Chapter 5 Regrets and sorrow

FIVE YEARS LATER

Alessandro's POV

I heaved a sigh of despair as my eyes landed on her dress which was the only memory of her that I had left.

Initially, I had wanted to burn it as I did the rest of her belongings, but something from within had restrained me from doing so, thus I had left it in the closet.

Nowadays, whenever I saw it, it always awoke a mixture of misery, despondency, and fury that was directed towards myself.

The universe had blessed me with the most precious jewel of inestimable value but I had been so indifferent about her and had broken her both emotionally and physically.

The memory of how I had forced her to satisfy my sexual needs on the third anniversary of our marriage still haunted me every second of my wretched life.

I had it all.

And I literally meant it.

I had several fleets of cars, five estates, abundant wealth, literally everything the average man wanted yet a hollow pit of sadness still existed in my heart.

Fuck, how could I have been so cruel to a pure soul like Catherine?

Why had I chosen to divorce her for Laura?

She had the purest soul ever. To me, she was an angel in human form because there was no other explanation as to how and why she put up with me maltreating her while we were married.

"I miss you every fucking day, baby," I muttered, pressing the dress against my nose to inhale lungfuls of her natural, calming scent which was now faint.

In all honesty, I had no idea how it all started.

How I had gone from a loving husband to a beast within the span of three months.

Putting the blame on Laura was completely out of it because I could have told her that I wasn't interested in rekindling old flames.

I could have told her that I had the most caring wife ever.

I should have never asked her for a meetup when I learned that she had returned to America.

I could have warned her against showing up at my office for unofficial purposes.

My stupid self had made every day a living hell for Catherine.

I had looked everywhere for her yet all my efforts proved abortive.

The only time my hopes were high was last year, when my assistant, Marco, had informed me that Catherine was sighted in Japan.

Without bothering to confirm from my private investigators, I boarded my chopper immediately to Japan.

My hope dwindled when I got to Japan airport that day and Marco called to tell me that the person only looked like her.

It was as if the universe was trying to tell me that no matter how much wealth I had, I would never be able to find her; the key to my happiness.

"Alessandro!" Laura's chirpy voice drifted into my ears and snapped me out of it.

Sighing, I returned the gown into the closet before donning my tie.

The security men would take care of her.

"Alessandro, you fucking bastard!" Laura yelled again, but I paid her no mind.

"Please leave, Miss Laura. Boss doesn't want to speak to you," I heard the distinguishable voice of my butler, Hopkins.

"Does it look like a give a fuck, you old thing?" She barked.

How the hell had security been so dense that she entered my house?

Hadn't I told them to make sure that she never set foot into my estate?

"Stupid fuckers," I seethed, grabbing my phone from the bed and placing a call to the security office.

They picked up at the first ring. "Good day, Sir Alessandro. How m-"

"Do I not pay you guys for your jobs or what?" I snarled.

"You do, sir. Even more than what we deserve," The person replied. "Did something happen, sir?"

"Can you imagine? Didn't I warn you against letting Laura into the estate? Why the hell is she shouting in my mansion? Do you want me to fire all of you or what?" I gritted out, clenching my hand into a fist.

"Definitely not, sir," He said. "I'm so sorry about that. I'll see to it that she leaves immediately."

"Just get the hell off my phone," I snapped, and hung up.

Almost immediately, Laura was whisked away by security and tranquility was finally restored to my abode.

I could still remember the day Catherine left vividly.

+

FLASHBACK

"Where is the sales memo?" I snapped at Marco, and he frowned.

"You have it, sir. I gave it to you yesterday."

"Then, why can't I find it?" I spat, as the memories from the night before rushed in.

On getting home last night, I had served Catherine the divorce agreement and had been elated as she wept crocodile tears.

Afterward, I headed to the study to do some work.

However, while reviewing the sales memo, a voice urged me to go to Catherine's room and I did.

Somehow, we ended up having sex, even though that wasn't what I had planned.

Having sex with her had been such a bore.

As usual, she had pretended not to like it and had wept as I fucked her.

She was such an annoying wench and a useless liability who didn't know her place.

Her vagina was all she had to offer yet she had the audacity to tell me that she wasn't in the mood.

"Fuck, I truly forgot it at home," I muttered. "Go to my place and get it for me. It's in the study."

"Very well then, sir." Marco bowed, and left.

About thirty minutes later, I received a call from him.

"Have you seen it?" I asked.

"Yes, sir," He responded. "But I saw something else, sir.*

Marco sounded a bit off.

What could he have seen?

"What is it?"

"A divorce agreement," He said, and I scoffed.

"Is it signed?"

"Yes, sir," He replied. "Ma'am Catherine is also not at home."

Surprisingly, she didn't waste time in signing the divorce agreement.

I thought I'd have to force her to inscribe her signature on it because she could be a stubborn bitch.

"Don't worry about it," I retorted. "Just come here with the sales memo."

And with that, I cut the call.

For the first time ever, Catherine had done something smart.

FLASHBACK ENDS.

+

I signed my part of the paperwork when I got home later that day.

Initially, I was beyond thrilled at the fact that I was now divorced and free from Catherine.

However, as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, the elation I had initially felt started to diminish.

It was on the fourth anniversary of our wedding that I realized I needed her back in my life.

Things with Laura had gone south about six months after she left because I was too fixated on finding Catherine, that I didn't realize I was doing so, because I missed her and could barely function without her.

I checked everywhere ranging from hospitals to airports but couldn't find her.

It was as if Catherine had disappeared into thin air.

Even with that, I was still hellbent on finding her and I didn't care how much resources I lost in the long run.

All that mattered to me was finding her.

"Breakfast, sir?" My private chef, a middle-aged lady called Patricia, asked as I strode into the dining room.

"Just prepare dinner," I said. "Make whatever you deem fit."

As expected, Laura couldn't believe that I wanted out of our weird relationship.

At first, she would show up unannounced at my workplace to beg me to take her back.

Later, she took on a more aggressive approach after I barred her from my company, and started coming to my house to yell that I was hers and hers alone.

She would also yell profanities and different sorts of bullshit like a deranged person.

The stupid restraining order was taking a long time to process, so I hadn't been able to file one against her.

"Please come back to me, Catherine," I whispered to myself moments later, on my way to work.