my billionaire husband's family secret.

SIGN THE DIVORCE PAPERS!!!

So fast after receiving the papers. Or had he not received them before returning home? Maybe he hadn't, there was a delay sometimes and he could have left before I'd even sent it.

Someone was sent to inform me that my husband was back and had requested I meet him in his office. In an hour.

Forty five minutes later, flesh bumps lining my skin from the shower I waited outside Apollo's office door. The room was at the end of a long gallery. Across from the door stood a single chair and side table with a clock. Staring at the second hand as it audibly counted off the time, I vividly remembered how many times I'd stood In the exact same spot after a summons from Apollo. Like a school girl waiting on the principal.

The corners of my mouth dipped and I stared down the gallery. I could leave. Defy his stupid summons from now. And see what would happen if I did,like I had always wondered.

I took a step away from the door, then another. The handle twisted, the door quickly swinging inward. I froze, afraid to turn and meet his gaze.“You're early.” He reached across my chest, grabbed my opposite shoulder and turned me toward the door before letting go.

“I was waiting to knock.

“Don't lie, Zora. You're too easy to read.” Reaching out again, he touched the back of my neck with his fingers. Heat flowed from the tips to gently propel her into the room.

I wondered at this subtle, but evident change. The Apollo I knew would have asked why I'd been standing at the door without knocking, having to make him come for me. No, he wouldn't have even come to the door.

When I was inside, he closed the door and pointed at a swivel chair infront of his huge mahogany desk. “Sit.”

Approaching the desk, I saw that it had an envelope on it. My heart started to skip beats as I nervously glanced towards the door. Apollo was being too quiet if he'd actually gotten the papers.

I sat and swallowed, willing myself to let him know I meant what I wanted. I wanted to be free of him.

He crossed over and went to take a seat behind his desk. Continued to look at something on his laptop.

No emotion crossed his features. He didn't so much as glance at me for a few minutes. Damn him! I scowled at him, intent on boring a hole through his thick skull with just my gaze. What game was he playing with me? Ten minutes later, I surrendered with a little puff of air and turned my attention toward the window. It was clear from the grounds of the estate, all fifty acres, that he had a thing for dark stones, magnolia trees, running water and lots of flowers. I tried to picture him alone in that garden, staring at the flowers as they floated by, a spring breeze carelessly orchestrating their path. But I couldn't for the life of me. In the five years of our marriage,I hadn't seen Apollo strolling through the gardens. There had been some occasional event or the other there, but that was it.

I was shocked when instead of remaining seated behind the desk, Apollo made for where I sat. He propped himself on the corner of the desk and turned my chair to face him squarely. I startled as I felt the brush of his fingers against my bare arm. His fingers lifted to my cheek, lightly stroking my skin as he met my eyes. Deeply rattled I stood from my seat and snapped at him." What is this you're doing?"

"I'm simply getting reacquainted with my wife,after a long business trip. Is that not what married people do?"

I glared at him in disbelief."We are not like other married people. You made sure of it. So what's all this?" I took in a sharp breath and decided to take the lead on the discussion myself, after all it was something I wanted and had initiated.

"I want a divorce Apollo. I faxed you the divorce papers and I don't know if you got them before your travel home or not, but I still have other copies. I'll gladly bring them here myself." I finished, chancing a look at his face, only to see his face stony and jaw locked. Finally,he was becoming like the Apollo I knew. I braced myself.

He grabbed the envelope from the desk and ripped it open shoving the papers in my face.

"Are these the papers? Divorce papers you went behind my back to get, to divorce me?" He flung the papers to the ground and I half thought he'd stomp on them too.

He advanced on me, as I matched his steps, retreating from his angry advance towards me until I was flat against the wall and he was right in front of me.

"You can't divorce me Zora. Not when I haven't said that that's what I want. You'll remain my wife,like you've been. Docile and pleasing." He said, reaching for the straps of my dress.

I'd been paralyzed by the advance, his predator and prey tactics almost working, but when the straps fell off revealing the tops of my breasts I snapped out of it. Apollo always had little care for me when we were together, I felt more pain than pleasure. And that was why I wasn't going to let him continue to mistreat me. I brushed his hands off and shoved with all my strength at his broad shoulders, getting out from under him

"I want my life back Apollo. I don't want your money,I want nothing from you. So you can keep it all and please, just let me go. You don't want me anyway. You've never wanted me."

He had a look of great surprise on his face that would have amused me had I not been wondering at my boldness as well.

I turned and walked out the office before he had the chance to recover.

Next day was my first day at work. I wanted to leave even before the sun was up. Had to get away from the house before Apollo even realized I wouldn't be staying home. I knew it wouldn't last long. My freedom whenever he wasn't home was a little better. But when he was back,I was always shut in my room, only coming out for meals in the dining room. We didn't even talk then, the dining table itself could sit at the very least twelve people and we always sat at opposite ends, him with his morning paper and me barely looking anywhere except at my food.

I lay there, thinking I must have imagined what happened the previous day. Not Apollo's outburst,he definitely always found a reason or two to shout and rave at me but his approach to me when I'd been seated at his desk. It puzzled me. Why had he done that? Stroked my cheeks like he cared, when we both knew he couldn't give a flying f**k how I felt about anything.

I got up, going through what would now be my daily routine. It felt good, getting up, having a bath and dressing up for something that would take me outside the room and gloom of the huge estate. The air inside here had become stifling and dreary with my lack of zest for anything for the longest period. Until I started to think about divorcing Apollo, and doing the things I've always wanted to do with my life.

Of course, when I looked in the mirror it didn’t quite work on me. I didn't think I looked the part of an intern who was looking to work and learn with a great deal of interest and focus. I looked too much like a billionaires wife with my dressy suit pants.

I pulled everything off, hanging them back in the large walk in closet filled only with clothes that would please Apollo. Clothes for every occasion as the perfect trophy wife. I didn't even know what my own fashion style was if anyone asked me. I'd never really explored more of what I'd like to wear on my own. Never made my own choices. When clothes were picked out for me for any of the high profile events we went to,or even simply a family event, it was always Apollo making the choices. Or he'd leave it to the stylist,who invariably picked what she knew Apollo would find pleasing. I dressed only to please him. From the way I wore my hair, to my clothes and then the shoes. It was all for Apollo. And the Delgados image.