Unwrap Your Desire

OLIVIA

I WENT to Maxwell’s company to visit Chase’s father. I still wondered what he would discuss with me at this moment. I saw my reflection in the elevator’s golden colored double doors.

“Sh*t…” I cursed under my breath when I noticed the wrinkled collar of my polo shirt.

I somehow fixed it, but I wasn’t satisfied with my entire look. Had I known that Ernest Maxwell would ask me to visit, I would’ve dressed a bit nicer than I did.

The elevator door just opened and his secretary just escorted me to a private elevator that would lead to his office. She then glanced at me from head to toe. It was kind of awkward, but I managed to speak with her.

“So… How’s working with Mr. Maxwell? Is he a good boss?” I looked curiously at her.

“He’s actually not just a boss; I’m more seeing him as a visionary and a true leader, a very passionate leader of this company.” She smiled at me in a sarcastic way, then gazed at my wrinkled collar.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“Are you a bit nervous, Ms. Reese?”

“Oh, of course not. I’m only… in a hurry, that’s why I’m not–”

“Presentable and unprepared? You’re the daughter of his son, Chase Maxwell, and I believe you should always be on top since you’re carrying their family name. It’s one of the most important names in the business industry,” she said as she cut me off. She then exhaled deeply and raised her eyebrows. “You can go to our restroom. I can help you fix it.”

“No thanks,” I said simply, smiling at her.

Shaking her head, she just smirked at me.

The audacity of this woman… I felt so judged, and her being a secretary to Chase’s father doesn’t give her the right to treat me this way. After all, I’m still the wife of Chase Maxwell.

The elevator doors opened, and we went in front of Ernest’s office. She was about to open the door, but I stopped her midway.

“You can now leave. There is no need for you to go inside since we’re going to have a father-and-daughter-in-law conversation.” I smiled sweetly at her and continued, “You can go back to the reception or grab some coffee or whatever suits you.”

I rolled my eyes and walked past her. I pushed the door open and my eyes landed on Chase’s father, who was sitting like a real leader in his swivel chair.

He glanced at me and offered me a thin but welcoming smile.

“There you are. Have a seat, Reese.”

“How are you doing, Dad?” I asked.

“I’m doing very well, sweetheart. Thanks for asking.”

I then looked around at his office. The walls were painted brown with some wooden designs on them and exposed bricks. It felt very homey, and the family portrait hanging just behind his desk added some personal touches to this spacious place.

“So, have you met Melissa outside?”

My brows furrowed as I wondered who he was talking about.

“The woman who brought you here. Her name is Melissa. She’s my sister, and technically, your aunt-in-law. My secretary was on a holiday trip with her family, and so she’s been extending her help to assist me here. Have you talked? She’s very excited to see you in person,” he added.

I was shocked at what I just heard. For a brief moment, I hoped that I could turn back time and fix the mess I just made.

Sh*t, Olivia… So that woman was his sister! Chase’s aunt! I massaged the temple of my nose and bit my lower lip.

“Y-Yes, Dad. I met her. She seems very nice. I would like to talk to her again to clear things up.” Ernest’s forehead creased as if he was curious about what happened before I entered his office. “I mean, I am thrilled to see her, Dad.”

He nodded. “By the way, the reason why I asked you to come here is because I want to tell you some bad news…”

I blinked several times. “What is it, Dad?”

“Chase’s company lost millions of dollars,” he answered.

I frowned, totally shocked. I couldn’t help but worry about what happened to Chase’s company. At the same time, I was scared that it had something to do with me.

“My goodness. That’s really bad news, Dad. How come Chase isn’t telling me this?”

He let out a huge sigh. “It’s truly devastating, Reese. There are a lot of investors pulling out their shares because of the relationship he has right now with your parents. It has something to do with the lawsuits against your parents that I’m sure you are not aware of. There are some write-ups that just spread, and Chase will lose more than what he lost right now if this continues.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. The thought of Chase losing everything scared me.

How could this happen to him?

Ernest opened a bottle of whiskey and poured it into his glass. I watched him move and noticed that there was something off about him. The atmosphere in his office became stiff and it was difficult for me to make any moves.

His expression changed when he sipped from his glass. His eyes radiated fury, and my heart raced because of it. I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself.

“I know it is not entirely your fault and my son only wanted to help your company. I’m just worried about you and Chase. The export business of your parents isn’t doing well. Then, Chase bought the shares of that company and wrote millions of dollars in checks. With poor management and bad financial decisions, exporting grapes was no longer sweet at all. It’s all sour.”

I lowered my head and gazed at my lap while biting my lower lip. I held back my emotions because I didn’t want to cry in front of him.

Before, I was so happy that he helped Reese’s parents. But I didn’t see this coming. I ruined his business, his career, and put his family name in jeopardy…

“You’re a smart girl, Reese. And I believe that you’re trying your best ever since you enrolled in a prestigious business school. However, the time is ticking. In a matter of a short time, what I built from scratch will turn into dust.”

