Chapter 2 Two

She opened the door to leave but she came face to face with kyrian. He was just returning from wherever it was he had gone the previous night. His perfume hit her nose, but it was different this time. It carried a feminine scent that she knew unmistakably belonged to Tracey.

Tracey had been the brand ambassador for that insanely expensive perfume, so it wasn’t surprising that she still used it.

Kyrian’s eyes fell on the bag that Lily was dragging along before it returned to her face.

“Are you…”

“Yes, I’m leaving. We’re getting a divorce, so there’s no need to stay any longer.”

“I didn’t ask you to leave. Why not wait until we finalize the divorce proceedings before you leave?”

“No! I’m leaving right now!” Lily shouted, catching Kyrian unawares. She lowered her gaze and swallowed nothing, she hadn’t meant to shout.

“I mean, I’m leaving now. I have no reason to be here.”

“Mmmm,” Kyrian muttered. He had been taken aback by her outburst and didn’t want to press further. This was the first time he had ever heard her raise her voice. The look of determination in her eyes wasn’t one that he had seen before. No doubt she already had her mind made up.

She walked past him to continue on her way but he halted her.

“Wait.”

Lily stopped and turned back. Kyrian was writing something on a paper. When he was done, he extended it to her.

It was a cheque; a blank cheque.   

She took it, glanced at it and exhaled slowly. He was handing her a blank cheque. The Brandon family was a well known wealthy family in the country. She could take any amount she wanted, an obscene amount that could make her laugh bitterly.

Was this his way of paying her back for her services? For taking care of him for three whole years? For her love? 

Did he think everything could be measured or quantified with money? Was he just going to throw a blank cheque at her for all she had done and expect her to be pacified?

He stepped closer, hesitating briefly before pulling her into a stiff embrace.

“If you need anything…contact me.” His voice was low, almost reluctant.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

Lily didn’t return the hug. She tightened her grip on the cheque in her hands and nodded, before turning to continue on her way.

As she did that, his voice stopped her one last time.

“Who’s Clinton?”

Her breath caught. Involuntarily, she lost grip on her suitcase and it fell to the floor. She turned towards Kyrian, shock evident on her face. How did he know about Clinton? What else does he know about him and who fed him with that information?

She opened her mouth to answer but no words came out. Her voice chose the time she needed it the most to fail her.

She raised her face and met his gaze. His jaw was clenched, his dark eyes burning with something she couldn’t place.

It wasn’t anger. Not indifference.

Kyrian mistook her silence for agreement to his opinion. There has always been Clinton in the picture, long before she got to know him. 

“He’s important to you, right? You can go be with him now. Sorry for wasting three years of your life. I wish you happiness.”

With that, he turned and went into the house.

Lily didn’t turn to look at him. She didn’t know how to react or what to say, so she figured it was best to go home. Clinton was important to her but it was him, Kyrian, that she loved! Why couldn’t he just see how much she had fallen for him?

She hailed a taxi and gave him her address. It was quite a distance from the Brandon residence but she could afford it. In her three years of marriage, Kyrian’s grandmother had made sure she received an allowance. This money was paid into her account directly from the company’s purse every month.

The taxi pulled to a stop in front of the house. She stepped out of the car, her eyes fixed on the cozy house before her. She pulled her luggage to the door. The weight of it was nothing compared to the weight in her heart.

She pressed the doorbell and waited. Very typical of Claire, her best friend to stop at a convenient point before coming to get the door. 

Claire was a successful freelance writer, known for her sharp wit and insightful articles. She also worked from home, curled up in bed or seated on her reading table with her laptop.

After some time, the door swung open, revealing the pretty face of her best friend.

“Lily! Oh my god! It’s been ages.” Claire’s face lit up, arms already outstretched. But then, her gaze dropped to the bags at Lily’s feet and her smile flattered.

“Oh. Oh no! What happened?”

Lily swallowed hard.

“I’m divorced.”

Claire’s expression darkened. She yanked Lily inside, slamming the door behind them.

“That son of a bitch! What did he do?”

Lily sank into one of the plush sofas and began narrating her ordeal to her best friend.

“His ex is back and I’m no longer needed,” she laughed bitterly.

“That bloody bastard! How could he do this to you? I’m so sorry.”

“I’m more concerned about Dad’s hospital bill. His family has been taking care of it since I got married to him. I’m worried they’ll withdraw their help now that we are no longer married.”

Claire’s face fell. She could understand her friend’s predicament. Lily’s father was in a coma and needed a lot of money for his treatment. Lily was doing everything possible to keep him alive for he was her only parent. She had lost her mother at a very young age.  

“We can figure that out. Your father will be fine.”

Lily nodded.

“Wait. Didn’t you say that Kyrian gave you a blank cheque?”

Lily nodded again, wondering what her friend was up to.

“Great.”

“Claire? He gave me a cheque but I’m…”

“No buts! We’ll make use of it. You’ll take as much money to last a decade.”

Lily’s eyes widened.

“That’s not right. It's a fraud.”

“No dear. It’s justice. He owes you that much,” Claire responded in a voice that brooked no argument. 

Lily raised her hands in surrender. She knew fully well that Claire could be a handful. 

“Now, breathe. Forget about that ungrateful soul and let's get you settled in. But I…” Claire made a face, then lowered her voice till it was barely above a whisper. 

“I have this article I need to finish.”

“It's fine, I know you already. Besides, I used to live here before I got married. I can handle myself.”

Claire muttered a thanks and hurried back to her computer. 

By morning, Claire had the solutions to Lily's problem. She spent a greater part of the day doing her research and had found some companies that were hiring. 

“Uhhh! Not that,” Claire said for the nth time that morning. 

Lily had literally emptied her entire closet in search of the right clothes to wear for this interview but Claire didn't think them worthy. 

They all consisted of her casual loose sweat shirts or baggy outfits which weren't the trendy office wear at the time. 

“Fine! I'll just go with my baggy trousers and…”

“Ohhh! That reminds me. I have this nice outfit I haven't worn. A smaller size was delivered to me so I packed it up. Why didn't I think of it? It will be perfect for this day!” Claire smiled. Reluctantly, Lily rolled her eyes and followed her

“Breathe Lily, you've got this,” she said within herself, tucking her hair behind her ears. She was standing in front of the imposing towers of the company that would determine her fate. 

Her father's medical expenses and general wellbeing depended heavily on this job. 

As she was about to step forward, a voice pierced the air, echoing in her mind like a haunted memory.

“Oh ha! If it isn't the loser, who will it be?” 

The voice was loud, mocking and too familiar. She hadn't expected this voice and individual to resurface, especially not now. 

Could her day get any worse?