Chapter 21
A THIRD POV.
His phone rings incessantly and he groans, terminating what seemed to be the fourteenth call in the past minute.
He just might have turned off his phone if Sarah wasn’t meeting up with him here and needed
to reach him as well.
It was probably Anna trying to control him again, as well as his whereabouts.
There was a shred of guilt that struck him sometimes, but that was all it was that he felt for
his wife. He couldn’t say it was his fault. They barely even had sex anymore, and when he
asked, she was either too tired to sate him or too busy to mind him.
Excuses, all the time. That was all she could give to him. Stupid excuses.
He had tried at first to understand. It was why he had pleaded with her to leave her job. So she could have more than enough time to fulfil her wifely duties, both to him and the family.
Then she’d brought in her sister who vexed him more than anyone could. She was bold and
she saw right through him. He hated that. He didn’t want her corrupting his innocent wife
with her terrible manners and attitude.
No matter that it had been May he had liked first. He had met May and Anna on New Year’s Eve, and he had approached them to speak to her
Only, she hadn’t even looked at him like he was a man. May was a woman who commanded respect and attention, and Sean knew he couldn’t handle a wildcard like her. So he had gone for the more conservative sister, and here he was putting up with her, tolerating her.
Sean had fallen for Anna at some point, but it was her fault she couldn’t keep his affection. She barely even dressed up anymore, or danced for him like she knew he liked. She barely even did anything for him anymore.
Hence, it was her fault he had done this.
“Sean? My love?” a honeyed voice calls out behind him, and Sean turns, smiling as Sarah throws her arms around his neck. She giggles, pressing a soft kiss against his neck. “I got everything! Thank you.”
He threads his fingers through her hair. “Anything for you.”
Something in his pocket vibrates again and Sean groans, pulling away from the hug. Hitting the green button, he presses the phone to his ear. “What?!”
The line breaks and Anna sobs into the phone. “Please. Come back home. I miss you, I’m sorry.
Chapter 21
2/3
Sarah caresses Sean’s cheek, concern flickering in her eyes. “I’m busy. I won’t be done with my shift until the day after tomorrow. I’ve told you this one too many times! Why do you keep disturbing me?”
There is a silent pause and then, Anna says very quietly, “Where are you, Sean?”
“What sort of question is that?”
“I visited the company yesterday.” A pause. “Why did you take a leave?” Her voice is usually soft and tiny. But there is something chilly in it that makes Sean uncomfortable. It is cold, silent and mad at the same time.
It only dawns on him some seconds later that Anna is angry. It is a rarity. Anna doesn’t get mad, ever. Regardless of how much she is pushed, she smiles still and tries to make things
better.
Fear grips Sean when Anna asks again, “Why did you take a leave from work? Why are you lying to me?”
“You’re talking nonsense. I’m on a business meeting right now. Work doesn’t mean that I have to remain at work all the time. I travel sometimes.” Sean pauses. “What are you insinuating?”
Anna laughs. It is a cold and brittle sound. “Send me your location, Sean. I’m coming there to join you. We do have an outing scheduled for today anyway, seeing as it is our wedding anniversary.”
“No, you will stay home and take care of–”
“I’m not stupid. I have loved you and respected you. We’ve been married for long enough for you to know that the only thing that gets me angry is my intelligence being played on. Do recall that before you made me resign, I was going to get promoted to the Managing Director of Spears Incorporated, which happens to be where you work now. I still have my connections. It’d take one phone call to take away the job my connections got you in the first place,” she says, voice low and laced with silent anger, which happens to be the worst kind of anger.
Sean groans. “Don’t fucking threaten me!”
Another chuckle comes from the other end of the line. “Then don’t make me do this. I hate doing this, but you’ve pushed me. Send your location, and for your sake, I do hope there’s a business meeting going on there.”
Anna hangs up and Sean stares at the phone. He should’ve handled that better. Anna was nice until she felt like she was being insulted and played.
“What is it?” Sarah asks, playing with Sean’s hair.
“How quickly can you arrange for a meeting with a few clients?”
Sarah frowns. “It’s not the arrangement that is the problem. It’s a matter of whether they can
Chapter 21
make it on such short notice.”
Sean groans. “Make the calls. Just do it. It is urgent.”
****
3/3
ANNA.
I shouldn’t have spoken to May like that. She was only trying to look out for me. It’s just so hard to have to go through all of this and then suspect your husband.
I’m supposed to be strong for myself, my son, and May. May shouldn’t have to watch me suffer like this. She shouldn’t have to watch me go through this, especially after all that we’ve been through together.
I want her to be happy in her marriage, and for her never to distrust her husband. May learns quickly from other people’s mistakes. It is why I have tried for most of my life to shield her from it.
But now, I feel like a failure.
Threatening Sean like that isn’t who I am. Even if I knew he was lying, I’d never call up to have him fired. I just really need to know where he is. That he’s fine and May is wrong.
A thud has me lurching forward and instinctively, I hit the brakes while holding on to my son’s carseat.
My gaze rises and my mouth goes dry. I ran into someone’s car.
