"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Aria said as she sat across me from the restaurant table. She had sent me a message begging to meet with me, for me to hear her out and that she wanted to talk to me about something important.
"You said it was important," I stated.
"Yes, firstly I want to thank you for taking care of Asher for me," she said, "I had left without a word and I know that hurt Asher more than ever but you were there for him and I will totally understand if you don't want to divorce him," she added
I kept quiet she would do all the talking , she was going to do the explaining and not me. "I truly do love him, believe me and I wouldn't have left him back then. I didn't want to leave him."
"Then why did you?"
"It's complicated and I really do want to tell you but not now," she said. I scoffed at her, "You can't tell me, then why am I here? You brought me here to tell me how much you love Asher. Well my dearest sister I know that you don't have to remind me. I don't know why all of you keep telling me the same thing over and over again. I am going to divorce him you don't have to keep calling me and telling me all these sob stories of yours," I said grabbing my purse and standing up. Aria held my hand , stopping me. "Wait Zee, I wanted to say to you that if you love Asher I am willing to let you guys be together." she said. Did she think she was doing me a favor? I could see it in her eyes, she pitied me and I didn't need her pity, I wasn't going to stay with a man who loved another woman.
"I don't," I said and walked away.
When I returned home, Asher was home. "Zaliyah," he said approaching me.
"Asher," I said.
"Do you really want to divorce me?"
I paused. I wanted to say No but I knew better. "Yes," I said.
"Okay I will agree to the divorce," he said his eyes looking deep into mine. I had expected this, it was going to happen either way. Sooner or later. "But I have conditions," he said with a teasing smile. "Conditions?"
"Yes, you want the divorce. I will grant it but I also need to gain something too."
"You will get to be with the love of your life," I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He winced at that but quickly recovered.
"Yeah right, I have a few conditions to grant you the divorce."
"What are your conditions?"
"Well nothing complicated, for the first one. You will stay with me until the divorce has been officialized."
"What? No," I said looking at him like he was insane. Why would he want me to stay, the minute he signs the divorce papers I am out. "Do you want this divorce or not?"
"Yes but-"
He raised his eyebrow at me, " but what?"
"Nothing. Fine." It wasn't going to be hard, I had stayed four years with him I could do another few weeks, "What's your second condition?"
"Well this is not really mine but grandma wants you to attend one family function before we divorce," he said.
"Okay, that is fine with me. Any other sir?"
"You will help me with something, I will tell you all about it but once all these are done you are free," he said the last part like he didn't want to say it or maybe I was overthinking it.
"What is the last condition?"
"You will find out soon enough," he said with a slight smile before he walked away, I hope I wasn't going to regret agreeing to these conditions. Why was he trying his hardest to not get divorced with me, why was he dragging this longer than it should be. I got to my room and my bags were not in the room, I looked around and they were not in the closet, "Rosy!" I called out as I left the bedroom, "Yes ma'am?"
"My bags and my clothes have you seen them around?"
"Oh Ma'am, Mr. Sterling said we should move them to the master bedroom," she said.
"What?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No it's fine thank you," I said as I stormed off to the master bedroom, what games was he playing now? I got to the master bedroom and he was not there, I walked into his closet and I saw my stuff neatly arranged in there like they belonged there, as I looked around I felt his presence behind me. "What do you think you are doing?" I asked turning around to face him, he was shirtless. He just gave me a smirk as he leaned by the closet door, "Me? Nothing at all," he said.
"Why is my stuff here?" I said trying my hardest to keep my eyes at his face and not chest. "Because for my last condition we will live truly as husband and wife," he said as he approached me. "Are you insane?" I blurted out.
"Insane? No this is my last condition. I want to know how it would have felt like to truly be married to you."
"You had four years to do that, what game are you playing?"
"This is not a game Zaliyah, remember if you want this divorce you will have to agree to this," he said as he cornered me, he lifted my chin up with his finger and his touch made my skin crawl. Why was he doing this? Why now?
"And if I don't agree?"
"I won't sign."
"I will take you to court," I said and he chuckled. "Be my guest but trust me I won't sign those divorce papers," he said as he whispered in my ears. My knees felt weak but I gathered whatever pathetic courage I had left and pushed him away from me. "I don't get it, I am doing this for you Asher, for you to be with the woman you love and you are treating this like some kind of game," I said.
"Love of my life," he whispered those words like they were heavy. He looked at like he wanted to say something to me but before he could say a word his phone rang, he looked at it and on the screen I saw Aria's name. He glanced at me before he walked away to answer the call. I was so frustrated with his actions, all this time he treated me like I had trapped him in this marriage, he was cold and distant and now suddenly he wants to play marriage. What did he want from me?
I walked out of the closet and as I was exciting the room I heard him still talking to her,
"I won't tell her anything Aria, you don't have to worry about it," he said over the phone.
"I will get rid of her but I need you to be patient," he answered back to whatever Aria had said to him. Get rid of her? If he wants to get rid of me then why does he keep dragging all this, was this some twisted game of theirs and if it was what did they want out of it.
"She won't take anything from me, not my money, or my property. She should know her place," he sternly said, his voice dark and firm. So they thought in this divorce I would take his money or his property?
"I don't want your money or property Asher," I said as I walked out. He turned around to look at me, confusion written all over his face, but my glare made him realize I heard the conversation he just had with my sister.