CLAUDE
I quickly went after Sia. But when I got to the mansion, my wife wasn’t there. She wasn’t in the room. She wasn’t anywhere else in the house either. But the maids said she came in a little while ago. They also said she didn’t eat with my parents. So, if she wasn’t there, where did she go?
She couldn’t leave the house without being seen because there were maids at the front of the house and a guard at the gate. Where could she have slipped off to?
Maybe Constance knew where my wife was. “Constance, have you seen Sia?” I asked the moment I spotted her.
“Sir, she was here in the room just a while ago. She said she didn’t want to eat dinner because she was still full. She told me she was going to rest.”
“If you’re telling the truth, then where is she now? There was no one here in the room when I came in.”
The maid sighed. “I’ll look for her, sir. Maybe she just went out. Maybe she went to the garden.”
I shook my head. “I’ve been looking for her for a while now. No one has seen her since she went upstairs to the room. Where else do you think Sia could be hiding?”
Constance paled at my question. “S-Sir, I-I’m not hiding her. I just left Ma’am Sia here in the room.”
From where I sat on the edge of the bed, I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest.
“We’ll find out if you’re telling the truth, Constance.” I pressed a button on the intercom.
In just a few moments, we heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said.
The door opened, and the mansion’s head maid, Hilda, entered.
“Do you need something, dear?” she asked as she approached us.
“Please accompany Constance and me to the basement,” I said.
Hilda nodded. She took Constance’s hand, and they left and headed for the elevator. When we reached the basement, I quickly opened the door. In front of us was a huge TV screen as big as a cinema. But we didn’t enter a cinema room; we entered a control room.
I sat in front of the switchboard, my fingers tapping the keyboard as I cycled through the surveillance footage. Ford’s car appeared on the screen, followed by Sia stepping out and entering the mansion.
Another click, and the scene shifted to Sia quickly ascending the stairs and then entering her room, where she conversed briefly with Constance. Once alone, she undressed and disappeared into the bathroom. Minutes later, she returned to bed briefly before heading back to the bathroom. After a while, she didn’t reappear on camera.
The footage in the bathroom only captured the entrance, revealing nothing. But there was one place left to check.
I switched to the feed from the walk-in closet, where Sia was lying on the floor in the far corner.
Constance and Hilda gasped.
“Should I wake up Ma’am Sia?” Constance asked.
I shook my head firmly.
“No need, Constance. If she wants to be away from me, let her. It’s her choice.”
They exchanged glances at my response.
The next day, Sia and I barely exchanged words during breakfast with the family. My mother noticed but didn’t press further. Since that night, Sia hadn’t returned to our bed, and despite my irritation, I didn’t confront her. I missed her presence, but I refused to coax her.
A week later, Haven’s claims resurfaced in my mind. I combed through the CCTV footage of my condo unit, finding no evidence of activity outside the room. How could I know if Haven was telling the truth?
Then, a memory sparked. I had installed a spy camera in the room, connected to my phone and laptop.
Opening my laptop, I accessed the application and scrutinized the footage. After our drinking session, Haven’s behavior took a sudden turn. She disappeared into the bathroom with the bottle of alcohol, emerging undressed. It was a shocking revelation.
I blinked several times as I watched Haven undressing on the screen. But what shocked me the most was her next move. Straddling me, she gyrated on top, facing away from the camera, her movements clear.
She caressed my chest, and at times, her kisses landed on my face. I felt sick witnessing her actions.
If it were Sia in her place, perhaps I’d feel differently. But Haven’s advances repulsed me. I shut off the video. There was no need to see more; I knew she was lying from the start.
I was certain my “pet” wouldn’t respond to her advances. I’m a deep sleeper whenever I am drunk. Alcohol didn’t affect me the way it might affect others, unless it was mixed with something stronger, like Ecstasy, which I didn’t indulge in.
Maybe Haven had tampered with the alcohol, ensuring I slept soundly. It wasn’t just a regular drink I had consumed. Thankfully, it was only a mild sedative mixed in. If an aphrodisiac had been added, maybe her story would hold some truth.
But Haven was still at fault. I vowed to keep my distance from her. Her intentions were clearly not good.
“Monte, what would you do if your wife stopped talking to you?”
“I’d try to mend things, of course. I wouldn’t want our marriage to suffer.”
“Why? Just because you’re married? Or for other reasons?”
Monte shot me a look, reclining in his chair. We were discussing business in his office. “There are many reasons to reconcile with Nova when she’s upset. First and foremost, I love her and hate seeing us at odds. Second, for the sake of our kids. And third, it’s my duty as her husband.”
