Rin Her husband of three years, Cal, was home for the night. He only came home from the city once or twice a week. He’d crawled into their marital bed and pulled her right towards him, his hands sliding down her body caressively and his mouth hot on her n**k. “I’m home.” He murmured as he tugged at her sleepwear till it was gone. And then his mouth was moving down her body in heated kisses. Kissing both her brests in turn, tugging at her hardening nuts. She sighed at first and then m****d softly as his heated, hungry kisses turned her on. It never took him long to be all hard and wanting of her body. His mouth hit her core and she gasped out in pleasure in their darkened bedroom. Rin slid her hands into his hair and pushed her h**s up to get more of him. She loved him and he was tasting her hungrily. And she gasped as he moved up to tease her cl1t “Do you want me, Rin?” he asked, even though he knew dаmed well she did want him. She was all hot and wet and well on her way to cu'mming for him. He was dаmed go'od in bed, and she often slept exhausted afterwards. “Yes.” She m****d without hesitation and felt his mouth move up her body in soft little nips to her skin. He bit gently at her n**k just below her ear, something she loved; and he knew it, as he pushed himself inside of her, and she m****d as he did so. She could even feel the curve of his smile against her n**k as he took her in a long slow push, something he loved to do never rushed that first moment of taking her for himself. He was not going to be in a rush tonight and she knew it. The man liked to take his time, and she would take all of him for as long as he wanted to have her. She moved with him, slowly and easily. Their bodies worked well together, three years of marriage and they both knew how to please each other. Take their own pleasure and increase it for the other. He’d never been shy about sx, and she’d learned a lot from him. She was crying out for God later as she came, and he pushed himself up and looked down at her, smiled at her. “You know it’s not God giving you that or'gаsm.” He shook his head a little as he slipped from her body and tugged her over onto her stomach. Rin smiled, she knew he wasn’t done and let him grab her wrists and push them up the bed to grab the edge. She was turned on just thinking about what he was going to do. Hold her down and take her all eagerly from behind. She just let him move her about the bed until he had her in the position he wanted, tucked under him like a little frog. “You ready, Rin?” He asked, and she could hear the smile with his murmured words, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her gorgeous husband and nodded at him. “Yes.” She told him as he slid himself against her, and she heard him sigh, something else he liked sliding through her w*******s, half a dozen slides against her, and then he thrvst hard into her. He gripped her h**s and pulled her hard back against him, and she pushed her h**s up a little more and heard him g***n “That’s it,” and he was then just taking her all eagerly, until she was once again crying out in or'gаsm. She felt him cvm, and heard his grunt of satisfaction, before he slipped from her body and lay on the bed next to her. She shifted herself to lay down comfortably on her stomach, and turned her face to look at his profile, in the darkness of the room. It was perfect, she thought to herself absently. “Sleep.” He murmured and smacked her on her b**e backside. She chuckled softly and closed her eyes, loved this man, her husband, and sometimes she could almost believe he loved her back. He could be playful in this bedroom of theirs at times. And it made her heart flutter, like it was doing right now. That little playful swat to her backside extended the intimacy between them. It was hard for her to stay grounded when he was in this bed, or she was on his arm at some business or charity event. But that was why she was here. He’d married her to be on his arm, told her she was beautiful and would look good next to him. They had a marriage contract with no expiry date. He’d told her that one day he’d ask for a divorce, and she’d get a decent settlement from him. All she had to do was stand next to him when it was required. She’d done that, worn many a beautiful dress while on his arm, and heard a few jealous comments from other women around them. Murmuring that she was a nobody and didn’t deserve to be by his side. They thought only someone from high society should be on Calvin Reeves' arm. They didn’t think she suited the position. But she wasn’t some dumb bimbo that didn’t have a degree. She worked from home was all, just needed her laptop and an internet connection. Cal knew this had been the one to approach her, in fact, not the other way around. She’d been talking to a few of those in her field asking about living arrangements. Her lease was up, and she needed to find a new place to live. The owner was kicking her out of the apartment she’d lived in for three years. Cal had offered her a home, this very house, in fact. She looked at him sleeping in the bed next to her and wondered, not for the first time, how she was going to handle the day he asked for a divorce, though she knew it wasn’t going to be anytime soon. He’d stated once when she’d been at his family home playing with his nieces and nephews ‘not until after at least three years of marriage.’ To his mother when she'd asked about them having children. She’d looked at him. They’d only been together for a year at the time, and she’d not expected him to state anything about children ever. He’d smiled at her and stated “You can ask after our third anniversary. She’d turned away from him and not known what to say. She wasn’t even allowed to k**s that man. Not ever. It was the one thing he had demanded in their marriage agreement, that there would be no kissing during their entire marriage, no mouth-to-mouth kissing. Though he had expected it to be a proper marriage other than that. Marital sx was a yes as far as he was concerned, he’d told her simply ‘I like sx, I’ll want it, and you’re a grown woman who has needs. We can sort each other out.’ They’d been married three years now and still he’d kept to that rule. The one time she’d tried to k**s him, pull his mouth to hers during sx, he’d actually stopped and gotten out of their bed and stated “we have rules about that Rin.” And to her complete shock he’d gotten dressed and left the house altogether, she’d tried to apologise told him she’d gotten carried away in the heat of the moment was all. He’d not seemed to care for her apology at the time, and so she’d just dropped the subject. It had been a year and a half into their marriage, and she’d already fallen in love with him. That was why she’d wanted to k**s him, to know what it was like to k**s the man she loved. He was always nice to her, charming and gracious, very attentive when they were out together at a function, smiled at her and danced with her. She’d stupidly fallen into that web he’d woven for the people he socialised with and worked alongside, and had also thought he was in love with her. How wrong she had been. She’d heard him not long after their second anniversary on the phone to his best friend Wil, also his lawyer. ‘The marriage suits me. I’ll divorce Rin when I find Mrs Right.’ It had hurt to hear those words, and she’d had to remind herself she wasn’t the love of his life, and that really good sx did not denote love; but it was so very hard sometimes. When he was here at the house, because he was all hands on with her when he was. Every night was like tonight; when he’d crawled right into their bed and wanted her, know just how to please her and had done so twice, extended that intimacy just a little afterward even. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. It had been three years; their anniversary had been a week ago, and he’d wined and dined her, just like he had their first two wedding anniversaries, and a part of her knew it was all for show. But another part of her had loved every second of it, as she bought into her own lies about the type of marriage they had.

