MIO FIORE

DEAREST F-HUSBAND!

KRYSTAL'S POV

“Would you stop glaring at your phone and just eat your lunch," the voice next to me spoke.

I threw my homemade sandwich back onto the plate pushing my phone towards my business partner and best friend, "What do you mean don't be angry. I told him to great ready for a job interview, look where he is." I pointed out.

Nelly placed her burger on her plate wiping her hands clean before reaching for my phone and looking up at me, "You have i********:?" she asked.

"That's not the point, look at him!"I sighed.

Nelly's lips lifted up as a small chuckle escaped from her mouth, "Don't tell me you made i********: just to stalk Aiden?"

"He's getting a massage!" I threw my tissue onto the plate, "Wasting my money getting a deep stone massage, he's meant to be at the interview right now. Oh god, why does he keep on doing this to me!"

It was already half past three and I was waiting for a call from the interviewer to tell me how he went. It was a very prestigious firm and I thought finally, someone who would give this

stupid man a job.

"It does look relaxin-I mean, what a terrible man."

Of course, it was funny to hear it wasn't her money he was wasting, "Why do you hate him so much. If that was my husband I would be on honeymoon number six with him, hasn't it been a year since you guys got married?"

I tried not to say that it was because she jumped people based on looks and not their intellectual ability.

“How can you not hate a man that has zero decency, speaks vulgarly, wastes money on everything and anything, and comes home drunk knocking everything down. God, he disgusts me." I leaned back in the chair rubbing my temples.

Nelly shrugged as she continued to eat her burger,

"Have you tried cutting him off from the money?"

I scoffed, grabbing my bottle of water, "Don't you think I have?" I had tried everything, even begging the bank to only let me use the card but of course, it was a shared account and there were two cards and unfortunately, he had one of them because he was an account Owner.

Why did my parents think it was smart to give us a shared account, it was my account, it should be my money.

The last time I tried transferring all the money out, he went crying to our parents who made me put it back. My father owned a 49 percent stake in my business and threatened to give it to Aiden if I didn't comply.

"Maybe he went to the interview, and then went to get a massage?" Nelly said, trying to defend him. I didn't want to hear from her anymore, just because he has looks doesn’t mean he is allowed to spend my money on useless things.

“Whatever, I have a business meeting with Joe now." I got up gathering my mess before getting ready to go meet Joe.

*

*

By the time I got home, I was absolutely exhausted and I needed that massage Aiden was getting. My body ached and my brain hurt. It was a horrible business meeting with Joe because the first thing Joe said when I walked into the room earlier was, "I need a favor."

I wasn't opposed to helping people, but at the same time I had so much on my plate I wasn't sure if I could help him and myself and run the company.

I closed my eyes trying to relax now that I was back home, but of course, that was short-lived as the door slammed open hitting against the door stopper and then shut again. A familiar cologne wafted into my nose.

Just breathe Krystal.

“Why are you sitting on the ground?” his voice was deep, a sign that he was drinking again.

I opened one eye seeing Aiden leaning against my door frame, "Can I help you with something?" I asked.

What was he doing in my room?

No doubt judging that I was sitting on the ground and leaning against the bed rather than sitting on the bed. Personally, I felt safer on the ground, almost hidden.

I had ten messages from my interviewer by the time I had come out of the meeting with Joe. I was so embarrassed that I had once again put my business name on the line to get Aiden a job. He blew it, again. At this point, I just didn't know how much more I could handle from him.

We were just too different to make this work.

"Actually, you can," Aiden said, walking into the room with his dirty shoes. I pursed my lips, he knew I hated wearing shoes in the house. I could already see some dirt on the ground, great, steam cleaning was just another expense apparently.

“Why is your room so cold?" he asked, and I mentally answered that it was because I don't

waste money leaving the heater on 24/7. He talked again before I could respond or possibly because I wouldn't have responded anyway.

“Whatever. I'm going on a cruise with the boys and I need you to cover for me.” I sighed running a hand through my hair before rubbing my temples, so much for some meditation.

I stretched my legs out wiggling my toes. Wearing heels all day often gave me foot cramps when I got home. I tend to massage it myself for ten minutes and roll my feet on a ball to release the tension but I hadn't done that yet.

“Why would I do that?" I asked. Did he really expect me to do him a favor, did he know that he was the last person I wanted to see after not going to his interview.

"Because it's my parents' anniversary and I don't want to go see them and you need to tell them I'm on a business trip," he said as he jumped on the bed.

“No."

I closed my eyes trying to ignore him out and get back to meditating, I had a stressful day at work and all I wanted to do was...relax.

“Why not?" he pestered.

"Why should I?" I asked keeping my eyes closed but I could tell that he moved closer.

“Why won't you." I felt his breath.

I sighed opening my eyes looking up at him on the bed, sprawled on his stomach leaning down so he was near me.

“Wait." I said realizing something, "Who is paying for your cruise?" and of course the answer wasn't something I liked.

“You of course."

“No I am not!" but before I could say anything else he had already walked out, closing the door to my bedroom and I groaned, throwing the water bottle next to me across the room. So much for working out my anger issues.

I had to try and get my bank card canceled tomorrow.

*

"Are you okay Ms. Hart?"

“I’m fine, thank you, Rebecca." I nodded as I took two tablets hoping this headache would go away. I could hear clatter upstairs, and looked at the clock, well the man was up before noon for once. I drank my glass of water as I heard the stomping down the stairs.

"Rebecca where is my jacket?" Aiden screamed as he came rushing down the stairs. His grey eyes narrowed on him as he looked between our housekeeper and me.

“Did you take it?" he accused me.

I nearly choked on my water, "Why would I want your jacket?"

“Because you hate it."

Well..he had a point. I really did want to burn that leather jacket but it just meant that he would go buy a new one, and I didn't want to waste money like that.

I ignored him going to the fridge to prepare my lunch for today, I really didn't feel like another sandwich but I needed something quick and easy to eat between meetings. I knew I had a busy schedule.

I grabbed the break out of the fridge and stopped, “what was that smell?” I sniffed the air as Rebecca went to check the washed clothes to see if his jacket was there.

I turned around to look at Aiden, his fingers flying on the keyboard of his phone as he texted away.

"Did you just smoke a cigarette in the house?" I asked as I walked towards him.

“What are you a dog? And no, I would never smoke a cigarette." He said, giving me a look, "It was a Cuban cigar."

Of course, he smoked a Cuban cigar at seven in the morning, I bet he downed a glass of rum with that, or scotch or whatever foul liquid he drank.

I went back to the kitchen quickly putting together a lunch as he continued texting.

“You're leaving for work earlier than usual," he commented as I put on my blazer and headed

towards the door.

I looked over my shoulder, "And why do you care all of a sudden."

“Just wondering, are you visiting your boyfriend?” he said.

My palm tightened on the handle. I opened the door taking a gust of the cold air, it was like a slap in the face.

I turned around to look at him. "Cheating is what you do, not me." I pointed out. Aiden narrowed his eyes at me and I closed the door behind me as he said something.

I didn't care anyway. It wasn't like we had a proper functional marriage. It wasn't like I could smell the different perfume on his clothes when he came home drunk. It wasn't like I saw the messages on his phone when he left it to charge in the kitchen.

We might be married on paper but our hearts were far apart.