High stakes payback: Ex-wife becomes a CEO

CHAPTER ONE

Olivia Davidson stared at the content of the shopping cart and her brown eyes roamed back to the array of shampoo well laid out on the fancy shelf.

Ignoring the exorbitant price boldy inked on the price tag, she placed a pair of the shampoo in her cart and rolled it forward, ever slowly to the smart looking attendant that sat behind the counter.

"Total amount is $5000. Would you like to pay in card or cash?" Asked the attendant, in a high pitched voice after punching on a mechanical calculator for a few seconds.

"Card please," Olivia mumbled, tucking a piece of her honey colored hair behind her ears and staring down at the groceries she had shopped. She hoped that she had not forgotten anything since that would mean coming down to the shopping mall again.

"And Oh... How Damian hates it when I'm forgetful," She thought with a grimace.

"Can I have your card?"

Olivia snapped out of her thought instantly and slipped the card out of her bag "I'm sorry, here it is."

The attendant swiped the card on the other device while Olivia's eyes roamed to the tag on her shirt. Linda Jenkins. Cool, sounds like the name of a female attorney or anything of that sort.

Linda slowly shook her head and stretched the card towards its owner.

"Can't be accessed, sorry."

"What?" Olivia blurted out in disbelief.

"I guess it's connected to some other account somewhere and the supply has been disconnected, kinda." The attendant shrugged, casting a pitiful gaze on the beautiful woman who frowned in perplexity.

"I'm sorry but I have to return these."

"Yeah, totally." Olivia sucked in breath and proceeded to empty the trolley by placing its content on a mini cart on the counter.

"Have a nice day." Linda nodded at Olivia and the latter reciprocated with a lame smile.

Once outside, Olivia hastened her steps till she was at the park, she entered her car and released the breathe that she had kept in since she exited the mall.

She sighed and fisted the wheel in frustration wondering what just happened. It was limitless, the entire money encapsulated in that one card of hers. How is it possible that all the money in there vanished in a space of one day? She had only filled her tank the previous day!

She made a mental note to make inquiries from her husband, he was the sole owner of the card.

The drive to the estate was a few minutes shorter than the normalcy. Olivia drove to the basement where an array of several expensive cars lined up. She descended from her vehicle after killing the engine and walked into the elevator that led her straight to the vestibule.

"Is the master in?" Olivia asked one of the butlers who stood by the entrance of the living room.

"Yes ma'am. He arrived a few minutes ago and he is in his study."

"Thanks." She told him and walked past him to the passage which led to Damian's study, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

She massaged her chest with mutters of "It will be okay, everything will be okay."

It was a norm for her to chant affirmative words as she goes to see her husband when he gets back from a trip. She dreaded his temper like fire. Damian was like a ticking time bomb that would explode if care is not taken and she did not want that.

Olivia placed her hand on the door knob and halted suddenly, controlling her ragged breath so she could listen to whatever was being discussed in the study.

"I had a life too, my family wouldn't let me remain with just one degree. You know the circumstances following my departure from NYC, and yet, you choose to leave me for that half baked woman whom you call a wife." Said a familiar female voice.

Olivia released the knob and clutched her bag tighter, the urge to barge into the study and tear the lady into pieces overwhelming her, but she kept her calm.

"If you never left, she wouldn't be here. We had a bond that was too good to be true and I had enough to cater for us and our endless generations to come. I loved you, Laurie, but..."

"Shhh, that's more than enough. Let's get back together, let's forget the past and start anew."

"Oh, I'm working towards that already. I never loved Olivia, I just used her and she has fulfilled her purpose. It's time to let her go."

"Poor Olivia," Laurie purred and cackled.

Olivia felt her world crashing down into shambles at the words she just heard. It was hard to believe that Damian would say all that like one without a heart. She had been loyal, supported his every decision without saying a word and had stuck with him despite his apathetic behavior to her because she loved him, and now, he was going to get rid of her.

She turned back with intentions of flying to her room and crying her eyes out. On second thoughts, she decided against that and turned the knob making way to a heart wrenching sight to see.

Seated nonchalantly on the wide desk was Laurie Giovanni, Ex girlfriend and PA to Damian. Olivia accessed her from the corner of her eyes, Blonde, tall, long slender legs and dressed like a world class model. So this was Damian's type?