Rin She woke up alone in their bed, and she sighed to herself as she rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. Sometimes they had morning sx as well, and she kind of wanted that right now, as much as she knew she shouldn’t ever really want anything from her husband. She never asked for anything other than here in this bedroom, when he had his hands on her. This house was more than enough: it was large and impressive and there was a housekeeper that came every Monday and Friday, before the weekend and after the weekend. She maintained the house every other day. It wasn’t that hard to do, it was just her that lived here. Cal lived in the city in a penthouse apartment that was just over an hour away. She lay there in their bed and wondered if he’d left already. She glanced at the clock; it was just after seven, he had likely already gone. She always slept like the dead after sx. It relaxed her completely, though she too knew that Cal slept well after sx. Though he never bothered to wake her when he got up in the morning, nope, he'd shower, dress and leave, and she'd wake up alone 50% of the time. She sat up and then got out of bed, showered and dressed for the day. Pulled on a pair of soft cream slacks and a simple silk singlet top in a soft purple, her wardrobe was a far cry from what it had been when she’d moved into this house. Even her u*******r was expensive, because Cal bought most of it. He would occasionally stroll through the door and hand her a bag, smile at her and say “I bought you something. Wear it for me.” She pulled her long thick dark hair up into an easy ponytail and trotted down the stairs, and nearly came to a standstill upon seeing Cal sitting at the dining room table, reading the paper and а-'cup of coffee next to him. He looked at her briefly. “What?” he asked. “Nothing,” she shook her head and went to make coffee for herself. “Do you want breakfast?” she offered. He rarely stayed for meals there with her. “No, I’ll be off shortly. Got a legal appointment at nine,” he stated simply. “Alright.” She nodded and made herself some toast to go with her coffee. Then she debated if today was the day to ask him. She was looking at him while he read the paper, as she held her coffee cup to herself. She didn’t have any family; she had been an orphan for as long as she could remember, moving from one foster home to another. She enjoyed being married even though he wasn’t really here, if she was sick or injured, his name was there as her Next of Kin. She’d never had that before, not until they'd been married. She liked knowing that she could write his name there on those forms that required her to fill it in. “What is it Rin? You're burning a hole in me,” he stated. “Oh, sorry.” She took her toast and walked over to sit at the table. “I didn’t mean to stare.” She knew that was something he considered rude, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that they’d just had their three-year anniversary. She could ask for a baby, and his child would be adorable. “Rin?” he huffed and looked at her, folding the newspaper and getting up after another minute of her just staring at him. “Just tell me what you’re thinking. Do you want something?” he asked. “N…no, nothing like that. I just, well, we’ve been married for three years now.” she kind of stammered a bit. “Yes.” He nodded and drank the remainder of his coffee. “You once told me, I, we, could have a baby after three years of marriage.” She bit the bullet and told him what she was thinking. “Did I, I don’t recall that.” He frowned right at her. “Yes, it was just after our first anniversary at your mother's house,” she told him. She recalled it very vividly. “For mothers' benefit only then… Did you try and get pregnant last night?” he was suddenly frowning right at her now. “No, I’m still on birth control.” She shook her head and looked at her watch. It was almost time to go and take it, she realised. “Good, stay on it,” Cal stated and headed for the door. “There will be no baby inside this marriage.” He looked right at her. “I mean that, not inside this marriage, am I clear.” “Yes.” She murmured as pain touched her chest. She watched him leave the room and thought about those very words ‘there will be no baby inside this marriage.’ ‘For his mother's benefit,’ but he’d looked at her that day and nodded at her, as if to tell her yes he meant it. They could have a baby together if their marriage lasted that long. The man she loved, her husband, didn’t want to have a baby with her. When she left this marriage she would once again be alone. A part of her she knew, was so freaking stubid as to think he would want that with her. She was just a contract wife. A convenience for him to show he was a family man was all. She got up and walked outside. Maybe it was time to ask for a divorce herself, either one of them could ask for it. There was an exit clause, though if she asked for it, she had to give up everything and leave with nothing. Her whole life was here now, revolved around that man. She’d learned how to eat correctly, dance properly, and had etiquette lessons that first year as well. She even learned how to apply make-up and do her hair. All things that were needed to be his wife, to be seen on his arm. The only things she didn’t get in this marriage was an actual wedding, his heart, and to k**s the man she loved. Everything else was hers until they got divorced. She walked up to the cliff at the end of the property and sat down on the seat that was there. It was her favourite place to go and think. The wind would whip away her thoughts and clear her mind, and she liked the smell of the salty sea breeze as well. She felt