Chasing Her Discarded Ex-husband

UNMASKED

VANESSA STERLING'S POV

I follow the waiter to the table where I'm supposed to meet with Aubrey, already getting pissed at the sight of the empty seats. I had made it perfectly clear to her that I expect her to arrive early as I don't like waiting.

I'm not here for our usual chat. I'm here to let her know she should steer clear of Abel, that is if she values her peace. She has no clue that it's my ex-husband she’s getting involved with, so I am being kind enough to give her a wake-up call.

I order coffee from the waiter, who’s making eyes at me. It’s annoying.

I sit and pull out my phone, hoping to distract myself from the annoyance of her lateness. Clerk, one of my bodyguards, has sent me several messages, likely about Abel, as I had ordered him to keep a close watch on him yesterday.

I scroll through the photos one by one. The first one shows Abel at the grocery store, chatting with a read haired girl I don’t recognize. The next picture, they're getting into his car. You've got to be kidding me! The third photo shows them entering his apartment.

And the fourth is an i********: post from the girl, who goes by the name Sofia Letto. It was posted just four days ago. It’s a picture of her and Abel at the gym with the caption, “Met the most handsome model today.”

I clench my fists. I swear Abel has a talent of pissing me off, it's like he is hitting a different nerve each time.

I should have my detectives look into who this red-haired woman is and why she’s spending time with my ex.

As I send the photos along with my orders to my detectives, the door finally clicks open and Aubrey walks in. She slows down for a moment as she looks down at her phone while texting, then puts it back in her handbag.

"Good morning," She says cheerfully then continues to approach the table and places a kiss on my cheek. Then casually pulls out a chair on the other side and sits.

"Took you long enough." I express sarcastically.

"Why are you always so grumpy in the morning." She says just as her phone starts ringing. She glares at the screen and hushs me before picking up.

"Hello love." She says in a faked, enthusiastic voice and I feel my heart hump. I hope it's not Abel she is calling 'my love'.

"Yeah of course I'll see you today." She says.

"Jonathan." She mouths to me covering the mouthpiece and my suspended heart finally lands. My fists unclenches too.

"Just like I said I need to talk to you about something important," I say after she hangs up. "It's about Abel."

Her eyes widen before she smiles, "If this is about hiring him, I’m still working on it. I don’t know why he’s so resistant to working for your brand."

"You know what I hate more than a liar, Aubrey? Is a liar who thinks I’m dumb," I snap. I had seen all her texts, and I know she was talking to Jonathan about launching a brand now that Abel is almost at the prime of his modeling career. "Don’t you sit here and pretend you wanted him to work for me."

"Vanes..." she starts, but I slam my glass down. She jumps, startled, "No, you f*****g listen here. This has nothing to do with Abel working for me. Abel is my Ex husband and I want you to keep your f*****g dirty paws off him!"

She looks at me seriously for a beat and then shakes her head and laughs, “You’re funny. Isn't Cyrus your Ex- husband?"

"So is Abel."

A surprised look crosses her face. "How is Abel exactly your ex-husband?"

I snort, "Isn't that common sense? He’s my ex because I was married to him and we divorced."

Her flabbergasted expression is priceless. She stares at me, mouth agape.

Then she leans back, crossing her arms. “You can't dictate who I can be with? You don’t own Abel, Vanessa.”

I feel anger rise in my chest. “Yes, I actually do. He's very off limit and very mine."

She scoffs, "If you divorced him, don't you think it's well within his right to be with whoever he wants? Besides I see no problem with taking a good man from a careless woman." She laughs, and I can’t help but join in.

“You know Aubrey we could do this the easy way or the hard way. We could negotiate like two Adults or..."

"Negotiate." She laughs, “What makes you think I’m willing to negotiate anything? I’m already in control here. Abel clearly loathes you."

"Watch what you say to me, Aubrey," I snicker. "You seem to have no idea how many ways I can destroy you. I can be your worst f*****g nightmare."

“Humor me,” she says sarcastically

"Well, I suppose your father doesn't know about your love Jonathan." I snort and that wipes the smirk right off her face. She knows it. He’ll be mad as hell. After all, she’s always been a huge disappointment to him since she was a child, doing drugs, getting expelled, dating thugs, and at twenty one he spelled it out so plainly to her before he gave her the modeling agency and kicked her out of his home. If he were to find out she is involved with Jonathan, especially with the plenty of incriminating photos I have of them, he wouldn’t hesitate to take the agency back and sever ties with her for good.

She looks at me and opens her mouth, about to snap a snarky retort but then she thinks better of it. I mean business. My facial expression daring her to argue with me. She says nothing.

"Fine," she says, reluctantly.. "You let me have him now, then when I get my inheritance…” she starts, about to offer some sort of bargain.

“Not happening." I hiss. "Abel is not the man you'll use to solve your daddy issues."

I knew she still won't give up on Abel without a fight. On top of boosting her modeling agency, she's also using him to try and get back into her dad's good graces and inherit his fortune. She knows Abel is a good man, the kind of man her dad would love for her to date. So she's basically trying to buy her way back into her family by being with Abel.

"How do you know all this?" She growls.

“I know more than you’d expect. So do what I ask."

"Why should I do anything you ask? And you’re probably going to tell my father anyway so I might as well use Abel. Nothing to lose and all…”

“I have no plans to tell your father a thing. If you stay away from Abel that is."

She glares the ugliest, dirtiest look at me, “You might have some dirt on me, but don’t forget, I’ve got my share of dirt on you too.”

So we are now competing who has greater dirt on the other.

I let out a frustrated sigh, realizing I'm not getting through with her. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Aubrey. But if you won't back off, then I'll do whatever it takes to protect Abel."

She shakes her head and gets up grabbing her handbag. "Good luck with that. Because I'm not going anywhere."

She looks like she is about to say something else and then decides against it and turns on her heels and exit the room, slamming the door.