Chapter 4 WITH THE ARRIVAL

With the arrival of the now evident baby bump things spun out of control. I had been relegated to the farthest reaches of his thought, cast out into the darkness with the glimmering hope that Agatha carried within her.

I sobbed quietly trusting the thick walls to conceal the secret of the sound of my tears when a knock punctured the silence.

"Who is it?" I asked, wiping my tears away.

"It's me Agatha," a voice said from behind the door.

"Come in, the door is open."

She walked through the door bearing a tray up in her hands.

"I brought you tea, the way you like it," she said with a large grin.

"Oh, how thoughtful," I said as she delicately dropped it upon my laps.

Her skin had paled in complexion to the woman she once was as her toes were now stubby.

"You're looking good," I said, fighting to keep a straight face.

"Thank you," she said.

"Gregory is really taking care of me." She chuckled loudly, rubbing her baby bump evocatively as she sat with me.

"But don't you think it's high time you left , Mrs Violet."

"Have you lost your manners, Agatha?" I asked, staring out the window.

"No. In fact me and Sir Gregory were discussing how lonely you've been," she said with a pinch of mockery highlighted in her voice.

"Well, haven't you gotten comfortable? Too comfortable I suppose," I said, meeting her in the eyes.

I leaned forward to her ear and dropped soft whispers that knocked the grin off her face.

"Leave now before I do something stupid."

She immediately retreated and once she shut the door I sent the cup of tea flying after her with a tray and all. That was the last draw. I tolerated everything, allowing him to give her his body hoping that his heart remained with me but even that Gregory couldn't hold onto. It was time we had an urgent face to face meeting.

I threw on a yellow dress with molten rage coursing through my veins as I dragged the hem to rest below my knee. I charged towards the garage and drove headed for Subaru inc.

"Where is Gregory?!" I asked the gaunt reception inhabiting the desk behind the door.

"He...he's in a meeting upstairs madam," she said, staring at the fury set ablaze in my soul.

"But you can't see him now..." she said trying to put a barricade in my steps with her words but I was already far gone up the steps.

The doors flung open as I barged in catching all their frozen stares. Gregory standing in front of them stood dead as I bared down at him looking him point blank in the face.

The entire hall was covered with silence, even the sound of their existing breaths rolled audibly about the air.

"Give me a moment please," he said to his stunned board members before dragging me by the arm.

"Stop it, Gregory," I said, tugging my arm from his.

"You don't get to drag me like that after what you've done."

"And what was the meaning of that, Violet?"

"You don't get to talk to me like that. I also have shares in this company too."

His eyes rolled about as he laughed quietly.

"I came to understand the status of our marriage, Greg. Why would you be discussing me with Agatha as if I was an entity?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head subtly as if I was being unreasonable.

"And this couldn't wait for me to get back?"

"No, Greg." I replied swiftly.

His head dropped as he slowly licked his lips.

"You know what. Have it your way then."

He walked forward standing just over her shoulder with his words digging deep into her ear.

"I will see you when I get back." He blazed off with arms deep within the reaches of his black pants pockets.

The shroud of an evening sky enveloped the sun's light. My eyes darted towards the big clanging grandfather clock that cried for seven PM and still he hadn't come. I threw myself on my bed almost about to wrap the sheets over my head when he tiptoed in.

His tie hinged loosely upon his neck as he dropped his suitcase with a thud. I realised a deep sigh glancing over at him.

"What? I'm here now," he said, flapping his hands.

"What. You no longer treat me like your wife and you ask what," I said leaping off the heavy duvet.

"Is that why you barged into a board meeting today?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I was part of that board, Greg!!!'

"And I never asked you to withdraw."

I stepped forward foraging through the lines on his forehead and the sweat that dangled off his skin for an inkling of emotion still left for me.

"Do you even love me anymore?" I asked as he turned his back to me twisting against the door knob.

He bit his lips, tightening his clutch as the door creaked open.

"I promised never to hurt you like I did that night. You're the one who said you wanted this.

"Do you love me, Greg?!!" I yelled as he paused midway through the door, retracing his steps as he thrashed the door shut charging towards me with a loud scream to my face.

"I do!!" he said with pacing breath

He grabbed me by the chin, driving his lips into mine as we spun round the room, latching our backs to every surface. His arm gathered up my long night robe and hung them above my waist, pushing his breath against mine so we literally breathed the same air. His arm weaved delicately through every pore on my skin as mine did against his.

He threw me off clipping me to the beddings as erotic sweat ran down our bodies. The air had lost it's cold infringements and for now it blew hot against our warm bodies. His soft kisses melted any resistance my body mounted as I threw my legs over him.

The buttons on his shirt were far gone by now as I opened the ones I could and ripped off the others that proved stubborn. Our bodies ran over each other as we rolled and strummed our nerves in ways that drove us senseless.

The morning light broke through the window to find me alone covered in sheets. "The warmest night I've had in a while," I muttered sitting up

I soaked myself long and hard in the bathtub, languishing in the waters as they eased my nerves.

It was only thirty minutes later when I stepped out of my room with an ethereal smile well polished along my face did I wish I could unsee things.

He beheld her within his arms as she strung kisses to the side of his cheeks. He glanced over me like I was part of the furniture he bought. He looked square at my face showing a face that housed no emotions for me. It was all a fling to him and my eyes could stomach no more. My ears had had their full. My heart cracked opens it beat with an intensity.

The ring he stuck to my finger became a bare weight to my hands as I pulled it off and threw him, yes the eighteen karat customised gold that bared the initials of our name. It held no meaning anymore as Agatha dragged his attention.

Jamming the door, I thrust my luggage on top of the bed stuffing them with bounds of clothes as pain wincing tears leaked out of my lids. I dragged my luggage along the floor as he stared harder at her refusing to look me in the eye. Concealing his face in the Bush of her hair.

"You two can have each other. You deserve each other," I said with the streaks of tears dragging my light makeup out of place.

"We do," Agatha responded with a devilish grin that let fly on her lips.

Gregory didn't say a word, still hiding his face like an ostrich, breathing down her neck.

The living room laid swallowed abject, gobbled up in dim lit lights that did little to shade the cumbersome darkness blanketing it as Gregory walked in with smitten shoulders, staring at Patricia who in turn passes her gaze to the window across.

"She's gone , mother. I've done my part, now it's time to do yours."

"Good," she replies, maintaining her posture. He sobbed as he walked across the ground dragging a slouching shoulder on his way to the door.

"Gregory," Agatha called out from the passageway now standing by the door.

"It is sir Gregory to you," he says with a growl in his voice, dropping her a cold stare as she forces down a hard mould if spit.

"Yes sir," she replies with his shadow towering over her as he soon stormed off.