01-18-2016, 01:10 PM
This is the last scene of the novel for those that have read it all on fictionpress. To find the rest of my novel please go to: https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2335464/1...ean-Harbor
Five years later...
Madison smiled and raised from her chair slightly as she waved the couple over. Brianna made her way over to the table and sat down across from her in the five star restaurant. She had moved to Manhattan to work with Darick, a year after McKenzie's wedding. It didn't take long before she met Ian there, who had purposely opened a franchise in the city. The two had been friends back in Cerulean Harbor, but his sudden move to be with her made Brianna open to more although it took her some time to come to terms with it.
They had dated for a year and a half before they were engaged and married. It would be their first year anniversary in a couple of months. Something Brianna was proud of. One of the reasons she didn't date him sooner was due to some therapy she had put herself through in order to work out some of her issues.
Saturday nights were couple's nights since they began dating and the two would meet with Madison and her husband for dinner and some drinks. For the last three months, however, Madison had been coming alone as Ethan had separated from her. He had overheard Madison mention to a friend over the phone that she had slept with Darick before her sister's wedding. He had kept it to himself and married her anyway, though it bothered him. Now they were going through a trial separation, but seeking counseling in an attempt to keep their marriage together. Ethan had grown tired of keeping the secret with Madison and had come to distrust her, it came to a head when Madison started working with Mitchell Corporation on several projects though none involved Darick.
"Long week?" Brianna asked looking down at the half empty bottle of wine.
Madison nodded her head. "William is having me take over more of his responsibilities, so my plate is becoming overloaded. I'm starting to worry if I can do this work and be able to take care of Morgan. I don't want to pawn her off on a nanny like my mother did to my sister and cousin."
"William seemed to be able to spend enough time with you, didn't he?" Brianna didn't seemed bothered that Ian looked bored. He normally would speak to Ethan about work, but now it was only him and two women.
"I suppose I'll have to speak to him. He had Patricia to help him out, so if Ethan and I get divorced it will only be worse. I can't imagine having to play single parent especially if Ethan remains bitter, because he'll just pick apart everything I do."
"He has every reason to." Ian interrupted.
"I didn't say he didn't, although it has been five years. I haven't even seen Darick since McKenzie's wedding and he lives in the city now." She sighed. "It just seems to me that Ethan didn't come out with it in the beginning and just allowed it to brew until it became more than it actually was. I'm not trying to excuse myself for my behavior, I was wrong and I admit it. I made a horrible decision and I wish I could take it all back, I really do, but I can't. He shouldn't have married me without talking to me and letting us work through it first."
Brianna nodded. "I agree."
"Right, but we don't live in a world of "shoulds." There are a lot of things we should have done in our lives, but they don't exist and never did. You have to accept what did happen and face the consequences." Ian crossed his arms.
Licking her bottom lip, Madison smirked slightly. "You are mad at me, aren't you, Ian?"
He only crossed his arms further in response.
"Yeah, he is. He and Ethan became good buddies, and now he's torn between his wife's friend and his friend. Just ignore him. He would argue for you if Ethan were sitting here talking about your problems as well."
"That makes me feel better then."
"Why hasn't the waiter come yet?" He grumbled.
"I already ordered for us." Madison chuckled. "You two always get the same thing, so I thought it would be alright."
He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have done that and he wanted to try something new, but he knew that was a lie. She was right, he would just order the same thing as always. "I haven't gotten my drink..." He looked up as the waiter set his scotch on the rocks in front of him, then placed a bottle of white wine and a wine glass in front of his wife. "Thank you."
Both women giggled at him as he tried to hide his slowly growing red cheeks.
"He's in a bad mood today. Apparently there was a huge mix up at work and no time to fix it. He won't even talk about it. I only have what I do know from a crying Winnie that I couldn't understand when I went to pick him up." Brianna told her after the waiter poured her glass of wine and left. "Oh, I wanted to ask earlier, before we were interrupted. How is counseling going? Do you think it'll work for you?"
"Ethan is trying his best and so am I. This is something that I want to get worked out. I mean if he sat on it for five years without me ever knowing there was a problem then... well, I don't really know. I guess, I hope it means that once we air everything out that he'll be able to forgive me. I think he wants to, so I can only show him that I am worth trusting again. I have to earn it all back."
"He wants to. He just doesn't know how he'll ever be able to." Ian informed her before taking a sip of his drink, and then drinking some of the water that he had also been given.
"I know. He has said as much to me as well." She shrugged. "If it was just me and him, I'd probably tell him that we should take a break from each other."
"With Morgan, you two have to at least be amicable in front of each other. She's only three, so she doesn't really understand what's going on. I mean you both moved out of the apartment and into her grandpa's mansion while leaving her daddy behind. I'm sure it confused her."
Madison shook her head. "We've been very open with her. Well, as much as you can be with a three year old. She understands that we are having problems, but we are making her feel secure about how much we love her and that we will always support her. Ethan loves her to death, so I think that's why he is trying so hard with this too." She sighed. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It feels like that's all everyone ever asks me about now a days."
"I'm sorry." Brianna frowned.
"It's not your fault. You should be informed of what's going on." She looked at Ian. "You won't tell Ethan what I said, will you?"
"Did you say anything wrong that you don't want him to hear?"
"It's not that. I just don't want him thinking I am talking about him behind his back. He might think that I am trying to turn you guys against him."
"I doubt he would think that." Ian rolled his eyes.
Madison chuckled again and looked at Brianna. "He is really pissed at me. It's kind of cute."
"I think the same thing when he is mad at me. It's so funny, isn't it?" She pinched his cheek, and Ian pulled back to glare at her.
"How is he coming around?" Lydia asked.
"For a while he drowned himself in work, but when he heard I was pregnant he really seemed to turn around. He took an interest in me." Abigail took a drink of her tea. "I don't know if it will last after the baby is born, but he has softened up a great deal. For a while there, I thought we might live in a loveless marriage." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't think before I spoke."
Lydia shook her head. "Don't worry. I understand where Brad and I are. He treats me well enough."
"What about the ten year divorce plan?"
"We decided to remain married. It's what is best for Ashley and I think we have just gotten comfortable living together." She cleared her throat and continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "After he heard about Brianna's marriage, he seemed to give in a great deal more. I doubt we will ever be in love, but this works for us." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I finally understand and have accepted everything or if I am just comfortable in my own misery."
"Ash."
"Daddy!" The little girl jumped from her mother's lap and ran over to Brad, who was waiting with his arms open at the sliding doors.
