kiel Anderson’s Ascendency.

CHAPTER FIVE.

Kiel didn’t even know what to say as he kept staring at the old man and his granddaughter. He didn’t think he would be meeting someone as influential as this on the day he divorced his wife, this coincidence was just too good to be true.

Pashanth Bharat was a name that everyone knew in the whole country. Ranging from wineries to automobiles companies to restaurants, fashion brands and even chains of factories, he had every single business a man can think of. He was the number one business mogul in the country and every other business owner wanted to be acquainted with him, this was a rare opportunity for him.

“You look so surprised, young man” the old man said while sipping on his drink.

“I wasn’t expecting to meet someone like you today”

“I see”

“I think we should get going now, grandfather. Is is getting late”

“You should allow me to talk to him for a while,” the old man suggested.

“Grandfather” Ishika was visibly frustrated, “you….”

“I think you should listen to your granddaughter sir” Kiel said after a while, “it is already getting late, you need to take some rest”

The old man heaved a sigh, he knew his enjoyment for today was over.

“Very well then” he finally said, “I think I will leave now” after talking, he stood up and turned to his granddaughter.

“Give him the business card”

“Sure” she opened her purse and dropped the card on the table.

“You should come over to the office tomorrow and we can talk more” 

After he was done, he patted Kiel on the shoulder gently and made his way out but Kiel immediately halted him.

“The wine?”

“You can keep it, it will be a good companion for you to grieve with”

“Alright then, thank you”

“Don’t forget to come over”

“Of course”

Flashing him a small smile, Ishika led her father out of the store while Kiel slumped back on the chair. He was not sure if this was fate.

For a man with many dreams, he has always dreamt of doing something meaningful with his life that his wife would approve of but right now, he doesn't even have a wife.

“Roselyn would have been excited to hear this” he muttered under his breath and this was when the voice from the television opposite him filtered into his ears.

“Breaking news: Andrew Hander in an interview with the New York Daily has announced his engagement with the business mogul, Roselyn Campbell following her divorce with her husband Kiel Anderson. In his words he said, “she deserves to be where she is valued and not treated less than she ought to”

Kiel heaved a sigh, she was mocking him in the worst ways possible. Not only did she cheat on him and have a child, she even had the audacity to send the divorce papers through his email and announced her engagement just a few hours after he signed it? Could he be more pathetic?

“I think she made the right decision” one of the men seated at the table opposite him said, “he was a loser anyways, how could she continue to be married to a man like him?

“I heard she and her family are the ones who even buy everything for him down to his underwear,” another said.

“He must be really pathetic” 

Kiel closed his eyes and pressed his head on the table, Roslyn didn’t even leave his dignity for him. She took everything.

His mobile began to ring and when he saw the caller ID, his countenance changed for the worse. She even still dared to call him.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he clicked on the receive button and pressed the phone against his ear.

“Hello”

“Hey, Kiel” her voice reached his ear, “where are you?” She asked him.

“Why are you asking me? Haven’t you mocked me enough? You didn’t even leave me with my pride”

“We can talk about that later, I need you to stop by the office and grab a document for me, I won’t be able to go and you are the only person who has access to my office”

Kiel chuckled lightly, he must look like a dog kissing up to her at the moment. 

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“The document is in the lower drawer, please be fast” with that she ended the call leaving him as dumbfounded than he could ever be.

******

“Mr Anderson” Roslyn’s assistant called out to him as she sauntered into the office looking surprised.

She was not expecting to see her boss’s ex husband in her office and he seemed to be looking for something.

“I was not expecting to see you here”

“I want to grab something for Roselyn” he answered and the lady’s forehead creased into a slight frown.

“I am really surprised, sir” 

He straightened up, “what do you mean?”

“You just got divorced and you are in the right frame of mind to even get something for her, you must really love her” 

Kiel raked his hand through his hair, he hated nosy people the most.

“I didn’t know Roselyn was paying you to be all nosy in the office”

“I was just looking out of you”

“Thank you” he glared at her and she immediately scurried out of the office. Kiel could be very intimidating if he wanted to be.

Pushing open the drawer, he saw the document and just as she grabbed it, his eyes caught the other paper in the drawer and he gently grabbed a hold of it as his curiosity overwhelmed him.

Reading through the document, Kiel clenched his fist as anger swept over him. Everything Roselyn did, she had it all planned out and she must be laughing at him now.

Putting the document back into the drawer, he hastily made his way out of the office.

Even as people kept ogling and pointing at him, he didn’t care. This was going to be the last time he was stepping his feet into Campbell enterprise.

****

Just as Gladys led him into the room, he met his ex wife and her mother talking and laughing out loud. The baby was laid beside her and for a moment he wished it was his baby. He had always dreamed of having his own litle family with Roselyn but she was not in for it, who would have thought that she didn’t find him worthy of bearing his child.

“I told you mother” her mocking voice reached his ear right from the door, “I told you he will come running like the fool that he is”

“What?” Kiel couldn’t believe his ear, was this also a bet.

“You can’t accept the truth, can you?” Her mother blurted, “I didn’t know you were that desperate”

Kiel balled his hands into a fist, he wanted to grab her by the neck and ask how she was comfortable sleeping with another man behind his back. 

“He sure is desperate, mother,” Roselyn added with her gaze still on him.

Part of her loved this vulnerable side of him. The side that would continue to kiss up to her because she was supposed to be his savior, the side that loved her immensely. Roselyn was aware of how Kiel loved her more than life itself and she sure knew how to use it to her advantage, she has used it a lot of times and like always, he fell for it.

“Thank you for bringing the document for me, cute berry” Roselyn called out to him with a mocking smirk on her face. Cute berry was the pet name she gave him, “I knew you would come running back like always”

“Why did you do it?” This was the only question Kiel could ask, he wanted to know why she betrayed him like this, “for how long have you and Andrew been seeing each other?”

“Four years” she didn’t even try to hide it, “we have been together for four years and that was before we got married. Can you now see that you are the third wheel in our relationship?”

“So why the heck didn’t you let me know?” He half yelled and Roselyn’s eyes flew to the sleeping baby and she heaved a sigh when the little one didn’t wake up.

“I had to please father” she told him, “he approved of you because he saw some kind of potential in you but I bet he will be turning in his grave now just by looking at you”

“Roselyn” the now angry man bellowed again, he was tired of pretending to be fine. He wanted to keep his calm like the gentleman that he was but she was getting on his nerves in the worst of ways, he could not possibly take it.

“Lower your voice when you are in front of me, Kiel Anderson” Roselyn warned him, “don’t wake my baby”

Keil scoffed while placing his hands on his waist, his eyes darted back and forth on his wife and mother in law. Now he could see their true colors.

“I always held you in high esteem, Roselyn”

“And i have always seen you as a fool”

“Of course”  he didn’t refute, “you should have your party, you deserve it”

Not saying anything again, he turned and wanted to leave but on impulse, he shifted his gaze to her again.

“I didn’t know I married a cheap whore who is only interested in money” and with that he disappeared out of the room leaving the two women fuming in anger.

“How dare you?” The now angry Roselyn called after him but he was already gone.

“Who the hell does he think he is?” Madam Campbell fumed.

“Don’t worry mother” Roselyn advised, “he will be back to beg”

She sounded so sure of herself, it was not like he had anyone else aside from her. 

Part of her was waiting for him to walk back through the door and beg but he never came, not until Gladys announced that Kiel Anderson had just left the Campbell premises.