more than a little stubid right at the moment; she should have held her tongue and she knew it. Should have known better than to ask to have a family. She, and family; those two things she didn't think really mixed. Though his family liked her, and she got along with his mother and father, his sister all quite well. They were nice normal people, everyday average people like she was. Cal had not been born wealthy, he had created his own wealth at 25, made a name for himself and continued to do so to this day. He ran his own company, enjoyed buying smaller companies and absorbing them, growing them, head-hunting the top computer programmers. She knew who they all were. That was her world. Though she worked remotely now, she could work anywhere in the world. She sat up there and looked over the ocean as she wondered where she would go when she got that divorce, and wondered if she should start looking now. He'd been unhappy with her question and she knew it; she recognised that expression on his face. That one question could well be her undoing in this marriage. She sighed softly and looked out there at the ocean and wondered if one day she would have someone to call, son or daughter. Though she knew right now that it wasn’t going to be with Cal, that was now a given. “There will be no baby in this marriage.” She mimicked his words. But then she huffed at herself and got up. She wanted a baby, and she wasn’t getting any younger; She was already 28. Maybe it was time to move on, away from him and this life he gave her, but also at the same time, how could she? When she loved him.

Calvin He stood prowling around in Wil’s office. The man was on the phone, and it wasn’t even 9am yet. Cal was annoyed right this minute, his plan to ask for a divorce this morning had not happened. Rin had just completely blindsided him with that question about her wanting a baby with him. “What’s got you all worked up?” Wil finally asked when he ended the call. The man had been watching him prowl around the room. “Did Rin lose it when you asked for the divorce?” “No, I didn’t ask her for one,” he muttered. “What? Why not? That was the plan,” Wil stated with a frown. “I just couldn’t. She was happy last night, giggled at me and then this morning…” he sighed. “She asked me about having a baby.” “What!” Wil stared at him now. “Yeah, that was my reaction.” Calvin stated, “How could I ask for a divorce on the back of that conversation? She would think it was because she had asked for a baby. That’s just wrong, I’m not that cruel.” “You say that, but that girl is in love with you, Calvin, you said so yourself. Told me she was all curled into you after your second wedding anniversary and murmured she loved you in her half-addled sleep state.” “I know,” he muttered, and a slight smile touched his face at the memory of it. She’d been so cute, hugged into him patted his chest a little and sighed all softly, kind of dreamily murmured ‘I love you, Cal.’ She was the only one allowed to call him Cal. Everyone else called him Calvin or Mr Reeves. “You should have asked for a divorce back then,” Wil muttered, "now look at what you’ve got yourself into." “I wasn’t ready then.” He sighed and sat down on the man’s couch, and he hadn’t been. Yes, she was his wife, but it was contract marriage and he’d never looked at her in any other way than that. “I have to ask for it now, I just couldn’t do it today as planned.” “Well, the sooner, the better, you know this. Even a no-contest divorce, which it will be, will take six weeks to settle and be finalized, so I suggest you start making those plans of yours come to light. Or she might just ask for it herself. Do you really want that?” “No,” he muttered. “It has to come from me,” he nodded. “I’ll sort my end out today. I know where she dreams of going on holiday. It’s not half obvious her screen saver is the place she wants to go.” “Then make the plans, you keep her passport, right?” Wil stated. “Yes, it’s with mine. I’ll get it all sorted out, the flights and accommodation, the tours I know she’ll want to go on.” he nodded decisively. His mind was made up. “It’s a lot of effort for a divorce, you know that right.” Wil shook his head. “Mm, I’m the good guy, remember.” Though he didn’t feel like it right now, that girl had nobody, dumped in an orphanage and then raised in the foster system. He was surprised she was so well-adjusted. He shook that off and stood up. “When will the papers be drawn up?” “When you list off what you want in them, I’ll draw it up today I got the time, no court today myself. What is she getting?” “The house we share, and four million dollars should do it. Then that holiday all paid to her dream destination. I’ll make it first class, as well.” He would spoil her a little, she deserved it. “Are you sure you want to do it this way, Calvin. You could simply...” “No, it has to be this way. We have to get divorced, it’s the only way I see her being happy. She’ll understand my intent is to let her go, so she can be happy in the future.” “It could backfire, you know, I’d be willing to bet there is a temper in that wife of yours.” “Hmm, I’ve never seen it,” he shook his head. “She’s too sweet to yell and scream and pitch a fit. Likely just stare at me and mutter ‘right where are the papers.’” Or that was what he was hoping for. “I don’t want a big scene made out of this, keep it low-key and out of the papers.” “So when are you going to do it? Will you be delivering the papers yourself? Or will I be the bad guy for your sweet-natured, loving wife?” Wil muttered. “I understand you don’t like it, Wil, but we can’t go on in our marriage as it is. It’s not right and you know it. I can