“I will meet up with my parents, Dad. Let me handle this, and please accept my apologies if my family disappointed you,” I said, my lips quivering.

I tried to hold my tears, but my vision started to get blurry, and they fell instantly. I immediately wiped them as I didn’t want to be so pathetic in front of Chase’s father.

“Reese, do you remember any single thing that happened to you before?”

I shook my head and stared at him.

“I’m wondering why you can’t remember anything, especially the time you ran away from my son and canceled your wedding.”

“My memory hasn’t come back, Dad. But I am trying… I am also suffering from an anxiety disorder and it might be the reason why I can’t bring them back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart.” He stared at me sincerely. “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to discuss another matter with you.”

“What is it, Dad?”

He shook his head, as if he’d decided to call it quits after I told him I was sick.

“Dad, please. I want to know…” I begged.

“I’m just thinking whether it is possible for you to file a divorce to end your marriage with my son,” he said.

My eyes widened after hearing it. I looked at him in disbelief. He poured another whiskey into his glass before he continued.

“I pledge to continue supporting you financially. I’d give you seven million dollars. I still think that it was too abrupt for the two of you to get married. I don’t see the capability within you, as well as with my son.” He sighed and sipped on his glass. “Both of you are still young, and trust me, you can explore other things that will enhance your potential and skills. Believe me, ten or fifteen years later, you’ll come to my office and thank me.”

Tears were pooling in my eyes. This time, I didn’t wipe them as my entire body was trembling with both anxiety and disappointment. I sucked in a breath, and I immediately opened my purse to take my medicine, as I felt that I’d get a panic attack at any moment.

I shook my head to refuse what he said, I continued to sob in despair.

“I believe this is the perfect time to convince Chase to file a divorce. Just tell him that you need to recover first from your mental disability. It’s a tough decision to make, but it would be best for you and Chase.”

“Dad, I can’t do that…” I said, still shaking my head.

“Reese, listen carefully. This will be the best for both of you. You will still have my full support if that’s what you’re worrying about. I just love my son so much that I didn’t want him to sink and lose everything, and if you love him too, you’re going to accept this offer. Trust me, it’s for the best. Think about it.”

I couldn’t believe that he offered me millions of dollars just to break up with his son. How was I supposed to react to this? If I said yes, then it would prove to him that I was just after the money, but if I said no, then Chase would be stuck with an idiot housewife with Reese’s problematic family.

“You probably do not remember this, but you actually didn’t like my son back then. You had a boyfriend in your company, and the only reason you agreed to marry him was because that’s what your parents wanted you to do.” He pressed his lips together and continued, “That guy… I wonder what happened to him, by the way, especially since you’re married to my son. I suggest you find that guy and talk to him. He can certainly-”

“I apologize, but I love your son so much and I can’t see myself going back to my previous relationship nor remember anything from the past. I wish you can respect that, Mr. Maxwell,” I said, deeply hurt that he brought up some events in the past that I was not aware of.

I had no connections to Reese’s past, and whatever it was, I wanted it buried and forgotten.

I was wrong to think that he was a nice person.

Even though I wanted a huge amount of money, it didn’t feel right for me to divorce Chase because of it. I couldn’t hurt him that way.

“I expected a far better response from you, Reese. But I guess I have to understand. In case you change your mind, know that I’m just a phone call away.”

“No, I won’t change my mind…” I replied firmly.

He then shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t need to talk to your parents about this matter. It’s all part of the business. The decision is on you. The only person that can stop my son from sinking to his lowest level is none other than you, Reese. Keep that in your mind.”

My jaw clenched. I couldn’t take his words any longer, and so I went out of his office without saying any word.

As I hopped inside the car, I heard my phone chime. I was still having a high emotion when I read Ernest Maxwell’s text message:

Don’t ever mention this matter to Chase or to your family, or else, this will be the last time we’ll have a nice conversation.

Whatever that implied, it only meant one thing, I would be dead.

My suspicions about him returned in an instant.

There was something off about him and I had a feeling that he took his part in why Reese Jones went missing.

OLIVIA

I WOULD never forget how Ernest Maxwell treated me…

My tears streamed down my face as I waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. It was as if my heart had been slammed and crushed into pieces. I gasped for thin air and wiped my tears away, thinking that Mathias would notice my swollen eyes and report it to Chase.

The elevator door finally opened. I went out of the company and heard my phone ringing from my bag. I answered it when I saw it was Lara.

“Lara, I have to tell you something…” I said and swallowed so hard.

“You sound so tense. What’s wrong, Liv?” she asked worriedly. “I called because I wanted to ask you if you wanted me to come over for dinner since you’re alone.”