“Is that so?”
“Why do you ask? Trouble in paradise?”
“Not exactly. We’re just… distant. Barely talk. Only agree in bed.”
“Interesting. Sounds like a physical connection is all that’s left. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you and Sia were just bedmates. Don’t you like her?”
I shook my head. “She’s not my type. Too tall and fair. You know the kind of women I prefer.”
Monte chuckled. “Petite, dark, and curvy. Sia doesn’t fit the bill.”
“You got it. That’s why I’m not into her.”
“You’re a puzzle, bro. You won’t touch Haven, who matches your ideal, but you’re in bed with Sia, whom you don’t find attractive. I don’t get it.”
I smirked, a touch of bitterness in his smile. “I see Haven more like a sister, so I don’t pursue her. There are plenty of other women out there. Why would I go after my friend?”
“Okay. I understand your point there. But why Sia?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled.
“Why do you want to have sex with her body if you don’t find her attractive? Because she’s your wife? Or are you just addicted to her body?”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the weight of Monte’s question. “I don’t even understand myself. My day doesn’t feel complete if nothing happens between us. Like now, it’s been over a week since we last slept together. My patience is running out. I’m close to forcing her. If I weren’t worried that she would report me to my mom, I would have pushed her earlier.”
“Oops! Hold on, bro. Don’t do that. She might charge you with marital rape. You wouldn’t want to tarnish your family’s name, right?”
“How would that be rape if we’re married?”
“It would still be rape, bro, because you would be forcing her. Just try to woo her. Once you reconcile, she’ll surely give you what you want.”
I shook my head, frustrated. “That’s the problem, though. I don’t want to woo her because she might get used to it. I don’t want a situation where every time she gets upset, I have to woo her. It would be different if I loved her like you love Nova. But I don’t love her. So why should I be the one making amends? Let her deal with her own life.”
Monte raised an eyebrow, considering my words. “If you really don’t like her and have no intention of wooing her, why not just break up? If you split up, you can find another woman you like. Why stay under the same roof if it’s just about a piece of paper and sex? If you have no intention of falling in love with her, break up with her early. Don’t prolong it if both of you are suffering.”
I mulled over Monte’s words.
Was he right? Was I prolonging unnecessary suffering with Sia? Was it time to let her go?
Part of me resisted because I still found comfort in Sia’s body. And we had agreed to give our marriage a year before making any decisions. But it had only been six months. We had a long road ahead.
“Do you think that’s the best thing for me to do?”
“Chaos, only you can answer your question. You’re the one in the relationship, not me or anyone else. Think carefully about your decision. Will you continue your relationship if there’s no love between the two of you? Or will you free each other to find someone who’s right for you? Why would you still keep the marriage if it’s not worth saving? Why don’t you go on and live separately?”
I remained silent.
“How do you manage to be with someone you don’t even like? And all you’re after is sex. That’s such a shallow reason to keep being together. It would be better if you had children, so there would be a strong reason not to separate. But you don’t have any obligations to consider, do you? It’s better to let each other go early on before the problems escalate and you hurt each other even more.”
I cleared my throat, feeling Monte’s words weigh heavily on me.
“So, you’re also in favor of separation? I thought you believed that marriage is a lifelong commitment?”
“My belief hasn’t changed. That’s why I chose to marry Nova because I love her. Even if she didn’t like me back then, I thought that if we lived together, I could eventually win her over. And my dream came true. But your situation with Sia is different. Neither of you likes each other, and you were both forced to marry because of your parents. So, no one will get hurt if you split up. Unless, of course, you just don’t want to admit that you have feelings for her. You’re just in denial.” He gave me a pointed look, and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
“I don’t like Sia, so it’s very impossible for me to fall in love with her. Period!”
Monte raised both his hands in surrender. “Okay. You said it. If that’s the case, there’s no reason for you to stay together. You could probably argue your case in front of your parents, couldn’t you?”
I nodded thoughtfully, considering his words.
Two days after my conversation with Monte, I purposely visited Attorney Hernandez’s office.
“Hey, Mr. Robinson, did you get lost?” Attorney Hernandez said with a grin.
“I just need something done.”
“About your business?”
“No. It’s something personal.”
“Like what?”
“Can I have divorce papers prepared?”
Attorney Hernandez chuckled. “Okay. I’ll prepare a draft for you, like I did for your friends, which you can use for the divorce filing.”
“Thank you, Attorney.”