Brad picked her up in his arms, and playfully patted her bottom once, before he looked the pink dress over that she was wearing. "You look beautiful today."
"Thank you." She smiled as she looked down at him with her hands on his shoulder and her feet dangling by his hip.
He turned his attention to Abigail. "Good afternoon. I didn't know you were in town. Is it safe to fly in your condition?"
"I wanted to give birth here near my family." She pointed to her stomach as if Brad hadn't seen her engorged abdomen yet or heard of her pregnancy. Of course, Abigail was very excited about her first child and that was made abundantly clear to everyone who met with her.
He gave a nod and then turned to Lydia. "I'm taking her out to dinner, is that alright?"
Lydia agreed as he brought Ashley over to give a kiss to her mother. The little girl rested one hand on her mother's shoulder to steady herself as she left a wet kiss on her cheek before he pulled her up again.
"Bye, mommy." Brad said in hopes she would mimic him and the little girl immediately followed his cue.
Once the sliding doors shut, Abigail smiled. "He seems to really love her." She continued to smile at the glass doors.
Lydia nodded. "Oh, without a doubt. It is seeing him interacting with her everyday that gives me hope to be honest. I really think she is the reason that he treats me better, because he doesn't want her to see him treating me the way he used to. Indifference is more cold than hate."
"Well, and a daughter will often times seek out a man who treats her the way his father treated his mother. So, it's good that he acts kindly toward you."
"It was a bad idea to get pregnant and have her in hopes that it would fix us. I was pretty stupid to think that, but I'm glad that it didn't make things worse."
"You did say he changed more after Brianna's wedding." She raised an eyebrow as she tried to pry further into their private relationship.
"I know." She snorted. "I shouldn't have said that either. I don't know if that was the reason. I think it might just be me still caught up in the past and not realizing that he gave up a long time ago." She sighed once more. "I catch myself doing that too much and I need to put an end to it. I am changing myself, not because I want Brad to like me, but because I want to like me. I think the happier I am with myself, my thoughts, and the way I live the more Brad seems to care about me."
"You think he'll love you one day then?"
"No."
Abigail seemed surprised with her answer. She tried to think of a way to respond, but her mouth simply open and then closed again.
"I have given up on that a long time ago. We are partners in marriage and business. Some people get lucky and fall madly in love with their arranged spouse. Other people hate them and want to divorce as soon as possible. Others still learn to live together in harmony because it what is for the best. Brad and I fall into the latter, but we will never find love."
"If you think that then you never will."
Lydia chuckled. "That's alright with me. When he and I first met we never expected to, and it was only me that got caught up in that delusion that we ever would. Now that I have let it go, Brad and I get along just fine. It's a loveless marriage, but there is still contentment. He and I work together very well both in the business sense and the personal sense."
"How can you ever sleep together?" She stuck out her tongue part of the way and ignored that she had slept with her own husband before anything like love had appeared in her relationship with him.
Lydia ignored her friend's hypocrisy that she was well aware of and answered the question. "I slept with plenty of people I didn't love before I got married. The same goes for him. It's a personal need that we help each other fulfill."
Abigail stroked her stomach. "I don't know how I could go on if I had given up the hope of love in my marriage."
"Maybe you'll get lucky. He might come around and you'll find yourself in the best kind of arranged marriage."
"Oh, so you are going to encourage my hope, but not your own?"
She shrugged. "My relationship is different from your own. We are friends and I'll support what you need and want." She looked down at Abigail's stomach. "You haven't told me if it's a boy or girl yet."
"Oh, I haven't! I could have sworn, I did." She clapped her hands happily and rocked her head from side to side. "It's a boy."
"I hope my next one is a boy. Do you have a name picked out?"
"We've settled on a couple, but haven't decided yet. I think we are going to wait and meet him before we pick one." Abigail took another drink of her tea.
Anna's eyes looked over her shoulder as slyly as she could to see if her husband had looked up at the television screen. They had. It only made her feel annoyed, but the annoyance was directed more toward herself for other things she felt than at him.
The reporter continued, "There has been no official word from the Kincade family or their representative, but it has been confirmed that Madison and her daughter have moved from the apartment. More on this as the story unfolds."
She turned off the television set that was sitting on the counter in the kitchen and turned to look at her husband as she finished off the dishes. He was at the table sitting between their five year old and their eighteen month old sons. She always finished her meal first so she could finish off the dishes and pots she used to cook with, before she had to turn to the dishes the family was using.
Dorian fed their youngest son, who was seated in the highchair, his peas. He could feed himself mostly with his hands at this stage, but his father hated to watch him try to eat peas and other small foods one at a time. The five year old sat quietly as he finished off his meal, because he wanted to watch television in the other room and would only be allowed to do so once he had finished his plate.
"You were listening to that weren't you?" Anna asked. She hated that she was jealous whenever a story about Madison came on the entertainment channel. In truth, she knew she had it on that channel simply to be able to catch him watching it, since he never paid any attention unless her name was mentioned. It was a trap, and she felt guilty for setting it.
Dorian never mentioned Madison and it was Naomi that explained their relationship to her. He would answer questions when she asked and Anna knew that he was over her, but that didn't stop him from showing interest in her life when she was unexpectedly brought up.
"I don't want to get into this conversation again. Why are you so insecure about this?" Dorian asked as he turned his attention to his eldest, Garrett, and helped wipe his face of the tomato sauce.
"Because you never talk about it." The devil on her shoulder liked to tell her that he never talked about her because it was still a painful memory. She knew in her heart that it wasn't true, but she couldn't convince herself of it.
"It's in the past and I don't live there, that's why." He looked up at his wife as the baby chewed up some more of his peas. "We haven't talked in years. I'm not jealous when we run into one of your ex-boyfriends."
Nodding her head, she turned her back on him to complete the dishes in the sink. They had a dishwasher, but Anna considered it something to disinfect the dishes and washed them all before hand. "Are you worried that she and her husband have separated?"
"I don't hold any ill will toward, Madison. I want the best for her and so yes, I am concerned. I'm not going to call her up and ask how she is. I don't even know how to get a hold of her if I wanted to, besides it's been nine years, Anna. What could I possibly say to her?"
She bit her bottom lip as she continued on with her task. This wasn't something she wanted to fight about and she already knew how it would end. Dorian would tell her that it's been nine years since he had seen Madison, and that she was overreacting. Anna would agree that she was and they would move on with their lives. She would be fine for several months until one day she would be reminded of Madison in someway and then set another trap for Dorian to fall into so she could bring the subject up again. All this was just to be reassured once more. She was a confident woman in everything else, so she didn't understand truly why she allowed this to bother her at all.
