was too wide to bridge. My brother and my sister, Martha, showed up. Nora's grandmother could not make it. We stayed until late and then hit the road to start our marital bliss. 

We arrived home in the evening. My staff hauled bags after bags of stuff up the stairs. I held Nora's hand as l took her on the house tour downstairs. We toured the upstairs rooms and stopped at my bedroom,” this is my bedroom, your room is the next one, come in and take your stuff to your room.” 

Her smile disappeared in an instant. “ What? You thought we were sharing a room? Nora, l don't find you attractive, your ass is too big, l like a butt that l can hold with one hand. You will have our baby through artificial insemination, got it?.”

I watched as she deflated like a pierced balloon. Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again but, she opted to say nothing, good. 

She appeared totally defeated. My plan was coming together. I wanted her to loathe me, to vomit when my name was mentioned. To curl into a corner when she heard my voice and footsteps. I wanted her gone from my life. She was a spirited girl, my conditions would choke her in no time. I was not ready to marry anybody but, my inheritance hung on this marriage. They would not blame if she left the marriage on her own, would they?

My gaze tracked her as she shuffled into my room like an old woman. She plopped herself on my bed.