CHAPTER 4: EX-HUSBAND
2025 Words
This is unbelievable. She can't believe what is happening right now. It was like she was in a bad dream and needed to wake up.
Is destiny really serious here? She really needs to be with his ex-husband to take her to where he lives?
As far as she can remember, she does everything so that their paths don't cross, but this is the second time they've met.
'Accidentally'
Yes, he is my client, that's why they will meet until the project that they have to do is finished, but she never thought that their paths would cross outside of work.
What for?
Why does Arch have to met her in that bar?
Archive will take her to her condo unit. She didn't want someone to send her at her condo especially if that person is her ex-husband. She's old enough and can handle herself, but Arch is still being stubborn.
"Hey! Where are you taking me? This isn't going to my place!" She shouted at him.
Because the car who supposed to right turned to the opposite. .
"l know. I am using waze." She blinked at his answer and then fell silent for a moment. She looked at the man at the driver's seat next where she was sitting. If his car wasn't hi-tech she would have gotten off long ago even though it was still running.
"What are you doing in that bar? And what the hell are you wearing? Why are you only wearing skimpy clothes?" Arch said to her with a frown.
She didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed. What does he care about her clothes? Before, he didn't care too much about what would she wear. She could wear sexy clothes anytime she wants when they were still a husband and wife and now that they are no longer he was complaining?Both of her eyebrows stick together for a frown.
"Where have you ever seen a girl go to a bar wrapped up?" She replied annoyingly and then looked away.
If he can annoy her, she can also annoy him twice as much as he thought.
"That's why you're being touch inappropriately because of what you're wearing."
Roxanne is wearing a red dress and in only knee length. Her cleavage is showing and the dress is backless while wearing black boots. Her long hair is tied up while her make-up is simple. She hates wearing heavy make-up because it's too hard to remove when she goes to sleep.
She think the clothes she's wearing is sexy because it's really for clubbing. She bought it when he was abroad.
"What's wrong with my dress?
It's club Arch, it's normal to wear revealing clothes" she said.
"When did you learn to go to clubs?" He asked,changing the topic.
Roxanne raised her eyebrow because of the man's question to her.
What's wrong with him? What if I go to clubs now?
"Why do you care when I go to club? And I repeat. My clothes have nothing to do with those guys. they can ignore me but they prioritize being maniac" she said rudely to him.
"You're wearing a little piece of cloth, Roxanne.What do you expect from those guys?"
Roxanne did not speak. She will not do something that will trigger her feelings because it will take a long time before her feelings for him disappear completely.
"Why is it a big deal for you? Why do care?" He didn't answer that. "What do you really need from me and you still need to take me home?" She asked again.
She thought he had changed because that was what he and Timothy had told him. That he changed.That he's far from the Archive she used to know,but maybe the man still has habits that haven't changed and one of them is his constant asking when he asks for a favor.
"Roxanne, I have a favor to ask you."
She frowned. Who does he think he is to ask for a favor? "And I know you can't say no to it either."
"Grandma Tinda wants to see you. I never told her what happened to us so she doesn't know that we have been separated for a long time. I didn't tell him because his heart condition worsened and he shouldn't feel sad because it might kill her."
Roxanne suddenly remembered Archive's Grandmother. She is her favorite and is very happy to know that they have become lovers and that their relationship will lead to marriage. She remembered how she gave her blessing to the two of them but now they are separated.
"Let's pretend to be a husband and wife," he said as if what he was asking was that simple.
"What? Are you f*cking kidding me,
Montenegro?" Roxanne asked, full of annoyance. Arch's jaw twitched and then spoke. "Don't cuss, Roxanne."
"How can I not curse? I am your ex-wife and you're asking me to pretend to be your wife in front of Nana Tinda like it was just a normal favor to ask! Do you hear what you're saying, Archive?" She snorted.
She really couldn't believe what he was saying now. She knew he was smart but she never thought that she would hear such words from Arch today.