"Why does this bother you so much?"
"I don't know. Maybe I feel insignificant compared to her. I know it's stupid and normally I am not even thinking about it. For some reason, I keep setting myself up to be jealous over her and I know you aren't doing anything wrong. This is all my problem."
Standing up from his chair, he walked behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders to massage them, before he wrapped his arms around her. "You are a beautiful and successful doctor. You are the mother of my two wonderful sons and the woman I married. How can Madison compare to that?"
"Don't say that as if you never loved her. It'll only make me feel worse." She finished up the last plate and then turned to face him.
"Anna, I loved her once almost a decade ago. I almost married her. I almost did a lot of things with her, but I didn't. Everything I could ever want is right here in this house and I don't regret it, so stop setting the television to the channel you know Madison will appear on, eh?"
She chuckled. "You're right. I need to let this go and I'll try my best. It can't be healthy for the kids to see their mother act this way, can it?"
He shook his head. Dorian was just as bothered that his wife couldn't get past it and cursed his sister-in-law's name for ever mentioning it to her. He was going to tell her about it eventually, but he wanted to establish their relationship first. Naomi had told her too soon and had caused some problems between them.
"I'm sorry. She is such a beautiful and rich woman. Whenever I see her do an interview, it's like she has everything someone could want and she is so nice. People seem to really like her and she gives more to charity than our annual salaries combined. It's hard to think that she was almost your wife and how you can be happy with me, you know?"
"First of all, wealthy people like that always give to charity, because of tax breaks. Second of all, Madison is actually pretty distant and hard to get along with. She can make a person feel very insecure without even trying. Don't get me wrong, she is a wonderful person, but she has her faults like everyone else. I'm sure Naomi told you all about our relationship."
Anna nodded her head once more. "I know, I know. It's ridiculous and I'm just being insecure and stupid."
"Is Bryant finished with his dinner?" She asked deciding the change the subject and return to their normal life. It had happened as she expected and once again she was reassured and knew that her fears were unfounded.
Dorian stepped away from her and checked the highchair tray. "It looks like he is just playing with it now." He pulled the tray out so he could pick his son up. "I'll go give him a bath while you finish up in here."
"Alright. Thank you." Anna looked down at her other son who was pushing his peas around his plate. "You have to eat it all. Pushing it around won't make me feel sorry for you."
Garrett looked up at his mother and frowned. "I know."
"The faster you eat them, the quicker you can be in the living room watching TV." Dorian reminded him as he headed out the door.
"Hey."
Morgan looked up at her mother causing her blonde curls to bounce and she jumped to her feet to greet her.
"Morg, Morgie, Morg." Madison chimed as she picked up her daughter and attacked her cheek with multiple kisses. "Did you have fun with daddy today?"
"Yeah, um, yeah. We went to the zoo and, um..." She looked at her father who had come to stand in front her and Madison.
"We went out to dinner." Ethan spoke more to his daughter than to Madison.
"Yeah." She smiled and looked at her mother. "Daddy, um, daddy, he, um, bought me a... he bought me a..." Her eyes turned back to her father. "What is it's name?" She whispered the question to him.
"A bracelet."
Morgan's blue eyes immediately turned back to her mother. "A bracelet."
"He did?"
She nodded her head enthusiastically, but it soon turned into hysterical laughter as she looked behind her mother. Madison looked over her shoulder to find Francis making faces behind her and McKenzie shaking her head as she leaned against the archway's frame.
"Is Uncle Frankie being funny?" Madison asked her daughter in a playful tone.
Francis reached around Madison and tickled the little girl's belly briefly causing her to kick around and laugh.
"Where is William?" Madison asked.
"On a date with that woman again." McKenzie winked at her in a playful way. "The date has lasted since yesterday evening."
"May I speak with you?" Ethan asked.
"Sure." Madison kissed her daughter, before handing her off to McKenzie. "Go play with Aunt Micky and Uncle Frankie for a while, honey. Daddy and I need to talk for a while."
"Come on, Morgie Morg. I was going to bake some cookies, do you want to help?" McKenzie asked as she walked across the hall toward the dining room that would lead them into the kitchen.
"Is... will Uncle Funkie help?"
"Sure, I'll help." Francis announced as he walked behind them heading into the kitchen.
Madison smiled at her sister and brother-in-law. They had both decided not to have any children of their own, due to the lifestyle that they led. Their open marriage wasn't something that the news had reported on or that they were open with the public about, but they didn't want to bring children into it. They both had decided that they wouldn't be good parents, nor would they be happy as parents. They loved playing with Morgan, however, and even tried to goad Jack into having her own and Madison into a second one.
"What's up?" She was still smiling as she and Ethan sat down on the couch.
"I want to run something by you and see what you think." He cleared his throat before he continued. "I've been thinking about my life and how I've only ever dated you. I mean there was that one girl that I slept with, but it was hardly a relationship. I am starting to wonder if maybe I missed out on something."
"I see."
He shook his head. "I'm not asking for a license to sleep around or anything."
"You think that if you slept with someone that would make us even?" She leaned back on the couch.
"I can't lie and say it isn't part of my reasoning for doing this, but I'd like us to stick a pin in our relationship for maybe a year or two."
"And?"
He shrugged. "I want to find out if I am really in love with you or just doing what William told me to. I mean I feel that I am, but I want to know for certain. All rules will apply to you as well. I just want us to live separately for a couple years and find out where we are at the end of it."
Madison leaned forward and crossed her legs. It was her turn now to be patient and understanding with Ethan. He had always been the one to do it for her and her outrageous requests, so she simply nodded in response. She didn't think it was a good idea, but if this is what he wanted then she didn't want to stop him. "What about Morgan? We can't just put a pin in her."
"I know. I won't subject her to anything that I am doing and as far as she knows we are still working out our problems. I just... I just need time, Madison. Time apart and time to heal. Just time where you aren't my concern to find out who I am when I am not William's pawn in your love life."
"I understand."
"But you don't like it, right?"
"Right." She folded her arms as she was becoming more annoyed with the conversation, which was a sign that Ethan was aware of. "I almost feel like you are asking me to give you a relationship like McKenize and Francis have."
