Alaina's Pov
HE MUST BE CRAZY
"Let go of me, you freak!" I snapped and snatched my hands from him like he was hot coal itself.
Skip the part where he looked like Adonis, just skip that part, this man was insane. I looked around and everyone was as shocked as I was but they didn't make a move to help me.
I looked at the man, gosh, he was gorgeous. He shouldn't be acting, he should be in all those Billionaire Romance books some girls and 'women' would kill to read. Or he looked like a villain, whichever way, he was mad.
"Ma'am…" He started as if what he was about to say would make the bad impression I had of him just vanish into thin air, "Don't you get it?"
What was I supposed to get? "What is that?"
He brought his hands from his pockets, he had it there all this while like a proud gorgeous thing that he was! Why does everything in him scream 'rich'? Maybe he's just a washed up actor like I was, maybe he borrowed the suits and all. Maybe he is mad! Just maybe all this wasn't worth it.
"This is a church."
I eyed him, "and so?"
"That is a priest." He said perfectly well.
I was annoyed. Why was he talking in sentences! Damn! "Look, young man, I don't know what you're playing at but I've got things to attend to."
"No, wait!" He held me again, "this is not a joke, you are indeed married to me, this is a real church, the priest is a real one, the ring is real, the dress is damn real, and the vows are real."
I looked at him for a while and snatched my hands again. "Fuck off!"
I was walking away, it was then the crew started moving, the director ran to me and held me. "Uhm, Miss. Green, you can't leave like that…"
"Really? Huh? That man is insane, what the hell was he saying?"
"Will you calm down and listen to me?" The director was saying.
Was she making sense? No? Was I angry? Yes! Do I have a choice? Yes. I was going to walk out. I needed this role, yeah, because right now, I was close to living in abject penury but I still had my pride intact. This was bullshit! I don't even know why I was this pissed.
"Mrs. Director, I am not interested in whatever you want to say, I have to go now."
I didn't wait for her to try to talk to me again before I began walking away, but as I walked away, I knew I heard her say, "call Keisha." I scoffed, what would Keisha do to a man who was delusional about being married? I wasn't even interested in the back story. I just wanted to go home.
Home. Alaina, you have no home. You're poor!
I crossed to the other side of the road and my phone began blaring. As I hailed down a cab, I picked the call. I wasn't ready for her lectures so I tokd her immediately.
"Save your lectures. That man literally thinks we are truly married, Keisha."
Keisha was probably shaking her head at the other side of the phone. She sounded like she didn't know about this whole bullshit. "Calm down, Alaina. You shouldn't have left like that even though, now you might not get the lead role."
"To hell with that. What that man did was offensive? Why is no one talking about this? Keisha, is that man right?"
Keisha that I know would immediately answer but she kept quiet and then the call went off. "Gosh, really?"
Something was wrong somewhere. Certainly wrong and Keisha knew about it. But damn, that man cannot be right!
***
Damnation!
My head felt so heavy, so damn heavy. I woke up with a pounding headache and groggily reached for my phone. Ten missed calls from Keisha. I must have forgotten to turn off Do Not Disturb. I hated this cheap hotel, and I hated myself for ending up here. I just hated life itself.
I quickly got ready, eager to escape this dingy place. As I approached the reception desk, the clerk looked up at me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"Checking out?" she asked, her tone neutral.
"Yeah," I replied, trying to sound friendly. "How much do I owe?" I hope I haven't overstayed my 'welcome'.
She rang up the charges, and I swiped my card, wincing at the total. "You know, you could've gotten a better rate if you'd booked online," she said, handing me a receipt.
I forced a smile and "thanks for the tip."
As I turned to leave, she called out, "Hey, ma'am, you forgot your receipt."
I turned back, feeling a twinge of annoyance. "Thanks," I muttered, snatching the paper from her hand.
I pushed through the doors, blinking in the bright sunlight. Where in God's name would I go? I had no idea. I couldn't go back to that house I shared with my husband – ex husband. The thought of going there was repulsive.
"So help me Lord." I sighed and began walking away, I hadn't taken up to three steps when I heard my name, not in a cool manner, I heard, "there she is! Alaina! Alaina!"
I turned back and saw him — my favorite fucking husband! Ex husband! I needed to get that fact into my head, we were not married again.
I began to quicken my pace and more or less ran bit he was fast, he grabbed my hands so tight I almost fell off. He then slapped me.
"Bitch! Where do you think you're going?"
I stood frozen, my eyes fixed on the man who had once shared my life, my heart, my everything. My ex-husband, Ryan, stood before me, his face twisted in a snarl, spewing venomous words that cut deeper than any knife.
"You thief! You stole from me!" he bellowed, his voice ringing all around. I was still in front of the hotel and passersby saw us. Saw him hit me. This wasn't the first time he'd hit me outside, then I was his wife, now I wasn't. Damn! He had the nerves! He cheated on me, had kids with my friend and still had the nerves, damn…
My cheeks burned with shame, but I refused to back down. I took a step forward, my hand flashing out in a swift, sharp motion. The slap cracked through the air, leaving a stinging sensation on my palm.
"This is for cheating on me!" I hissed, my voice low and deadly.
Ryan's eyes widened, his face reddening as he stumbled backward. But I didn't stop there. I slapped him again, the sound echoing through the silence.
"This is for lying to me!" I spat, my anger and hurt boiling over.
And then, with all the strength I could muster, I slapped him once more. "This is for stealing from me! You bastard!"I screamed, my words hanging in the air like a challenge.
Ryan's eyes blazed with fury, but I stood tall, my chest heaving with exertion. I felt a sense of satisfaction, of vindication, as if I had finally found my voice after years of silence.
The hotel staff rushed outside, trying to intervene, but I shook them off. This was my moment, my reckoning. I glared at Ryan, my eyes flashing with a fierce intensity.
"You took everything from me," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "My trust, my love, my dignity. Go to hell and never come back! Now, if you still want more, I dare you to follow me. Asshole."
With that, I turned and walked away, leaving Ryan standing alone, his face etched with shame and defeat. I knew that this was just the beginning, that the battle ahead would be long and hard. But I was ready. I was ready to fight, to reclaim my life, and to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
Fuck all men! They are all snakes, no need of a ladder to reach them, they belong in the trash, you just need to walk to get to them.