Fragments of us

Chapter 4

Morning came, and with it, a burning desire for answers. Quinn still hadn't returned home, and I was sick of waiting for him to face me himself instead of hiding like a child.

After checking to see he wasn't actually in his bedroom, or anywhere else in the house, I had a quick breakfast and dressed up with more care and attention to detail than I usually did, before heading out to my car.

The drive to his office was just fifteen minutes, and I took a minute outside the towering building that was Winfrey Enterprises to steady my breathing and calm my nerves. When I was sure I could face him without breaking into hysterics, I stepped out of the car and into the gargantuan building.

I painted a smile on my face as I strode past smartly-dressed workers and took the elevator to the top floor, where Quinn's office was located. His secretary looked up as she saw me arrive, and a small smile lit up her face. She'd always been nice to me on the few occasions I visited Quinn, and I smiled back at her.

"Is he in?" I asked after we exchanged pleasantries.

She nodded. "He might be in a meeting, though." Let me ring him up for you."

I waited patiently as she put the phone to her ear and informed Quinn of my presence. I saw her face slowly lose its smile as she gave me a hesitant look, before turning away and whispering into the phone, looking like she was trying to insist on something. She pulled the phone away from her ear, telling me Quin had cut the line from his end.

My smile became strained as she turned back to face me, looking everywhere but at me.

"Is he in a meeting?" I asked.

"No...uh... "I mean, yes," she floundered. I mean..." He doesn't want to be disturbed."

What?

"Did you tell him it's me?" I pushed, adding, "His wife," in case she forgot.

She nodded. "He was... Very firm. I'm sorry."

"Firm my ass," I muttered, stalking towards the door, determined to make him face me whether he wanted to or not.

The secretary yelped and dove for me, giving me a pleading look as she latched onto my arm.

"Please," she begged. He was clear he didn't want you to be let in. He even asked me to call security if you refused to leave."

"What?" I blurted incredulously. "Quinn said that?"

She nodded, looking like she was considering following his orders and calling security even though she didn't want to.

"Please," she begged. "I don't want to lose my job."

"He wouldn't dare fire you because he's being a damn coward," I said, my voice rising so he could hear me from inside his office. I raised my voice even louder. "Come out here, Quinn, and stop hiding behind that damn door!"

As if on cue, the door to the reception I was in opened, and a beautiful, expensively clad woman strode in.

The secretary's hands fell off my arms as we both turned to stare at her while she returned the favor, sneering at me from head to toe.

I knew immediately who she was, and by the looks of things, she knew who I was, too.

"You!" I snarled before I could stop myself, taking an unconscious, but threatening step towards her. She didn't even flinch.

"Me," she said mildly. "I don't believe we've met."

From up close, the similarities between us were even more startling.

"How dare..." I began to say.

"Please don't tell me you're about to descend into 'wifely' hysterics." She put air quotes around "wifely". "Lay one hand on me, take one more step in my direction, and you'll be hearing from my lawyer."

My thoughts screeched to a halt. Was this woman for real? How dare she sound so cool and collected, speaking like she was on a moral high ground, when she was the one sleeping with my husband?

I was frozen, my thoughts erratic with fury.

She looked past me at Quinn's secretary.

"Well?" She asked. "What are you waiting for?" Call security and get her out of here, or you'll lose your job. And trust me, you don't want to cross me."

With a look of apology on her face, Quinn's secretary reached for the phone on her desk.

I snapped out of my daze and forced a stiff smile on my face.

"Don't bother," I said in a tone so frosty it should have frozen Vera and her stupid looks. "I was just leaving."

With as much dignity as I could muster, I turned away and swept from the room with my head held high. I wasn't going to give Vera the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

I drove back home in a haze, poured myself a glass of wine, and sat to wait out the hours until Quinn returned home.

It was about a quarter past six in the evening when the door finally opened, and he entered.

I stood from my spot on the armchair, meaning to confront him, until I saw the person following behind him, their hands clasped.

I froze, willing myself to believe that he wouldn't dare. But he did.

Vera stepped into the living room with him, her eyes lighting up with a sick kind of satisfaction as she saw me.

I stared at Quinn stonily, and he stared back, not letting go of her hand.

"What is she doing here?" I forced myself to ask.

"She's my guest," Quinn replied. "Don't be rude."

My scoff quickly turned into a bitter laugh.

"Don't be rude?" I parroted. To whom, exactly? "Who is she, Quinn?" I wanted to hear him say it to my face.

He met my eyes. "I think you know."

I threw my empty wineglass at him.

His eyes widened. Luckily, my aim was off, and the glass shattered harmlessly a few feet away from him.

"Bastard!" I spat.

He glared at me.

"What is the meaning of this, Ana? Why the sudden hysterics? And why the f**k are you still here? I told you yesterday to sign the divorce papers!"

"And I didn't!" I shouted. "The more fool I! "I didn't sign the damn papers because I was hoping that the man I'd called my husband for years would give me the courtesy of an explanation of some sort before asking me to get out of his life!"

"What other explanation do you need, Ana?" Quinn asked.

"Don't call me that!" I shrieked, the name which had once been his cute nickname for me now grating on my nerves. My name is Anastasia, and you’re a damn coward! You'd prefer to run away and let me here you f*****g your w***e instead of talking to me like a grown ass man!"

Quinn's eyes narrowed at my words. "Don't call her a w***e!"

"Or what?" I screamed, scooping up the half-empty wine bottle and taking aim again. "I'll do what I damn well please!"

I threw the bottle, and Quin jumped back, shielding Vera with his body, and fueling my rage.

"Stop this nonsense immediately!" he roared angrily.

"You don't tell me what to do!" I screamed back.

I saw Vera's hand rub a soothing circle on his back while she murmured to him, and saw red.

"Home wrecking b***h!" I spat.

She smirked at me. "Darling, you're going to have to be more original than that."

"f**k you!"

"No, thank you," she said dryly. "Quinn-baby already does a good job of that."

I turned to face Quinn. "I hope you told her that you f****d me first before going to give her your sloppy seconds," I said savagely, clutching at anything at all to make them hurt the way I was hurting.

Vera's face twisted in a sneer. "Whatever," she said. "He may have pity-f****d you yesterday, but he's been with me more times than he's ever been with you." Do yourself a favor and just leave us alone."

"I will," I said. "Because you're right." I will be doing myself a favor by leaving the asshole your arms are around."

Before they could say anything else, I marched into Quinn's bedroom, grabbed the divorce papers and a pen, marched back to where they still stood in the living room, and signed the papers so savagely that the nub of the pen tore through the paper.

"Here!" I said, tossing them at Quinn and turning away as they fluttered to the ground. "I hope you choke on them."