Revenge on my Billionaire Husband

Chapter 3

‘You heard me.’

‘I am not ready to get married. And even if I were, why would I want to marry Scarlett?’

‘You don’t have a say in this matter. You are getting married to her and that’s final’

‘I don’t understand. How can it be final? How can I not have a say?’ Tryrionn says gritting his teeth in frustration.

‘You don’t get to question me young man. You are to marry her.’

‘I can’t marry her. I won’t marry her,’ he says with his voice quaking.

‘You stand a chance to lose your inheritance and ownership shares, if you do not marry her. Think long and hard before you make any hasty decision.’ Mr Rhode says sternly.

‘What? This is crazy. I knew you were crazy, but I never imagined that you were going to lose your mind so soon,’ Tryrion says with his eyes glowing with sparks of indignation.

‘You will do well to choose your next words carefully.’

‘This is so unfair. This is unbelievable. I worked my ass to save your dying company. I took over management of your bankrupt company and rebuilt it from scratch, to the multibillion dollar empire it is today. And this is how you choose to repay me? By trapping me in an arranged marriage? I won’t have it, Father.’ Tryrion says, with his fists clenched

‘All is fair in love and war, Son. And as a point of order, ‘the company’ and ‘scratch’ should not be in the same statement coming from you. You were merely a means to an end. I and Mr Stone funded your mighty plans. The company was only going bankrupt because we were busy multiplying our wealth by delving into other ventures. You did your job–you are paid handsomely for it, do not gloat, do not overreach.’ Mr Rhodes warns.

‘It is unfair. It is inhumane that you repay me by trapping me in an arranged marriage.’ Tyrion shakes his head, with his eyes blood-shot red.

‘What’s unfair? Your inheritance or ownership shares?

‘You can’t do this to me. I won’t have it. I don’t care what happens. I can't’ marry her.’

‘You never had a choice in the matter. It’s time to come to terms with your new reality. Your whoring days are over, sadly.’

‘This is unbelievable. You are unbelievable.’

‘I am expecting you back here in twenty four hours. We need to start drafting wedding plans.’

‘Excuse me, I need to take my leave. I can’t indulge you or your madness any further.’

At this point, the veins in his neck are distended. His face is flushed. He picks up the bottle of scotch and smashes it hard against the wall.

‘To hell with you Old man, I am never marrying Scarlett’. He screams, charged up like a bull, walking out.

‘Do what you like boy. Say what you like boy. The clock is ticking, tick-tock-tick-tock, Mr Rhodes says with mockery.

Tryrion angrily drops a message for Caleb, ‘Drive to the entrance now! I don't want to be kept waiting any later than a second’

He pulls the back door of the car with all his might, the handle pulls off.

‘Take me to Le Spot’.

Le Spot is a deserted beach. The solitude there offers him a higher ground for when the waves are crashing against him, threatening to drown him and wash his body ashore. He stumbled on it by accident and now it's his best place in the world.

‘I can't marry her. She is not going to be freaky enough. I don't remember how she looks. I can't wake up next to an ogre all my life. How can that Old dog do this to me? What an ingrate.

I can see his brain has shrunk to a seed and all the cells are dead. What makes him think I am interested in getting married, and to Scarlett of all people? How can he put up the company as a condition? How can my father be the weapon designed for my ruin?’

‘I am a lot smarter than I let on. Who cares about his stupid company? For daring to mess with me, it’s time to teach him a lesson he will take to his grave.’

His phone rings.

He ignores the call without checking for the caller identity. It rings again, and yet again. He is tempted to throw his phone like a pebble into the sea, or smash it against a rock, till he pauses and checks. It’s his mother. He doesn't want to take the call, for he knows she will try to persuade him to marry Scarlett. He doesn't want to hear her voice, for she has a way with words. He might get swayed and forget all about his plan. But he knows he has to take the call, for she won't stop calling till his phone dies. He takes the call.

‘Hey Mama’

‘Hello, my Big T’

‘Mama, don't do it. Don’t say it!’

‘Hush, my baby. Listen to Mama. you know Mama..’

‘Mama knows best? Does she?’ he says interrupting her.

‘We all have to make sacrifices for the ones we love, especially our families,’ with her voice lower, and tones softer.

‘You know I don't love him. You know I don't consider him my family.’

‘Tryrion, don't say that. I raised you better than that.’

‘I can’t do it. I can’t marry her. Don't ask this of me please. Not you too please, he begs.

‘I know this is a difficult ask. But you have to do what you need to do. The business has to remain in the family.’

‘I don't care about the business.’

‘Big T’,

‘Mama, please don’t.’

‘Big T, think about it. Sleep on it. Don't make a decision yet.’

‘Hmmmm’

‘Do it for Mama, okay’

‘Okay’

‘Thank you, I love you baby’

‘I love you too Mama.’

‘Take me home, Caleb’

‘Yes, sir’

I get into the car. I take the passenger seat, I have never done that. Caleb is surprised and steals glances at me, but I ignore him.

‘Roll down the windows’, I tell him.

He is shocked, I have never asked him to do that. The air conditioner in the car has to be working at maximal when I am in the car, with windows rolled up but today I asked him to do otherwise.

He wants to ask me if I am okay, but he hesitates as he is unsure of the response that will greet his sincere empathy. I put my head out the window and let the evening breeze blow against my head till we get home.

I scurry up the stairs to my apartment. I pour myself a glass of scotch. I sit on the floor and hatch my plan.

I need to get my act right. But there are two sides of this coin before me. The old man is astute, he can smell a lie miles away. Mama gets emotional, although she acts out more than she means to. I need to flip the coin so it suspends midair with neither head nor tail facing up or down. I do not want to be trapped on any side of the coin.

I draw out a deep long breath from my lungs, and decide to play along with Father’s plan. I was going to strike when he least expected it.

‘The old man dares to threaten me? This won’t go down well for him. I will embarrass him. I wound his fragile ego he has built.’

I smile in satisfaction, never more certain I was going to beat him at his own damn game.

A cold piercing pain wakes me up. Oh s**t! I slept off on the cold floor, again. I head to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea. I slurp it hurriedly, scalding the tip of my tongue. I drop the cup at the speed of light and its content pours all over my body. It drops to the floor and breaks into pieces.

‘It’s too early in the morning for me to have to deal with all these.’

I pick up my phone and text the Old man

‘We need to talk. Let me know when it can be arranged.’

He replies almost immediately like he was a vulture lying in wait for a carcass to scavenge.

‘You can come right away.’

I dash into the bathroom and take a quick shower.

I picked out a white-longsleeve and blue corporate pants, and paired them with black oxford shoes. I lay my hair back in a sleek bun. The old man will be impressed by how I look, clad in his dress code. It’s a ploy to reel him in and make him comfortable. I am not showing up at work today, so it's a deliberate dress up play. I look at myself in the mirror and wear a smug smile.

Caleb is already waiting for me downstairs. It’s back to status quo, as I sit in my original seat;the back seat, air conditioner; working at maximal function, and windows;rolled up.

‘Good morning sir’

‘Morning. Take me to the Villa.’

I can see him stealing glances but his eyes look less concerned than they were yesterday. He heaves a sigh of relief. I guess it’s a sign that he is assuaged that things are back to stability and there is a weird sense of security he gets from that.

Alice welcomes me, ‘Good morning sir. Mr Rhodes is waiting for you in his study.’

‘Thank you’

I walk towards the study. I knock on the door and open it. Catching sight of me, the old man bursts into laughter. I know that laugh; it's the sound of mockery. It is taunting.