"No. I'm asking us to pretend we are divorced for the next year or two, so we can see where we stand at the end of it. Maybe we will find ourselves together and maybe we won't." He grabbed her hand. "I'm not going to just date random women and sleep with them. I wouldn't do that to you or to William. That wouldn't be good for our companies as it would make us all look bad if it was found out."
"Then what are you planning on doing?"
"Just being by myself. Yeah, I might date a woman or two, but I don't have any plans on starting anything serious with anyone. I just want to be a bachelor, you know?" He squeezed her hand more tightly. "I wouldn't expect you to just wait around for me. I want you to enjoy the freedom as well."
"I'll agree, as long as we continue to see each other."
Ethan nodded. "Saturday nights, I'll start having dates with you and the Pratts again. Would that work for you?"
Madison agreed. "As long as I am part of your scheduled dating and have a chance to win you over."
He chuckled in a somewhat embarrassed way. "Hearing you say that makes me feel slightly more secure in our relationship."
"So, no more therapy then?"
"I don't feel it's working for me. All I ever hear from that guy is how I am at fault. I mean he blames you for your mistakes, but it feels like he wants to put the weight on my shoulders. So, if we go back I want someone else. I just don't care for his style."
"Alright. I think we should talk about this more, but I have to go to a party tonight and need to start getting ready."
"Let's have dinner together later this week and we can talk more."
She stood up from the couch. "Call me to set a date and time then."
Darick was standing in front of his desk; digging through a pile of folders on his desk. "I can't find those valuation reports."
She searched the room with her eyes after she placed her hands on her hips. "Where did you see it last?"
"The last time I remember having them was when you were in here. It was a blue folder and you set it on my desk, I asked you to move it to the coffee table and then..." He tossed up his hands.
"That explains why you called me in here."
Brianna had given up on being an accountant when Darick had hired her on as his assistant. She made seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year and knew that odds were against such a hire salary as an accountant. It annoyed her from time to time to think of her time wasted earning that degree only to be Darick's full time nanny, but in truth she enjoyed her job. The only time it ever bothered her was during one of his hissy fits or when some of his more unsavory behaviors come back to haunt him. Those people were normally quickly removed by security, but it was Brianna that had to deal with them being locked out of the office. Of course, Darick's secretary also was a victim in these predicaments.
"I put it on the coffee table and then I left, but that was on Thursday. It could be anywhere by now."
Running his hand through his hair, he followed her lead and looked around the room. "I don't remember looking at them. I couldn't have gone through them and sent them back."
Clicking her tongue, Brianna left the office to use the phone on the empty secretary's desk. She, too, was off on Saturday. Darick continued to look for his folder until Brianna returned after ten minutes.
"They received them. I hate to call one of them at home, but you did go through them already. He said there were a lot of notes. Are you sure it's the valuation reports that you need?"
It wasn't unusual for Darick to forget that he had already done work. The hours he worked and the amount of time and effort he put into it eventually it all became a blur. He would often take other projects off departments that were overrun and work them alone.
There was plenty of work for himself even if he worked long hours, but Darick never took a day off nor did he ever go on vacation. Brianna often enjoyed the time she was on vacation, because she knew Darick was a mess running around trying to figure out her system or even do the things that she normally did for him. She knew this because she had witnessed it herself whenever his secretary was on vacation.
Darick bit his bottom lip briefly. "Huh." It was the only response he could come up with.
She sighed to show her sympathy for him. "Are you seriously looking for more work to do?"
"I can't believe I have nothing. There has to be something." He began to look through the folders again.
"This is what happens when you work twelve to sixteen hours a day seven days a week." She crossed her arms. "Plus, you have me to do some of the work as well. Maybe you should take a weekend off, or are you too afraid of being by yourself?"
Darick glared at her. "I prefer to work than play."
"Well, now you have to do something you don't like. You have..." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, I know what you can do. There is a party tonight. You can do your thing there."
He watched her walk over to his desk and open one of the drawers. She pulled out an invitation for him and offered it over. "I hate parties."
"Yes, well, there are people there and things to do. Or you can go home to your cold and empty apartment and stare at the wall. It's really up to you. I, however, have a loving husband that I would like to get back home to."
"Where were you?"
"Huh?" She had begun to turn around.
"I called you earlier and you didn't answer your phone."
"I know. You actually called thirty four times. It's Saturday that means I meet with my friend. I've told you about this before." Brianna never mentioned Madison in front of Darick, and she rarely mentioned Darick in front of Madison. The two hadn't seen each other since Madison left Cerulean Harbor five years ago and Darick stayed away from anything that she might go to. She thought it was ridiculous that the two had gone to such extreme measures to prevent seeing each other, but it wasn't her life or her problem.
"You don't leave your phone on in case I call?"
"I'm sorry, master, but this is my day off. I have two of them actually and you shouldn't be calling me on these days. I know you like to drown yourself in work every waking moment, but I have hobbies and relationships that I like to attend to."
Though Darick seemed needy and soft around her, he was a real hard ass to everyone else. He didn't like mistakes or being treated with disrespect and everyone knew better then to incur his wrath. There wasn't much about him that changed from college, except now he didn't hit people but destroyed their livelihood. Someone making a million dollar salary could be finding themselves hard pressed to find a job, if they ticked Darick off enough.
He seemed to enjoy the suffering of others a little too much, but Brianna felt safe enough and he allowed her to get away with saying pretty much anything to him. If she thought he went too far then she would say something, but she only did so on rare occasions as she didn't want to make him think she thought she had any real power over him.
"Are you going to go to the party?" She motioned toward the invitation.
His eyes looked down to the white envelope and then back up at her. "What are you doing today?"
"I'm going to spend the evening with my husband and no you can't come along. Go get some friends that aren't from work. I see you for up to ten hours a day five days a week, I don't want to see you in my off time." She flipped him off, before heading out the door.
Darick knew she was only joking as she often left the office in such a manner. She never did anything in front of others though. Some people suspected that Darick treated her differently but in public she put up with his crap as much as the next person. Her cold words and insults were private matters and they liked it that way.
Five years later...
Madison smiled and raised from her chair slightly as she waved the couple over. Brianna made her way over to the table and sat down across from her in the five star restaurant. She had moved to Manhattan to work with Darick, a year after McKenzie's wedding. It didn't take long before she met Ian there, who had purposely opened a franchise in the city. The two had been friends back in Cerulean Harbor, but his sudden move to be with her made Brianna open to more although it took her some time to come to terms with it.
They had dated for a year and a half before they were engaged and married. It would be their first year anniversary in a couple of months. Something Brianna was proud of. One of the reasons she didn't date him sooner was due to some therapy she had put herself through in order to work out some of her issues.
