"I am not divorcing him, Dad," Starlet told her father, who didn't look pleased. She had thought about letting go. She wasn't strong enough. But she was strong enough to show him who she was. She was the Marks' heiress, damn it! And he would see that.
"I raised you to be stronger than this," Bob (Robert) Marks told his daughter angrily.
"If I'm not as strong as you expect me to be, you failed." Starlet shot back.
"Starlet!" her mother, who had been a silent spectator until this point, chided.
Starlet refused to respond to that and settled a glare on her father instead.
They were in the Marks mansion an hour's drive from Starlet's own place and where she had grown up with her cousins. The three were seated in the main office of the house. Bob had his weight in a leather office chair behind his desk and his wife was sitting at her desk. Starlet sat stiffly on a couch a fair distance from them both, hoping to appear relaxed.
"I will not, Mother," Star said without looking away from her father. "You can punish him. I will not stop you. I understand he has spit at you… me…" Star struggled, then settled on "us in the face and he makes us all look weak. I leave you to deal with the business end of things, but I will deal with my marriage."
There was silence in the room and her mother got up and left the room. Her father's eyes followed his wife's movements and when she was gone with the door shut between them, his gaze was back on his only child.
"I will respect that." He said with a gleam in his eye. "Your mother is most affected by this. We love you, twinkle bug."
"I love you too, daddy. I will talk to mum… Try to put her at ease," Starlet said as she got up and went to the door, then impulsively paused at the door. She turned around and her father was already tapping away at his tablet. As always, he was getting down to business.
Starlet found her mother in her old room. She was sitting on the window seat, looking outside.
"I always feel I failed you." The older woman said without turning.
"Oh, Mum," Starlet said as she joined her mother. "You and Dad gave me everything I ever needed."
"And everything you wanted." Allison reached her hand out and stroked her daughter's cheek. "My darling little Star." She said as her child leaned into her hand. There was a knock on the door and the moment was broken.
"Ma'am," a timid voice said at the other end of the door. "Lunch is ready to be served."
"Inform Robert and serve now, please," Allison said and looked at her daughter. "Wash up and come down." She said and walked down the room.
After lunch, Starlet took the chance to take a stroll with her father. He wanted to shake Lucien from his perch as CEO. She didn't care she wanted Lucien to look at her again even in hate. That was the madness in loving him.
She was angry with her husband, and hurt. She had almost called her lawyer but then realized that was a retreat. The Marks never backed down. There was no way she would back down. Not without a fight. Lucien was her husband.
She knew why he initially hated her; she was no fool, but it had been two years and he had to get over some of it, but he held a grudge better than an old woman with nothing better to do. The problem, Starlet thought, was he didn't really see her. So, she would make him. She had faded too far into the background, but enough was enough.
It was not a secret that Lucien Blade had a wife. Their wedding had been the talk of the city. The most beautiful affair in months. People still tried to mimic the art, food and music that was showcased. Ayanda Hill knew Lucien was married and to whom he was married. That woman had touched what was not hers. She had not clarified the news that she was his mistress. With her silence, she claimed that Starlet's husband was her man, and that made Starlet fume. Little Miss Hill didn't know what snake pit she had walked herself in.
As for Lucien, he was going to come to her himself. She had done enough of chasing him. She had done that for two years with no results. She needed to change her strategy.
There was a business event that Star had initially dreaded to attend. She had been planning on finding an excuse to not go like she usually did, but enough was enough. A rat can only steal from the cat's bowl if the feline is absent or distracted. This kitty was going to be as alert as a soldier in a firefight.
When Star got home, she was surprised to note that Lucien was home. The car he had been using was in its spot in the garage. Two maids were getting his luggage from his trunk, chatting quietly with each other.
She got her purse and got out of the car.
Do not engage in a fight, she mentally told herself. It is not worth it. Do what he does. Ignore him.
She didn't have the strength for it. Never did. Whenever she fought with him, she ended up curled in the shower, crying her eyes out. With squared shoulders, she made her way into the house. She expected Lucien to be in the shower. That's where he went when he got home. She passed by his room and went to hers. She dumped her bag on her bed and laid on it. Trips anywhere always left her a little tired. She could have gotten one of her drivers to take her home, but she wanted to not guard the emotions on her face for a while. She wanted to not be on guard and she was glad for it. With her cheating husband back home, she was going to be on edge.
With a sigh, she got up and took off her shoes. Barefoot, she padded to her walk-in closet and dropped the shoes carelessly in a shoe box. The maids would take them, clean them and then put them in their proper spot. She took a pair of comfy slippers from their shelf and she dropped them on the floor. She put them on and went to her sculpting room. She was taking pictures of her currently completed sculptures and sent them to her cousin Richard, who had the studio that she used to sell her art. It surprised her when he immediately called.