never tell her I love her back, so it’s time to get divorced.” He stated “If you can get everything drawn up by tomorrow, we’ll both go to the Cliffside Estate, and I’ll tell her I want a divorce and you, my friend, can hand her the papers.” “Yay, I ain’t getting in the way if she tries to smack you one.” “She won’t,” Cal stated, and she wouldn’t. She wasn’t that kind of woman. “Getting her heart broken, she just might. I’ll have them ready to go in the morning. Best you sign them prior to going out there, so I can file them on the day, so that six-week wait starts right away. Cal nodded and headed off to his own office. It was going to be a long and infuriatingly frustrating day, and he knew it. His mind was going to be distracted with those words she’d uttered this morning. A baby, she wanted to have a baby with him, inside a contract marriage. It was not the right thing to do, to bring a child into a marriage like they had. So, no, he would not only not have a baby with her, he would divorce her to make sure she would understand him. He spent the day sorting out airfares and accommodation, checked on tours of the area and booked several of them: a vineyard tour, a hot air balloon ride, horseback riding on the beach. A dinner cruise on a nice yacht and a spa day, he booked the best hotels and made sure there were luxury transfers. All the things she’d talked about with his own mother, all the things his mother told him he should do with her,” take your wife on vacation son, make it romantic and relax, enjoy each other.” He knew what that meant. She wanted him to have a baby with his wife. Come home pregnant is what she meant. He looked at the list of things, and printed out the itinerary. It was quite extensive, a full month-long holiday in Italy. She would really like that, she would see he’d made the effort to give her something she was interested in, her dream destination. She’d not had a holiday in the three years they’d been married, his schedule kind of hindered that. He always had events, whether they be business or charity, here or in other states or outside the country. He put it all together and got her passport from the safe, flipped through it. She’d been on two business trips with him, and he’d bedded her relentlessly those days they’d stayed together. His wife was beautiful and had a smile that could melt any man's heart. That was why he needed a divorce. He wanted her to be truly happy, and she could not be that inside their contract marriage, something that was full of rules and stipulations, things he kept in place to protect her and himself. Not that it had seemed to help protect her, she’d still managed to fall in love with him. It was time to end their sham of a marriage in favour of happiness and contentment. She wasn’t going to like it, be heartbroken, but it was for the best. He couldn’t stay in that contract marriage if he couldn’t give her what she truly wanted, and he could not.

Rin She was out the back of the house, sitting in the shade of a large tree on a blanket. The morning was sunny, but cool, and the breeze coming off the ocean was gentle. She was working outside this morning, being cooped up in that big house for the past two days without so much as a single word from Cal, had kind of felt suffocating. She understood he was mad at her, and that those words he’d spoken were in fact the truth. The manuscript she was working on had turned dark and emotional, to match her mood. Though she had used those feelings she’d had of heartache and loneliness to add a new twist to the tale she was weaving. Even now she was typing away out here, she’d not really slept all that much last night, she had tossed and turned and, in the end gotten herself up to write, because it was the one thing that could shut her own emotions off or pour them into her writing. She turned her head at the sound of a car coming up the driveway and frowned instantly. Cal never came home at this time of the day. She wasn’t even dressed appropriately, she was just sitting out here in an old pair of shorts and a tee-shirt. She did always try to dress nicely when he was around. These were clothes from her old days. She’d been feeling nostalgic and so had rummaged through her old clothes, to be her old self. She had a feeling she was about to be shoved back into her old life, and so she was dressed to match her mood. She turned back to her work. It was unlikely he was there to see her. At this time of the day, he likely needed something from his office; he did have one here, though she never went in there. He’d told her once not to, and had also pointed out the camera that was in there. It was motion activated and would alert his phone if she did go in there. She’d not really cared about it, didn’t work in his industry, though she knew a fair few of those that worked in his tech department. She had a computer science degree and could, if she so chose to, could go and sit in her office inside his building in the city and work all day long. She and the team she worked for, had been absorbed by C.R. Technology just before he and she had gotten into the marriage contract; that was how he’d come across her. She was the one that checked for bugs and glitches in the gaming programmes they made. She was smart technology-wise, just not so smart in the emotional department. She had given her heart to the man she was married to, and she shouldn't have. She caught movement in her peripheral vision and turned to look, to see not only Cal coming this way but his friend and lawyer, Wil, as well. Her eyes moved to the envelope in Wil's hand; It was large. Denoting a contract of some sort. Here it comes she told herself, and