Olivia knew little or nothing about their past but judging from what she was seeing and have heard, they were pretty close before they splitted.

Her breath hitched in her throat and the blood drained from her face into other parts of her body. She had expected the lady to stand up and act like a normal PA that she was but none of that happened, instead, the duo bore holes through her with their eyes. She felt like an unwanted visitor intruding in a couple's romance session.

"You are early this time," Olivia finally said, tryinng to control her emotions.

"I wonder when you started keeping tabs on him," Laurie sneered from the side.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't talking to you." Olivia codly told her.

Laurie's eyes flared open "That would be a big privilege, talk to classless people like yourself instead."

This jabbed at Olivia's chest and she turned to Damian, hurt.

"Can you please tell her to leave?" The blood in her head roared and Olivia glared back at the lady who smiled satisfactorily at her.

"There... The mouse finally squeaks." Laurie taunted.

Damian just remained stoically seated, unfazed by the exchange of words.

He was dressed in a charcoal colored suit that spelt class, and was sitting with his legs crossed on the chair.

Olivia took in his appearance in one glance. Recessed narrow eyes glared at her, their icy blue hinting at the lack of empathy she knew so well.

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I am your wife and and I request room for private conversation with my husband." She blurted out.

"I don't think you have the right to request for anything anymore."

Olivia stood unblinking, trying to process what she had just been told. Surely, he wasn't going to actualize what he and Laurie discussed, was he?

"You seem to have forgotten, Olivia, that our contract is limited. 5 years, and we should be done"

His words immediately had her heart dropping lethargically to her stomach, like a balloon leaking helium. She could only stare in disbelief as her mind raced back to how it all started.

"...You will be paid the sum of a million dollars and you will have access to my properties and my limitless credit cards if you agree to sign the contract..."

And now... Damien's next words broke into her thought, jerking her back to reality. It was a reverse of everything he had said to her five years ago, a bombshell that tore her heart into a thousand pieces as he spoke the words.

"It's time. You do not have access to any of what is mine anymore. My cards, the cars, my whole damn property." His words contained so much frost, sending severe shivers down her spine.

"In other words, we're getting divorced, little wife."

"I'm done with this, with you. You got what you wanted, and I got mine."

"In other words, you were used," Laurie shrugged, sending a sympathetic look down Olivia's path.

Olivia stood frozen on the spot, her mouth an inch away from hanging open.

"The heirloom's mine and there is no use for you anymore. You're as good as useless in this house, so... Just go." Damian sighed as though exhausted after working nonstop.

It felt like time stopped the instant Damian blurted those last words out. She felt a wave of acid welling up from her belly and her chest suddenly grew tight that it became so hard to breathe.

Without waiting to hear more venom escape his lips, she turned to the nearest exit- the one leading to their bedroom, and disappeared.

Once in, she flung herself on the bed and wept her heart out.

After sobbing for what seemed like hours, Olivia got up and washed her face. She changed her dress and walked back to the study.

He was going through some work related papers while Laurie stood by the side, stirring a steamy cup of coffee.

Olivia tore her eyes from the blonde and licked her lips nervously "Damian,"

She was duly ignored.

"Why won't you look at me, Damian?"

"Oh, I've been doing that for five years now." He smirked, peeling his tie off him and leaning back on his chair. Laurie set the coffee cup on the desk and earned a 'Thank you' from him. She smiled tentatively and turned to Olivia rubbing his gratitude in her face.

"Nothing happened? Can you not admit that you feel a thing for me after all these years?"

"All these for my wealth- do not be greedy, little Olivia. You are asking for too much."

"We can make this work," She dared to say "I fell in love with you over the years, Damian. And I cannot afford to lose you to anyone."

"Little miss half baked is in love, so sweet." Laurie chirped in from the corner where sat.

"Too bad." He tsked "Your heart is about to get shattered into a thousand pieces."

Olivia felt a pang of pain deep in her chest cavity. She was not sure if it was real or due to his words that carried volcanic effects. She had planned to remain resilient no matter what he said but he had broken her resolve without any effort.

