Billionaire's Firecracker

"He is not coming," a disdainful voice sounded from the other end of the phone as Anna braced herself for more to come. "It seems your husband hasn't had any time for you lately. There's nothing about you scheduled in his planner, and he didn't mention anything about meeting you today."

The phone slid out of Anna's ear as the mechanical beep of the call ending echoed in the corner of the café, sounding unbearably grating in her ears. Her heart squeezed painfully as the weight of that call sank in. Her husband, Liam Parker, stood her up again. She glanced at her barely touched coffee on the table and furrowed her brows. She should have known he had no time for her. This had already happened so many times that she'd lost count. Tears pooled in her eyes, and a hard lump formed in her throat as she tried to contain her emotions, albeit with little success.

Eventually, a lone tear managed to escape her eye before she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand and gently placed her phone on the table. She blinked away the rest of the tears, determined not to let his actions affect her emotions anymore, but a sniffle still escaped her, catching the attention of the waitress.

"Miss, are you okay?" the waitress, a lovely lady in a brown uniform, asked with unmistakable concern evident in her voice.

Anna nodded, not trusting her voice. The myriad emotions swirling in her heart at that moment made her voice crack. She took a sip of her already cold coffee, and the aromatic coffee tasted like ash in her mouth, just like her life. She held it in her mouth for two seconds, contemplating whether to swallow or spit it out, but decided to keep it in. She did not want to invite unnecessary attention to herself more than she already did.

"Miss, I'll get you fresh coffee." The waitress shook her head a little as she took the cold coffee from her hands. She must have noticed her scrunched nose when she took that sip. Anna forced a smile at the observant lady and nodded. The waitress returned a sympathetic smile before taking away her cold coffee and dumping it in the sink, before getting her a fresh cup.

Alone with her thoughts, Anna reminisced about the first time she'd met her husband. She was 16. She'd been walking down an alley one evening, and a street gang attacked her. She was defenseless against them, and fear gripped her heart, shaking her to the core. As her hope diminished, she closed her eyes to say a short prayer, praying to God to save her fickle life from the unthinkable atrocities those men planned to do to her.

As if God had answered her prayers, two army men showed up by chance and saved her. That was when she'd seen him. He'd whisked her away from their clutches and held her tighter against his chest, helping her calm down from her terror. That was the first time in her entire life she'd felt safe. His sculpted torso comforted her, and his masculine scent sent flutters in her stomach. Her young teenage heart couldn't resist such charm. She had made a promise right there to marry him in the future to repay him for saving her.

When she finally managed to marry him three years ago at the age of 23, Anna had thought she was the luckiest girl ever to marry her teenage crush, but reality proved otherwise. Dreams were beautiful, but reality was harsh. She learned that the hard way. The cheerful, headstrong, hopeless romantic woman she once was had been reduced to a sad and lonely woman. Her marriage had been reduced to booking appointments to see her husband. Pathetic, isn't it?

Anna sighed and fixed her eyes out the window, looking at the busy street. Everyone went about their usual life, and here she was, thinking about a man who was probably going about his daily life, too. Without her. The only redeeming point is that he had never abused her even once.

A commotion in the café pulled her thoughts back to the present. Audible gasps filled the room, and Anna froze as the billionaire, Liam Parker, appeared on the TV alongside a woman dressed in a seductive red dress that hugged her curvy figure. The woman's hand was perched on the crook of his arm, and she was all smiles as they walked down a red carpet event that Anna had no idea about. The presenter was speculating about the possibility of a relationship between Liam and the young actress, Melisa Brown.

Anna laughed. How could she not when her husband paraded another woman in public while they had kept their marriage hidden for three years? Very few people knew that she was Liam's wife, and among the few that knew, a good number ridiculed her for marrying beyond her reach-she grew up in an orphanage, after all. They accused her of separating Liam from his true love, Melisa Brown.

Liam looked comfortable around Melisa, and even spared her a smile that Anna would give anything to experience. Unimaginable pain shot through her heart, so painful that she could barely breathe, as she considered the possibility that their accusations were right. Was she really the other woman in the relationship? She closed her eyes and made up her mind to push through with her plan. It was time she did the right thing."