wondered how she was going to explain herself to the team, that she’d gotten divorced, when everything in her life looked wonderful, and that she had an amazing husband. They were a team of girls, and they all thought she was so very lucky to have the love of a man like Calvin Reeves. Little did they know she did not have his heart, and as she watched him walk towards her, Rin finally realised it was true. He may have hers, but she would never have his. It was all just a show for the public, something to keep his public image clean and family-orientated. She closed her laptop so that no prying eyes would see what she was working on. It was nothing to do with his company. Not even Cal knew she had a second career. She'd needed to keep that part of her life solely for herself, for the day she got divorced and she was once again all alone. She’d never told anyone, she'd always worried it would be a complete and utter failure. Though it was not, it had taken off really well a year and a half ago, and if she was completely honest with herself, she’d kept it from Cal on purpose, because she knew this day would come, and she needed something to fall back on. She had a secret career under her pen name Marilyn Riddley. Her romance novels sold quite well, and she now had two books in print. The rest were all online, but she had made it, and could actually earn a living from it. Not be super wealthy, but enough to sit at home and work on the next one, instead of having to go into the office and work in the computer lab. When their divorce was finalised, she would leave her life as Marrin Reeves and become Marilyn Riddley, move away from this city, where everyone would know her as the ex-wife of Calvin Reeves. She would move to some place where no one would know her and she could live her life small and peacefully, and never have to hear his name or see him with another woman on his arm, because she knew that would just be painful for her to look at, read about in the papers or see online. She was going to have to leave his company, it was part of the marriage contract. When they divorced, she would move on from the company so as not to cause gossip or awkwardness for him. Though he had told her he’d personally write her a glowing reference for the work she’d participated in within his company. So it would be easy for her to get another job in her field. He might be able to see her in her field at those conferences without issue, but she doubted she’d be able to look at him with some other woman on his arm, and not feel uncomfortable inside her chest. If he had the audacity to k**s another woman in front of her, she’d likely lose it completely, even though those l**s of his were never to be hers, not for a single second. That didn’t mean she didn’t think about how it would feel to have him k**s her. Would it be all soft and sensual? Or would it be all hard and demanding? Or would it be light and playful even? She wanted to experience it all, but would never get to. No, that was only for the woman he would love, Mrs Right. Her heart ached as she looked at him. He was dressed as immaculately as always; a dark blue suit, white dress shirt and a blue and gold tie. He had a hand in his pants' pocket as he walked across the lawn towards hers with Wil next to him. She saw him chuckle softly and even Wil chuckled right after him. A small part of her clung to the hope that she was wrong. This was not about them getting divorced at all, because how could he be smiling and laughing with Wil? If they were here to serve her with divorce papers. That was not a funny matter, but a serious matter. She stood up to greet them, and she saw his eyes look over her outfit, and a frown marred his handsome face; he didn’t like her wearing this type of clothing. It was not something he’d bought for her or approved of her wearing. She smiled at him like she always did. “Cal, you’re not normally here at this time of the day.” She stated. “Is that why you’re dressed like that?” he asked right back, and she could hear the disapproval in his voice. “Didn’t I purchase you proper summer clothing?” She looked down at her old clothes and half smiled. “I’m going to do some gardening. These are appropriate wear for that.” She looked back to him. “Hmm, I suppose they are only good for getting dirty.” He nodded and looked right at her. “It’s time to get divorced, Rin,” he told her. There was no hesitation in his words. “If you could sign the papers today, I’d appreciate it. It will take six weeks for the finality of it to come through.” And there it was. She’d not been wrong, and she just knew that one question she’d stupidly asked him had brought this about. Why oh why couldn’t she have kept it to herself? Said nothing and ignored her need to have a baby with the man she loved. Monumentally stubid, she told herself as she stood there staring at him. Wondering if telling him she was sorry and hadn’t meant it would work to keep him by her side. Though it was only a fleeting thought, she knew he'd made up his mind. Her eyes moved to Wil as he opened the envelope he was carrying and pulled out the documents inside it. It wasn’t just a simple piece of paper, it looked to be quite extensive. She could well imagine there was a non-disclosure agreement there as well, for her not to ever talk about their marriage contract. “It’s a no-contest divorce as per our marriage contract,” Cal stated. “I have also organised for you to go overseas on a holiday. You’ve not been able to take a vacation in the past three years, that we were married. I’ve accounted for that and an all-expenses paid trip has been organised for you, as part of the divorce agreement.”

