Vanessa hated to see Gigi happy.
And lately, she couldn't help but notice how "radiant" the woman had become. It was obvious that she was getting over her grief but not only that. Gigi looked like she was experimenting really great stuffs in her life and Vanessa had a good idea of what one of those stuffs could be.
Or who.
She never failed to recognize a woman in love and Gigi, under her cold appearance, couldn't hide that she had a new man in her life.
It wasn't the fact that Gigi was in love that annoyed her the most. It was the thought that she could be attracted to someone as insignificant as her housekeeper after she'd been married to her brother. It made her shiver in disgust.
And that's why Vanessa bursted into Gigi's office that afternoon without even knocking. Gigi was busy reading a few files. In any other day, she'd have been absolutely pissed to be interrupted in such a manner by her sister-in-law but Gigi had been working on her tolerance. She simply put her file down on the desk and stared at the angry face of Vanessa.
"Are you fucking your housekeeper ?" She bluntly asked.
Gigi held Vanessa's glare for a few seconds without giving an answer. The woman put her hands flat over the desk and bent over the computer, trying to look intimidating.
"You are, aren't you? You can be honest with me. It's not the worse thing you've done so far, right ?"
Gigi's silence was exasperating her. Making her feel stupid.
"Why aren't you saying anything ? I'm asking you if you've become a whore for your housekeeper."
Vanessa was quick to take a step back when Gigi suddenly got up from her seat. She slowly walked around her desk so she could stand right in front of Vanessa who, somehow, felt too small compared to the calm and cold woman.
"What if I am ?" Gigi asked. "Who are you to question me ? Who are you to call me a whore, Vanessa ? I can smell the fear on you. You know not to mess with me, right? Don't get too bold. Sure, I've allowed you to bully me without a word lately but believe me, you better not test my limits. Don't fucking think that you hold any sort of power over me, alright?"
Vanessa chuckled.
"Are you sure about that? The boy you're getting so worked up for is an illegal immigrant, Gigi. And you hired him. That's quite some power I have here, don't you think?"
" Well, you're not the only person who can dig into other people's dirt. I'm sure I can find very interesting stories about you too if I try a bit."
"Meanwhile...Time is ticking for you. Who knows when I will decide to drop this bomb ? I could make the boy go with just one snap of my fingers, Gigi. I could make everything go away, even this company. You should be kissing my feet, right now."
"And what do you want from me, Vanessa?"
"Not much...I want what already belongs to me, in fact."
"And what is that ?"
"I want you to hand over to me all of Augustin's shares in this company."
Gigi let out a dry laugh, which only angered Vanessa more. Gigi would prefer to be run over by a truck instead of giving any kind of shares to Vanessa. It was already enough of a pain to have her around at the moment. She sure would not risk working with her for the rest of her life.
"I'm really sorry, Nessa ! I'm just not giving you shit. And please, let me correct you. Augustin shares don't belong to your family. They belong to me and my son, get that in your head."
"I guess we're going to let the court decide about that. I just might find a will that states that Augustin gave everything he owns to us. And, by that time, everyone will know that you're fucking an illegal immigrant and that can only help our cause, right?"
Gigi gritted her teeth, watching Vanessa skip happily towards the exit door.
"Why ?" She asked.
Vanessa turned around, tugging her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Excuse me?"
"Why do you want to take Augustin's shares ? You are part of one of the richest families in France. Your dad is at the head of an empire. You could literally have anything you want so... Why are you so obsessed with taking over this little thing ?"
"I told you already...because it belongs to me."
Vanessa was quick to leave the office after those words but Gigi didn't miss the glint of pain behind her orbs. There was something there, she thought. Sure, Vanessa had always been a bitch but she wasn't just trying to be mean this time. Gigi regretted why she never asked Augustin's about his family while he was still alive. She always avoided the topic but maybe if she hadn't, she would have understood why Vanessa was trying to take over his shares now.
But, no matter the reason, Gigi was determined to not let Vanessa win. She grabbed her desk phone and pressed on one of the button:
"Are you done with the task? If yes, please come to my office now so we can discuss it."
Gigi returned to her seat and five minutes later, Sasha came in her office. She looked like she hadn't slept for weeks. She sat across Gigi's desk and opened her laptop.
"Did you find anything ?" The older woman asked.
"I'm sorry...Not much. The regulations are stricter now for immigrants, let alone illegal ones."
"I hope this is not the only thing you have to say to me, Sasha. You confessed that we are in this mess because of you so you better get us out of it."
Sasha quickly averted her eyes away from Gigi and opened the file she'd prepared for this. As if she wasn't feeling guilty enough...
"I'm sorry..."
The young assistant was surprised to hear the soft voice of her boss seconds later. She slowly looked at the woman who seemed less angry, her emotions switching in mere seconds.