“Got it. Please come over. Talk to you later,” I replied, and ended the call.

I went to where the car was parked. I immediately noticed Mathias, who was standing outside and waiting for me. He glanced my way and opened the passenger seat’s door for me.

“Let’s stop in a nearby convenience store, Mathias. I want to buy some beers,” I commanded when he started the car engine.

He looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Is there something wrong, Madame? I know I’m not in the position to ask you this, but Mr. Maxwell wanted to make sure that you’re doing fine.”

“I’m absolutely fine, Mathias. And you can report to Chase that I’ll be spending the night with Lara. She’ll come over to the house. We’re going to celebrate something. That’s why I want to buy some beers.”

I let out a heavy sigh and turned my gaze to the window to ensure that Mathias would not see my teary eyes.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Madame, may I know what you would be celebrating? So in case Mr. Maxwell asks, I know what to tell him,” Mathias asked.

“Yes, I… I aced the examination we had earlier. Ernest had learned about it and complemented me. Lara and I would celebrate my simple achievement.”

There, I lied once again. I wondered how many people I should lie to just to conceal the truth. I thought I could live with these lies I made up, but they were starting to haunt me at night, giving me the creeps.

“Understood, Madame. I will let Mr. Maxwell know about it, and congratulations,” he said.

I nodded and looked at him from the rearview mirror. He didn’t seem convinced, though. It was like he knew everything that happened in Ernest’s office.

In less than thirty minutes, the car stopped in front of the convenience store. I went in there and filled my shopping cart with some snacks, beers, tequila and ice cream for hangovers. I quickened my pace and was about to go to the cashier when I noticed a small shelf loaded with the latest issued magazines. One of them had Chase on the cover.

I couldn’t help but smile, seeing how charismatic he was in his formal suit.

“You’re mine, handsome…” I said and put the magazine in my cart.

While I fell in line for the cashier, I recalled the conversation I had with Ernest Maxwell. My chest started to feel heavy thinking about how low he thought I was for offering me some huge amount of money to stay away from his son.

“Bastard…” I shook my head and shoved my negative thoughts aside.

“Looks like you’re going through a difficult breakup, huh?” The lady cashier commented.

My forehead creased at her statement. “No, it’s not a breakup. In fact, it’s a celebration because today is my birthday. ”

“Oh, my bad. Well, happy birthday, dear. I hope you enjoy your special day,” she said.

“Thank you so much,” I replied.

I bit my lower lip, and couldn’t run from the awkwardness I felt in explaining why I was buying a lot of liquor myself. Even from her face, I could tell that she didn’t buy my explanation. Luckily, she was a stranger.

I took the grocery bag, went out of the convenience store and placed it in the back of the car. Mathias was quick to maneuver the car and we were back on the road again. I was patiently glancing at the side streets we passed by when I noticed a black car that was following us.

“Mathias, is that the same car that followed us before?”

“No, Madame. Mr. Maxwell had stopped his men from tailing you after the yacht party.”

“Then who is it?” I curiously asked.

“Don’t worry, Madame. I’ll observe the car and make sure it’s not going to cause us trouble.”

“Are you sure about that?” I inhaled sharply as my anxiety started to engulf my chest.

“Yes, Madame. Please, don’t worry.”

“OK,” I said in defeat, leaning my head against the backrest of my seat.

***

LARA WENT to my house and bought a roasted chicken for us to eat for dinner. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate such a simple ready-to-eat takeout in a simple chicken store, but I missed it so much that I had finished almost half of it.

We then went to the swimming pool area and started drinking the liquor I bought.

“I haven’t been sober ever since you became my friend.” I giggled.

Lara opened another bottle of tequila and poured it into our shot glasses.

“Now, just to make sure I got everything processed in my head, Chase’s father asked you to divorce his son for seven million dollars?” she asked, and then laughed out loud before she finished her drink in one shot.

I rolled my eyes at her. She noticed that my expression went serious, so she held her laughter.

“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t expect it to happen. I thought highly of him, Lara.”

“I can’t believe it actually happened either.” She shook her head. “I thought he had already accepted you as his daughter-in-law.”

That’s what I thought too…

“He’s so upset with me and Reese’s family. He thinks that I’m not a better fit to be Chase’s wife even though I’m trying my best.” I finished my drink and Lara poured my glass again. “He told me that Chase is losing millions of dollars because of Reese’s parents. Apparently, the investors didn’t like it. That’s why they are pulling out their shares… I don’t know what to think, Lara. He’s offering me millions of dollars just to leave his son. I only saw that scenario in f*cking soap opera!”

“That only means he’s a d*ck!” She stood up and opened a bottle of whiskey and drank it. “You know what? How about we celebrate that insane offer?”

I shook my head. She looked at me and wiggled her eyebrows. This girl was already drunk.

