White Ruby

Preface

Preface

Craig received a new envelope from his private investigator.

He was used to return to an empty home after a hard day of work. Opening the fridge, there was always a plate of food covered left by the housekeeper, but he had no company for dinner. At the beginning, he waited for his wife to come home. Night after night of absence pushed him to sleep alone. The nights brought with them a sense of heartbreak. He used to wait for her. His nerves started to wear thin. The routine was killing him slowly from the inside making him feel lonelier than ever.

Craig would drink his sorrows away until he fell unconscious, trying in the process to numb the feeling of rejection and neglect coming from the one who should love him. He felt like a used toy left on a shelf. When it all started, he tried to reason out with Martina and even argued with her in that short span of time he caught her home. He soon learnt that it was useless. She would either look at him, unfazed, or simply continue with her business while he slapped her with proof of their unloving marriage. She would leave the room while he stood there in the middle of it, unfinished, feeling like he could kick a wall brick. It came to the point that she started leaving before his arrival and stay out until the early hours of the morning, sometimes not even climbing into bed, but dumping her drunken and tired body on the sofa or in one of the spare bedrooms. That’s when he started suspecting the real reason behind her cold actions.

The second round of photos showed he wasn’t wrong.

“ Mr. McLean, take a seat before you open the envelope,” the investigator prepared him.

Craig did the opposite,, “Here you have one thousand dollars for your work. I don’t need your services anymore.”

“ But you haven’t even seen the photos!” It was a first to get compensated without even checking the job done.

“ I needed proof. I know I have it now!”

Back in the comfort of his black Volvo XC90, he tore the envelope, taking out its content.

Seven photos.

Switching on the car’s inside light, he looked at the evidence of his wife entertaining different men in their car or at a private nightclub. He felt as if an aura of pure calmness was emanating from his body. His actions were in slow motion reflecting his mental state. He felt in control of every little action. His heartbeat was regular and his fingers firm while his eyes absorbed the details of one image after the other, examining them as if they were a case to be presented at court. After more than twenty minutes seated on the driver’s side, he felt satisfied with the acquired proof. He switched off the interior light, starting the ignition.

Thirty minutes later he was unlocking the door to their penthouse.

A curled figure in the corner of the sofa surprised him. His wife was dressed in a silk dressing gown fast typing on the laptop placed on her lap.

Strange! How is she still home? She doesn’t seem anywhere close to ready for her daily outing.

Sitting down next to her, he removed her left earbud.

“ Who gave you permission to disturb me?” She snapped without even looking at him.

“ When you’re addressed by someone it’s expected you look at the person,” Craig stated, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence.

She continued focusing on the screen in front of her with a grimed face. Uninterested, he stretched his hand to the laptop’s switch button and pressed it.

An open-mouthed Martina was now looking at him, “What the f**k do you think you’re doing?”

“ Tonight will be different. I am dead tired of your indifference! I brought you something which will make this stop once and for all,” he stated, opening the envelope in his hands.

“ What are you blabbering about, Craig?” Martina said, looking at the brown envelope in his hand.

“ Is that the way to refer to your husband? The man who works hard so you can enjoy your life. Or is it the correct way to speak to the man who you are cheating on? Anyhow, you didn’t seem worried about me when you were in their company,” he stated while taking the photos one by one, showing them to her.

“ In his car...car again...nightclub...car...”

Her face turned crimson red as she looked at each image, opening her mouth just to close it again. Martina got up from the sofa, lighting up a cigarette trying to maintain her usual superior composure.

“ Do you know what I wanted? More! More of this life, more for me, and more for us! You could have been whoever you wanted to be but, no! You were happy leading companies. I am fed up listening to you saying you’ll step up in due time. I wanted you to step up NOW. Why didn’t you accept your father’s invite to take over the company? I want more than you are willing to offer. I want respect and all the greens possible. While you seem willing to settle for less, I. Am. Not! You’re simply pathetic.”

“ Is wanting a family pathetic for you? Is enjoying a millionaire’s lifestyle, nothing to you? Did I ever ask anything from you? I have been CEO of five leading companies for God’s sake! I am working on something that I love doing. We are living in a 1.3 million property. Is this nothing to you?! Do you think respect comes with a title?” Craig roared like a ferocious animal while standing up towering her with his six feet height.

She gulped, straightening her back. Taking the photos from his hand, she claimed, “Those men, all of them, they are at the peak of their careers. They are elite in society.”

