CHASING MY EX-WIFE

CHAPTER 10

Arabel's POV

There is a party going on.

Glad that I had Lucia look after Daisy after she stubbornly insisted on coming for my appointment, I stare down at my dress and shrug.

It isn't a dinner gown but it is ok for this unannounced party.

I am surprised too. My secretary didn't mention it nor did Griffin when we spoke this morning on my way to London.

Glancing around for the familiar face, five large fingers appear in the air, waving and signalling to me to come. When I see his face, I smile.

It is Griffin.

Majestically, I walk towards him, hoping we can have at least thirty minutes for the scheduled minute before I book the next available flight back to New York. Considering my new partnership, I know I won't be stable in London for now.

Five years is a long time. Not for the contract but it is a long time to be going back and forth and seeing the face of the man who left me on the sidewalk of life with a child growing inside of me.

I really wish I had the balls to tell him I am no longer interested in the partnership, stop going to New York and pretend as if we never saw each other.

Perhaps, I will consider getting the balls if only I can land myself another partnership here in London through Griffin.

“Hello, Mrs. Portillo”, Griffin opens his arms for me to embrace.

Awkwardly, I embrace him with a smile on my face. I do not know how many people know I am not married or how many people believe that I am but I know a lot of the men I have had business to do with in the past would have hit on me.

Most of them stop when I am being referred to as Mrs.

Griffin is one of them.

“Hello, I never knew there was a party going on. You should have told my secretary so we could reschedule”, I mutter my concern.

If I knew, I wouldn't have been in a haste to come back. He wanted the meeting not to be postponed.

“I'm so sorry. I have a business trip tomorrow and I don't quite know when I will be back”, he states, leading me away from his cliques, his right hand on my back.

I nod in understanding. I should have known he had his reasons. Suddenly, he halts as someone approaches.

The man looks familiar but I can't place where I know him from.

They exchange pleasantries and I figure he is just coming. I don't even know what party it is. When our gaze meets, I smile shyly at him before looking away.

“Aren't you Bella?” He asks, making me turn to stare at the curiosity written all over his face.

Just then someone calls Griffin from behind and he excuses himself with a quick apology.

I nod at him to go along even though I can't wait to get this done with and get out of here. I need to get ready to go back to New York tomorrow again.

“Bella Portillo?” He demands again, pulling me out of my reverie.

“Yes, I am”, I answer, then take his outstretched arm. “Nice to meet you.”

“Of course. I have heard so much about you from Griffin”, he mutters with a mischievous smile, making curiosity eat at me.

“About me? What about me has Griffin been talking to you about?”

From the exchange of pleasantries earlier, they do not look too close. It sounded as though they hadn't seen each other in years.

It makes me wonder if this man is speaking the truth or not.

I watch him talk, his jawlines straight and his face attractive. He can pass for a young man of 30 and not in the age group of Griffin who just clocked 45.

However, the whitish hair on his face proved me wrong. He is just too attractive for his age.

“...Well, a lot including your pretty little girl….”

“My girl?” I straighten up, my face in a frown as to why they are speaking about Daisy.

How does he know about Daisy? Did he figure out she was mine just the one time they bumped into each other downstairs at the company? Is that why he assumed I was married and he stopped hitting on me?

“Are you married, Bella?” The man suddenly asks, jerking me back to life with the sudden change in topic.

My brows become more furrowed, wondering where this is coming from and why he is asking if I am married.

Men who ask me questions like this are usually rewarded with my silence and this time won't be an exception.

This was the same thing Richard asked a day ago.

Why do they all seem to be genuinely interested in knowing about my married status?

The man chuckles lightly before waving his hand in my face. “I guess you don't like being asked personal questions as such. I just thought it was important to know since I have plans to discuss a partnership with you soon.”

At that, my ears stand alert.

A partnership?

Goodness! This is what I was praying for a few minutes ago. If I can get a partnership here in London, I have no reason to accept Richard's offer. I will only go back to New York to enlarge my branch over there.

“A partnership?” I shift, hoping to hear more.

He nods intermittently. “If you are married, I do not think it would work considering the high demands for decorations…”

“No, I am not!” I reply sharply, interrupting him from going further. I am tempted to add that I was but not anymore but I know that will arouse a lot of questions about me.

With his confused expression, I can see he wants to ask further, perhaps about how I got Daisy.

“But you have a child.”

“Yes.”

My lips are tight. I do not want to reveal more about the past I have been trying so hard to forget. The same past which has come haunting me.

This is an opportunity. If telling him about my divorce is what it takes to get this partnership, then so be it. I don't give a damn what he thinks of me as long as I get the partnership.

This way, I don't need to cross paths with Richard ever again and he would never know about Daisy or my real identity.

“I was married”, the words flow forcefully out of my mouth, making me bite down on my lower lip as soon as it is out. Not willing to reveal more, I add. “I am a divorcee.”

He nods again, this time his face is void of the mischief on his face from earlier. It makes me wonder if my situation is pathetic for his smile to vanish into thin air within a second.

He fishes out a card and presses it to my hand before throwing me a wink and walking away.

Dumfounded, I turn to watch him go when I see Griffin coming back to where he left me.

Without saying a word about the man he left me with, leaving me with an unsettled sense of foreboding, he put his hand on my back to lead me to the staircase and I turned around with a full-blown curiosity to see where the man is only to realize he has disappeared into thin air.

My heart jumps and heat prickles my skin.

Before I can mention anything to Griffin about him and how strange I find the man, my eyes catch the brown hair of a familiar figure.

He is standing alone in the centre of the big living room with a wicked glint on his face as our eyes meet.

I lose my footing as soon as it dawns on me that this is indeed Richard and not one of my silly imaginations.