Chasing His Ex-Wife

Nelly stood in front of the imposing buildings of Vintage Companies and a soft sigh escaped her lips. She made her way to the reception.

"How may I help you, miss?" the receptionist asked.

"I'm here to see Ivan."

The receptionist was taken aback. She didn't add the usual 'president' to his name.

"She must be his girlfriend," she thought.

She decided to be extra nice and polite to be in her good books. She offered her a seat which she declined. She called the president's office and soon, Nelly was ushered in.

Standing side by side with Ivan, she thought of how best to state her mission.

"I promise to give an interest of one million dollars as soon as we are able to get out of this crisis."

"A million dollars? Do you think I'm lacking money?"

"Fine then. What do you want please?"

Ivan smiled and said,

"Marry me."

"Marry you? Are you crazy?"

Ivan looked on. He didn't utter a word and he didn't seem offended at her outburst. He knew she would eventually come back if everything worked out according to plan. Nelly realized she was the one who needed help and quickly became calm.

"Ivan, I know I haven't been the best person to you. But please, this isn't time for revenge. My father is dying and I can't let that happen."

"Revenge? Did I mention anything like revenge?"

"That's obviously the only reason you want to marry me. Ivan, please."

Ivan smiled in his heart. He was happy to finally have Nelly beg him. It had always been the other way round. He had a fair share of trouble when he worked at her father's company. She didn't spare any chance she got to humiliate him.

Once, she had slapped him in the public and called him a good for nothing fool. A lot of people were there and he swore he could see the mockery in their eyes.

Why wouldn't they mock him? His clothes were old and tattered, contrasting sharply with the designer clothes which the rich in the premises wore. Her friends even joined in to make mockery of him. That day, he wished for nothing but the ground to open and swallow him.

Not once, not twice did she threaten to fire him, nothing he ever did was pleasing to her. Her father, Nathan Stratford, doted over his daughter and believed in her judgement. She made him see no good in him and together, they made work difficult for him.

Another time, she had spilled drinks on him at a party simply because he showed up a minute later than was expected. She turned him into her driver and he had to comply because he needed the money.

He looked at Nelly who was standing before him. She has been ripped of her pride, she was now begging him. He was no longer the ordinary Ivan whom she humiliated. He was now the most powerful CEO in the country.

"Marry me and I will foot the hospital bills and help to save your company from bankruptcy."

"I will never marry you!" she yelled and stormed away in anger.

Nelly watched the drip enter her father's veins slowly. The doctor's words kept ringing in her head.

"Miss, you need to be fast and pay the bills. He needs an urgent surgery. Also, you have to complete the initial payments or we will have to send him out of our hospital."

"Doctor please, save my father. Do something to keep him alive. Please, I promise to raise the money soon," she pleaded.

"You have a week to do that. If you can't pay the bills, you transfer him to a local hospital where you can afford it. Excuse me, I have other patients to attend to," the doctor answered and walked away.

She looked at her father again and tears ran down her beautiful face. She held his stiff hands and wept. Her father was in a coma and needed surgery as well but she had no money to pay the bills.

Their company suffered a huge blow that left them bankrupt a few weeks after her father fell ill. The crisis was very sudden and she knew it wasn't unaccompanied by a higher power. She was yet to find out who was behind it. The situation exacerbated the old man's ailing health.

Her phone rang, shattering the silence of the ward. She was in no mood to take calls but it was her childhood friend and best friend, Ash Kent. She never declined his calls.

"Hello."

"Common Nelly, cheer up. It's going to be fine."

Ash was quick to detect the pain in her voice.

"How can I, Ash? My dad is dying. He's the only one I have left in this world, Mum is gone, I can't lose both parents, Ash," she said and broke down in tears.

"Don't cry sweetie. It hurts me to hear you cry. Your dad is going to be fine. Have you thought of any other means to..."

"I have thought of every possible way but none worked or seemed practical. Aidan could have helped but we just broke up and you know the story too well. I am tired. I have done everything, Ash, my father can't die.. What should I do?" Nelly broke down in violent sobs.

"Alright, get a grip on yourself, I'm coming over."

"No, no need. I will be fine."

"No you won't, baby. I need to be there."

"Ash, I'm alright. Don't bother yourself."

"Nelly? Are you sure you are fine?"

"I am. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

She put down the phone and held her father's hands and squeezed them gently. The tears flowed freely down her face.

"I promise dad, I will raise the money for your bills and get you treated. Just hang on."

Two hours went by and no doctor or nurse had come to check on her father. He was being neglected because of unpaid bills.

No! Her father can't die. She must save her father even if it costs her happiness and pride. She grabbed her car keys, looked at her father one last time and left.

She will go back and tell Ivan that she has accepted his proposal. But what would become of her after that?

Outside the ward, the nurses looked at her and some shook their heads.

"She's so devoted to her father."

"I hope he recovers fast. I am moved with pity for her. She loves and cares for the old man so much."

"Yet she's so shameless."