"Don't think too much, darling. It was purely business, husband and wife, a client and her contractor..." He brought out the envelope that contained the divorce papers and slid it to her.

At that point, he looked like a treacherous friend turned enemy, a proud villain that was against Olivia's happiness.

"W-what do you want me to do? I will do anything..." Olivia whispered desperately.

"Sign the damn papers." Damian yelled, startling her.

"Fine!" She yelled back after staying silent for seconds. The tears burned behind her eyes and she did everything possible to keep them from falling, she was never going to show him how broken she was.

If Damian was surprised at her audacity, he did not show it and only watched as she furiously scribbled her signature on the paper.

When Olivia was done, she locked eyes with him, head high and resilient. Like a spell, her fantasies came to an end in the space of minutes and her loathe for Damian increased in leaps and bounds.

"There... Get lost. We don't wanna see your half baked as..." Laurie's words were cut off when Olivia delivered a sharp punch to her face, smearing her makeup and drawing out blood from her lower lip.

The impact of the punch sent Laurie reeling to the ground.

The latter looked at Damian in a panic state "Do something. She's crazy!"

Damian remained seated, watching the scene. He had never seen Olivia raise her hand to hit anyone and wondered what had come over her, she looked nothing like the angelic wife he knew. The aura that she emitted even made her look hotter and he frowned.

When she turned away and began walking towards the door, something jabbed him to tell her to stay.

He did not, the slamming of the door reminding him of her departure from his house, his life.

**************

Olivia, deciding that she wanted to be anywhere but at the mansion, packed her things in no time and with the help of the head servant, conveyed them to the ground floor.

"We will miss you dearly, ma'am." Two of the servant girls chorused with eyes that threatened to release pent up tears.

"I will miss you all too, take care of yourselves."

"And you too," The head servant smiled sadly.

Olivia nodded and continued to the door when it swivelled open, revealing Darian, the twin brother of her ex-husband.

"Hey, sister-in-law," Darian smiled at her, the kind that makes her want to ruffle his hair despite their difference in age.

"Hey, Darian."

Darian's eyes found the belongings of Olivia and he frowned, wondering what was amiss.

"What in Alabama is going on here?"

Just then, Damian emerged from the study with Laurie.

"She's leaving. There's no room for her anymore since I'm back with Damian." Laurie announced.

Darian frowned wondering what the blonde meant by that. He knew that his brother and Laurie may have a thing or two going on beyond work but he didn't quite know that it would amount to throwing Olivia out of the house.

"Why don't you just shut your trap and get lost?"

"It is as my Personal assistant has stated." Damian icily said. He was not one to exchange words with his brother whose existence was mainly for provoking him.

"How do you mean, brother?" Darian asked again. The 'brother' was pronounced with a snarl.

"We're getting divorced."

"You hell ain't doing that," Darian fired back, his heart skipping a beat.

He could not bear to think that the person who made it possible for him to piss Damian off would be leaving. It would be catastrophic if he and his twin remained in a space and that is why he built his empire far away from Damian's mansion, but he came from time to time to piss him off- by always being around Olivia.

She was a major tool in riling his brother up, and over the years, he had actually grown to like her. Now she was leaving.

"Oh, but it's done already," He removed his hands from his pocket where they were tucked in before, and pointed towards his study "The papers are signed, mint and everything new."

Darian felt a tick in his jaw at his brother's nonchalant words. He refrained from saying anything and turned to Olivia who had been watching the brother's bicker without saying a word.

"Are you alright?" He could see how puffy and red her eyes were and he knew that she must have cried the whole day. He instantly blamed himself for leaving the mansion.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Let me handle these, I'll drop you off." He told her softly, sending one glare at his brother again before taking hold of Olivia's luggage.

Damian clenched his jaw in anger as he watched Darian move her things to the booth of his car, anger slowly building in him.

He imagined pummeling the daylight out of Darian and snapped out of his reverie when he heard the roaring of an engine in the distance.

***************

Darian halted outside the ancient looking cottage and turned to Olivia with a worry crease on his forehead.

"You're sure about this? It doesn't seem like a place where humans live."

"Darian," Olivia said lowly in a warning tone.

"Okay, fine. I mean, anything you want." He raised his hands in mock surrender "But, do not hesitate to call me when things go south."