Rin She raised an eyebrow at him now, at those words of never having taken a vacation. She’d often gone away with him to those exhibitions and conferences. That were about computer engineering and software releases or game creators looking for investments; things that he wanted to get in on or try and buy the rights to, if a small company was looking for backers. Two or three days in his company, four or five times a year, where they would stay in a five-star hotel, eat all their meals together, hа've sex every night and sometimes in the morning, a few times in the afternoon even. Rin counted all of them as being away on vacation, little mini-vacations with him, but he did not she now knew. She heard his phone ring, and he pulled it from his jacket pocket to look at it. “I’ve got to answer this,” He stated and turned to go, but then pointed to the papers as she took them from Wil. “Sign that.” He told her and walked away to take his call. She watched him go, just walked away uncaring that her heart was filling with pain inside her chest. She doubted that man even knew she was in love with him. There would be no convincing him not to get a divorce, and she knew it, he’d already walked away dismissively. She turned her eyes away from him and his retreating back and looked at the papers. Ignoring the pen that Wil was now holding out to her, to use to sign the papers like Cal wanted her to; she wouldn’t sign anything without reading it. She stood there and flipped through the vacation that had been planned out for her. Her passport was attached to the holiday plans, something he kept in his office safe, for when needing to make impromptu travel arrangements which needed her passport details. She’d not had one until they’d gotten married. He’d organized it because at times they’d have to go overseas. Yes, there was a first class plane ticket, a couple of layovers to get there, but first class the entire trip. There was five-star hotel accommodation at all the places she would stay and chauffer-driven transfers to all the places she was to visit. It was quite extensive and there were plenty of tours to attend, all in Italy, a place she did actually want to go. Though those tours she thought were more things for couples to do, she wondered if his secretary had planned this with the thought that they would be going away together, instead of it being a parting gift for their divorce. She moved to the actual divorce papers. Just two pages long. She was to get the house she now lived in and four million dollars, the day after the divorce was finalised in six weeks' time. She frowned at that, they’d never really discussed a settlement. He’d just told her she’d be given compensation for the time she spent as his wife. She turned to the last page of it, and she could see that he’d already signed and dated it. He’d not only had it drawn up but made sure this would be over quickly as well. She’d heard his tone and the way he’d pointed to the papers, he expected her to do it right now while he stood there waiting. Or Wil stood here, Cal had already walked away uncaring. She looked at her husband of three years, as he still walked away across the lawn, was talking on the phone. That call was more important than even saying goodbye to her. She understood that he was a busy man, but one would think he could give her his undivided attention for the few minutes it would take for her to sign these papers; She really did mean nothing to him at all. Her eyes moved to Wil as he cleared his voice, and he held that pen out to her once more. “Please sign it Marrin.” He used her full name, just like she was the only one to call Calvin, Cal. Cal was the only one to call her Rin. It was seen as intimate and something that they did as husband and wife, was personal and private just for the two of them. “You really expect me to sign something, I’ve barely glanced at. I’m not that stubid, William.” She stated, “I’ll sign it after I’ve read through it properly and made sure everything is in order.” Wil stared at her now, looked a little shocked to her. “I deal with contracts all the time, and I’ll compare it to the marriage contract make sure it’s all sorted out properly according to that. Calvin can suk it up, it’ll be all of one extra day of waiting. If he’s that impatient to divorce me, he should have sent it to me last night when he signed it and came to collect it this morning.” She told him and turned and walked away. She heard William sigh but didn’t look back at him. Yes, she had noted that Calvin had signed it yesterday. She would look at it with her marriage contract right there. Right this minute, however, she needed a moment to keep her composure and not fall apart in front of either of them, so she walked away as Calvin himself had done. She would do as she stated, and she would sign it; her word was good. She just needed a minute, and didn’t want to do it in front of either of them, so she went and sat up there on the cliff to take a moment for herself, like she always did. This was it. She was getting divorced, he’d move on and away from her, and she’d be stuck somewhere between still loving him and hating him at the same time. Hating him for his uncaring manner in the way this was delivered. Why couldn’t he just take ten minutes out of his day to sit down and show her himself, explain it and sign it with her at the same time? She turned and looked down to the house. He was already at his car, and she watched them get in and leave, and felt tears fall down her face. That was it, and she knew it. He was gone, never to be seen here in this house again. He’d just left her without even so much as a thank you for helping me out, or it was nice being married to you, not even so much as a goodbye, Rin. He just drove away and was gone. She looked down at the papers in her hand and crumpled them a bit. She had to take a few steadying breaths in and out and she told herself “You knew this was coming, suk it up princess. It was a fairytale inside your own head.” She sat up there for a long time, before finally getting up and returning to the house. A house he’d only ever come to, in order to climb into her bed and sate his sexual needs. Not a house he’d ever come to just to unwind and sit and talk. No, he had a full social group of friends in the city for that. Rin sighed as she collected her laptop, and went inside. It was apparently her house now. A snort of derision came from her. It had always been her house. He didn’t live here, only she did. He’d bought this place for her to live in. He had asked her just once before they’d gotten married, “what type of house do you want to live in.” She recalled staring at him that day, and he’d nodded. “Just tell me I’ll make sure you have a comfortable home while we’re married.” She’d not really ever thought about having a home of her own and had shrugged “something with an ocean view.” And this was the house he’d found. It was called Cliffside Manor, because that was exactly what it was. She read through the divorce papers properly as she sat and tried to eat lunch. She wasn’t all that hungry but should eat, couldn’t get suked into that, mentality of I’m not going to eat, and let herself just wither away because the man she loved didn’t love her. No, she was better than that, stronger than that. She'd learned no one loved her even as a child. This was no different to that. She'd just stupidly deluded herself into thinking it was real was all, when even she knew it wasn't, even knew why; because love was something she craved, family was something she as an orphan had always dreamed of having one day.

