Chapter One
Supposed fiancé
AT CADDEL ORGANIZATIONS
Maddie's POV
"Why isn't he picking my calls huh?" I fumed as I dialed Asher's number over and all over again.
"Asher?" Melissa, my second best friend and a colleague, asked and I nodded.
"Go find him at home then." Melissa said. "I was going to." I replied as I picked up my bag. Closed for the day.
"I'll catch you later, bye." I smiled at her before walking out of the office.
*
AT ASHER'S HOUSE
Getting to his house, I alighted the cab that drove me and paid the driver. It was an open estate so there were no fences or gates. The only thing that serves as demarcation between the same structured houses were rows of flowers.
I proceeded to his house and pushed the door by the knob.
"Asher--" I called out but what I met in the living room shocked me to the bones.
Asher was smooching and making out with a lady on the couch. He jumped off her immediately and what I saw struck me dumb!
The lady my fiancé was making out with was my best friend! Stacy.
My heart shattered. My handbag dropped without me noticing it and tears welled from within. I was broken!
I wanted to talk but something blocked my voice. I felt a lump right there and I swallowed hard.
I froze for a while. The normal me would have pounced on them but I didn't have the strength to do anything.
"Asher?...Stacy?" I managed to utter breakingly. "Maddie it's not what you think I swear, it's just--"
"Shut up!" I yelled. "I'm disappointed in you." I uttered and staggered back, bent down and picked my bag from the floor. Then I dragged my feet out of the house.
As wished, I got a cab to drive me to my house almost immediately.
Tears rolled down my face and I wailed in silence. My eyes caught the shiny engagement ring on my finger and I cried the more.
That asshole! He knew he was going to break me like this and he asked me out? He was going to shatter me like this and he proposed to me? He knew he would make my cry like this and he planned our wedding?
That bastard!!! He promised not to make me cry! I wept silently like that and I felt like that wasn't okay. I wanted to scream out my lungs and shed tears crazily.
My phone suddenly rang and the caller was Melissa. "Hey bride to be! Just wanted to let you know that I placed the order for your wedding dress already,the one we talked about earlier. That dress is fucking expensive but I know Asher is capable of buying it and it will look real good on you." Melissa said and they sounded like rants to me.
I sniffed and replied with a simple 'Okay'
"Maddie? You sound downcast, are you okay?" She asked and I suddenly let everything out. I broke into a loud cry and I groaned loudly. I could hear her panic and worry but I didn't listen or reply her. I just cut the call and tossed the phone aside to focus on my tears.
Even the driver turned to look at me. "Ma'am are you okay?" He asked worriedly also.
"i'm not okay..." I replied amidst the tears. I wasn't okay..really.
*
The cab driver dropped the dejected-looking me in front of my house.. or our house. I walked in and met mum and my brother in the living room.
"Madison you look down." My mum said as soon as she noticed me.
"I thought so also..what's wrong sis?" My little brother or asked. Staring at the two faces,I fell to the floor and started crying again, like a baby.
"What's going Maddie? Are you okay?" They rushed to me. "Mummy...Myles, I'm calling off the wedding." I announced to them amidst sobs.
I could see that they looked compounded and bewildered. "What are you talking about?"
"He cheated on me with my friend,mum."
"What?" They both exclaimed. "Mum you see, I said it before now that that bastard doesn't love her and now he has done his worse." Myles said in rage and walked inside.
My mum drew me closer and hugged me. "It's okay darling, we are calling off the wedding..I will." She soothed.
Myles walked in again all dressed. "I'll be back." He said and barged out of house.
I smelt trouble. He is probably going to Asher's house, to beat him up. I didn't try to stop him.
"I should follow him too, but I have to stay with you." My mum said, to my surprise.
"Why will you go there?" I asked. "To give him an earful and knock him out. I can do something with my arms." She said and I let out a chuckle,forgetting my pain for a while. I resumed crying again.
***Next day***
After crying all night, I got woken up by Melissa's call. It was a Saturday and she said she was coming over.
She's probably worried about my reaction yesterday. "Mel can you do me a favour?"
"Sure."
"When coming, I need you to bring chicken and waffles, meatloaf,grilled cheese and beer, all bills on you." I said and she exclaimed. Before she said anything, I cut the call and tossed the phone.
Sitting up and facing the mirror, i saw the disheartened and broken me in the reflection. My ear looked messy and my makeup from yesterday smudged on my face due to the tears.
My bed was roughened as I dumped uncountable wipes on the bed. I stretched my hand to grab the pack of wipes on the dressing mirror.
That was the third pack I'd be using ever since I resumed crying yesterday.
Within the bat of an eye, Melissa got here and most importantly, with my orders.
"Maddie I don't understand what's going on. I called you yesterday and you were crying over the phone. Now, you look all messed up and even your room is messed up. And don't tell me you are going to eat these foods i brought." Melissa nagged.
"So why did I place the orders?" I rolled my eyes. "If you eat all of these now, you'll have a hard time fitting into your wedding dress." She shouted.
"Stop!" I shouted back. "Just...stop, please." I got pissed off already. She kept emphasizing on the wedding dress.
"Maddie what's wrong?" Mel asked in a low tone.
"I'm calling off the wedding."
"What?! What do you mean by that?"
"It is what it is Mel, I caught him cheating with Stacy." I explained.
Mel let out a hysterical laugh. "You're kidding right? He cheated..yes, but which Stacy?"
"The same Stacy we know...our friend."
"What the fuck!" Melissa clamored in anger. "You mean Asher cheated with Stacy? That whore!"
I started crying again as the image of them together replayed in my head. My phone rang and the caller ID showed it was Asher. I declined the call.
"I'm so sorry about this girly, I'm really sorry. I support your decision. There's no way you're staying in a marriage with that asshole. You don't have to worry, I'm here for you. You have mum and Myles too. And as for Stacy, don't you think she needs some good beating?" Melissa asked.
"Not now Mel...the day will come."
***
AT CADDEL ORGANIZATION
It's been a week since my heartbreak. I didn't go to work in that week neither did I ask for permission to stay at home and I just sat at home,doing nothing.
Asher called repeatedly and I declined his calls also, repeatedly. Nothing much happened in that week.
"Good morning Mel." I greeted as soon as I entered the office, I greeted the other colleagues too.
"Hey Maddie, the managing director said you should report to his office as soon as you arrive." Melissa relayed.
"Why?" "I think it's because of your absence from work. And..mind you, everyone knows that you called off your wedding."
I gasped. "How? Did you tell them?"
"Why will I? I'm not crazy. Don't know how they got to know about it."
"Ugh..crazy talkers." I drawled and Mel patted my back gently.
Just then the managing director,Mr Hudson, walked in.
"I thought I said to report to my office." He said.
"I was going to sir." I replied politely.
"You don't need to anymore. Can you explain your unannounced one week's absence from work Miss Miller?"
I was speechless.. what could I say? I knew this would come but I didn't bother preparing myself for it.
"You don't have anything to say? I guess so. Well, I believe you are aware you can't be absent from work without notice. You can't even do things right! It's either you make a mistake or the other and you even stayed in your comfort zone without notifying the authorities? Everyone knows the penalty for this, Miss Madison Miller, you are--"
"Stop!" I commanded and every where went silent.