Donald's POV
I couldn't help but feel sad, wondering what I'd done to deserve her treating me like this. “Rose, why are you doing this to me?” I moaned.
“Oh, please get over yourself will you?” She snapped, sounding harsher than she ever had towards me. Lowering her voice, she hissed. “In case you've forgotten, we're just a contract couple…nothing more and nothing less so please stop whining about it.”
For a moment, I was stunned silent unable to believe that she could throw that in my face…not after all we've shared. “Rose, I'm sure you didn't mean that…right?” My voice held a tinge of hope ringing in it as I waited for her to dispel my doubts.
Her mocking laughter was clear through the speaker. “Oh, darling, I meant every word I said. I never loved you and I think it's high time you let that sink in.”
She hung up shortly after, leaving me to stare at the phone in bewilderment.
What the hell?
After what happened, I had to come to the realization that I was the only one invested in this relationship and I was hanging on to dead weight.
If after everything I've done, the sacrifices…she could open her mouth to tell me she didn't love me then there's nothing else I could do.
Maybe it is time to give up on the marriage and terminate the contract.
This was clearly a loveless union, one I couldn't stomach much longer.
With that resolve in mind, I went to bed even though I tossed and turned agonizing over my decision. The next day, Rose reached out to me to my surprise while I was at work.
She wanted to apologize for her behavior last night and also for the fact that she forgot my birthday and she wanted to make up for it.
I wanted to be petty and ignore her but when she double texted, telling me that she had a gift for me to make up for it, I caved in.
I see good if she was treating me to a post-birthday dinner and a gift then she must really be sorry and wanted to make up.
Out of curiosity, I asked her what the gift would be or for her to give me a hint.
She replied straight away,” Actually, you know that stuff you've wanted so much but they were out of stock? That's what I got for you.”
I wrapped my brain thinking of what she was talking about but then clicked….the watch!
Not just any watch but an Original Coupe watch that I absolutely loved.
Instantly, I grew excited agreeing to her little plan. I was so happy that I could barely wait until my shift was over and then I rushed down home.
I must have broken about seven traffic laws in my haste to get home but I didn't care. The pounding in my chest didn't stop until I turned onto my driveway.
Checking my wristwatch, I noticed I was a couple of minutes late.
Of course, Rose wasn't here yet.
I got in and it didn't even look like she had been home in the past couple of hours I tasted around actually but I decided to go have my shower and freshen up I came downstairs ten minutes and she was nowhere to be found.
I shot off a text to her.
D: I'm home, Rose. Where the hell are you?
It had a double tick, which showed that it had been delivered but she didn't respond.
I kept refreshing my inbox and emails, waiting for a response but nothing ever popped up.
Bored and exhausted, I scrolled through social media mindlessly.
Rose was friends with David on social media, so it might stand to reason that I would see some of his posts but I never expected to see the latest one.
It was a photo of David, all dressed up and ready to go out. He looked as handsome as Heather but that was not what made me pause mid-scroll…it was the watch on his wrist that caught my attention.
I zoomed in and my haunch was proven correct. It was the exact same watch that Rose had sent me a picture of earlier promising it was my birthday gift that was sitting pretty on his hand.
He captioned it, “A gift from the best woman I know.”
To others, the picture might have looked innocent but to me, it felt like the deepest level of betrayal.
I closed the app, slamming my eyes close. I wished I could burn that image off my brain but even while my eyes were closed, I could still picture the watch on his wrist and it hurts just as badly.
While I'd been scrolling, an hour had passed much to my chagrin and instinctively I knew that Rose wasn't coming.
She was too busy with her boy toy anyway.
Flopping back on the bed, I stared at the ceiling deep in thought. I analyzed my feelings and behavior towards Rose and I realized that deep down, I had also suspected that there was something fishy about her relationship with him but I guess I didn't want to confront that fact.
I stayed up a little longer, working on my laptop so my workload for the next day wasn't as hectic…which was an excuse since I was trying to wait up for Rose.
When it clocked 11, I had no choice but to shut off my laptop and go to sleep since I had work the next day.
It took me longer than I expected for me to fall asleep, my brain torturing me with images of things that Rose and David could be up to at this given moment. However, I knew that it was nothing I could do to change the fact that I had already lost her.
To my surprise I didn't feel pain or anger or disappointment, any of the other things I expected to feel instead what I felt was a strange sense of peace washing over me….almost like I had found my freedom and now it was time to enjoy it.