Saturday nights were couple's nights since they began dating and the two would meet with Madison and her husband for dinner and some drinks. For the last three months, however, Madison had been coming alone as Ethan had separated from her. He had overheard Madison mention to a friend over the phone that she had slept with Darick before her sister's wedding. He had kept it to himself and married her anyway, though it bothered him. Now they were going through a trial separation, but seeking counseling in an attempt to keep their marriage together. Ethan had grown tired of keeping the secret with Madison and had come to distrust her, it came to a head when Madison started working with Mitchell Corporation on several projects though none involved Darick.
"Long week?" Brianna asked looking down at the half empty bottle of wine.
Madison nodded her head. "William is having me take over more of his responsibilities, so my plate is becoming overloaded. I'm starting to worry if I can do this work and be able to take care of Morgan. I don't want to pawn her off on a nanny like my mother did to my sister and cousin."
"William seemed to be able to spend enough time with you, didn't he?" Brianna didn't seemed bothered that Ian looked bored. He normally would speak to Ethan about work, but now it was only him and two women.
"I suppose I'll have to speak to him. He had Patricia to help him out, so if Ethan and I get divorced it will only be worse. I can't imagine having to play single parent especially if Ethan remains bitter, because he'll just pick apart everything I do."
"He has every reason to." Ian interrupted.
"I didn't say he didn't, although it has been five years. I haven't even seen Darick since McKenzie's wedding and he lives in the city now." She sighed. "It just seems to me that Ethan didn't come out with it in the beginning and just allowed it to brew until it became more than it actually was. I'm not trying to excuse myself for my behavior, I was wrong and I admit it. I made a horrible decision and I wish I could take it all back, I really do, but I can't. He shouldn't have married me without talking to me and letting us work through it first."
Brianna nodded. "I agree."
"Right, but we don't live in a world of "shoulds." There are a lot of things we should have done in our lives, but they don't exist and never did. You have to accept what did happen and face the consequences." Ian crossed his arms.
Licking her bottom lip, Madison smirked slightly. "You are mad at me, aren't you, Ian?"
He only crossed his arms further in response.
"Yeah, he is. He and Ethan became good buddies, and now he's torn between his wife's friend and his friend. Just ignore him. He would argue for you if Ethan were sitting here talking about your problems as well."
"That makes me feel better then."
"Why hasn't the waiter come yet?" He grumbled.
"I already ordered for us." Madison chuckled. "You two always get the same thing, so I thought it would be alright."
He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't have done that and he wanted to try something new, but he knew that was a lie. She was right, he would just order the same thing as always. "I haven't gotten my drink..." He looked up as the waiter set his scotch on the rocks in front of him, then placed a bottle of white wine and a wine glass in front of his wife. "Thank you."
Both women giggled at him as he tried to hide his slowly growing red cheeks.
"He's in a bad mood today. Apparently there was a huge mix up at work and no time to fix it. He won't even talk about it. I only have what I do know from a crying Winnie that I couldn't understand when I went to pick him up." Brianna told her after the waiter poured her glass of wine and left. "Oh, I wanted to ask earlier, before we were interrupted. How is counseling going? Do you think it'll work for you?"
"Ethan is trying his best and so am I. This is something that I want to get worked out. I mean if he sat on it for five years without me ever knowing there was a problem then... well, I don't really know. I guess, I hope it means that once we air everything out that he'll be able to forgive me. I think he wants to, so I can only show him that I am worth trusting again. I have to earn it all back."
"He wants to. He just doesn't know how he'll ever be able to." Ian informed her before taking a sip of his drink, and then drinking some of the water that he had also been given.
"I know. He has said as much to me as well." She shrugged. "If it was just me and him, I'd probably tell him that we should take a break from each other."
"With Morgan, you two have to at least be amicable in front of each other. She's only three, so she doesn't really understand what's going on. I mean you both moved out of the apartment and into her grandpa's mansion while leaving her daddy behind. I'm sure it confused her."
Madison shook her head. "We've been very open with her. Well, as much as you can be with a three year old. She understands that we are having problems, but we are making her feel secure about how much we love her and that we will always support her. Ethan loves her to death, so I think that's why he is trying so hard with this too." She sighed. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It feels like that's all everyone ever asks me about now a days."
"I'm sorry." Brianna frowned.
"It's not your fault. You should be informed of what's going on." She looked at Ian. "You won't tell Ethan what I said, will you?"
"Did you say anything wrong that you don't want him to hear?"
"It's not that. I just don't want him thinking I am talking about him behind his back. He might think that I am trying to turn you guys against him."
"I doubt he would think that." Ian rolled his eyes.
Madison chuckled again and looked at Brianna. "He is really pissed at me. It's kind of cute."
"I think the same thing when he is mad at me. It's so funny, isn't it?" She pinched his cheek, and Ian pulled back to glare at her.
---***---
Sitting around the table drinking tea by the pool, Abigail's hands were rested upon her belly as she sat by the pool. She smiled as she and Lydia talked about the baby that would be born in two months time. Lydia sat beside her with her own daughter on her lap. The little girl, Ashley, was four years old and looked exactly like her mother. She stroked the feathery light hair on her daughter's head as the two talked as Ashley continued to color in her coloring books. She wasn't interested in the adult conversation in the least."How is he coming around?" Lydia asked.
"For a while he drowned himself in work, but when he heard I was pregnant he really seemed to turn around. He took an interest in me." Abigail took a drink of her tea. "I don't know if it will last after the baby is born, but he has softened up a great deal. For a while there, I thought we might live in a loveless marriage." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't think before I spoke."
Lydia shook her head. "Don't worry. I understand where Brad and I are. He treats me well enough."
"What about the ten year divorce plan?"
"We decided to remain married. It's what is best for Ashley and I think we have just gotten comfortable living together." She cleared her throat and continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "After he heard about Brianna's marriage, he seemed to give in a great deal more. I doubt we will ever be in love, but this works for us." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I finally understand and have accepted everything or if I am just comfortable in my own misery."
"Ash."
"Daddy!" The little girl jumped from her mother's lap and ran over to Brad, who was waiting with his arms open at the sliding doors.
Brad picked her up in his arms, and playfully patted her bottom once, before he looked the pink dress over that she was wearing. "You look beautiful today."
"Thank you." She smiled as she looked down at him with her hands on his shoulder and her feet dangling by his hip.
