The Second Chance Lover

CHAPTER 4: TELL ME EVERYTHING

“Lloyd,” Anita began, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion, “I need to know why you lied to me. Why didn’t you tell me about the casino?” She could not believe that she left a lot of things not attended to before signing the contract.

Lloyd looked up at her, his expression unreadable. “Anita, I didn’t lie. I just didn’t think it was necessary to bring it up.”

“Didn’t think it was necessary?” Anita echoed, her voice rising. “We’re supposed to be married, Lloyd. Call it fake, contracted, faux, or anything, I need to know these things. How am I supposed to trust that you will keep your end of the bargain when your mother shows up with these questions when she was not mentioned in the contract too?”

Lloyd stood up, his patience wearing thin. “Our marriage is a contract, Anita. Nowhere in that contract does it state that I need to disclose every detail of my life to you?”

Anita’s eyes flashed with anger. “A contract marriage, yes. But if we’re going to make this work, if we’re going to pretend to be a real couple, then I need to know everything about you. I need to be treated like your wife, not just some business partner.”

Lloyd sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. You want to know everything about me? Here it is. I own a lot of businesses, including this hotel and the company you work for as a maid.”

Anita’s jaw dropped, shock and betrayal flooding her senses. “You own the company I work for? You knew I was working there as a maid and you didn’t say anything?”

Lloyd’s gaze was steady, almost defiant. “Yes, I knew. And I didn’t say anything because it didn’t seem relevant to our arrangement.”

“Not relevant?” Anita’s voice was a mix of disbelief and fury. “You watched me struggle, watched me work as a maid, and you didn’t think it was important to tell me? Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?”

Lloyd’s face hardened. “I didn’t want to interfere. I wanted to see how you handled yourself. And you’ve done well, Anita. You’re strong and capable. But this isn’t about you being a maid or me being your boss. This is about us.”

Anita shook her head, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. “This is about trust, Lloyd. You manipulated me. You knew I would come for the money. How can I trust you if you keep me in the dark about such important things?”

Lloyd stepped closer, his voice softening slightly. “Anita, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Yes, I knew you would take the money, I did my research, but I’ve always respected you and admired your strength. But our marriage started as a business deal. I didn’t think you’d want to know all the details of my life.”

“Well, I do,” Anita shot back, her voice trembling. “I want to know everything. If we’re going to make this work, I need to be treated like a real wife, not just someone you keep around for appearances.”

Lloyd looked at her, a mixture of frustration and something softer in his eyes. “Anita, I’m willing to try. But you need to understand that this is new for me too. I’ve never been in a situation like this before and trust me, right now, I am being civil about this.”

Anita took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Then let’s figure it out together, Lloyd. Let’s be honest with each other, no more secrets.”

Lloyd nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “Alright, Anita. No more secrets. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. But you have to promise me something in return.”

“What?” Anita asked warily.

“You have to promise to give this marriage a real chance despite my character or position. Not just for the sake of the contract, but for us. Can you do that?”

Anita hesitated, the weight of his words sinking in. She wanted to believe him, wanted to give their marriage a real shot. But the hurt and betrayal still lingered. It was not as if it was a real marriage, yet she could not comprehend why she felt hurt.

“Okay, Lloyd,” she said finally. “I promise. But you have to promise me the same thing. No more secrets. No more lies.”

Lloyd extended his hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, Anita took it. “I promise, Anita. No more secrets, you will surely and only know things that may affect you or this marriage.” Lloyd was trying hard to please the lady in front of him though he knew he was lying.

He was not going to tell Anita that he was a Mafia boss known as ‘The Cass’ who everyone feared. He only wanted his inheritance from his father. That was the reason he decided to effect the contract marriage.

Now, he was wondering whether he made the right decision or could have left it as his lawyer advised. He was not wealthier than his father but in a couple of years, he could be.

“I know that this is a contract and a business for you, but I want it to look so real because I do not know whether I will get married after this,” Anita said, holding Llyod’s hand.

Lloyd quickly removed his hand from her. “ Anita, I have tried for you, after all, you are going to make $50 million and a fashion house you always wanted, so it is a business.”

“You were the one that offered it, I didn’t ask for it,” Anita claimed.

“You did not refuse my proposal or reject the money either,” Lloyd replied.

“So we go back to keeping secrets?” Anita asked.

“No, we try to make it up to each other,” Lloyd replied.

Later that night, as Anita lay in bed, she turned over, glancing at Lloyd who sat in an armchair near the window, staring intently at his phone.

“Lloyd, why don’t you come to bed?” she asked softly, hoping to bridge the distance that seemed to have grown between them.

Lloyd didn’t look up from his phone. “I have a few things to handle, Anita. I thought we had discussed about this.”

Anita’s heart sank. She had hoped they could share a peaceful moment together, perhaps talk more about her. She sighed and pulled the covers tighter around her, trying to find comfort in the warmth.

“Yes, it’s been ages,” Lloyd was saying, his voice filled with warmth. “Remember that time we got caught in the rain? You were soaked through, and I had to lend you my jacket.”

A woman’s voice responded, though Anita couldn’t make out the words. Lloyd laughed again, a rich, easy sound that sent a pang of jealousy through Anita. This wasn’t business. This was something personal, something intimate.

“Yeah, those were good times,” Lloyd continued. “I miss those days.”

Anita’s heart clenched. She felt a swirl of emotions of confusion, jealousy, and hurt. Who was this woman, and why did Lloyd sound so happy talking to her? She knew she should trust him, but the ease and familiarity in his voice were unsettling.

Unable to bear it any longer, Anita sat up in bed. “Lloyd,” she called out, her voice trembling slightly, “who are you talking to?”

Lloyd’s laughter abruptly stopped. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “It’s just an old friend, Anita. Nothing to worry about.”

But Anita couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it. She got out of bed and walked over to him, her eyes searching his face. “An old friend? You sounded so... different. Who is she?”

Lloyd sighed, putting his phone down. “Her name is Lilian. We grew up together. She was a close friend before I got involved in all this.”

Anita crossed her arms, trying to keep her voice steady. “And you didn’t think to tell me about her?”

“There was no reason to,” Lloyd replied, his tone defensive. “She’s just a friend. We were catching up. That’s all. Stop being possessive, I cannot handle that.”