"Sure. Thanks for everything, Darian."

"It's my duty." Darian replied conservatively. If his brother had not been such an asshole, Olivia would still be in the mansion and they would not be in front of such a haunted looking shack.

"Ollie!" They heard someone call out. It was Rosie, a long time friend of Olivia. Their friendship dates back to their high school days.

"Rosie," Olivia emerged from the car, smiling inspite herself. She had missed her friend and had no chance to set a meeting with her due to how Damian calculated her moves.

"Hey," Rosie waved at Darian who was busy looking around. She hooked her arms between Olivia's and led her inside.

Much later, Darian drove off and the two ladies started unpacking.

"Don't cry, Olie. He isn't worth your tears." Rosie placed a comforting hand on Olivia's shoulders as the latter related what happened amidst choking tears.

"I'm trying," Olivia exhaustively replied, she was tired of crying at the slightest mention of Damian's name.

"I must admit, you look painfully thin now. You're good?"

Olivia stroked her elbows perplexedly "I don't know, Rosie. I just want to sleep and pretend like all these never happened in the first place."

"You'll be fine."

Dusk set in sooner than expected, paving way for dawn. Olivia freshened up and sat for breakfast with her host who had prepared Olivia's favorite, hoping to rejuvenate her friend's appetite.

"What brought you back to the suburbs?" Olivia asked quietly.

Rosie paused for a second before replying "I needed solitude. I had too many things going on with me in the city that I felt like I would go psycho if I do not make out time for myself."

Olivia sighed, wondering if it would be a good idea to follow that path as well. Rosie was an established actress in Queens, she had everything going on well. At least, that was what everyone thought.

A knock on the door dissolved Olivia's thoughts and the ladies turned.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Olivia inquired.

"No one comes here," Rosie shrugged.

"I'll get the door."

Olivia took springy steps to the door and opened it. She froze, muscles locked in a momentarily paralysisis and her eyes widened in astonishment.

"Uncle Ivan!"

"Oh hey, look who it is. My favorite niece!" The man smiled widely, a familiar nose crinkling smile that Olivia could remember.

He bared his arms and she embraced him, nostalgia filling her thoughts. He was her father's elder brother who resided in the states, a billionaire, and philanthropist.

"Uncle...w...what are you doing here?"

"It's time to come home and take your rightful place on the throne, princess."

"Huh?..." Olivia blurted in confusion and waved a hand "Never mind, come in Uncle."

"I would like very much to honor your invitation but I'm afraid, that will not be the case. You have to come with me immediately."

"But..."

"I'll take care of everything, princess. For now, we have no time."

'Why is he back? Where has he been all these while? How did he know I was here? Is he aware of what's going on with me? I hope to God he's not! But, what's his reason for this impromptu action? What am I to do with his throne? He was never there for me!'

It felt like two different people conversed in her head as she stared blankly at her Uncle,

Though his request seemed sudden, Olivia held her numerous questions to herself and finally nodded slowly.

She was led by two smartly dressed men to a sheen Porsche that stood proudly in this shrub, and stared out the window when she was seated inside. Her Uncle stood as tall as she could remember by the doorway and he was talking to Rosie.

She could not make out the conversation they were having and in less than 3 minutes, they were done.

A sense of relief gushed over her as they made their way further into the cities. Her Uncle as seated next to her and a smug smile graced his lips. She assessed him from the corner of his eyes, shiny black hair mixed with a few golden strands, cleanly shaven and little or no worry creases on his face.

She suddenly felt proud. She was not alone after all, she had family. He was out of sight for a period of time, but he was still there.

In less than an hour, they were at the largest estate that Olivia had ever set eyes on. To her, Damian had the best buildings and infrastructure for a home, but her uncle's estate eliminated that thought and she wondered at how massive his fortune was.

The mansion reminded her of a palace with maidservants and knights, except this time, the knights are neatly dressed in suits and have earpieces plugged in their ears. They all bowed slightly as she and her Uncle made their way.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Olivia. I hope you like it here." Ivan stretched his hand to her and she held it as he led her further into the grande hallway that led to an open space.