"Hey, cousin," Star said with a smile.
"Hie back, Star," Richard said cheerfully. "I called to give you a warning, or maybe just a heads up."
"What's going on, you tattle tale?"
"That's not nice, Sparkle Bud," Richard said, but his tone had humour.
"Sorry," Starlet said, but her tone said she was anything but.
"Your husband needs your help, so don't let him bully you into it," Richard said, his tone suddenly serious.
"My help?" Starlet's interest and curiosity meters skyrocketed.
"Yes. He was working on a deal with one of Uncle Bob's friends." Richard said in a conspiratorial voice, "Word's out that they have suddenly stopped cooperation."
"Oh!" Starlet said in surprise and understanding. "So, he needs me to sweeten that honey pot, huh?"
"Exactly. He needs that contract, Star. There was a lot of money spent in anticipation of getting that contract. Until this, everything was looking bad. If he doesn't get it…"
"Bad business. He loses the company a lot of money." Starlet said in understanding.
"Exactly," Richard said cheerily. "I am late for a date, cousin, so I have to go. Talk to you later! Oh, and drop in your exhibit art before the coming Friday. Saturday is the night!"
"Okay, cousin." Starlet said happily, "Thanks again for the heads up."
"No problem!" Richard said, and cut the call.
Starlet stayed in her studio and wondered if this was her father's work. She wanted to call him and ask but then decided it was not worth the argument and in a way, this was a show of strength. Lucien would at the very least look at her now.
Later that evening, the maids had served their dinner and Starlet was waiting. She was not looking at him and she focused on her plate.
Lucian took a deep breath and looked at Star across the empty dining room table. Star felt but pretended not to feel his gaze on her form. He tried to hide his annoyance, but failed as it thought was clear in his tone when he finally spoke.
"I need to talk to you about something." He said stiffly.
"You can always speak to me, Lucien," Star said, suddenly saddened. Should there be conditions for him to speak to her? After two and a half years, this was the first time he came to her and it wasn't for her, but for what she could do for him.
"It's strictly business," he said sharply. "I have a contract that's in danger of falling through, but can be saved with your intervention."
Starlet felt the fury rise into herself but she discretely took a few breaths.
"I can't do it alone, Star," Lucien said in frustration.
"What if I say no?" Star challenged.
Lucien was silent. Star peaked at him from beneath her lashes and he was just sitting there. Staring at her.
"You don't mean that." He finally said after a moment.
"Actually, I do. I don't have to, and you can't force me." Starlet replied calmly, slicing the protein on her plate and then putting it into her mouth and looking dead on at her husband. The emotion in her eyes, rebellious fury and pain was unbound.
"I'm not asking for anything too hard," Lucien said.
"No Lucien. After what I have been through these couple of days… I do not feel like doing anything for you, so I will not." Star's voice was carefully void of emotion.
"You are the one that caused whatever emotion runs in you!" Lucien's hands slammed on the table, his voice shook with fury. "You and your father!"
"Oh, get over it!" Starlet snapped and raised her voice at her husband. "It had been two and a half freaking years! You are not a child. Adapt, damn it! You didn't tell me what was going on when it was going down. You approached me, dated me and proposed! You! If you had wanted to not marry me so badly, you would have told me to tell my father to stop. You did not! You went ahead and married me! You! You keep punishing me for everything that you played a part in! After two years, I owe you NOTHING! Absolutely zero!"
There was silence in the room for a couple of minutes, and then Starlet got up and left the room. She was shaking. Shock. He engaged, and she blew up at him. Deep down, she had wanted to say those words to him. He had punished her for going through with the marriage but did not admit to the fact that he had played her as if they were in a relationship. His sister had been the one to drunkenly reveal some of the deals he had with her father. He had said nothing to her. He had shown no indications there was influence forcing him to do what he found abhorrent. He had romanced her and made her feel like he loved her. Made her feel like he had fallen in love with her. Even played out the first few days of their honeymoon. He had made her happy. She had been so happy, so very complete.
And then it had all come crashing down. He just snapped and showed her the evidence of her father buying shares in his company and becoming the major shareholder and owning a seat on the board of directors. He had then made a move to have Lucien to be removed as CEO.
He had asked me if she knew anything about it, and she wondered how to deny it. If she could even deny it. Octavia had let it slip. Her hesitation was answered enough for him. He had called her every name in the book he had shouted at her and never let me say a word.
Through the misery that followed, she had held on to that loving glimpse of him. To the memory of him and her making the best couple. The care and gentleness he had shown her then was what she knew they could be. Should be. Must be.
That's why she will not go through her life without him. She refused to live without him. He was her drug, and she needed him.