Did he lose his head when I left and this is how he thinks now? Roxanne said in her mind.
"But I am serious about what I've said. Nana Tinda wants to see you and I can't think of any other reason than to ask you for a favor to pretend to be my wife again in front of her."He sighed.
She couldn't immediately process what he was telling her. She knows
that the divorce that took place between them was only between them. Even she told her family too late because she didn't want any more trouble. But her parents are still sad about what happened to their marriage while her brother Ryan is very angry about it. She didn't tell the main reason about their divorce. She didn't want to increase their anger towards Archive, so she didn't tell the full details.
She thought hiding was successful but Ryan found out about her secret she tried to hide until now which caused him to be very angry with Arch. And she was thankful because there's someone who is mad on her behalf but it's over. and that secret will never come out to Arch. He didn't need to know more about that stuff.
She thought she could manage not to tell his family what she was going through. She thought she could live with it. But she can't and she wanted to live in peace so she told the truth to her parents that she and her husband had separated. She doesn't want to cry every night. She wanted to share the pain with her loved ones because she knew that only in that way would her problem will slowly fade. And that's true. because after she said those things she was there
decided to leave the country and change her life.
"Does your family know that we have been separated for a long time?"Archive shook his head which surprised her.
"I didn't tell them anyone because they like you. I don't want them to get hurt because of what happened to the two of us."
Roxanne was silent for a moment. She seems to be lacking in Arch's explanation as to why he didn't tell the truth. It was his family. He couldn't lie for the rest of his life because they would eventually know. But despite that, he still told the truth about what happened during their marriage. That they decided to live in separate ways. He didn't cover it up so he couldn't understand why Arch didn't tell the truth.
"To be honest,Nana Tinda is looking forward to see you on her 70th birthday. She always asked me about you since... you left so she could start over. I couldn't think of anything else to make excuses to Nana so when I saw you at the bar I I took this opportunity."
he took a deep breath.
"When is Nana Tinda birthday?"
"Today is Saturday. That's why you are going to stay with me tonight because they are going to Mama tomorrow morning before going straight to the said birthday."
"What? Why should I stay with you?" it was a surprised question. Is it really crazy? Why do they have to end up like this that they have to pretend to be married as if those things never happened in the past.
"Just like I said,they will go tomorrow to the house where I live now. She will definitely look for you so I have to be with you at home."
She suddenly wanted to back off. But she also wants to see Arch grandma. In the year they were together, Roxanne got really close to his Nana. She can tell her problems to her that he can't tell at Archive, so she can say that Nana Tinda is really special to her.
"I'll only agree because it's Grandma's birthday, but after that, were done."
"No!" he declined. I need a little more time before telling them the truth. Sorry but can you pretend to be my wife for three months?"he ask.
"What? It's too long! We've been separated for a long time! Why do I have to pretend to be your husband for so long? If you need a wife, do date someone else!" He snorted here.
She wouldn't waste time if it was just like that. It took him so long to get Arch out of her system and now he's going to pretend to be his wife?
Is fate really playing with him? What kind of game does it want again?
"Roxanne, I won't ask you if it's that easy. As I've said, I need a little more time before I can tell them the truth. I will pay you double in exchange of this big favor," he explained to her.
She took a deep breath. She couldn't help asking why they had to happen? Why do they have to talk and get close as if nothing painful happened to them before? She forgot but she didn't expect that because dhe forgot that he would be with the man who hurt him so much. Is fate really fooling them? What else can it trip and the two of them are playing with Arch again?
"I just don't want money. I want something else besides that," she replied. She was going crazy. At first she didn't want to agree but suddenly she thought of a good idea where Arch would surrender to her.
"What do you want then?" he asked her.
"I want to be known as a professional architect. I want to be more successful."
"Okay. I will help you. I know many people who can hire you as their architect. They will give you a lot of opportunities. Just do it as a favor that I am doing."
"Three months then?"
"Okay."
- Writer