"Mrs. Parker," Ethan, Liam's assistant, rushed in and made his way to Anna's table. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Mr. Parker couldn't make it. He's in the middle of something..." Ethan stopped halfway, and his expression turned awkward as his eyes landed on the TV. "...the truth is that Mr. Parker never actually planned to show up."

"I figured." Anna pursed her lips and pointed at the chair opposite her, right as the waitress came back with a fresh cup of coffee. "Ethan, please have a seat."

Ethan scratched the back of his neck and hesitated. "Umm...Mrs. Parker, there's really no need...I-" Anna shot him a side eye, shutting him up. He sat down hesitantly while doing his best to avoid eye contact. "Is there anything else I can help you with, ma'am? Mr. Parker has another appointment in the afternoon with-"

"Stop." Anna held out her palm in front of her. "I don't need to know his schedules anymore."

Ethan's eyes widened at Anna's unusual behavior. She'd always nagged him, asking about her husband's itinerary. Had she lost interest in him?

Anna fiddled with the green folder in her bag and, with a heavy heart, placed the documents she'd been carrying for the past two weeks on the table. She flipped to the last page and signed the blank part next to her name at the bottom.

Divorce papers. Ethan stared at Anna, the barely audible scribble of her ballpoint pen magnifying in his ears. Was she really giving up on her marriage?

"Why are you doing this?" Ethan asked, still staring at her. "Liam has given you a good life and has never mistreated you even once."

"From my upbringing, a good marriage is built on love, trust, commitment, and open communication. That is what I signed up for." She pursed her lips and rested her elbows on the table, her delicate fingers fiddling with the blue pen."Guess what I got? A credit card and a husband who shows up once in three months if I'm lucky."

Ethan swallowed hard. He knew the truth, too. "How about talking things through with him? You guys can still... I don't know... make it work?"

"That is exactly what I was trying to do, but he stood me up. Again. If this is going to work, I can't be the only one making an effort." Anna rubbed her thumb against the intricate pattern on her coffee mug, and her voice softened. "I deserve better, Ethan. I should be with someone who values me and gives me all this attention, not here begging for the scraps of his attention."

Anna flipped the documents closed and passed them to Ethan. "Please pass these to Mr. Parker. Tell him we can go to the registry to finalize the divorce at any time of his convenience." With a smile plastered on her face, she walked out of the café with her head held high, leaving Ethan frozen in place.

"Wait...Mrs. Parker," Ethan scrambled out of his chair and chased after Anna. "You are making a big mistake," he said, panting. "I beg you, please reconsider."

Anna turned around and looked Ethan in the eye. "There's nothing to reconsider. I've had three full years to think about my marriage." Her voice softened a lot, and a slight tremor betrayed her emotions. "I also wish things had turned out differently. I do love him with all my heart, but I can't keep trampling on my dignity like this. I guess this is where my journey ends." She turned around and left, her black silky hair bouncing on her back with every step she took.

Ethan watched her departing back, sadness clouding his eyes. "Mrs. Parker, please don't give up on him," he whispered as Anna disappeared around the corner.

The CEO's office at Parker Enterprises gleamed with sophistication: glass walls, sleek furniture, and wide floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the city. Liam Parker, the CEO of Parker Enterprises, sat at his table, his torso leaning casually into the leather swivel chair. The natural light streaming in from the window illuminated his office, adding a bit of life to the otherwise cold office.

Today, Liam wore a rare, captivating smile, paired with a dark, buttoned-up shirt, the sleeves casually rolled to the elbow. Despite his carefree appearance, he exuded poise and precision. He leaned forward to pick up a photo frame at the far end of his table, causing his black, slightly curly hair to frame his forehead, right above his bushy eyebrows. His tanned skin and polished demeanor added to his charm.

He traced his fingertips along the beautiful image of his wife in the picture as his smile widened, exposing a neat row of pearly white teeth. He admired his wife's innocent appearance that radiated both confidence and naivety. Her lovely smile sent flutters in his stomach, and her sparkling eyes made his heart skip a beat despite her not being physically in the room. Her image alone was enough to turn him on.

The door to his office swung open, and an elderly woman with grey hair tied into an elegant chignon walked in. The crisp sound of her cane tapping the floor pierced through the quiet room. Liam shoved the photo into his drawer and straightened up, wiping the smile off his face. His body tensed up at the sight of his grandmother, and his mind raced, trying to think of a reason why she would show up unannounced. Nothing good ever came out of a meeting with her.