“Just accept the money offer and then step out of that family… It’s as simple as that, and you’ll become stress-free, Olivia! This is your big day. Your jackpot! If I were you, I’d take it and leave them alone!”

We continued to drink while talking about how much of a douchebag Ernest was. I lost count of how many bottles of liquor we had. Drinking was the only thing I could think of that would relieve the heavy feeling in my chest.

I thought about Lara’s advice. Even though she wasn’t in her right mind because of her tipsiness, I couldn’t deny that she had a point.

Lara wrapped her arm around my shoulder and stared at me with her chinky eyes.

“Hear my advice, Liv. I’m after your well-being. Take the offer and go somewhere else. Have some plastic surgery and move on. With that huge amount of money, you can have a boyfriend every month!”

“Do you think it’s possible? How about Chase? If I left him, I’d feel bad for the rest of my life. He’s so caring, lovable, and thoughtful. Not to add that he’s handsome, has nice abs, is a good kisser, and great in bed. I mean-”

“Liv, do you hear yourself?” She hissed. “Wake up! Chase Maxwell is a billionaire. He can easily move on and find a new wife! Just divorce him and that’s it. Run away from him and don’t ever look back!”

I let out a huge sigh. Hearing that I was replaceable brought a pain inside my chest. But, Lara made sense. Perhaps it was a harsh truth that I needed to hear.

Chase, indeed, had a name to protect. If I didn’t take that offer from Ernest, then Chase would live his life in misery because of me and Reese’s parents.

“For the record, he doesn’t love you for who you are. You have to face the fact that he needs the real Reese. Whatever happened to them, I guess that isn’t your problem anymore. At the end of the day, you just need his money. It’s time for you to stop loving him, because you’re the only one who will suffer in the end. Do you get me?”

I nodded. I recalled the conversation I had with Ernest. Some of his statements actually gave me a hunch that he probably knew what happened to Reese Jones.

“It’s really odd. Something’s off with Ernest, Lara. The way he delivered his statement earlier, and told me stories about Reese Jones, telling me that she didn’t like his son from the start and that she only agreed because it was what her parents wanted her to do, it was clear that he only made it up.”

“Come on, Olivia. I’m not drunk yet!” She then leaned her head on the sun lounger. “So… you mean Ernest has something to do with Reese Jones’ disappearance?”

I rolled my eyes as Lara was already so wasted. “Yes, that’s right. I just had a feeling that Ernest was only doing this because he doesn’t like Reese at all.”

Lara giggled. “And he probably kidnapped and killed her, don’t you think?”

“That’s nonsense. What the hell are you blurting out, Lara?”

Luckily, Chase wasn’t here and there were no other staff or helpers around in this house, because I’d be screwed if we got seen like this…

“Or, Reese, was kidnapped by Ernest, then he put her on an isolated island so she can no longer go back here,” she added and chuckled.

“Ernest doesn’t like Reese Jones. That’s a probability based on the tone of his voice earlier, but kidnapping or killing? I don’t think it’s possible. If he had done that then he should’ve done something bad to me.”

“You’re right, smarty pants! Of course, he wouldn’t do that. But it doesn’t matter to us. Whatever happened to Reese Jones or their family feud, it would be safe for us not to involve ourselves anymore in that matter. Ernest doesn’t like Reese Jones, period. Take his offer and leave. Do you understand?”

She then fell off her seat and the glass that she was holding broke on the floor.

Lara was right.

That night, we both slept on the floor. I had a dream that I broke up with Chase, took his father’s money, and we flew to Hawaii. I changed my name to Taylor, had complete face surgery, and then I had three ex-boyfriends who kept chasing me.

The next day, I woke up with a terrible headache and I saw Lara, who was still unconscious on the floor.

I tried to call the school to inform them that I’d be absent for today because I had a very awful headache, but I ended up calling Ernest.

“Hello Reese, this is Ernest… I guess you’re calling the wrong number.”

My headache just disappeared in an instant, and I suddenly thought of excuses for me to respond.

“Hi, Dad. I’m sorry… I contacted you by accident. We’ll talk soon about your offer…”

“No rush, Reese. Actually, I want you to forget about it. The truth is, I was just upset and emotional… I’m so sorry.”

I wasn’t able to process what he was trying to convey. He ended up hanging up the phone because he told me he would attend a meeting.

I guess he was playing a trick on me. But I was sure that Ernest was serious yesterday. His eyes couldn’t lie. It was furious as hell. His words were also menacing. The fact that he went into detail about Reese Jones’s past relationship, her parents’ business, and discussing Chase’s failures in his business, it became clearer that he had probably known where Reese Jones went.

Whatever it was, I needed to be careful. I had to lay out a perfect plan for me to escape, and I was afraid that whatever happened to Reese Jones, would also happen to me.

It appeared that Ernest Maxwell was someone I should protect myself from.