He turned his attention to Abigail. "Good afternoon. I didn't know you were in town. Is it safe to fly in your condition?"
"I wanted to give birth here near my family." She pointed to her stomach as if Brad hadn't seen her engorged abdomen yet or heard of her pregnancy. Of course, Abigail was very excited about her first child and that was made abundantly clear to everyone who met with her.
He gave a nod and then turned to Lydia. "I'm taking her out to dinner, is that alright?"
Lydia agreed as he brought Ashley over to give a kiss to her mother. The little girl rested one hand on her mother's shoulder to steady herself as she left a wet kiss on her cheek before he pulled her up again.
"Bye, mommy." Brad said in hopes she would mimic him and the little girl immediately followed his cue.
Once the sliding doors shut, Abigail smiled. "He seems to really love her." She continued to smile at the glass doors.
Lydia nodded. "Oh, without a doubt. It is seeing him interacting with her everyday that gives me hope to be honest. I really think she is the reason that he treats me better, because he doesn't want her to see him treating me the way he used to. Indifference is more cold than hate."
"Well, and a daughter will often times seek out a man who treats her the way his father treated his mother. So, it's good that he acts kindly toward you."
"It was a bad idea to get pregnant and have her in hopes that it would fix us. I was pretty stupid to think that, but I'm glad that it didn't make things worse."
"You did say he changed more after Brianna's wedding." She raised an eyebrow as she tried to pry further into their private relationship.
"I know." She snorted. "I shouldn't have said that either. I don't know if that was the reason. I think it might just be me still caught up in the past and not realizing that he gave up a long time ago." She sighed once more. "I catch myself doing that too much and I need to put an end to it. I am changing myself, not because I want Brad to like me, but because I want to like me. I think the happier I am with myself, my thoughts, and the way I live the more Brad seems to care about me."
"You think he'll love you one day then?"
"No."
Abigail seemed surprised with her answer. She tried to think of a way to respond, but her mouth simply open and then closed again.
"I have given up on that a long time ago. We are partners in marriage and business. Some people get lucky and fall madly in love with their arranged spouse. Other people hate them and want to divorce as soon as possible. Others still learn to live together in harmony because it what is for the best. Brad and I fall into the latter, but we will never find love."
"If you think that then you never will."
Lydia chuckled. "That's alright with me. When he and I first met we never expected to, and it was only me that got caught up in that delusion that we ever would. Now that I have let it go, Brad and I get along just fine. It's a loveless marriage, but there is still contentment. He and I work together very well both in the business sense and the personal sense."
"How can you ever sleep together?" She stuck out her tongue part of the way and ignored that she had slept with her own husband before anything like love had appeared in her relationship with him.
Lydia ignored her friend's hypocrisy that she was well aware of and answered the question. "I slept with plenty of people I didn't love before I got married. The same goes for him. It's a personal need that we help each other fulfill."
Abigail stroked her stomach. "I don't know how I could go on if I had given up the hope of love in my marriage."
"Maybe you'll get lucky. He might come around and you'll find yourself in the best kind of arranged marriage."
"Oh, so you are going to encourage my hope, but not your own?"
She shrugged. "My relationship is different from your own. We are friends and I'll support what you need and want." She looked down at Abigail's stomach. "You haven't told me if it's a boy or girl yet."
"Oh, I haven't! I could have sworn, I did." She clapped her hands happily and rocked her head from side to side. "It's a boy."
"I hope my next one is a boy. Do you have a name picked out?"
"We've settled on a couple, but haven't decided yet. I think we are going to wait and meet him before we pick one." Abigail took another drink of her tea.
---***---
"Next up in the pile, Madison Kincade, famous for being the secret heir to the Kincade Conglomerate and first born daughter of Patricia Kincade, has separated from her husband." The reporter, who stood in the center of the blue circular stage with several photos of celebrities changing in the background, spoke.Anna's eyes looked over her shoulder as slyly as she could to see if her husband had looked up at the television screen. They had. It only made her feel annoyed, but the annoyance was directed more toward herself for other things she felt than at him.
The reporter continued, "There has been no official word from the Kincade family or their representative, but it has been confirmed that Madison and her daughter have moved from the apartment. More on this as the story unfolds."
She turned off the television set that was sitting on the counter in the kitchen and turned to look at her husband as she finished off the dishes. He was at the table sitting between their five year old and their eighteen month old sons. She always finished her meal first so she could finish off the dishes and pots she used to cook with, before she had to turn to the dishes the family was using.
Dorian fed their youngest son, who was seated in the highchair, his peas. He could feed himself mostly with his hands at this stage, but his father hated to watch him try to eat peas and other small foods one at a time. The five year old sat quietly as he finished off his meal, because he wanted to watch television in the other room and would only be allowed to do so once he had finished his plate.
"You were listening to that weren't you?" Anna asked. She hated that she was jealous whenever a story about Madison came on the entertainment channel. In truth, she knew she had it on that channel simply to be able to catch him watching it, since he never paid any attention unless her name was mentioned. It was a trap, and she felt guilty for setting it.
Dorian never mentioned Madison and it was Naomi that explained their relationship to her. He would answer questions when she asked and Anna knew that he was over her, but that didn't stop him from showing interest in her life when she was unexpectedly brought up.
"I don't want to get into this conversation again. Why are you so insecure about this?" Dorian asked as he turned his attention to his eldest, Garrett, and helped wipe his face of the tomato sauce.
"Because you never talk about it." The devil on her shoulder liked to tell her that he never talked about her because it was still a painful memory. She knew in her heart that it wasn't true, but she couldn't convince herself of it.
"It's in the past and I don't live there, that's why." He looked up at his wife as the baby chewed up some more of his peas. "We haven't talked in years. I'm not jealous when we run into one of your ex-boyfriends."
Nodding her head, she turned her back on him to complete the dishes in the sink. They had a dishwasher, but Anna considered it something to disinfect the dishes and washed them all before hand. "Are you worried that she and her husband have separated?"
"I don't hold any ill will toward, Madison. I want the best for her and so yes, I am concerned. I'm not going to call her up and ask how she is. I don't even know how to get a hold of her if I wanted to, besides it's been nine years, Anna. What could I possibly say to her?"
She bit her bottom lip as she continued on with her task. This wasn't something she wanted to fight about and she already knew how it would end. Dorian would tell her that it's been nine years since he had seen Madison, and that she was overreacting. Anna would agree that she was and they would move on with their lives. She would be fine for several months until one day she would be reminded of Madison in someway and then set another trap for Dorian to fall into so she could bring the subject up again. All this was just to be reassured once more. She was a confident woman in everything else, so she didn't understand truly why she allowed this to bother her at all.
