Kara sat in the living room, stretching her legs along the couch, her eyes scanned the fashion magazine in her hands trying to relax her tired brain. The work had exhausted her lately and with the problem that grandpa had caused her, she knew she almost reached her limit.
She hadn't found a way out yet and now she was contemplating between taking her grandpa's offer or letting it go completely. She didn't do half way, she didn't like it.
She had been consulting with her friend Luke Russo, who owned the largest mining company in the country about finding her a suitable job so she could start over.
At first he was confused as hell at her idea. He called her nuts.
Why would she need a job? She was married to the Angelopoulos. She could stay at home or if she really wanted to work, she could run one of his companies, as easy as that.
But after she explained what had happened Luke had went all the way contacting his friends who owned companies to help her out.
That after he stopped laughing at her stupid move that earned a scowl from his heavy pregnant wife Samantha.
That was Luke alright, he took everything easy. She wished she could be like him, her life would be so much fun and less stress.
Well at least she had more options now, she just needed to wait a little longer.
She went back to check her magazine but nothing could stop her from thinking about her husband. She was alone tonight, Stefan hadn't been home yet.
She missed him.
Stefan had been out of town a day after the dinner meeting and when he got back, it was her turn to visit her troubled branch in Singapore. She was just back home two hours ago.
She was expecting him to pick her up at the airport but he hadn't answered his phone. She took a glance at her watch, ten in the evening. This was weird, he'd never been this late before and if he did he would text her. But this time he hadn't say anything and all her phone calls and texts hadn't been answered. She was a little worry. But she didn't want to call around yet, he might be in a pub somewhere in the city with his mates. He would be home soon, she thought.
And she was right, fifteen minutes later she heard keys jiggled outside the door.
"Stefan, where have you been?" she asked as soon as he entered the door.
"Meeting." He answered shortly and headed upstairs without giving her a kiss or anything. He hadn't seen her in days and he didn't even look at her?
Kara frowned, what was going on? She stood up and followed him and when she reached into the bedroom she froze.
A medium size of suitcase was on the floor and he started to throw his clothes in.
"Stefan?" she whispered in horror, "what are you doing?"
"I am packing. I need to go away for a week,' he threw his trousers in this time, didn't bother to fold them.
"Client meetings?"
He shook his head.
"Then why? Something that I did had upsetting you?" she asked again.
"Nope." he replied shortly, squatting in front of his suitcase to zip it close.
"Why so sudden?"
Stefan stopped and stood up to face her fully, "Kara, next week will be the end six month of our contract." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I am expecting you not to be here when I get back."
She felt like the sky had just fallen down on her head right now. Everything went blur and she was almost fainted.
"Do you hear me Kara? I give you a week to pack up your stuff and out of here."
Ste stared at him meeting his hazel eyes that glared sharply at her, "Okay...." She finally answered. Softly, almost a whisper, too shock to say anything else.
"Good." He picked up his suitcase and went downstairs but Kara grabbed his sleeve to hold him.
"Stefan...." She called, her hand started to shake and her voice too.
He stopped, looking down at her, waiting for what she would say impatiently, his face said it all. He was tensed and seemed unhappy.
"Can we talk about this?" she asked.
"About what?" he sighed.
"About us.... About this marriage..."
"Nothing to talk about Kara."
Yes, there is." She insisted.
"Like what?" he lifted his chin up, challenging her and Kara knew he was being stubborn and trying to piss her off but she wouldn't give him that, she would keep her calm and reason with him.
She knew he didn't love her but if she could plea, he probably would give their marriage a second chance.
"Like how well we get along lately..." she spoke.
"Kara... Are you serious? Do you think we are getting along?" he snorted.
"Yes I think we are."
"You must be delusional. I didn't object anything you've done because I couldn't be bothered picking a fight with you. You are one stubborn woman and I don't want to waste my time on you okay? It's not like I am happy when you're around." He added.
Kara felt like he was just being slapped hard on the face. Stefan actually just said that? All those means words that came out from his mouth were hurting her, like knifes that had been thrown at her heart one at a time. Her eyes warmed and her chest was in so much pain.
"Stefan...."