"Shameless?" the others asked in unison. They were surprised at the counter opinion.

"Yes, she is shameless. Have you guys not heard?"

The ignorant ones looked at each other. The informant took out her phone.

She inserted her keys and turned on the ignition. Her phone beeped and she checked the notification. It was another news about her.

"Haven't I suffered enough? What's all this?"

She turned off the ignition and closed her eyes. She let the tears flow freely.

A week ago, she had gone to work to meet a shocker. She was an actress and was one step away from becoming a national shining star. She took her job seriously and always put in her best.

She was summoned by the manager a few minutes after the day's practice and rehearsal.

"Nelly, at this point, I think I have no other choice but to lay you off," he said, going straight to the point without any preamble.

"Sir? What have I done wrong?"

"I have helped you all through your career and now, you have gotten this far but you haven't deemed it fit to return the favour. I can't keep helping you since you are ungrateful."

Nelly didn't need further explanation. The manager had always wanted her in his bed. It was a sort of custom in the industry but she wasn't cut out for that. She had so much confidence in herself and knew she could rise without having to spread her legs.

"Mr. Williams, you can't do this. Please, I have taken my job seriously but what you are asking is out of place. I can't..."

"Out of place? But your regular promotions and getting lead roles aren't out of place, right?"

"Sir. I..."

"You can't? That's what you are about to repeat? Well," he said, opening his drawer. He took out an envelope and handed it to her.

"I can't have you here. Your contract has been terminated. Get out of my office."

Nelly took the letter and walked out of the office with a heavy heart.

Aria Dean, her colleague and close friend rushed to her as she entered the office they both shared.

"Nelly, what's the problem? You don't look good."

Nelly didn't respond. She merely handed her the letter.

"What's this?"

"I have been asked to leave."

"Fired? What for? What did you do?"

"Aria, you wouldn't understand. I still can't believe this. I..."

"It's okay. Take it easy. Here, drink some water," Aria said, handing her a glass of water.

Nelly sank into a chair and sipped the water calmly. Her father had recently fallen ill and she was hoping to use the money from her lead role to pay his bills. Now that she had lost her job, she didn't know what to do next.

"Nelly, I am off. I have a meeting this evening," Aria said. Nelly nodded in response.

Forty minutes later, she stood up from her seat. She looked around the office one last time. The office where she hoped to build her career to the last. She wiped the tear that dropped from her eyes and left.

She drove straight to her fiance's place. She needed his comfort at this point. He knew how much she valued her career. She had given up employment in her father's company for the entertainment industry. And now, it was all in vain.

When she got to his house,the household servants greeted her warmly and let her in. She needed no formalities as she was a regular visitor and it was like her own home. She went up the stairs and made her way to his room. The door was ajar and she could make out muffled voices coming from the room.

Was his brother around or did he have a visitor? No! He doesn't let visitors into his bedroom, it must be his brother.

She wiped her face and made sure there was no sign of pain on her face.

She got closer and realized it wasn't muffled voices but moans. She opened the door further and saw her fiance, Aidan, on top of Aria, banging her hard. They were in doggy position. Aria was in front and Aidan was behind, giving her hard and deep thrusts that made her moan and shiver. They didn't notice her for a full minute. The guy cummed right into her, both moaning in pleasure as they reached climax together. Aidan withdrew himself from her and accidentally looked towards the door. Their eyes met and she turned around and left, struggling to prevent the tears that threatened to fall. As she left, she heard him hurry out after her but she didn't turn. She didn't want to hear what he had to say.

As if that wasn't enough, news pages and blogs carried her story by evening. What hurt her most wasn't that they said her career was over, but the blogs said she had been sleeping with the top managers in the industry to get to where she was presently. To make matters worse, the blogs had pictures of her with some men. The pictures were clearly photoshopped but who would believe her?

Everything happened at the same time. The only person who consoled her was Ash. It has always been him since her childhood days. He gave her the courage to keep going.

She thought the press and bloggers would get tired but no! They were yet to begin. Her phone kept beeping and messages kept flooding in. Everyone called her shameless, she was no longer the shining star actress.

She still had one more challenge, her father.

She wiped her tears and hit the road.

Nelly was ushered into the CEO's office again without any restriction or questioning. She knocked and opened the door to Ivan's office. Ivan looked up from his laptop and a smirk appeared on his face when he saw her.

"I have accepted your proposal, Ivan."

Ivan smiled.

"Have a seat."

She sat down quietly. She was sure this wasn't the right decision but she was optionless. This was the lesser evil and the only way to save her father.

Ivan finished what ever it was he was typing and shut down the laptop. He faced Nelly squarely and stared at her closely, making her uncomfortable. She showed her discomfort by shifting on her seat.

He smiled. This was exactly how he had felt all those years when he was her employee.

He opened a file on the table and took out two five paged documents. He took a pen from the table and signed both documents. He handed it over to Nelly.

The contract duration was two years. Within those two years, she wasn't to do anything that would jeopardize his image. She was expected to do his bidding and the list went on and on.