“ You don’t even know what you’re talking about. Just because they are owners of a business doesn’t mean they can give you more. I pity you...you had it all and you could have gotten much more. Now, you’ll end up with nothing, just for being greedy.” He grabbed her elbows from behind and pushed her towards the main door ignoring her feeble attempt to stop him. Craig opened the door with one hand and pushed her one last time outside locking it behind him. Muting her screams and punches against the solid oak door, he opened a bottle of Scotch, poured himself a drink and marched into the shower with his clothes still on.

It wasn't that he was mushy. Professionally, he was known for his stubbornness and firm choices. His smartness brought him far in the busy sector he worked in and those who weren't in his inner circle dared to say that his heart was made of stone. But when it came to his wife, he was a huge softie. He loved her with no end and was ready to make good on the promise he gave her on the altar three years back. He took the ''in richness and in poorness'' literally and thought that she did the same. Sometimes, we walk along someone without realising that our paths are no longer aligned or if life is cruel, one would realise that the alignment was never there, but it was only a sad reality one thought he saw and felt. He dreamed of her wrinkled face next to his old self when the time comes for them to grow old together. But did he know what she really had in mind? If those dreams were like his?

The day after he left strict instructions to his staff so no one would let Martina go into his property. The maids got rid of her belongings, donating her clothes and perfumes to charity. All the jewelry she owned was purchased by him and was also given away. He didn’t want to see anything that could remind him of Martina. She was left with only the clothes she had on, no bank account, no extra clothing, nothing. He wished she was feeling as lonely and desperate as he was feeling.

Craig had found comfort in Martina after losing his mother as a teenager. A caring lady, a good listener, and someone who seemed to love him. He was young, only twenty years of age when he met her. She was already twenty-six, stuck in a waitressing job and dancing as a stripper to make ends meet. One time, while he was sipping a beer with his peers at the bar, he defended her against an angry customer who tried to attack her. They hit it off immediately. She helped to fill his loneliness. All Craig needed to do was to close his eyes to her materialistic side and her laziness. He dreamed of building a loving family together. If he had taken note of those red flags back then, perhaps he wouldn’t have ended up like this.

After starting college in the Big Apple, his father flew twice a year from England to visit him. After graduating, Craig did his best to maintain a steady relationship with him, but sadly, it wasn’t possible. The long distance didn’t help. He longed for his father’s approval, believing their bond would revive by working hard to become the best in the sector.

Craig graduated with honors in Accounts and Business Management, succeeding in making a name for himself in the industry. He planned to begin his own company before his wife’s escapades came to light. Now, seeing his beloved wife’s true colors, he felt lonelier than ever.

There is something that keeps reminding me love isn’t in my equation. Whenever I feel loved, I wake up to a cruel reality. Love sucks! No one should need it.

Craig was looking out of one of the windows in his grand living area with a half empty bottle of red wine in his hand, supporting his tired body to the wall.

His mobile rang, holding a British prefix.

“ Alex?” Craig asked, after knowing his father was the only one who would call him from Great Britain.

“ Hey, son. How are you?” a caring masculine voice asked.

“ Not bad. A little busy, do you need anything?” Craig’s reply was colder than the weather outside

“ Oh, okay, I don’t want to keep you. I just wanted to ask you whether you’d be interested in coming back home to start the process of becoming CEO. I heard you’re in great demand back there, but you are needed here also. I know I asked this already but I won’t be getting any younger.”

This phone call turned the cards on his table. He never expected this turnabout of events when he woke up this morning.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start afresh. I could clear my office in a week or two, and the lawyer can take care of the case without me. Nothing is holding me here any longer.

Slurring slightly his words Craig answered, “Why not, dad? I think it’s about time to use my knowledge for the sake of the family.”

“ Really? Well, I didn’t think it would be this simple. I thought I would have to beg for months before you accepted given your blatant rejection last time.”

“ I never said England wasn’t in my plans. I was just gaining some time before I settled up there.”

“ You’ve made me the happiest man alive! I’ll be more than glad to receive you and your wife here.”

“ About that, I’ll come alone. Martina and I are no longer together. She is keeping warm someone else’s sheets,” his aired tone held all the rage of a hurt man.

“ Son,” Alex said, with a sad tone in his voice.

“ Dad, I wasn’t going to tell you anything, but given we will soon meet, it would eventually have come up.”

“ I understand. Okay. Hmmm, let me send you some files and the current structure of the company. We can have a video call to give you a run-through. You’ll get information about the basic procedures and run down. I’m sure it’ll be a walk in the sun, given your portfolio. And son, I’m proud to welcome you back at last.”

“ Okay,” he answered lacking of any emotion.