Helena's Plight

Chapter 7

Armando

I had woken up early today, prepared to have a conversation with my wife. I had discovered at dinner that not only was she my wife, she was also my employee. That relationship was bound to get tricky if not handled carefully.

To my surprise, I heard a car downstairs, when I looked out my window it was my dear wife, running off to work. I knew she was running, I didn’t really blame her, but I was annoyed. I had hoped to get it over with as soon as possible.

I had breakfast alone and stayed in my study for most of the day. I expected Helena would be back by mid-day but that turned into midafternoon and still no show. I had called the office and was told she was going to be attending meetings all day. It was clear she was avoiding me and I needed to get her attention.

I went out into the garden and found Carmen sitting with grandfather. I was also avoiding him today, I knew he wasn’t particularly happy with me for leaving all those years ago and more especially for leaving her. I had spent just one night back home and I could see that they had each replaced me with each other in their lives. That stung a little but I was back and I was going to remedy that.

"Hello grandfather! Carmen! I greeted each with a kiss on the cheeks. I was actually looking for you Carmen." I said.

"What do you need my child?" She replied.

"I would like my wife’s things moved back into her old bedroom."

They both looked at me in silence, then she got up, patted me on the back and went in to get it done.

I sat next to grandfather and we sat in silence for the rest of the afternoon, preoccupied with the magazine in his hands.

I came down for dinner later that evening to find just grandfather at the dining table.

"I thought you always had dinner together?" I asked, looking around.

"Not every night, sometimes she works late, she usually calls but I suppose today she has a lot on her mind."

Just then, we heard the front door open and we both waited thinking she had arrived. I found my heart beating a little irregularly and wondered what that was about, just as the door opened I stood up to welcome her and alas! Victor walked in.

"Good evening Mr. Di Luca." he said, going towards grandfather before walking round the table to give me a hug.

"Good to see you man, run away soldier." He said as we hugged.

Victor had been in Asia for almost two years now and so we hadn’t seen each other in all that time.

"Have dinner with us buddy. It’s been a long time, you’re going to have to tell me what really is keeping you in Singapore, I highly doubt it's work." I said, smiling.

"Only if you tell me what kept you in Switzerland for 6 years." He winked, the look I gave him would have stopped most people dead, but even after spending years apart, we could still flow back into our old routines.

We quickly finished dinner and while grandfather went up to his room, Victor and I went into the study. I was barely into my chair when he started.

"So, tell me what brings you home and why now?" I shook my head, if I was being honest, I did not have the answer to that question. I had been feeling wrestled the past couple of months and nothing I did or didn’t do worked, so I finally decided it was time to come home. I didn’t believe in signs or premonitions but I finally got some peace when I made that decision and somehow in my gut I knew it was the right thing to do.

"Look buddy, there’s no big reason, I just decided it was time to come home."

"So are you home now just to take charge of the business from your grandfather or are you home to be a husband as well?" Victor asked.

"I have always been a husband, the past six years doesn’t change the fact that Helena is my wife…."

"Well, some may argue that, Victor continued, especially being that the marriage has not even been consummated…" he trailed off.

Victor was entering dangerous territory here, but he was too daring to stop, he enjoyed pushing people just to see how far and how much they could endure, he also knew this was not a battle to pick with me.

"I would advise you keep the topic of my wife and I’s s*x life out of your mouth," I replied.

"Ohhh… did I touch a sensitive topic?" he laughed.

After a few minutes he gave up.

"Alright, I will not bring up you and your wife’s s*x life or lack thereof." He said, lifting his hands in mock surrender.

"But how do you intend to go about the husband part of this whole plan?" he asked.

I stared at him before he finally gave up.

We finally moved on to other topics, like why he moved to Asia, where he gave me some bullshit story about security tech startups being in high demand but I knew that was bullshit. But I let it slide for now because I was too consumed with my own s**t I had to deal with.

Victor left just before 9pm and by now the house was quiet, everyone had gone to bed but my wife had still not returned home.

So I brought out my phone and dialed Lucas' number, her driver, who confirmed they were still at the office. I ended the call and went upstairs.

I closed the door to my room and quickly crossed over to the connecting door to hers and opened it. I found that her belongings had been moved and situated right as if she had never left the room and smiled. I took a shower and sat on a chair. I was determined to wait no matter how long it took.

I heard the sound of the car and sat up waiting for the show to start.

She was considerate and made little noise as she entered the house and came up the stairs. I heard her go into her bedroom and came back out almost immediately, I could hear her go down the hallway and back downstairs.

I came out now and stood by the stairs and saw her speaking to Carmen, who caught my eyes, which made her turn towards me.

I could see fire blazing in her eyes, which reminded me of a little firecracker.

I smiled and went back into my room, waiting for her as she followed me.

She burst in blazing and screaming, she seemed to have forgotten that just a few minutes ago she was trying not to wake the entire house, now she seemed not to give a f**k if the entire neighborhood woke up from her screams.

"You have absolutely no right to move my things or even touch my things."

"I did not touch your things my darling ‘peterdo’, I simply asked that your things be moved back into your bedroom next to mine." I said without remorse.

She seemed even more irritated by me and moved to leave but I grabbed her by the hand and closed the door with my other hand blocking her from leaving.

"You my darling ‘peterdo’ are my wife and that gives me the right to make certain decisions, decisions such as where you sleep. I will not have the house staff gossiping that we sleep on opposite sides of the house with the entire neighborhood."

"What do you care what people think?" She bit back.

She was right though, I did not give a f**k what anyone thought of me. I never have, but this seemed the most reasonable answer at the time, she turned her face away and tried to use her elbow to push me out of the way. This only gave me more room to turn her to face me, God, she looked beautiful like this, this was going to be more distracting than I had imagined.

Her eyes were blazing, her dark hair had fallen out of its ties while she was screaming at me and her lips looked wet as if she had been licking them. I felt an urgent urge to kiss her till she couldn’t breathe, her scent was intoxicating, her nodding distracted me and I stepped back.

That was all she needed because she ran into her rooms through the adjoining doors and slammed the door shut, I had the locks to the connecting doors removed earlier, so I knew she could not lock me out but I decided, that was enough for one night, we had a long road of whatever this was between us and I believed in taking it one step at a time.

I heard her take a quick shower and got into bed shortly after. The house was dead quiet, before I finally called it a night.

I needed to get some rest, there was much work to be done.