ARRANGED TO CARTER ANDERSON

CHAPTER 3

Emily scanned the room with her throbbing eyes as she gently pushed herself up from the floor where she lay all through the night till daybreak. Carter had left her there, not minding if she was dead or alive,

That was cruel!

She moved out of the bedroom to the kitchen, pushing against the walls as she moved for support. She opened the freezer and poured herself a glass of water, took a sip, and then a deep breath before emptying the remaining into her stomach.

She stared away blankly into the distance with the glass of water still in her hand, oblivious to her environment. The sudden sounds of her phone ringing in her back pocket jacked her back to life. She wore a black trouser with a white top, both displaying the beauty of her curved figure. She hesitantly moved her hand back to remove it and identified the caller.

“Hey, princess,” the old man’s voice called out with concern. “We just want to know if you’re okay. Are you all right over there?”

She tried to open up to his Dad, but a second thought made her change her mind. She didn’t want to spoil their day with her problem. “Hi, Dad. I’m alright, I promise,” she replied, forcing a smile.

The call ended with her trying to make her parents feel at ease even though she wasn’t any better. The housemaid had just walked up to her to inquire if she needed anything. She nodded her head and muttered, “Just coffee.”

The coffee was brought to her at the seating room a few minutes later the exact way she wanted it – thick with little sugar. Emily cupped her fingers around her belly and bent to stare at it. “Don’t worry, baby, even though it turns out to be just you and me tomorrow, I won’t forsake you. I’ll always be there for you.”

She grabbed the remote on the leather chair where she sat and searched for her favorable channels as she sunk into them trying to find peace.

Carter had spent the last night at the hotel where he went to the bar for some whiskey as he usually does whenever he’s in a tense state. The waiter served him a bottle of whiskey and a glass. He poured the whiskey into the glass raising it to the half level of the glass and took a sip.

Across his seat were seated three guys of which one was his friend – Anthony, called Tony for short. Their gaze immediately caught and he excused himself from his friends. “What’s up, man,” he greeted, stretching a hand for a handshake.

Carter lifted his head, his expression reading not to be disturbed, but Tony didn’t care about that. “Cool,” he muttered, his tone showing no interest. He returned the handshake and continued with his drink.

“So, what’s it that brought here this time?” Tony asked helping himself with a drink as he lifted the bottle of whiskey to pour into his glass. He’d brought the glass from the other table. “Let me guess, family issue?”

Carter lifted his head again to cast a gaze, surprised. How did he know? He wondered, not knowing the incident that occurred at his wedding anniversary filtered across many channels almost immediately after it happened.

“Yeah, wife issue to be precise,” he replied, took a long sip from the glass of whiskey, and sighed.

“Ah! Please, don’t tell me you’re getting a divorce,” Tony raised his brows with his lips lifted in shock at the break of the news. But Carter nodded looking away blankly.

“Oh, fu*k me, man!” Tony exclaimed, still in shock. “It surprises me you’re the one demanding the divorce.”

Carter’s brows furrowed in shock. “And what do you mean by that?”

Tony didn’t take the time to observe how furious his friend was becoming with his trailing tongue. He must’ve simply been overtaken by the power of the whiskey.

“See man, you have a beautiful wife, one that is loving and caring, one that only sees you as the only existing man on earth. But you never see her that way. You rather choose to run after a girl no one knows where she comes from.”

A hushed silence took over the atmosphere, Tony’s naked words eating deep inside Carter, causing his blood to boil beneath his skin.

“See man, if you’ve made up your mind to divorce Emily, I can only tell you to be hasty about it. I can’t wait to have her for myself. Damn, man, Emily looks nerd, her hot body is one no man can resist.”

At the mention of his wife’s name and describing her body as hot, Carter’s countenance turned to a dangerous rage as he stared at Tony with fearsome eyes and flushed face. Tony didn’t need to think twice to understand how far his words had wounded his friend.

Tony tried to take his leave, perhaps to save himself from the wounded lion in front of him, but it was too late.

Carter jacked up from his seat and lifted the bottle of whiskey in the air. The next thing, it landed on Tony’s head as he slumped to the ground, splashes of blood gushing out of his head.

The other two guys rushed to hold him.

“You dare not talk the f**k about my wife like that!” He stated and swung out of the bar.