"Listen Kara. You've stolen my research, You've stolen my company and you took away six months of my life and you think I will like you? After all of that? Honestly? Are you crazy?" he shook his head and picked up his suitcase, he then run down the stairs and strolled straight to the door.
"Stefan wait." She chased him. As much as those words hurt but Kara hadn't given up yet.
"What now?
"At least tell me where are you going?"
"I am going on holiday."
"Where?"
"I don't know yet, Katherine said it's a surprise."
"Katherine? Are you going with Katherine?" she clasped her mouth. "I thought you are over her?"
"Well, I thought so too, but apparently not. So here I am." He shrugged.
"Stefan please...."
"Kara, come on. Don't be like this. You don't look good begging. We are over okay?"
"But I thought you will help me. I thought.... I thought those nights..." she couldn't hold her sob anymore.
"What nights? Oh, the sex? Yeah it was good. Thank you for that, I had fun." He replied ever so cruelly that Kara couldn't stop her hand for flying across his cheek.
He massaged his jaw slightly before chuckling at her, "well, consider that as a payment for making my life miserable Witch. Good bye." He stepped out the door and walked away.
Kara starred at the door which closed slowly in front of her. Her brain stopped working and apparently her body too, her knees buckled and she fell on the floor. Second later she cried her heart out.
She didn't think it would end up like this. She didn't think that Stefan could be this cruel to her. She thought he was a gentleman, she even thought that there was a possibility for him to give her a chance to show him that she loved him. She was planning to tell him tonight. She was thinking that she would talk to him asking him to let her stay a little longer and worked things out.
But when he said he was back with Katherine, her world had crumbled and she now had nothing to look forward too.
***
Stefan leaned against the wall outside his apartment. He could hear her sobbing loudly inside. Her voice tear his heart into small pieces, shredded it up till nothing left.
It hurt so much that he held his palm against his chest as if it could stop the pain. He almost went back to take her into his arms and ease her pain but he knew he couldn't and he wouldn't. He had set his mind to do whatever it takes to give her what she loved, Indigo Pharma.
His memory went back when he went to see Joseph Singleton just two hours ago.
"You want to know the truth son? Kara is in love with Indigo Pharma, not you. She is marrying you just to piss me off. I don't know how you can fall into her trap so easily. I thought you are smarter than that." Joseph mocked him when he made his plea.
"I know Sir, I know it perfectly." Stefan nodded. "I love her Joseph. I love Kara and nothing I wouldn't do to make her happy..."
Joseph stared at him, "you love her? You love Kara? What are you? Some dumbass or something? She lied to you, she trapped you and you still love her?"
"I do Joseph. That's why I am here to ask you if you could change your mind about the company."
Joseph chuckled, "Nothing you can do Stefan. This is my family business and as far as I concern, you are not one of us. Stay away from it, you have no say about this."
"But Joseph, she is your granddaughter and she is devastated right now. Please tell me what can I do to change your mind?" he begged. "It broke my heart seeing her cry...."
Joseph rubbed his chin, thinking.
"How much do you love my granddaughter Stefan?" he finally asked.
"I will do anything to make her happy Joseph."
"Anything?"
"Anything...."
That was when Joseph told him to divorce Kara in exchange of her 100% ownership of the company.
Stefan begged again but Joseph had made up his mind and he even agreed to call his lawyer, drafting and signing the agreement on the spot.
Cleary Joseph wanted to seal the deal fast before Stefan could change his mind. He hated Angelopoulos that much that he'd rather seeing his granddaughter lost her husband than calling Stefan a family....
Stefan's mind was back to Kara who was still crying inside his apartment, sighing and walked toward the lift area.
He saw it in her eyes, she was hurt badly from his mean words. And the way she shed her tears when he told her about Katherine, he knew she would hate him after.
But it was better that way, he wanted Kara to hate him. That was the only way to stop her from crying over him, from bugging him to re think about his decision and to stop contacting him because he knew the second she appeared in front of him his defence would fall and he couldn't afford that, not after all the sacrifice that he just made.
"Kara... my love.... Be happy...." He whispered before pressing the lift button to take him down.
***