True to Madam Abigail's words, he was by the poolside on his phone, and he ended the call when he saw me approaching. "Good morning, Xavi. You asked Madam Abigail to prepare the juice for you, so I brought it to you because we need to talk," I said, omitting the fact that I was the one who made the juice.
"Good morning," Xavi replied, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.
"So, go on. What do you want to tell me?
"Don't you have anything to say to me, Xavi?
"Like what? Thank you for helping me with the transplant. I thought you knew what you were getting yourself into," he responded without much emotion.
"Aren't you aware of this whole situation, or did your dad never inform you? The contract paper you signed clearly stated why you were here. Are you sure you read it, or are you one of those people who don't read through it before signing a document?" Xavi asked me, his tone dripping with mocking disdain.
I was surprised that he mentioned my dad in this situation, suggesting he knew what was going on. The revelation left me feeling dumbfounded, and I couldn't believe my dad might be aware of such an arrangement. I argued with myself, trying to process the idea that he could betray me in this way. Was that why he acted so indifferently at the hospital?
"If that's what you want to hear, thank you, Layla, for agreeing to be my donor. Satisfied? Are we done? Because I have some work to attend to after this discussion," Xavi said, his words laced with sarcasm and indifference.
"Some work? Some work, Xavi?" I asked again, my voice dripping with scorn, "With whom? Your girlfriend, the one you plan to marry after divorcing me, is that it?" I confronted him, hiding the fact that I knew his girlfriend was my sister. I chose not to let him know that I was aware of their relationship, trying to maintain a sense of disbelief about the situation.
"How did you know about that?" he asked, surprise evident on his face.
Was I right about the divorce? I was just guessing that his next plan would be to divorce me, and I was right that this was his intention after all.
"Is that the question you should be asking me right now, Xavi?" I countered, my tone mocking and filled with disdain.
Xavi sighed and admitted, "Now that you know about my plans to divorce you, I guess there's no point hiding it or feeling guilty about it. I don't know how you found out, but I suppose it's good for both of us now that you know. Asking for a divorce will be easier. I still need you by my side to get my inheritance, and after that, we can go our separate ways."
"How much do you want?" he asked, referring to the settlement money typically given to the wife after a divorce. His tone was indifferent and dismissive. "We can be civil about it."
His shameless proposal left me astounded, and I couldn't help but scoff at his audacity. Despite this, I decided to speak up, my voice dripping with scorn and disdain.
"You know, I thought about granting you the divorce, considering this marriage was not meant to be in the first place. After finding out that your heart belongs to another, I never want to be in a relationship where I will always be the second option. But I changed my mind."
"What do you mean that you changed your mind? Why are you playing the victim here when you will be well compensated? Or do you want more money? Name your price," he asked, his words filled with arrogance and entitlement.
"Xavi!" I raised my voice, calling his name with a tone of mockery and disdain. "I'm not going to divorce you. I will wait until you get your entitlement, and after that, I'll stay as your wife. I'll stay with you until you get old or until death do us part. Do you want to know why? Because you won't be able to legally marry the woman you love and be with her. She'll always be a mistress and second to me. That will be your punishment. You'll have to keep hiding her forever.
"I'm already facing my hell because society will always find something to say about divorced women, especially when they come from a powerful family like yours. They often place the blame on the women, making them the perceived problem in such situations; they are going to make me the bad person in all of this. But I'm not going to make it easy for you.
"Layla, what the hell did you just say, Layla?" Xavi growled, his voice low and dangerous, as he took a step toward me. I instinctively backed away, feeling a surge of fear rising within me.
"You're going to regret this decision big time," he continued, his eyes blazing with anger. "I'll make this marriage so frustrating for you." Another step forward, and I found myself retreating further, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I'm going to frustrate you in this marriage to the point where you'll beg for mercy and beg for the divorce," he warned, his tone dripping with malice. I swallowed hard, my breaths coming in shallow gasps as I tried to steady myself.
"If you think staying with me is a better hell, you are wrong, dear," he sneered, taking another menacing step toward me. "Because you are going to lose your mind and feel miserable even after divorcing me. I will make sure of it."
"And you want to know one more thing?" Xavi continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he closed the distance between us. "I'm going to enjoy having my mistress around, warming my bed." My stomach churned with revulsion, and I stumbled back, my eyes wide with terror.
"And do you think she is going to decline the offer?" he taunted, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "But you won't get any." His words hit me like a physical blow, and I felt a surge of panic coursing through me.
.....
SNIPPET
".... that's what I want from you. You've won. You promised to make this marriage a living hell for me. I can't anymore. I beg of you."
"Well, I will give you the divorce." Happiness crept into my heart, and I finally wiped my tears. "But on one condition."
"And what is that? I would give you anything, just let me out of this marriage."
"What is that?" I asked him, as this might be my only chance.
"Spend one night with me," he straightened his voice and flatly asked.