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Chapter 9
“Were you planning on going to the dinner without me?” Lily inediately turned to see Ashier staring at her with a blank look on his face, looking ravishing as always in his tailor–made it and she gulped. She quickly averted her gaze from him, and went back to making sure the gift she prepared for her parents were in order.
After she got the text message, she decided she was going alone without letting Asher know. He never went with her to any of the family dinners anyway, and over the years cooking up an excuse became easier, but from the look of things. He was clearly dressed and ready to go, and she could guess it was the curtsey of her sister, whom she had boosted in front of today. Her grip on the gift box tightened as she imagined the humiliation she was going to face if he walks into her parents home with her sister instead of her.
Expelling a breath, she softened her hold on the box. She was not going to let herself get embarrassed, if he wants to go with her sister then she’d simply exempt herself, Forcing a smile on her face, she turned back to look at her husband.
“I guess I didn’t have to tell you after all- she let her gaze drink him up, -You already know.” She said, and a muscle ticked in Asher’s jaw at the lack of remorse in her voice. When Charlotte called him with an unknown number earlier, he thought she was just being coy and trying to lure him out under the guise of family dinner because if there was one Lily would have informed him prior. His conviction was however shattered when he was about to head out for a business meeting and saw Lily dressed and ready to go.
“No thanks to you.” He retorted, annoyed, and Lily arched a brow
“Of course, all thanks goes to my sister, who I’m pretty sure you’re going with.” Asher’s brows immediately knitted together at her assumption. He never went to the family dinner with her to why on earth would she assume he would be going this time, that too with his sister?
“And why would you assume I’m going with your sister?”
Silence ensued afterwards, and Lily stared at him with squinted eyes trying to decipher if he was being sarcastic, playing dumb or jist genuinely confused. “Are you seriously asking me that?” She asked, breaking the silence and Asher nodded, causing an exasperated sigh to leave Lily’s mouth. “For the past 5 years, I have religiously invited you to all the family dinners but you declined each and every single one of them, but your lover pops back into the picture, and here you are… All dressed and ready to go.”
Asher opened his mouth to defend himself, to tell her that he wasn’t heading for the dinner, and to tell her that he declined all those years because he didn’t want to sit through her family’s scrutinizing gazes answering their pointed questions and in turn making her feel uncomfortable, he wanted to tell her that Charlotte wasn’t his lover… At least not anymore, but instead he swallowed his words. There was no point explaining himself to her, there has never been a reason to, and there is none
now.
He stared long and hard at her, trying to place his hand on the reason he desperately didn’t want her to go finally taking herself out of his life. She was just as infuriating and annoying as her sister.
when she was
Taking a deep breath, he gave her a curt nod. ‘Hope you feel better after letting all that out of your heart.” Lily bit down hard on the insides of her bottom lip, annoyed at his nonchalance. And for the records, I wasn’t going to your family dinner… I am heading out for a business meeting. Hope that clears the air
“You should have just signed the divorce papers.” Lily blurted out before she could think twice, and surprise flashed through Asher’s eyes. There’s no reason for us to stay together. You don’t like me, you don’t want me, so what’s the point of staying together. I’m finally offering you a chance to your freedom and to get me out of your sight, so why won’t you just let me Her voice quivered as the questions left her lips, tears blurring her vision.
Asher’s heart clenched tightly at the sight of tears in her eyes, and he immediately looked away from her, annoyed at the feeling, and even more annoyed that he couldn’t find an answer to her question. All he knows is that he has gotten accustomed to her presence and just can’t bring himself to let her walk away, but that was a pathetic answer to give to her.
Finally, he released a deep breath and held her gaze. “Our marriage is a business deal. I always hold up to my own end of the deal, and I expect my business partners to do the same. After the year is up, I’ll consider your request for a divorce.” He said,
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Chapter 9
while hoping that within the year, he finally grows the balls to lock up whatever fear of abandoned he’s currently facing with her leaving, or finds another way to keep her by his side for however long it takes.
“You’re an asshole, Mr Allard, and I hope whatever business deal you’re pursuing flops.” She gave him a once–over before she grabbed the gift box and stormed out of the house, feeling ready for whatever snide remarks her mother would make at the dinner, while leaving Asher shocked and speechless.
Asher stood rooted to his spot, staring at the place she stood earlier, her words reverberating in his mind. His moment of stillness was put to an abrupt stop when his phone pinged with email. He immediately fished it out of his pockets, and read through the contents of the message.
Annoyance washer over him, and he gritted his teeth when he realized that the meeting he was supposed to have has been cancelled, and the investor has traveled out of the country with plans of relishing the deal to his competitor, but that wasn’t the part that agitated him the most… It was the reason he changed his mind, his wife took a liking to the competitor’s wife, and that changed his mind.
“Damn you, Lily. He cursed under his breath, holding her partly guilty for this, but then an idea quickly popped into his mind, causing his lips to curve up in a smirk. “I guess I’ll be going for a family dinner after all.” He mumbled as he typed a quick email to his PA before rushing out of the house.