"How is the progress with the Brown family business? And you better not give me excuses!" his grandmother asked, her voice sounding more like an order than concern.

His heart sank. That was the first thing that came out of his grandmother's mouth. No greetings, even though they hadn't seen each other in two months. Of course, why would she? How naïve of him to believe his grandmother would care about his well-being. "I'm working on it."

"Liam, I want results!" his grandmother stomped her cane on the floor, causing Liam to flinch. "I cannot tolerate such incompetence in the Parker family. Your time of fun with your little toy of a wife is over. I want you to get rid of her and marry Melisa Brown. Take over their business. That is the end goal. I know that Melisa girl is lacking in the brain department, but that makes it even easier to snatch that business away."

"Grandma, I can acquire that business the legal way. No need to use such underhanded means."

"How bold of you to talk back to me!" His grandmother shouted back, clearly offended by his reply. "Are you teaching me how to do things now?" She raised her cane and tapped it aggressively on the table while talking, "Listen to me, boy, you will do as I say because that business would have been ours three years ago had you not decided to marry that homeless piece of trash!"

"Grandma, please respect my wife," Liam defended.

"Respect?" his grandmother laughed as her face contorted into a condescending smirk. "Why would a homeless trash deserve my respect? Would she even be here if it weren't for you?"

"Grandma, that homeless trash, as you call it, saved my mother. She was the only match available at that time, and my mother's health was deteriorating fast. My mother wouldn't have made it had I waited any longer."

"Don't get me started on that weakling." His grandmother groaned in annoyance, smacking her forehead with her palm. "What was so hard about turning off that life support machine? Why keep someone who is not useful to you anymore?"

"What?" Liam's face paled at his grandmother's heartless words.

"Am I lying? Your mother is not much different from a cripple. It is a pity that that idiot son of mine died in that accident while trying to save her. It was all because of love. I warned him, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't have died if he hadn't loved her." His grandmother replied with undisguised repulsion in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Liam asked, shocked.

"Love is for the weaklings. Strong people do not let their emotions control them. Love is a tool for control."

"Grandma, is that what you believe?"

"Yes. And I do not want you to fall into the same emotional trap. That is why that homeless trash must go."

"But grandma, I accepted her condition back then. I can't go back on my word now that everything is fine."

"I didn't agree to it. You insisted. I would have gotten her liver off the black market if I wanted. And then you could have proceeded with our marriage alliance with the Browns. But you had to ruin my great plan just for the sake of a useless daughter-in-law of mine." She said indifferently, as if she were discussing the weather and not people's lives.

"That is my mother you are calling useless. Then again, why am I even surprised? You did not care about your own son enough to attend his funeral."

"Who asked him to die while I was on vacation?" she said, walking towards the French window to admire the city's skyline. "He was just as useless as his father."

Liam's jaw dropped at her response. Seriously? What kind of a mother says that about his own child? "I am ashamed that you are my grandmother." Liam, for the first time in his life, dared to voice his opinion about his grandmother. And he immediately regretted it.

"Excuse me?" his grandmother shouted, whipping her head towards him. "Do you think you are too grown up for me to beat you up? I am doing all these for your own good, and you dare disown me?" She poked his head with her cane as if that would diffuse her rage. "Did that trash make you against me?" She shook her head in denial, her eyes reflecting the crazy obsession of a psychopath. "Because my sweet grandchild would never go against me. And you have been defending her too much to my liking. Wait...are you in love with her?"

"No!" Anna would never live to see the next day if he dared to admit his love now. His love had to be kept a secret at all costs. He was determined to protect her at all costs.

"Good." She nodded, walking around the table to stand beside Liam. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Because you know what happens to things we love." She straightened up and made a slicing motion on her throat, making Liam's blood go cold as a memory flashed in his mind. She had brutally murdered his dog in front of him back in seventh grade because he liked it. "Prove it to me." Her voice brought him back to the present as he struggled to hide the hatred in his eyes. "Because it would be easier for you to remarry if you were a widower. Think about it." She patted his shoulder before walking out of the room.