The maids bowed and she flushed by the level of respect accorded. Surely, she was going to enjoy her stay at the estate but she couldn't help wondering what suddenly prompted her Uncle to show concern after all these years.

He was her father's elder brother but never really acted as family. Having established himself as a world-known billionaire in the States, he remained there and never really showed himself until her father's death five years ago.

"Feel at home, Olivia" He added, breaking into her jumbled-up thoughts. "Marietta, take her to the room prepared for her and get the best dishes delivered as well."

She was led into an incredulously large room and was left to admire the pieces of furniture, interior designs, and closets where clothes and accessories were neatly stacked.

"They're all your in your size dear." Marietta smiled, honored by the awed look on Olivia's face "Do you like them?"

"I... Yes, yes I do. Thank you." Olivia stuttered and sat down.

"We will have to get you out of that, the dishes will be here in 5 minutes."

"My clothes?"

"Yes dear," Marietta still had a calm smile on her face as Olivia stared down at her simple T-shirt and faded jeans in perplexity.

'What is wrong with eating in a T-shirt and jeans?' She thought in awe at their policy as two maids selected a gown and opera gloves for her. Another rolled in a dumbwaiter ladened with several dishes.

"Do you enjoy the meals? We can always make another if they're not to your liking"

"I love it, totally!" Olivia replied with a smile on her face and continued eating.

She wasn't one to consume so much food because she always wanted to remain healthy and fit for Damien who never appreciated her efforts. Sometimes, she even starved herself but that was about to change.

**************

Damian woke up on the wrong side of his bed. He had an unusual kind of scowl on his face as he moved to the dining room for breakfast after freshening up for work.

He opened several dishes and all of them seemed to be staring at him in a certain kind of way. He could almost read their expressions;

It spelled "You are a disappointment."

Damian turned to the butler who was almost trembling and glowered at him. He was a new worker and had no inkling about the way Damian liked his food to be served.

"Who set the table?"

"I did, sir."

"You're fired."

The young man slouched his shoulders and walked off in sorrow while Damian took a second look at the meals.

He picked one and dug in inspite of himself. It tasted quite different from what he was used to and he wondered if the cooks switched recipes. Since he had taken nothing for the past 12 hours and his belly churned, he managed a few forkfuls and left the table.

Arriving at the company, he stomped all the way to his office, ignoring his workers' greetings and slamming the door shut once inside.

The Human resource manager exchanged looks with the marketing manager and the latter shrugged. They wondered what was amiss with the Boss. They knew that he had an unpleasant temper but what they were seeing was different. It was the worst they had ever seen.

"Anyone who wants to be fired might as well go in to talk about some lame ideas with the Boss right now," The Human resource manager, a brown-haired guy smirked.

The others laughed at his humor and quickly dispersed when Laurie Giovanni slithered in.

At noon, Damian finished making a conference call with shareholders planted in different countries and he looked at his watch with a frown. The day was unbelievably slow and unpleasant as nothing seemed to improve his dampening mood.

His secretary, Willow Stone, entered, hands filled with papers and documents. She met his angry gaze and hesitated before bracing up to state why she was there.

"I... I came to drop these, sir."

"Take them out of my sight immediately!"

Those were important documents that needed his reviews and signatures but she immediately took them away without hesitation. As she turned to leave, she heard his stomach rumble and paused.

With furrowed brows, she glanced at her watch. It was past time for his lunch and that wasn't the surprising part. The surprising part was that Olivia was nowhere to be found. She was always punctual and had not dropped by with his lunch like she always does.

Damien had the same thoughts running through his mind. The time was 2 pm and he felt hungry after hours of work. It was a normalcy for Olivia to package lunch for him even if he never showed any sign of appreciation. He would always reject her offers to bring lunch to him at work or ignore her when she handed them to him while on his way to work, but he ate them anyway. They were far better than what his secretary ordered for him in the beginning.

He stared at his watch again and his frown deepened, anger slowly welling in him. Why was he even thinking about her? She had signed the divorce papers as asked and was out of his life, just as he had wanted.

Just then, his stomach rumbled again and his Secretary turned to look at him. His looks were threatening and hers was of shock. It was evident that he was hungry even if he never admitted it.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I think your wife is a little behind schedule today, although it has never happened"

With his brows drawn together, he asked. "And what do you mean by that?"

