Billionaire Daredevil In Love

NADINE.

She was a stately middle-aged woman with the easy air of someone who was used to having people defer to her. The way she spoke, the ease with which the words glided out of her mouth, you would hear it and know that this person had the world in their palms, and not only that, they were acutely conscious of it. Her condescension was repulsive; the supercilious questions she asked were an insult. And as she did, Clayton had on a stupid smile that made me want to smack him in the jaw.

“So do you have any college education?” She asked.

“No,” I said gently.

“Ohh, come on,” she said exasperatedly. “Not even a college degree. So what have you been doing? With your life, I mean?”

“Working to make ends meet,” I said after swallowing hard. I didn’t know what to say to the question so I said the first thing that popped up in my head.

“And how do you do that?” She asked. “I mean to make ends meet?”

“I work several jobs,” I said. “I’ve worked practically everywhere. In a mall, in a restaurant, in a club, in a-”

“A club,” she exclaimed. “Surely that is no place for a married woman to be.”

I rolled my eyes. I had only gotten married to her son the day before and she was already judging me. It was clear that we were not ever going to see eye to eye.

“Well, I simply serve drinks, ma’am,” I explained. “I did nothing more.”

“I see,” she said.

We had a meal together, the three of us, and it was the worst meal of my life. Right there, while I sat and tried to eat, she asked Clayton why he had not married Natasha, occasionally casting askant looks at me. Their conversation moved from Natasha to business, and she asked about how work was going, how managing the company was.

“Nadine here is going to be helping me in the future, you know,” Clayton said, pointing at me with a fork.

I smiled shyly. He hadn’t told me that.

“And does she know anything about the business?” She said, “Does she have any experience with management? We need someone competent and accountable, not Nadine.”

The way she said my name, as if I was a hideous thing that had fallen from the sky and landed in front of her.

“Ahh, don’t worry,” Clayton said, giving me a wink. “She’ll be fine, really. And besides, she learns fast, so no worries.”

What Clayton was simply doing was stroking his mother, giving her more reasons to detest me, and as he spoke, I saw her eyes smoldering with hate. After the meal, I went into my new room and collapsed on the huge, soft bed. I had failed in my duty as a wife on the first day.

CLAYTON.

Mother was vicious, like a snake, she would strike at your weakest point and leave you defenseless. That was what she did to Nadine, and I saw Nadine being divested of her pride with every sentence that came out of mother’s mouth. As I walked her back to her car where the driver was comfortably seated, she said to me:

“Why didn’t you marry Natasha, Clayton?” She spat. “I know she’s not exactly what you want, but look at that girl inside of your house now, she’s far worse.”

“I know, mum,” I told her as I ushered her into her car.

“I’ll talk to you later, Clayton,” she said. “Ohh, and call your brother, too. I know you haven’t. You should never forget, Clayton, family is everything.”

Before then, I’d forgotten about my elder brother. We had never really been close before in our lives and he often kept me at arm’s length, as I did with him. But this was a good time to call him. Just as I entered the house and sat down, my phone buzzed. It was Natasha.

“Oh shit,” I said under my breath. I just held the phone. A part of me knew that she had heard about the marriage.

“Hello, Natasha,” I said as I picked up.

“What the fuck, Clayton?!?!” She screamed. “What the actual fuck?”

“Cool it, Natasha,” I said. “What is wrong with you? Why so mad?”

“Why so mad, hunh?” She said, “What is this bullshit that’s going around the city that you have gotten married?”

The news had gotten around, so fast. I wondered who must have told it to whom. Rumors, true and false alike, tend to spread like germs in the city.

“Calm down, Natasha,” I said. “Let me explain.”

“Explain what, Clayton,” she said, her voice still raised. “Explain that you have been with me all this time, fucking me, using me like I’m a fucking toy, bending me to your will, and then you just up and get married? I’ve become a laughing stock to my friends; they’re constantly jesting about it, and all of this because of your tomfoolery. Who the fuck is she?”

Things were worse if she did not know that it was to Nadine I had gotten married to. I had to tread carefully.

“It’s … ” I stopped, I couldn’t get myself to say anything.

“It’s who, Clayton?” She said, “Do I know her?”

“Yes, you do,” I finally said. “It’s Nadine.”

“Oh, my fucking God!” She screamed. “Nadine? That lowlife, that dirty slut. That girl is nothing. No, this has to be some type of joke. Tell me you’re fucking joking, Clayton.”

“I’m not, unfortunately,” I told her.

“Come on, Clayton,” she said. “This is too much.”

I heard her voice break and I heard the beginnings of a sob. I hung up.

Truth be told, I felt a little hurt by it. But I did what I had to do and did not regret my actions.

I turned my phone off and hurried upstairs to go have a talk with my new wife.