Ethan almost collided with her as he walked into the office, carrying a folder in his hands. He held on to the door frame as he watched her departing back before turning around to look at Liam. Liam slouched in his chair with his elbows pressed on the table and his head in his hands, looking deep in thought. The suffocating atmosphere in the room sent shivers down Ethan's back, and he made his way to the window and pushed the sliders open, letting in a breeze of fresh air. "What the hell was that about, sir?" Ethan asked, pointing in the direction his grandmother had disappeared.

Liam dragged his palms down his face as he raised his head to talk to Ethan. "There is a change in plan."

"Sir, I'm afraid you are about to have more plan changes," Ethan said, placing the file on his table.

"Divorce? You've got to be kidding me!" Liam threw his head back on the headrest, pinching the tension between his brows. "Can this day get any worse?"

"I'm afraid, yes, sir," Ethan responded, gaining Liam's attention. "The reporters are speculating about your relationship with Ms. Brown. I'm afraid your wife believes it."

Liam sprang up to a sitting position, leaned his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands. "You know what the worst part is? I have to play along," Liam said, frustration palpable in his voice. "And not only that, I have to make it believable; otherwise, my grandmother will turn me into a widower. If I know my grandmother, and I know her like the back of my hand, she will do exactly as she says." Liam hardened his gaze and clenched his fists. "But there is no way I am letting go of my wife. I want her alive. With me. She is mine and mine alone!"

"Good luck convincing her to stay," Ethan said, feeling sorry for his boss and friend. "Something was off with her today."

"Perfect! As if I don't have enough problems in my life already." Liam shoved his hands in the air. "I need a drink before something else goes horribly wrong in my life." He got up and grabbed his car keys off the table. "I'm leaving this place before you tell me my wife ran away or something."

Ethan's phone pinged, and his jaw slackened as he read the message. He tore his gaze off the screen and looked at Liam hesitantly. "Sir, you just jinxed it."

"What else went wrong?"

Inside the opulent Parker mansion, Anna stood by her bedroom window, her gaze fixed on the manicured gardens outside. The flowers in full bloom swayed in the gentle breeze, so full of life, unaware of the turmoil in her heart. Her eyes traveled to her favorite spot in the garden: the fountain. The water still flowed as usual, and she could almost hear the gurgling of water as it meandered through the intricate man-made stream before rejoining the fountain spout to start the cycle again.

On any other day, this never-ending cycle of water would amuse her, and the gurgle sounds would soothe her soul. But not today. That therapeutic sound flooded her heart with unimaginable sorrow. Her eyes watered, too, but unlike the fountain, her tears streamed down her face and formed a droplet on her chin before dropping on her chest. She tore her gaze out the window and drew the curtains, unable to bear looking at things that wouldn't be part of her life anymore.

She looked around the massive master bedroom she slept in alone most nights. That gigantic bed without her husband felt like sleeping on a football pitch, and the sheets were colder without him. All she ever wanted was a life with him, but all she got was a huge house without him. It might look like a win-win situation, but having a massive house away from the city with barely any inhabitants isolated her from the world, and it got colder every year as her hopes and dreams of having a happy family dwindled. After three years, any hope of ever having a happy family in this cold mansion had completely died.

Anna wiped her tears with the back of her hands and took a deep breath to calm down. She had no more tears left to cry. She yanked her dresser open and neatly packed her clothes and other necessities into her suitcase. She took out her husband's t-shirt from under the pillow and inhaled the scent of him that clung to the fabric. This was the closest she could get to her husband, and she had specifically asked the maids not to clean this t-shirt. She folded the cloth into a neat square and kissed it before placing it on the bed with her hands trembling, resisting the overwhelming urge to shove the fabric into her luggage.

Half an hour later, Anna opened her bedroom door, wheeling out two medium-sized suitcases. Their head housekeeper, Mrs. Dorothy, was the first to notice her and made her way upstairs with her face full of concern. Mrs. Dorothy was a lovely elderly woman who had spent almost all her life in the Parker Family. She used to be Liam's father's nanny and later became Liam's nanny as well. Now that Liam had grown up and her age had advanced, Mrs. Dorothy became the head housekeeper, supervising all the other servants working in the Parker mansion.

"Mrs. Parker, are you going on a trip?" Mrs. Dorothy asked as she hurried through the stairs, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have had someone help you out with all the packing."