As she read it, she stole occasional glances at Ivan whose gaze was focused on her all along.

Then, he would on his own part pay her father's hospital bill and save her dad's company from going bankrupt.

"The conditions aren't outrageous," she thought. She took the pen from his hand and signed it as well.

Ivan took one back and Nelly had one.

"Let's go," he said standing from his seat.

"Where to?"

"To get our marriage signed," he replied curtly and left before she could ask another question.

"To the civil affairs bureau," Ivan instructed the driver.

"Yes sir."

Ivan gave Nelly a discreet glance and smiled in his heart. His possessions were finally secured.

His grandfather, Easton Landers, asked him to get married in order to have full legal rights in the family. He wanted to hand over his wealth to him. Ivan's father, Fredrick Landers was the last child of Easton. His brothers were more powerful than he was and didn't let him get anything from their father. When he died, they came and took away the little he had from his immediate family. Easton couldn't do anything but he still loved his grandson, Ivan.

About a month ago, he had summoned Ivan to his house.

"I am old and my days are numbered. You have been through a lot in the past. I will like to hand my wealth over to you but you know the tradition in this family."

"You have to get married, Ivan and have full legal rights in this house. Only then can you inherit my possession. I can't let you sit still and lose it too. Your late father failed to secure his possession, I won't want you to fail as well. The earlier to do so, the better. Your uncles haven't changed. Once I die, they will take up everything."

Not long after that, Stratford group got distressed.

Ivan began looking for a wife to accept the proposal. He didn't have to look too far before he found Nelly.

Nelly sat in her room, thinking about what happened that day. Earlier that morning, she was single but now, she was married. She shook her head sadly and blinked several times to hold back her tears.

All her life, she had always hoped for a perfect marriage, a perfect man and an elaborate wedding. She had always envisioned herself with a man with exactly all the qualities she wanted in a man. She wanted a handsome, dark skinned, caring, kind and romantic young gentleman. But now, she was stuck in the hands of a cold and proud man.

"It's only for two years," she consoled herself.

By evening, Nelly packed up her things and got ready to move into her new house. She was almost near her car when she noticed a figure staring at her from the open windows of another car parked close to hers.

His cold gaze didn't leave her face for a second till she got to the car.

"Good evening," she greeted acting composed.

"Tsk... Were you waiting for me to remind you that you shouldn't be here?"

"I'm sorry. I was..."

"Enough. Get into the car let's go."

"I have my own car."

"The driver will take care of that."

The driver took a hint and went over.

"The keys, madam."

She gave him the keys and entered the car. Ivan joined her in the passengers seat. It was then she realized he had come with two drivers.

He smirked knowingly and tilted his head towards her.

"I will fulfil my own part of the contract as long as you fulfil yours faithfully."

His gaze shifted from her eyes to her full luscious lips and lingered for a moment. Then his gaze rested on her small firm breasts making her shudder.

"What's wrong with him? I'm certain he wants to punish me but he's taking it slowly. Hidden beneath his smirk are horrible vengeance plans. And why is he staring at me like that?" she thought within.

Ivan withdrew his gaze and acted like she was invisible till the end of the ride.

"Good evening, Master," the servants greeted in unison as he entered the house. He ignored their greetings as usual and went upstairs.

"Good evening, Miss," they greeted again when they noticed her.

"Good evening," she responded good naturedly with a smile. Her eyes followed Ivan up the stairs. After sometime she followed suit.

The door was slightly open. She knocked and entered. He was lying on the bed facing upwards. The room was tastefully furnished. The furniture screamed expensive yet simple. She was marvelled at the simplicity. The bed was well dressed with beautiful and colourful bed sheets. At the left side was a bookshelf filled with neatly arranged books. The wardrobe as well as his bedside table drawers were closed. Nothing was out of place in the room. There was a door at the end of the room. She thought it would probably be his study.

From the look of things, Ivan was a very decent and organised young man.

"Everything you may need is in the second wardrobe," he said without shifting from his position.

Almost as a reflex action, she went straight to the wardrobe and opened it. Sure enough, everything she needed was in there. Clothes, shoes, bags, toiletries and underwear. She stole a puzzled look at him.

"How did he get everything ready in a record time?" she wondered.

Then it occurred to her that they would most likely be sharing a room.

"Am I going to share a room with you?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

She felt a lump in her throat.

"N...No. Not at all."

He stood up from the bed and stretched himself lazily. He walked towards the door at the end of the room. It was his study. He stopped at the door and said,

"You can go downstairs for dinner if you want to."

"No, thank you."

But he had already entered the room. She had dinner at home before leaving.

She grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom. There were new stuffs, well arranged and clearly for her use as well. She smiled unconsciously. She already loved his organization.

She finished in there, put in her pyjamas and made herself comfortable on the luxurious bed in the room.

Some minutes later, the door of the study opened and Ivan walked out majestically with an aloof cold air of nobility around him. She turned towards the door and his cold eyes met hers.