Donald's POV The tweets of the birds woke me, my eyes flew open. I was disoriented for a moment and it took me a minute to remember where I was and what I was doing on the bed. The events of the day went through my mind. Flinging back the bed covers, I sat up running a hand through my face.My phone buzzed on the bedside table, alerting me to new information from work. Slipping my feet into the flip-flops I kept by the bed, I bent to pick it up when I saw the bright blue box on the other end.It has a big bow on it, the type you would place on birthday gifts. It must have been from Rose. After what she did last night, I was in no mood to talk to her or even see her and maybe she understood that, feeling some sort of remorse.The information from his office was forgotten, I sat down on the bed with the box on my lap tearing into it. It was a suit.Deep down, I grew giddy and happy that she wanted to work on our marriage until I saw the card next to the suit.It was an appreciation n
Donald's POV Rose’s mouth fell open, her eyes as wide. She took one step back, as though what I had just said was too shocking for her to comprehend. “What did you just say?”“I didn't stutter, Rose.” I held her gaze, not looking away. “It’s quite obvious that you're very unhappy and that doesn't sit very well with me. I'm ready to give you a divorce here and now if you want it.”She gasped, locating the closest chair so she could sit, still staring at me like I'd groan another head. “Are you serious about that?”“Why wouldn't I be? It's what you want, isn't it?”I don't know, I guess I wasn't expecting that from you, is all.”I snorted, done with her lies. “Right, so you just expected to take the bullshit you throw my way while you fuck around?” That came out much harsher than I'd intended and I could see that my words struck a chord.Her eyes sparked with anger and she rose from the chair, armed with a retort. “How dare you talk to me like that after everything I've done for you?!”
Donald's POV “Okay sir, but what do you think about this?” My secretary, Luna leaned over the table showing a bunch of new files that I had to sort. The templates we used for the last job got rejected, our client insisting that they were outdated as opposed to the recent ones. I sighed, perusing the new templates that she'd created. “They're good, better than anything I could have come up with.”Luna hesitates, peeking at me from the corner of her eyes. “But?”“But nothing.” I push the templates back to her. “I'm being serious, these designs are really good. If the Fowlers don't like it, then it's their problem, not yours.”She beamed, relaxing back on her chair. We kept working in silence as I went through some backlog I'd forgotten to clear out in my haste from the previous months. I hadn't told Lana yet but as soon as the ink was dry on the divorce papers, I was hightailing it out of here.It's not like Rose will want to keep him around so it was best he left, which was why he was
Donald's POV I waited for her to say something but apparently, my words must have been more surprising than it was supposed to be. “Cat got your tongue?”David's mouth moved and he glanced at Rose as if waiting for her to give him a sign before he said something.Rose pressed her lips stubbornly together, not saying a word. David chose to improvise, taking a step backward. “Rose, I thought you said this wouldn't be difficult but now, it sounds like he's unhappy with me being here.”I rolled my eyes heavenward, shaking my head. Oh, so that's how he wants to play huh?Rose shifted on her feet uncomfortably. “It's just a question he asked, David.”I crossed my hand over my chest, watching the both of them with amusement played across my face. “Yes.”David sighed, not looking happy. “Do you not want to hand over the position to me?”“With your inexperience?” I arched a brow. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I know I'm not experienced but just like I told Rose, I'd be willing to do anyt
Donald's POV You know that bad feeling that you get in your gut before something bad happens, almost like a premonition of sorts?Yeah, it's true.I just confirmed it after Rose confidently sat her down on his very expensive leather chair, her lips raised in a pout as she dialed Mr Warrens, the accounts manager for our banks.To spite me and show me who's the boss, she placed it on speakerphone so I could listen in. Mr Warrens was a very busy man but not to people who paid half of his monthly wages. He picked up on the third ring. “Ms Waters, it's a pleasure to hear from you!” His sugary sweet voice rang out from the phone, sounding as excited as ever.He should be, whenever you hear from your clients, it usually means there's a paycheck involved.“Mr. Warrens, it's a pleasure to hear from you too. I reckon you're a very busy person like myself so I'll go straight to the point and not waste any time.” She peeked at me from beneath her lashes, her victorious smile obvious. “I'd like t
Donald's POV Hector's resounding laugh boomed across the phone. “What the hell are you talking about?” It was clear that my request threw him for a loop momentarily.I need you to listen to me, it's urgent okay? I need your help.” My fingers tightened around my phone. I could almost feel the moose tightening around my neck with each minute I spent married to that witch.Hector became alert, sensing the seriousness in my tone. “Man, I can't really talk where I am…buh are you free to come by the office?”My heart had sank when he began drumming up excuses but they were promptly lifted soon after. “Can I do that today?”“Of course.” He easily agreed. “I'll tell my secretary to pencil you in. See you soon, buddy.”He ended the call soon after, probably attending to business. The same thing I should be doing, instead I'm racking my brain for ideas on how to cut loose from Rose.For some reason, she's seeking for ways to keep me tied down to her.Quite annoying, especially as she's the one