"I don't know why i'm being so mean to you. Sure, you should have told me about Hakim but your intentions were pure. It's not your fault...I'm just anxious. Don't take into account any of the shit i'll say to you today, okay?"
"Well...I really appreciate that Mrs Montagne..."
Sasha gave a small smile before proceeding to share the information she'd gathered:
"The best option we have so far is to wait. After two years, Hakim will be eligible to request a residence permit even though he's an illegal immigrant. But the issue is that it's not guaranteed that his request will be accepted. Plus...Well, we'd have to wait two years."
"And you're telling me that's the best option? Inconceivable. Vanessa won't patiently wait for Hakim to get this permit. We must find a solution now."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Montagne...We just can't force this. There's no other way. Or at least..."
"Or what?"
Sasha gnawed at her bottom lip. She struggled to look into Gigi's eyes just as much as she feared to share the other option she'd found.
"I'm not really into suspense, Sasha..." The older woman warned.
"Well...there is something else we can do but...I don't think it's relevant to even mention it."
"Try me."
"There is another way for Hakim to get a residency permit without waiting for two years."
"Perfect ! What is it ?"
"He'd have to marry a french citizen."
Gigi's eyebrow twitched. If eyes could kill, Sasha would probably be dead as her boss glared at her so vividly, she couldn't help but shiver.
"What did you say?" Gigi asked coldly.
"I didn't even want to tell you, Mrs Montagne. I know it's impossible. I mean, I even considered doing it myself but I just can't. I have a fiance and we'll get married soon. I could try to find someone else to do it but...It would take a while."
"So you're saying that the only way is for me to marry Hakim."
"Definitely not saying that. It's just...Yeah. That would solve this problem, I guess. It doesn't have to be for real, though. You guys could just pretend but again, it's crazy. I don't even know why I wrote this down as a possibility."
Sasha looked at her boss. Without a doubt, Gigi was definitely considering the idea. She gave it a thought before a chuckle crossed her lips.
"This is the worse idea I've ever heard." She said.
Sasha didn't know what to respond to that. If it was such a bad idea, why was her boss grinning? Sasha had never even seen her smile with all her teeth out like that.
"Marrying Hakim..." Gigi sighed after a while. "Well, thanks for the suggestions, Sasha. Seems like we're still at square one but I will think about it."
"Sure. I will keep searching and let you know if I find anything better..."
"Thank you."
When Sasha left, Gigi sighed deeply before slamming her head on her desk. Marrying Hakim so he could get a residency permit...It was really crazy. Almost delusional. Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about it and playing with the idea in her mind.
It wouldn't be for real, of course not. They'd stay married until Vanessa gave up and then get a divorce. Simple. Nothing would change in their everyday life. Hakim would still be her housekeeper. In no way would they have to sleep in the same bed or whatever. They'd only be married on paper.
The more she reflected, the more sense it made. It really was the only option she had. Plus, even with a divorce, Hakim could keep his residency permit. That would help him out greatly. Gigi would be doing him a favor. She wasn't only thinking about herself. In fact,she wasn't getting anything from this situation.
It was not her fault that Hakim didn't have a permit. Sasha shouldn't have lied. If anything, It was them that put her in trouble. Really...Gigi would not benefit in any way from this marriage.
If she even decided to do it. She was still unsure.
Gigi stared at her reflection on the dark computer screen. She could say whatever she wanted but she couldn't lie to herself. She felt pathetic staring into her own glittery eyes.
How foolish was she to have so much desire for a man that didn't even want her ? He was already taken.
"I must be lonely." She sobbed, grabbing a tissue to wipe her tears. "He's been so nice to me. My stupid heart is craving attention so bad that I can't help but fall in love with the first guy that show me kindness."
With each word, Gigi only teared up more. She had to take more and more tissue. Her sobs turned quickly into cries.
"I'm sorry Augustin..." She wailed, tears flowing like rivers. "I'm so sorry that I want someone else, even though I promised that you'd be only one for me. You must be so disappointed. I hate myself so much you have no idea..."
Gigi kept crying for a long time, until she was too tired and dehydrated. She held the picture she had on her desk. The picture of her and Augustin. She kissed her husband's face and held the frame against her chest.
She'd taken her decision. She was going to marry Hakim so he could get the residency permit he deserved. Then, she was going to take care of Vanessa for good, so she'd never dare threaten her again.
After that...
Well. After that, she'd see if Hakim would want a divorce. She wouldn't force him into anything of course, but a little convincing wouldn't hurt. Maybe she could get to keep him, if she was lucky...
Gigi felt ashamed. The thought that she was plotting to steal someone else's partner didn't even bother her a bit....