"Why does this bother you so much?"
"I don't know. Maybe I feel insignificant compared to her. I know it's stupid and normally I am not even thinking about it. For some reason, I keep setting myself up to be jealous over her and I know you aren't doing anything wrong. This is all my problem."
Standing up from his chair, he walked behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders to massage them, before he wrapped his arms around her. "You are a beautiful and successful doctor. You are the mother of my two wonderful sons and the woman I married. How can Madison compare to that?"
"Don't say that as if you never loved her. It'll only make me feel worse." She finished up the last plate and then turned to face him.
"Anna, I loved her once almost a decade ago. I almost married her. I almost did a lot of things with her, but I didn't. Everything I could ever want is right here in this house and I don't regret it, so stop setting the television to the channel you know Madison will appear on, eh?"
She chuckled. "You're right. I need to let this go and I'll try my best. It can't be healthy for the kids to see their mother act this way, can it?"
He shook his head. Dorian was just as bothered that his wife couldn't get past it and cursed his sister-in-law's name for ever mentioning it to her. He was going to tell her about it eventually, but he wanted to establish their relationship first. Naomi had told her too soon and had caused some problems between them.
"I'm sorry. She is such a beautiful and rich woman. Whenever I see her do an interview, it's like she has everything someone could want and she is so nice. People seem to really like her and she gives more to charity than our annual salaries combined. It's hard to think that she was almost your wife and how you can be happy with me, you know?"
"First of all, wealthy people like that always give to charity, because of tax breaks. Second of all, Madison is actually pretty distant and hard to get along with. She can make a person feel very insecure without even trying. Don't get me wrong, she is a wonderful person, but she has her faults like everyone else. I'm sure Naomi told you all about our relationship."
Anna nodded her head once more. "I know, I know. It's ridiculous and I'm just being insecure and stupid."
"Is Bryant finished with his dinner?" She asked deciding the change the subject and return to their normal life. It had happened as she expected and once again she was reassured and knew that her fears were unfounded.
Dorian stepped away from her and checked the highchair tray. "It looks like he is just playing with it now." He pulled the tray out so he could pick his son up. "I'll go give him a bath while you finish up in here."
"Alright. Thank you." Anna looked down at her other son who was pushing his peas around his plate. "You have to eat it all. Pushing it around won't make me feel sorry for you."
Garrett looked up at his mother and frowned. "I know."
"The faster you eat them, the quicker you can be in the living room watching TV." Dorian reminded him as he headed out the door.
---***---
Madison put her keys down on the table near the front door and kicked off her high heels. She could hear the little girl's voice coming from the sitting room through the large archway and Ethan's voice would mumble in from time to time. She smiled as she made her way to the archway and looked at Ethan sitting on the couch with his daughter sitting on the floor as she put together a puzzle on the coffee table."Hey."
Morgan looked up at her mother causing her blonde curls to bounce and she jumped to her feet to greet her.
"Morg, Morgie, Morg." Madison chimed as she picked up her daughter and attacked her cheek with multiple kisses. "Did you have fun with daddy today?"
"Yeah, um, yeah. We went to the zoo and, um..." She looked at her father who had come to stand in front her and Madison.
"We went out to dinner." Ethan spoke more to his daughter than to Madison.
"Yeah." She smiled and looked at her mother. "Daddy, um, daddy, he, um, bought me a... he bought me a..." Her eyes turned back to her father. "What is it's name?" She whispered the question to him.
"A bracelet."
Morgan's blue eyes immediately turned back to her mother. "A bracelet."
"He did?"
She nodded her head enthusiastically, but it soon turned into hysterical laughter as she looked behind her mother. Madison looked over her shoulder to find Francis making faces behind her and McKenzie shaking her head as she leaned against the archway's frame.
"Is Uncle Frankie being funny?" Madison asked her daughter in a playful tone.
Francis reached around Madison and tickled the little girl's belly briefly causing her to kick around and laugh.
"Where is William?" Madison asked.
"On a date with that woman again." McKenzie winked at her in a playful way. "The date has lasted since yesterday evening."
"May I speak with you?" Ethan asked.
"Sure." Madison kissed her daughter, before handing her off to McKenzie. "Go play with Aunt Micky and Uncle Frankie for a while, honey. Daddy and I need to talk for a while."
"Come on, Morgie Morg. I was going to bake some cookies, do you want to help?" McKenzie asked as she walked across the hall toward the dining room that would lead them into the kitchen.
"Is... will Uncle Funkie help?"
"Sure, I'll help." Francis announced as he walked behind them heading into the kitchen.
Madison smiled at her sister and brother-in-law. They had both decided not to have any children of their own, due to the lifestyle that they led. Their open marriage wasn't something that the news had reported on or that they were open with the public about, but they didn't want to bring children into it. They both had decided that they wouldn't be good parents, nor would they be happy as parents. They loved playing with Morgan, however, and even tried to goad Jack into having her own and Madison into a second one.
"What's up?" She was still smiling as she and Ethan sat down on the couch.
"I want to run something by you and see what you think." He cleared his throat before he continued. "I've been thinking about my life and how I've only ever dated you. I mean there was that one girl that I slept with, but it was hardly a relationship. I am starting to wonder if maybe I missed out on something."
"I see."
He shook his head. "I'm not asking for a license to sleep around or anything."
"You think that if you slept with someone that would make us even?" She leaned back on the couch.
"I can't lie and say it isn't part of my reasoning for doing this, but I'd like us to stick a pin in our relationship for maybe a year or two."
"And?"
He shrugged. "I want to find out if I am really in love with you or just doing what William told me to. I mean I feel that I am, but I want to know for certain. All rules will apply to you as well. I just want us to live separately for a couple years and find out where we are at the end of it."
Madison leaned forward and crossed her legs. It was her turn now to be patient and understanding with Ethan. He had always been the one to do it for her and her outrageous requests, so she simply nodded in response. She didn't think it was a good idea, but if this is what he wanted then she didn't want to stop him. "What about Morgan? We can't just put a pin in her."
"I know. I won't subject her to anything that I am doing and as far as she knows we are still working out our problems. I just... I just need time, Madison. Time apart and time to heal. Just time where you aren't my concern to find out who I am when I am not William's pawn in your love life."
"I understand."
"But you don't like it, right?"