Donald 's POVHer lips were soft under mine, momentarily distracting me from pushing her off. Anna took that for me being interested in her and she sank her fingers into my hair deepening the kiss.My eyes flew open in surprise, wondering how I could push her off without coming off as annoying.She must have realized I stopped kissing her shortly after because she pulled away, her face contrite.“Oh my gosh! I'm such an idiot, I shouldn't have done that. Did it feel like I harassed you?”There were a lot of things that I wanted to say to her but my eyes darted towards the elevator, eager for the doors to open so that I can get the hell out of here. My no response was also answer to her because she pressed her hands to her face looking as though she was about to cry. “Donald, please say something…”“Can we talk about this later…?” I asked. “I have to see Hector and I'm sure he will be expecting me so…”Luckily, the doors dinged open and I was able to get out in the nick of time before
Donald's POV Hector's resounding laugh boomed across the phone. “What the hell are you talking about?” It was clear that my request threw him for a loop momentarily.I need you to listen to me, it's urgent okay? I need your help.” My fingers tightened around my phone. I could almost feel the moose tightening around my neck with each minute I spent married to that witch.Hector became alert, sensing the seriousness in my tone. “Man, I can't really talk where I am…buh are you free to come by the office?”My heart had sank when he began drumming up excuses but they were promptly lifted soon after. “Can I do that today?”“Of course.” He easily agreed. “I'll tell my secretary to pencil you in. See you soon, buddy.”He ended the call soon after, probably attending to business. The same thing I should be doing, instead I'm racking my brain for ideas on how to cut loose from Rose.For some reason, she's seeking for ways to keep me tied down to her.Quite annoying, especially as she's the one
Donald's POV The ‘beep beep’ of the monitors woke me up from my deep slumber.I open my eyes slowly to meet the white, sterile ceiling of a hospital. I knew it was a hospital because it had that familiar disinfectant smell to it…also because it makes sense, given the fact that I was shot at three times a couple of hours before and yeah, I remember every bit of that story.It was like a clip of a very bad movie except this happened to me, the distant yet eerily familiar feeling of being shot invaded my senses and I had to inch my hand up to see if I could check out the wound. “I wouldn't advise you to do that.” A pretty blond nurse wearing scrubs walked in, a clipboard in her hand.“Hel…Hello..” I croaked out, realizing that my throat was as dry as a desert.She must have come to the same realization because she walked over to my bedside, reaching for a cup of water and she handed it over to me.I greedily slurped it down like a greedy man dying of thirst, only stopping when I emptie
David's POV Just like I expected, the media circus around Donald's death blew out of proportion.As I'm packing my bags, the entire area in which Donald was shot had been taped off by the police.Apparently they were opening a case into the incident, searching for who shot him.I would like to feel relaxed on that point but it's just my luck that the homeless guy I usye turned out to be something else.For the rest of the day, I kept on trying his number but he never picked up soon enough, the number became unavailable which I took to mean that he had either discarded of it or he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. When Boone asked me about the progress report, I lied to him stating that I had taken care of the homeless guy but I knew it was just a matter of time before the police found him and he blurted out the truth…which was why I was booking the next available flight and getting the hell out of this cursed city.The moment I left the borders of the city and I was on my
RoseTo think that it was Donald's death that brought me and my family together, it was mind boggling to say the least.I received the call from my sister early the next morning and to say I was surprised, is an understatement.“Hello, Tanya. Wh-hat's going on?”She was breathing heavily which made me worried. “Have you seen the news, Rose?” She asked.My brows furrowed in confusion. “The news?” I repeated. “No. What news? I'm just waking up!” I say, flipping the covers away from my body so I reach for my laptop.Suddenly the speaker went mute as I could only hear muffled words float through. it seems like she was talking to someone else.I ignored her, checking up on the latest news.I quickly scanned through a number of them, realizing that no one stood out to me. “Tanya, I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at here but nothing is making sense to me. Can you talk to me and tell me what happened? Is it Mom or Dad? Are they okay?”Immediately, my mind jumped into the worst sce
