I held Raymond's hand, scanning the room to see if anyone would say something out of line. The silence was thick, like the stillness of a cemetery. I turned to his colleagues and asked, "Do any of you have a problem with our relationship?" They all shook their heads vigorously, responding with a loud, "No." I kissed him again, in front of everyone, then pulled him outside.
"Honey, won't you say something?" I teased as I noticed his stunned expression, his mouth hanging open. I pinched him hard until he winced and let out a small "ouch."
"Jasmine, I just need to be sure this isn't a dream," he said, still disoriented. "Why would you do something like that in front of your employees? It could ruin your reputation and everything you've worked for. I wanted to do more, but I knew you had a reputation to keep."
"Let me worry about my work, honey," I replied confidently. "Nothing will happen. I'm the CEO, so what's the worst that can happen? I asked him."
"No employee would ever say otherwise if their CEO asks such a question unless they want to lose their job," he replied, clearly still anxious.
"Stop complaining. Or are you planning on cheating with one of your colleagues?" I teased.
He smirked at me and sat in the car. I apologized for not telling him about my trip, but he patted my back, saying it was fine.
Back at home, everything seemed to return to normal as we slipped back into our role as the "lovely couple of the century." However, Raymond's strange behavior around Bela caught my attention. I asked him what was going on, but both he and Bela ignored me, pretending they were deep in conversation.
I watched them for a moment, but they both gave me wicked smiles, making it clear they were up to something. Annoyed, I decided to leave them outside. As I opened the main door, I heard a noise and before I could look up, I was drenched in some liquid.
I screamed in shock, only to realize they were standing behind me, singing "Happy Birthday." It took a moment for me to remember that it was, indeed, my birthday. I asked why they did this, but they refused to answer. The smell of whatever I was covered in was overwhelming, so I rushed to take a shower.
When I emerged a few minutes later, the whole building was dark. I called out their names, but there was no response. Slowly, I walked down the stairs, checking if everything was okay. I caught a glimpse of movement and called out again, but then a strange, scary sound came from outside. Before I could investigate, they jumped out at me, making monstrous gestures and shouting.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, both shocked and frustrated. "Don't you know your actions could affect my unborn child? I thought you were celebrating me, not scaring me!"
They laughed, explaining that they wanted to make the day memorable. Though their antics were annoying, I couldn't stay mad for long. When they turned the lights back on, I saw a huge cake, and despite the chaos, I felt grateful for the surprise. We ended up enjoying the evening together, laughing at how they had managed to prank me so effectively.
The next morning, I was woken by a call from the president, informing me of an emergency board meeting. I quickly kissed Raymond on the cheek and headed out to the meeting. There, I learned that Nicolas was the one who had sabotaged our investors. I couldn't understand why he couldn't leave me in peace. He was wealthier than I was, so why the greed?
I drove straight to his hospital after the meeting, determined to speak some sense into him. Unfortunately, security refused to let me in, saying I wasn't allowed. But luck was on my side when I ran into him at the entrance.
"Nicolas, why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?" I demanded, frustration rising in my voice.
"Nicolas, I don't understand what you're saying," he replied, trying to keep his composure. He played an innocent role, leading me into his office to continue the conversation. But I could see through the act. The man I once knew, capable of tearing my life apart without a second thought, was now fixating on something I couldn't comprehend. Why was he so desperate to ruin me when he already had more wealth than I could ever imagine? His raised eyebrow gave away the pretension he was trying to hide.
"Let me get straight to the point," I said, my frustration growing. "Why did you buy off my investors? I'm trying to build something of my own. Why are you making it so difficult?"
He looked down, shifting uneasily. "It's not what you think. It wasn't intentional."
"Don't lie to me, Nicolas. You know exactly what you're doing. My legal team will make sure you don't get away with this. Whatever your reasons are, you're going to lose."
As I turned to leave, I heard him speak again, and my blood ran cold.
"Marry me."
For a moment, I just stood there, unable to process what he'd said. Was this some kind of sick joke? I stared at him, incredulous, but there was a look in his eyes that told me he was dead serious. I turned my back to him, trying to walk away, but he didn't stop.
"If you marry me," he continued, "I'll get your investors back. Everything will be fine."
I spun around to face him, my voice sharp with disbelief. "Nicolas, are you out of your mind? You think I'll marry a man like you? I've seen enough of your manipulations to know exactly who you are. And by the way, I'm pregnant and engaged, so I suggest you shut your mouth before I do it for you."
Later, during our next executive meeting, the conversation shifted to securing new investments for the Asia branch. One of the board members mentioned a potential investor but with a shocking condition. I already knew who it was, and I felt my blood pressure rise.
The condition was marriage.
I didn't need to hear more. I stood up and made it clear to the board: Nicolas' name was off-limits, and no one should even think about bringing it up again. I could tell the shareholders were nervous, and I understood why. The pressure to deliver was mounting, and the stress was starting to take its toll.
I dove into research, desperate to find legitimate investors before the board grew restless. I visited countless places, only to be turned away at every step. Rejection after rejection piled on, and the weight of it all began to suffocate me.
Then, just as I thought I couldn't take it anymore, there was a knock at my door.
I opened it to find Nicolas standing there, uninvited. Without a word, he dropped to his knees in front of me.
"I know I've hurt you in so many ways," he said quietly, his voice full of desperation. "And I don't know how to make it right. But I've realized something. You give me happiness. Please, come back to me. Be my wife again, and together, we can fix everything."
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the door swung open behind me. Raymond stepped inside, confusion written all over his face.
"Honey, what's going on here?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief as he looked from me to Nicolas.