Rin She walked into Wil’s office the next morning at 9am and stood staring at him. He smiled up at her as if nothing in the world was wrong, “Good morning Marrin.” “Is it really?” she stated right back to the man, who had tried to dupe her into signing her life away. “I’ve made amendments to the divorce papers. Calvin will either like it and lump it or we can go to court and make it messy,” she stated as she leaned over and put the papers on the desk. “What?” Wil frowned, “that divorce is in order, you get everything you’ve had for the past three years.” “Do I now?” she stated, and turned the page to where it stated everything would be given to her the day after the divorce was officially finalised. Which was the day after she was to fly out to Italy. “I don’t think I’ll get anything with that statement.” “Of course you will. It’s a legal and binding document.” “Oh, and just when will I be living in the house, seeing as Calvin had decided to send me away overseas to never come back.” “What are you talking about Marrin, I don’t understand.” He huffed. “Oh don’t you, I’m not some dumb bimbo, that I can’t see that holiday he has given me, is one way. There is no return ticket, just a month in Italy with no return to the states. He’s sending me away for good. So that house, just when would I live in it if I’m not to come back. I guess he never thought I’d really look at the planned trip.” “Marrin, that is not what is going on here.” “I believe it is. So, seeing as he wants me gone, I’ll go, but I have three conditions for him to be rid of me. If I’m to disappear from my life and my friends, as he so clearly has decided that this is in his best interest, I guess.” She turned to the page of amendments she’d created. “One, I want that house value in cash, he can keep the house. Do whatever he wants with it,” she stated flatly. “It’s just a house to him and to me, it's not a home. Its only value is money to him. So, cash instead of the house, and I want the settlement date to be one week prior to my leaving, to make sure he doesn’t just conveniently leave me broke, in an unknown country unable to support myself.” She saw Wil frown. Yes, she knew how to play hardball. “Two, I want Calvin to pick me up and take me to the airport himself and not some chauffeur. He, himself, drove me there. I want him to get out of the car and get my luggage out, and put it next to me on the footpath. If he wants to send me away, then he can bloody do it himself, in person.” She pointed to the clause. “I think I’ve earned that much, don’t you?” “Three, I want him to k**s me goodbye at the airport, just one k**s.” She muttered, hating herself for wanting that from him, but that man had the audacity to try and send her away, and not even tell her it was for good. That he wasn’t having her come back, she understood him and his one-way plane ticket. So she would hit him back in the same manner and make him do something he didn’t want to do. Wil was just staring at her. She knew he’d been the one to write their marriage contract and that no k**s clause was in it. “He won’t do that Marrin.” Wil shook his head. “Yes, he will, he’s a billionaire, and I, a lonely orphan he took advantage of. That’s how it will go in court,” she rapped out. Wil was glaring at her now. “Are you so cruel, Marrin? That you’d drag him through the mud over a single k**s?” “Yes, apparently I’m petty, and I’m angry that he sees fit to rid me of my life and friends, send me away to a place where I don’t speak the language and leave me there, abandon me to an unknown country. I think some compensation is in order for that to happen.” Wil looked more than angry now with her. “I don’t care for your expression, William, it’s just one k**s, and I’ll be gone from his life and never come back. He’ll be seen as the doting husband sending his wife off on a trip is all. If anyone sees it happen, it will not harm his reputation, likely only make him look more loving and caring. He can suk it up,” she snapped. “Just one k**s before divorcing me. I don’t think it’s that hard a thing to do. He can take it or leave it. I’ll sign that right now in front of you if he agrees.” “Right now?” he asked. “Yes.” She stated “I’ll leave like he wants, he’ll never have to see me again. The last time he will ever have to look at me is when I walk into that airport. I’ll wait, you call him.” She stated, and walked over to sit on the couch in his office. She would wait, it was a bloody bluff and she knew it. She’d never drag him through court, but she would make him think so, and she would get just one k**s from the man she loved before leaving and never seeing him ever again. “I’ve not seen this side of you before,” Wil muttered. “Not many do,” she answered him, “but you all forget I’ve always been on my own, can deal with anything thrown at me. Including being kicked out of the country. But I will go on my own terms, not his.” She heard him sigh a little on the heavy side and watched him make the phone call to Calvin, tell him not only was she in his office, she had made amendments to the divorce papers. He read them out, and looked right at her afterwards. She knew Calvin was upstairs in his office on the 15th floor. She didn’t think he was going to come down here and yell and scream at her. She also didn’t think that her demands were that unreasonable. The only thing she’d actually changed was the house for cash. He had billions. What that house was worth was probably a pittance to him, pocket change, or he’d make back in a day on interest. There was silence for a solid three minutes and then Wil disconnected the call and looked right at her. “He agrees, will sign this today himself, after you do, and I’ll courier over your copy of it.” “Right.” she nodded and got up, walked over and took the pen he was holding out to her and signed her name as Marrin Reeves for the last time. She pulled her letter of resignation out of her handbag and handed it to him. “You can deal with that.” She stated, “My end is done.” And she turned and walked from the office. “What is it?” he called after her. “My resignation.” She called right back over her shoulder. She returned to her home and looked at her funds. She’d made enough money as Marilyn Riddley to afford to put a deposit down on a house of her own. She would start looking for that today. And when that divorce settlement came in, she would pay it all in one go and finally own something of her own; that no one could take away from her. The only question was where did she want to go and what scenery did she want around her to help with her creativeness. All she did know was she wasn't going to have a house near the ocean, so she supposed that one thought helped her with her decision no state that bordered the ocean. If not the ocean, then it had to be a forest or mountain, maybe on a river. She wondered if she could get all of those things in a new place to live. She would find somewhere quiet and out of the way, a place where no one knew Calvin Reeves or what his ex-wife looked like. She just needed a small cottage really, somewhere she could be alone with her thoughts. She'd always been on her own, so living alone in the middle of nowhere would probably suit her quite well. But where was that quiet place going to be?

