CHAPTER 35
ROBERT’S POV
After everything that happened, I was so heartbroken and angry I had to retire to bed earlier than usual. My half-sister, Ginny and one of the servants had informed me earlier that Jake was asking for me after he came back from school. He must have seen my car out on the driveway and known I was around. But I told them to let him know I was tired and off to bed. I didn’t have the courage to face him. I didn’t even know what to think or say to him. I couldn’t believe that for the past nine years, I had fathered and loved deeply a child that wasn’t mine.
Sometime after he was born, people questioned his resemblance, saying he looked nothing like me. But since he had some of his mother’s features, we didn’t worry about that. Little did I know he was never mine. That it wasn’t the Wilson’s blood running through his veins. He shared similar features with Raphael light brown eyes and tawny gold hair that fell in loose waves on his forehead. I had observed that closely. Anyone seeing the duo together will no doubt believe they were related; more like a father and son.
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling utterly miserable as I sank my head deeper into the pillow. The pain felt like a numbing ice spreading through my stomach to my chest. I felt like punching something over and over again to let out all that pain, anger and frustration.
I couldn’t believe the woman I loved so much and was willing to risk everything for was causing me this amount of pain. I regret the day I brought her back into my life. She should have just stayed back with Raphael wherever it was they stayed and never came back to me.
She wasn’t even back yet from that birthday bash or whatever. I had given up on calling her because it was obvious she’d never pick up or return my calls. I couldn’t keep wasting my time.
Everyone had agreed she would be leaving the house first thing tomorrow morning since Raphael pleaded with us not to sue and throw her in jail. Jake will be leaving with her too. I felt for the little guy. It wasn’t his fault. He was just caught up in the mess his mother made. I don’t think he knows the truth yet. It’ll definitely shatter him when he does tomorrow morning when Raphael comes to pick them up. All these years, he’d grown fond of me and called me daddy. It will be really hard for him to accept another man as his father and it will be harder for me to live my life without him. Without a child to call my own. Good thing he hasn’t reached teenage age yet. Raphael could still have a shot at filling in for all these years he missed and making things right between them.
The door creaked open, and the lights flickered on. I heard the sharp clack of stiletto heels echoing on the floor as someone entered, humming softly. That was Scarlett. She had left for the party before noon and chose to return at this late hour. Just wonderful! I believe it was past 9 pm now. Did she forget she had a husband and a kid who needed her? What if we weren’t surrounded by all these luxuries and servants? How then will she be able to keep up with her duties as a wife and mother?
Lying on my side, I pretended to be asleep. I didn’t want her to know I was awake. I didn’t want to confront her yet. I had a better way of doing it planned out tomorrow morning. My lawyer has prepared the divorce agreement and I have signed my part already, remaining hers. She won’t know what hit her tomorrow morning.
I listened with my jaw clenched tight in rage as she took off every piece of item she had on and entered the bathroom to shower. After she finished, dried herself and did a few other things, I felt the bed dip as her weight mounted it.
Suddenly, she crawled on top of me and sat with her legs spread apart and folded on either side of my lower back. I felt her bare skin brushing against mine since I was shirtless on the upper part of my body. She ran her hands along my back, up to the base of my neck, massaging passionately.
“I know you’re not asleep,” she giggled seductively. “You’re just waiting for me to give you what you have been waiting for tonight.”
Lowering, she planted a kiss on my back, trailing her wet lips up to the side of my neck. Everything she was doing only irritated and angered me the more as my face squeezed into a disgusted frown. I wanted nothing more than for her to get off my body and life for good.
“Why didn’t you pick up my calls?” I asked with a seething anger burning at the back of my throat.
“The party was one of a kind. They didn’t let anyone come into the hall with their phones. They said they didn’t want any distractions.”
“Why didn’t you at least return the calls after seeing them? What if it was an emergency?”
“I’m sorry honey, my phone died,” she said while still kissing me here and there on my back, leaving wet trails all over. “I forgot my charger. I just plugged it now. I haven’t even checked to see my missed calls and messages.”
All her flimsy excuses made my blood boil. She had this habit of making up excuses for her shortcomings and I have been nothing but a fool all these years, considering them and forgiving her. But not today. Not anymore.
“Get off my back,” I ground the words angrily from my teeth.
“What?…”
Even though I wasn’t facing her, I knew that must have caught her unawares.
“I said get the fuck off me!!” My temper flared and I lashed out at her with a vicious voice, causing her to flinch and clumsily scamper off my body to across the bed.
When I turned, adjusted and sat up against the headboard of the bed, she was looking at me, utterly shocked and confused with the way I was acting.
“My love…” she stammered with a whimper. “What’s happening? Why are you treating me this way? I know you have every reason to be angry with me right now for not picking up your calls and coming back late but please I’m sorry. It wasn’t my fault. Why don’t I make it up to you tonight with very hot sex? Anyhow you want it, any position of your choice. You can put it anywhere you want…”
Gently, she started approaching me on the bed like I was a wild animal she didn’t want to startle. The former me would have jumped on this opportunity like a moth to a flame. But that wasn’t me anymore. I was over her charms and tricks.
“Don’t even dare,” I cast her a murderous glare that made her not come any further to me.
“Raphael came by,” ignoring her plea and offer, I said, staring at her intently, hoping the name would strike a chord.
“Who is Raphael and what does he have to do with any of this?” She asked cluelessly like she hadn’t heard the name before, her eyes desperately pleading for my forgiveness.
Rage coursed through me as I snarled at her. In a flash, I was gripping her by the throat with malicious intent, angling her neck so she was looking up at me.
“Don’t fucking play dumb with me or I swear I’ll make you regret it,” I threatened darkly. “I know everything. I know you have been married for the past nine years yet you’re here playing with my feelings. I know Jake isn’t my son and worse, I know you bribed Frank to set Lily up and brainwashed me into firing her from the company. How could you?”
Desperately, she tried to beat off my grip around her neck, struggling to breathe. Her skin was reddening, her eyes teary and bulgy and veins specking along her forehead. Just a little longer and her corpse will be slumped on the bed. But I had no intention of killing her. I just wanted to make her suffer and feel the intense unimaginable pain she caused me.
I let go of the chokehold. She gasped and coughed violently, patting her bare chest and trying to regain her lost breath.
“You…you tried to kill me, Robert…” she managed to say through laboured breath, fear and utter disbelief marring features as she wobbled away from me. “When did it get to this?”
“I have no intentions of killing you,” I looked at her with stern disgust. “You have already put yourself in a situation worse than death. Now I know you never truly loved me. All these while, you have only been with me because of my wealth and power and wanted nothing more than to ruin me and my company. Thank goodness I found out before it was too late. My lawyer has prepared a divorce agreement. I have signed my part. First thing tomorrow morning, you will be signing yours and after that, you’re living this house and my life for good.”