"She is always here on time and waits even when you're having a meeting. Sometimes it takes hours and I try to make her leave but she wouldn't budge"

That was new... He hadn't known that before.

He only knew that Olivia mostly came to the office to deliver meals to him but he didn't know how long she waited since he took hours in the conference room with delegates while discussing projects most times.

Willow dared to add "Since your wife is not here with your lunch package, should I call her or order lunch for you instead? You seem very hungry."

"No." He blurted out. Obviously, she didn't know about their divorce. No one did, except Darian and Laurie and that was for the meantime.

A knock broke in and Laurie walked in. When she saw Willow, she frowned, glaring at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Um... I, I came to return the papers..."

"I think your work is done here. Get out."

Willow scurried out immediately and the smile which previously eloped Laurie's face returned in full force.

"Oh, Damian, I missed you. I was so unhappy when you were gone for too long and decided to purchase this beauty" She displayed the latest designer bag that slung from her arm to a stoically seated Damian "Looks good on me, right? There's a lot more coming on the way, you know. That's what happens when I miss you too much"

Damian glowered at her and shut his eyes tightly. He wished everyone would just vanish and stop trying to appear in front of him.

"Now the little bitch is out of the way, we should go on a date. What do you think? Oh, I can only imagine our first public appearance as couples after years. I've waited for this moment like forever!"

Damien had no words to say. He tuned her out as she kept going on and on until she was ready to leave. He watched the door shut behind her and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

***************

By evening, Ivan returned and after having dinner with Olivia, they took a tour around his garden.

"How do you like it here?"

"Very well," Olivia replied quietly as they made their way through wonderfully scented flowers.

"I'm glad you like it here. I was worried that you would decline my offer to come with me to the estate. Now, I want you to recount everything that happened to you since my brother's passing. Leave nothing out."

Olivia fell silent for a minute. Why was he suddenly interested in whatever was going on in her life? There were so many questions at the tip of her tongue but she refused to ask. Instead, she recounted everything that had happened in the past five years as asked. Her father's death, her contracted marriage to Damian, his apathetic attitude and emotional torture, and how she was used to gain his family's heirloom.

Ivan nodded thoughtfully when she was done. Taking in a deep breath, he said;

"I know you're furious as a result of my negligence these past few years, but I promise to make it to you. I went through a psychotic phase years ago..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head with a distraught sigh "It's an awfully long story, love. I just need you to forgive me for not being there for you. I'm back now, flesh, bones, and companies,"

"I relocated to Manhattan with the secondary aim of reuniting with you. My primary aim was planting companies and overtaking the domineering ones that stood in the limelight. At first, I had difficulty tracing you, you were almost non-existent at the mansion."

That didn't answer her unasked questions but seeing the disappointed expression on his face only aggravated the hurt she felt for following her heart and sticking with a monster like Damian, she looked away from him.

"How did you find me?"

"Having secret agents at my beck and call made it easy and everything discovered was reported to me. I was worried, knowing that you were at the mercy of Damian Brown. I found out that you live in the mansion and could not get out to have fun with friends or attend parties with him. You were restricted and you stayed put,"

The tears fell freely now and Olivia made no effort to wipe them.

"You're a Davidson, Olivia. Act like it. No one messes with us and goes scot-free, not when I am hale and hearty. I will make up for the years that I've been absent, I promise to stand by you no matter what decisions you take. Just tell me what you want, and it will be done!"

Olivia's low sobs slowly ceased and she stared at the man seated opposite her with red and swollen eyes. She could see that he was ready to do anything for her, including destroying everything Damian had ever worked for, and the thought smeared a warm feeling through her cold core. That was exactly what she wanted, Revenge... The word echoed in her head like a boomerang until Ivan's voice broke into her thoughts.

"What do you want, Olivia?"

By the time she looked up at him, he could see the fierce look that enveloped her face. She did not seem like the tender and broken Olivia he knew moments ago, she looked vicious, deadly... Like bare electrifying cables, and it delighted him.

"Revenge. Damian's downfall... His destruction. I want the empire he worked so hard for to crumble into nothingness."

"And that will be done."