"Right." She folded her arms as she was becoming more annoyed with the conversation, which was a sign that Ethan was aware of. "I almost feel like you are asking me to give you a relationship like McKenize and Francis have."
"No. I'm asking us to pretend we are divorced for the next year or two, so we can see where we stand at the end of it. Maybe we will find ourselves together and maybe we won't." He grabbed her hand. "I'm not going to just date random women and sleep with them. I wouldn't do that to you or to William. That wouldn't be good for our companies as it would make us all look bad if it was found out."
"Then what are you planning on doing?"
"Just being by myself. Yeah, I might date a woman or two, but I don't have any plans on starting anything serious with anyone. I just want to be a bachelor, you know?" He squeezed her hand more tightly. "I wouldn't expect you to just wait around for me. I want you to enjoy the freedom as well."
"I'll agree, as long as we continue to see each other."
Ethan nodded. "Saturday nights, I'll start having dates with you and the Pratts again. Would that work for you?"
Madison agreed. "As long as I am part of your scheduled dating and have a chance to win you over."
He chuckled in a somewhat embarrassed way. "Hearing you say that makes me feel slightly more secure in our relationship."
"So, no more therapy then?"
"I don't feel it's working for me. All I ever hear from that guy is how I am at fault. I mean he blames you for your mistakes, but it feels like he wants to put the weight on my shoulders. So, if we go back I want someone else. I just don't care for his style."
"Alright. I think we should talk about this more, but I have to go to a party tonight and need to start getting ready."
"Let's have dinner together later this week and we can talk more."
She stood up from the couch. "Call me to set a date and time then."
---***---
"What in all that is good in this world could make you call me in on a Saturday evening; my day off?" Brianna snapped as she entered into the large office. She often thought of how the office and even her own home was several times larger than the small studio apartment she had once lived in. Sometimes she wondered how it was that she had gotten from there to being able to own practically anything she wanted.Darick was standing in front of his desk; digging through a pile of folders on his desk. "I can't find those valuation reports."
She searched the room with her eyes after she placed her hands on her hips. "Where did you see it last?"
"The last time I remember having them was when you were in here. It was a blue folder and you set it on my desk, I asked you to move it to the coffee table and then..." He tossed up his hands.
"That explains why you called me in here."
Brianna had given up on being an accountant when Darick had hired her on as his assistant. She made seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year and knew that odds were against such a hire salary as an accountant. It annoyed her from time to time to think of her time wasted earning that degree only to be Darick's full time nanny, but in truth she enjoyed her job. The only time it ever bothered her was during one of his hissy fits or when some of his more unsavory behaviors come back to haunt him. Those people were normally quickly removed by security, but it was Brianna that had to deal with them being locked out of the office. Of course, Darick's secretary also was a victim in these predicaments.
"I put it on the coffee table and then I left, but that was on Thursday. It could be anywhere by now."
Running his hand through his hair, he followed her lead and looked around the room. "I don't remember looking at them. I couldn't have gone through them and sent them back."
Clicking her tongue, Brianna left the office to use the phone on the empty secretary's desk. She, too, was off on Saturday. Darick continued to look for his folder until Brianna returned after ten minutes.
"They received them. I hate to call one of them at home, but you did go through them already. He said there were a lot of notes. Are you sure it's the valuation reports that you need?"
It wasn't unusual for Darick to forget that he had already done work. The hours he worked and the amount of time and effort he put into it eventually it all became a blur. He would often take other projects off departments that were overrun and work them alone.
There was plenty of work for himself even if he worked long hours, but Darick never took a day off nor did he ever go on vacation. Brianna often enjoyed the time she was on vacation, because she knew Darick was a mess running around trying to figure out her system or even do the things that she normally did for him. She knew this because she had witnessed it herself whenever his secretary was on vacation.
Darick bit his bottom lip briefly. "Huh." It was the only response he could come up with.
She sighed to show her sympathy for him. "Are you seriously looking for more work to do?"
"I can't believe I have nothing. There has to be something." He began to look through the folders again.
"This is what happens when you work twelve to sixteen hours a day seven days a week." She crossed her arms. "Plus, you have me to do some of the work as well. Maybe you should take a weekend off, or are you too afraid of being by yourself?"
Darick glared at her. "I prefer to work than play."
"Well, now you have to do something you don't like. You have..." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, I know what you can do. There is a party tonight. You can do your thing there."
He watched her walk over to his desk and open one of the drawers. She pulled out an invitation for him and offered it over. "I hate parties."
"Yes, well, there are people there and things to do. Or you can go home to your cold and empty apartment and stare at the wall. It's really up to you. I, however, have a loving husband that I would like to get back home to."
"Where were you?"
"Huh?" She had begun to turn around.
"I called you earlier and you didn't answer your phone."
"I know. You actually called thirty four times. It's Saturday that means I meet with my friend. I've told you about this before." Brianna never mentioned Madison in front of Darick, and she rarely mentioned Darick in front of Madison. The two hadn't seen each other since Madison left Cerulean Harbor five years ago and Darick stayed away from anything that she might go to. She thought it was ridiculous that the two had gone to such extreme measures to prevent seeing each other, but it wasn't her life or her problem.
"You don't leave your phone on in case I call?"
"I'm sorry, master, but this is my day off. I have two of them actually and you shouldn't be calling me on these days. I know you like to drown yourself in work every waking moment, but I have hobbies and relationships that I like to attend to."
Though Darick seemed needy and soft around her, he was a real hard ass to everyone else. He didn't like mistakes or being treated with disrespect and everyone knew better then to incur his wrath. There wasn't much about him that changed from college, except now he didn't hit people but destroyed their livelihood. Someone making a million dollar salary could be finding themselves hard pressed to find a job, if they ticked Darick off enough.
He seemed to enjoy the suffering of others a little too much, but Brianna felt safe enough and he allowed her to get away with saying pretty much anything to him. If she thought he went too far then she would say something, but she only did so on rare occasions as she didn't want to make him think she thought she had any real power over him.
"Are you going to go to the party?" She motioned toward the invitation.
His eyes looked down to the white envelope and then back up at her. "What are you doing today?"
"I'm going to spend the evening with my husband and no you can't come along. Go get some friends that aren't from work. I see you for up to ten hours a day five days a week, I don't want to see you in my off time." She flipped him off, before heading out the door.
Darick knew she was only joking as she often left the office in such a manner. She never did anything in front of others though. Some people suspected that Darick treated her differently but in public she put up with his crap as much as the next person. Her cold words and insults were private matters and they liked it that way.