Anna paused, contemplating whether to tell them the truth or not. These people had been so good to her during her stay, and it broke her heart to leave them like this, but some things had to be done. She decided to tell her the truth. They will find out sooner or later, and she would rather they learn it from her first. "No, Mrs. Dorothy. I am not going on a trip. I'm moving out."

Mrs. Dorothy tripped on the staircase as she gasped. Anna pushed aside her luggage and lunged forward to catch her in time before she crashed onto the floor.

Crash!

A sudden shattering of porcelain alerted them, and they whipped their heads towards the noise. Mr. Simon, the butler, dropped an antique vase and stared at Anna in disbelief. From his reaction, he must have heard about her moving out. Although she had expected a reaction, she hadn't expected it to be this extreme. It warmed her heart knowing that her presence had meant something to someone.

"Why?" the two elderly servants asked in unison, their voices carrying unmistakable concern.

"It is finally time I admitted that my marriage has failed. I have decided to move on and focus on myself. Maybe, just maybe, I might meet someone who will love me the right way."

"Mrs. Parker, you are making a mistake," Mrs. Dorothy said softly, shaking her head, "my little boy loves you. I am sure of it. He just has his own difficulties."

"Then he could have talked it out with me. That is what couples do. We could have found solutions to his problems together. God knows there's nothing under the sun I wouldn't do for him. But he had to treat me like a stranger. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Mrs. Dorothy clasped Anna's hands in hers and gave them a gentle kiss. "I am begging you, my child, please reconsider your decision. Give him one last chance."

"I understand your concerns, Mrs. Dorothy, but I also have my limits." Anna blinked away the tears pooling in her eyes as she spoke. Although she understood their concerns, this wasn't the life she wanted. She wanted him, his love, and all of him-not just an empty title and all the ridicule hurled at her because of her background. She didn't choose to grow up in an orphanage. "I'm afraid I have run out of chances. I have given him all of me, and now I have no more to give. It is time I choose myself too." Anna pried her hands away from Mrs. Dorothy's and continued her way downstairs while keeping her eyes away from their sad faces.

"Ma'am, wait..." Simon blocked her path. "Why don't we wait for Mr. Parker to return? Maybe we can find a solution to this," he said, with his head bowed out of respect.

"Yes, Anna," Mrs. Dorothy chimed in, "please give dialogue a chance."

Anna smiled. "Thank you very much for your advice, but that won't be necessary. I have already filed for a divorce." Her heart broke as their faces contorted into the saddest faces she'd ever seen. Her bottom lip quivered as a hard lump formed in her throat. She turned around, rushed to Mrs. Dorothy, and dove into her arms, almost knocking the poor woman off her feet. "Thank you very much for taking good care of me for the last three years. Thank you for guiding and standing up for me whenever I faced injustices. Thank you for being the mother I never had."

"But where are you going? At least tell me so I know you are safe," Mr. Dorothy pleaded.

Anna sniffled. "I don't know yet. I plan to stay in a hotel until my divorce is finalized." She paused, glancing at her lone photo hanging on the wall. Her husband should have been with her that day she had the portrait taken, but he never showed up. "After that, I might change cities or move back to my hometown."

Mrs. Dorothy hugged her back with the same intensity. "You are like a daughter to me, and I love you very much. It saddens me that you are leaving, but I choose to respect your decision." She pulled out of the hug and brushed the hair off Anna's face, tracing her trembling fingers over her smooth face. "Wherever you go, remember you can always reach out to me whenever you need me. I'll be there for you."

Anna nodded and turned to Simon. "Thanks to you as well. Pass my regards to everyone in this mansion. They mean the world to me."

Anna stood in the middle of the living room, holding her bags in both hands. She swept her eyes around the luxurious mansion one more time before turning around and wheeling her suitcases under the watchful, sad eyes of the two elders. The sound of wheels against the marble floors echoed in the silence, alongside silent sniffles, shredding her heart to pieces. As the distance between her and the elders widened, her chest tightened painfully with every step she took.

As soon as she stepped outside, a black, sleek Mercedes pulled over in front of the mansion. Even before the car came to a complete halt, the passenger door flew open, and Liam scrambled out of the car. His usual calm and poise were nowhere to be seen.