I closed the door behind me with a soft click, a shadow of determination looming over me. Ariana had overstepped her boundaries, and it was now time to put her in her place, for the sake of Amelia's safety as well as my peace of mind.
I drove my car out of Amelia's place, heading back to the mansion. Getting to the house, Ariana was seated on the couch, brushing her nails.
She raised her head, her eyes fixed on me with a bright smile plastered on her face. "Welcome home, darling. What took you so long?" She greeted pretentiously.
I ignored, walking through the stairs and heading straight to the master's bedroom. The door creaked open. I walked in and collapsed on the bed, massaging my temple with my fingers to help sooth the throbbing pain I was experiencing.
A moment passed before I sat and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. I needed to act fast and now was the best time to act. I dialed my personal assistant's number and he picked on the first ring.
"Hello, boss" He greeted politely.
I was bent on going straight to the point. "Go to my lawyer right now. I need to serve Ariana divorce papers today. I'll send him a text, so you go to him, get the papers, and bring them home to me" I ordered, my voice laced with finality.
"A divorce?" He gasped in shock.
"Just do as I say" I instructed, my tone sharp.
I ended the call and exhaled heavily. Sitting comfortably on the sofa, I sent a text to my lawyer as planned and he sent a positive reply. The next plan I had in mind was to work on getting Amelia a job. She had suffered enough due to my selfishness. I needed to make things right.
I remained in the room for the next two hours, waiting patiently for my assistant. The ringing of the doorbell drew my attention. I stood up and walked briskly out of the room. I didn't want Ariana to answer the door.
Thankfully, I got there in time to meet her walking to the door. It was at that moment I knew the benefits of my long legs, because I arrived at the door before her, ignoring her suspicious gaze.
I pulled the door opened, my heart thumping wildly against my chest as I set my eyes on my personal assistant. "Are you here with it?"
"Yes, boss" He replied, his tone confident.
I let him in and allowed him sit, taking the envelope from him. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Ariana, who stood next to me, and handed over to her the envelope in my hand without checking it.
"Have this" I said, my voice barely audible.
A deep frown rested between her brows as she took the envelope from me. "What's this?"
Silence reigned for the next few minutes, the atmosphere becoming more tensed as I watched her go through the papers, her eyes gradually widening in disbelief. She looked sharply at me with a threatening gaze.
"What's this, Alexander?" She began, her voice full of anger. "You're not possibly thinking of divorcing me, are you? This is a joke, right?"
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I replied boldly. "No, it isn't. You just have to sign it, then we go our separate ways."
Ariana threw the papers on the ground, stomping her feet on them mercilessly.
"Impossible!" She yelled, breathing heavily. "You can't divorce me, because of that bitch."
"She's not a bitch" I retorted, angered by her words. "She's ten times better than you in every aspect."
I didn't know where I got the courage from, but I intended to flow with it. I gritted my teeth, anticipating her reply. I was fully aware of the consequences of my actions, but I was willing to go along with it.
"How dare you?!" Ariana snarled. "Have you forgotten the amount of support you've received from my family? I made you the person you are today. My family is going to throw you back into the mud you came from if you do this."
"I don't care" I declared, my tone shaky. "Nothing you say or do will change my mind. I'm divorcing you right here and now. Sign those papers."
"I refuse" Ariana fired back, stomping her feet against the ground again. "I'm not signing them. You really think getting rid of me will give you the chance to be with that gold digger? No way!"
Ignoring her, I turned to my personal assistant. "Let's head to the company now. I'll leave the rest to my lawyer."
We walked out of the house, feigning deafness to Ariana's tantrums as she kept hurling glass jugs and vases to the wall.
"Boss, are you certain about this?" My assistant asked, his voice full of caution.
I pursed my lips for a moment before replying. "Yes. She has become a thorn in the flesh. I can't continue to stay married to her."
"But the company will suffer a huge setback" He stated, revealing the bitter truth.
I sighed deeply, his words sinking into my heart. "I know that better than anyone. I've already set measures that would help us hold our ground when the storm passes by."
We got into the car and drove straight to the company. Eager to carry out the plan I had in mind, I ignored the greetings of the employees and headed to the elevator, straight into my office with my assistant trailing behind me.
I sat comfortably on my high leather chair and leaned backward, crossing my legs. "Draft an employment letter for the post of a secretary and send it to Amelia's email account."
"What?!" He exclaimed in shock. "What about the current secretary?"
Considering his question, I replied. "Draft a transfer letter to another branch for her. She should leave before Monday; that's the exact day I want Amelia to resume work."
"Alright, boss. I'll work on that" He agreed, walking out of my office.
I rested my back completely on my seat, taking a deep breath. I knew I was taking a risky step, but nothing in this world was going to make me change my mind.
A sharp knock came on the door and the door was pushed open without my permission. I was fully ready to scold whoever had the audacity to barge into my office, when I saw the familiar face of the middle aged man that walked in. My personal assistant was behind him.
"What's going on?" I questioned with suppressed rage.
My personal assistant inhaled deeply. "I told him you could only see those you have an appointment with, but he was so persistent that he ended up overpowering me. I'm so sorry, boss."
"Just leave" I ordered. my heart beating erratically, but my expression grim. "I'll speak to him."
Seeing him was enough for me to know that Ariana had spoken to her family about my demand for a divorce.
"Welcome, Uncle" I greeted, my voice barely audible. "What brings you here unannounced?"
"Ugh...you spoilt brat" He barked out in rage. "My daughter said you wanted a divorce. Who gave you the audacity to request for such?"
With an unwavering gaze and a bold stance, I replied. "Your daughter has caused a lot of trouble for me. I believe it's best she finds someone to put up with her barbaric attitude."
"What did you just say?" He berated, his voice rigid. "I gave you my precious child when you had nothing to offer, and built you up to be who you are today. Now, you believe you've grown wings and want to bite the fingers that fed you. I won't consent to the divorce, neither will Ariana."
"I've made up my mind" I insisted, my voice frosty. "The earlier she signs the divorce papers, the better. If this matter gets dragged to court, I'll definitely have the upper hand. I've evidences and witness to go against her words."
"You wouldn't dare" He fired back, his voice trembling. "Don't make me ruin the reputation I helped you build. Your company will suffer setback for your foolish actions."
His words made my blood boil with fury. I had had enough of his pride and arrogance.
"Leave my office now. This conversation is over" I declared, banging my fist on the table. "Leave before I call the security on you."
"Are you threatening me?" He questioned.
"You won't know that until you let it happen. Leave now before you get yourself embarrassed" I warned sternly.
He stood up abruptly with clenched fist and growled. "You'll pay for this. You'll definitely pay for this. I'm going to take everything away from you, and you'll be left with nothing."
I remained silent, allowing him rant all he wanted. He breathed heavily and stormed out of my office in rage. I let out a deep sigh of relief and rubbed my sweaty palms together. No matter what was going to happen, I was going to go on with the divorce procedure. In fact finalizing it today was going to be better.
Standing with the intention to head back home, I grabbed my suit jacket and strutted out of the office. I informed my personal assistant about my plans and left hurriedly, hoping to find Ariana at home.