RoseI knew the exact moment I fell for David all over again was when I heard the words, ‘you’re free to go’.That faithful Tuesday morning, I was laying face up on my cot, thinking of new ways to distract myself from a boring and predictable day when the buzzer sounded.Unlike the last time when I ignored the guard, I turned around to look at him but this time he wasn't holding a tray of food in his hands.He had the bunch of keys in his hands and he was walking slowly towards my room, an unpleasant in his eyes.“Hey, you. Get up!” He boomed loudly, startling me.“I was already up…” I grumbled, flipping my legs around the tiny cot. “Where's my food?”He didn't respond, only grunted and shoved me not too gently toward the bars, handcuffing me. “Move!” He ordered and I obeyed, shuffling my feet.We did the same walk routine, similar to when I visited Donald but this time…it seemed different.“Where are we going?” I twisted my head around to ask him but he just shoved my head forward.W
David's POV Contrary to what Donald thought, I was right there behind him the whole time.He was so easy and gullible. Just one mention of Rose and he came running exactly like I thought.All I needed to do was play the pity card and he sucked it up like a starving man drinking water.It was quite hilarious if I was being honest.I wanted the first location, simply because it would be easier to dispose of him when the homeless guy was done with the job but Donald being a hard ass…he insisted we change it, probably suspicious of my actions. Well, at least he was smart… just not too smart to avoid dying though.My phone buzzed with a text.Donald: Where are you?Me: I'm right behind you. I'll be there soon.When I sent the text, I burst into laughter, muffling the sound.I kept checking my watch, waiting for the homeless guy to show up. This was not the agreement. He was supposed to be here a couple of minutes ago, do the job the moment Donald showed up and get out of here.I gritted
Donald's POV I was woken up by my phone buzzing needlessly.Groaning, I twisted around in bed to reach for the phone only to see a name I never thought I'd see flash across my screen.Immediately my eyes flew open, sleep deserting my mind and I nearly jumped out of bed.Wait, why the hell was David calling me?To make matters worse, shortly after the call ended he dropped the text followed by another.David: Hi, I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but I need your help. David: Please respond, it's urgent.I debated, responding, wanting to shrug it off but I sat up on the bed so I could think logically.From the little I've known and observed about David, I know that he's a snake and he's very cunning, always thinking three steps ahead of everyone else which is why it bothers me so much that he's texting me.What the hell does he want from me?While I was contemplating on whether to pick up or respond to his text messages, he sent another.David: Please.Because I
David's POV “Hey guys, do you have any news yet?” I asked barging into the basement. All through the night, I could barely sleep a wink as I tossed and turned, my brain producing new ways on how to help Rose.After I went to visit her, I became spurred on to double down on my efforts and for the past two days, my team and I have been up through out the night, working tirelessly on breaking into David firewalls.At this points, I didn't care about whether it was illegal or not, all you wanted to do is to get Rose out of that filthy place.“We don't have any leads yet.” Shawn spoke up. “We still haven't gotten those parts that we needed and decrypting the messages by hand is taking us way longer than it should. At this point, we'll probably get done by the end of the year.”Groaning, I slapped my hands over my face. “That's not going to work. You're sure there's no other way to get this going faster?”If I could get my hands on some incriminating messages that David exchanged with his
David's POV Popping a chewing gum, I sucked it back in, tapping my feet impatiently on the brakes.I decided to make use of Boone's advice, doing the extra work to cement the plan that I have already started and that begins with…A loud honk from a passing car jolted me out of my thoughts and I popped my head out, raising my middle finger as a response.“Fucking asshole!” I muttered under my breath, stealing a glance at my watch. It's been over an hour and this guy is nowhere to be found.He's got to know that he's playing with his life.I am a gentle and mannered man until I was pushed to the wall forced, to do certain things…one of which is to make good on the threats I told him.A couple of days before I decided to meet with the homeless man who placed the tip in the police station for the cops to find, I spent some hours out of my day to watch him and like clockwork he always appeared at the same time every day.It was tad boring and predictable but it saved me time to look for h
RoseThe minutes turned into hours and the hours into days, each day more horrible than the last.My nightmare of being trapped in here was slowly coming to pass and I was too helpless to do anything to stop it.Reaching out to my family wasn't an option and none of the guards agreed to let me use their phone to make one more call to Donald, leaving me stranded.The food was probably the good thing about the place.I don't know who the chef is but he's doing a really good job of keeping me happy…temporarily though.I sighed for probably the hundredth time, staring vacantly at the ceiling.You know, when you first have your freedom taken away from you, you think that the first few hours or days at the worst but it's not. It's actually quite easy because there is a list of ways you can distract yourself but as the day grows longer, that's when reality sets in and the sadness begins.The possibility that this could become your new normal starts to haunt you and in as much as your mind w