No Strings Attached

Part 30 : No Strings Attached

I glanced down at my watch impatiently as the small hand ticked around.

Where the hell is she?

It was compulsory for all employees of the Board to attend the Annual General Meeting, but knowing Kimberley, she would break protocol just to tick me off.

I was dead inside, I just knew it. As horrific as it sounds, Kimberley Alonso nee Scott was and is my heartbeat and without her I am completely empty. It's official. Kimberley has ruined my entire existence. I'd f***ed up a case pretty badly last week, and I never f**k up. It's only because I couldn't stop thinking about her the whole time. I've spent the good part of the last two weeks locked up in our room, looking at her things, smelling her perfume, sleeping on her side of the bed.

"Mr Alonso, sir."

"What?" I snapped irritably, spinning around in my chair. The last thing I needed right now was a lecture from one of my staff telling me I looked "down" or that I didn't seem to be feeling "myself" recently. My staff? Questioning me? That has never happened, ever. Until now. Everyone is asking about Kimberley, it's safe to say she's the light and hope of this place, and now, she's gone.

"The meeting starts in three minutes, sir. I have your coffee - milk, two sugars as you requested." she said, handing me the AAC mug

"Thank you." I replied quickly, placing the cup on the desk and turning around once again.

Seriously, not in the mood.

Then I heard it.

"Sarah, I want absolutely no interruptions today, do you hear me? Anyone that interrupts me can expect their head on a platter. Cancel my twelve o'clock, move my one o'clock to twelve o'clock and cancel that too. All I want to bloody hear about is the Whyte and Browns case. Tell the press to go f**k themselves. After this godforsaken AGM I want the phone to my ear immediately. I want to speak to Judge Smythe, hear his reaction when I tell him that the defendant's attorney now has a criminal record. Oh and Sarah, no interruptions, are we understood?

Her voice wafted down the corridor in an angry tone and suddenly she came into my view.

Her hair was coiled upwards with a few loose strands hanging from either side. She wore a pearl coloured dress, fitted at the waist and down to her knees with a cascading neckline, complimented with the necklace I'd bought her on the day we were married. She strode confidently down the corridor in her five inch pearl heels and flashed a smile at anyone who walked by. She looked more beautiful than ever. It wouldn't take a fool to notice she was still pregnant. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy and Sarah was rushing along behind her looking flustered at the anger she'd obviously been subjected to, courtesy of my hormonal wife...

But would she be my wife for much longer?

I'd already steeled myself for the prospect of being filed with divorce papers. For the second time.

I was more than willing to fight for Kimberley, but the real question was whether she was willing to fight for me.

Sarah tapped Kimberley's shoulder and signalled for her to go into the board room where I was currently sitting, my back facing away from her.

She obliged.

I swivelled around in my chair to meet the emerald eyes of my wife.

We meet again Mr Bond...

The smile fell off her face, her lips slightly parted, "Riccardo."

"Kimberley..."

She had lost weight, I could tell. This pregnancy, the one she had wanted to abort, was it making her ill? Was this my punishment for pushing her away? She had tried to disguise the weight loss by applying bronzer to her cheekbones, but truth be told, I knew my wife's body far too well.