Calvin He walked into Wil’s office. “Did she sign it?” he asked, walking over to his desk. “She did,” Wil nodded. “I honestly don’t think I’ve seen her like that before. I think she’s ticked off.” The man sighed. “You're really sure this is the right way, Cal, because I’m thinking now it’s going to backfire on you.” “It won’t,” he stated. “We’ve discussed this before. I need a clear-cut statement so she’ll know the truth. That is what will do that. What was she so ticked off about? You didn’t state why she made the changes, only that if I didn’t agree she’d take me to court.” “Do you think she’d really do that?” Wil asked. “No,” Calvin stated as he sat down taking the papers from Wil, “She’s not that kind of person.” He saw her signature, small and neat, unlike his big bold flourish. “The cash though, instead of the house I bought for her, tailored to her liking even? That is curious to me. She, from all I can see, loves the house, maintains it, plants trees and flowers.” His eyes moved to Wil as he took out his pen to sign his name next to the amendments on the divorce papers. “Mm, her reason being you’re sending her away. She doesn’t think she’ll get what you’re offering if she leaves before, she gets it.” Wil shook his head. “I never saw her as materialistic.” “She not,” Cal murmured, and leaned back in his chair. “She doesn’t spend any of my money, has a credit card and only uses it when I tell her to go and buy something to wear for a function.” He signed those amendments. “Does she think I will stiff her out of the settlement.” “That was the impression I got, considering her view on you sending her away.” Wil nodded. Cal frowned at him now, “I’m not sending her away, it’s an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy.” He corrected the man. “I told her that myself, yesterday.” “You did. She, however, saw the one-way plane ticket and deduced, you’re not only divorcing her, but kicking her out of the country. If she’s not paid prior to leaving, like you wanted to wait until the day after the divorce is settled, which is the day after she leaves for that trip. If you don’t pay up, she’ll not be able to afford to come back. So, kicking her out.” Cal huffed now. “That is not what I’m doing.” “Look, I told you this was not the right way to divorce her. You somehow got it in your head that it needs to be this way. We could have just changed the marriage contract to suit your and her needs. It would have been easier, and she’d not be mad at you right now. I guarantee she is, called you Calvin.” he held out a piece of paper. “This is her resignation.” Cal sighed, “Don’t read into that Wil, it’s part of our contract when the marriage is over, she has to resign.” “Well, she did.” He waved the paper at him. “You want to read it.” Cal sighed now, by the sound of that, the answer was going to be 'no'. He looked at it. It was short (I, Marrin Huxley resign from C.R. Technology.) He looked at Wil, “And what is wrong with it? No muss, no fuss, just how I like things.” “God you're thick sometimes, for a genius. Marrin Huxley. She’s Marrin Reeves, already either changed her name back or is going to in the next few days.” “That’s fine.” He shrugged. “I don’t see the problem with it. Make things smoother, in fact.” Wil was just staring at him, “You don’t understand girls, that’s her way of telling you goodbye. She told me she’d leave, and you’d never have to see her again.” “It’ll be fine,” Cal stated simply. “I’m trying to tell you I don’t think it will be. Let me tear this up and call her back here for a change of contract.” “No. I don’t want this contract marriage to continue and if we did, she’d still want that baby, and there will certainly be no baby within a contract marriage between her and I.” Calvin stated and got up. “Trust me in my process, she’ll understand me when she meets me again after the divorce is finalized.” “You’re insane Calvin, why on earth divorce a woman you want to be married to?” “For that very reason, Wil,” he stated, and put the two sets of papers on the table, “file that with the judge and file that with HR.” He stood up and headed out of the office. His plan was simple in his mind, and it would work. He knew that. Though her clauses for divorce made him chuckle, she was trying to make him actually say goodbye to her, and he knew it. Actually, seeing her off on her trip, she was so cute sometimes, it made him shake his head. He didn’t think she understood how cute she was. His wife was beautiful. He’d heard it many times from those around him, “Your wife is not only beautiful, but smart too. Got yourself a whole package.” Some of the business people around him told him. “I know,” was his usual response unless she was standing next to him, and then he would smile at her, and k**s her temple and “Perfect she is.” would come out of him. She’d blush when he said that, just something else that made her cute. It’s why the divorce was on the quiet side. He didn’t want the world around him. All those men looking at her and getting any ideas that they could seduce her into their beds. If she changed her name back to Huxley it would probably be for the best anyway. He packed up his office and headed for his apartment to get ready for Wil’s engagement party at 7pm. He’d not expected to see Rin there. They’d just signed the divorce papers today, but she was standing in the room talking to Wil’s fiancée, Anabell. Standing there wearing a lovely cocktail dress that fell to her knees. It was a medium shade of purple; a chiffon dress, which was quite simple but elegant at the same time. He knew she had likely called Anabell and asked about the dress code or what colour she herself was going to wear so that Rin wouldn’t be seen to wear anything that would upstage Anabell. She was considerate like that. Played it down but still looked lovely in her dress. Her hair was pulled half up, and slightly curled. She in no way outshone Anabell’s ivory lace dress, which was lovely and elegant, fit for her engagement party as well as a lawyer's wife. Anabell smiled at him. “Calvin,” she greeted him and then smiled at Rin. “You lucky woman, he’s always so handsome.” Calvin chuckled softly at her words and walked over, leaned down and murmured in her ear, “Now don’t let Wil, hear you say that.” And leaned back to see her giggle a little. She was a lovely woman, but a bit on the cheeky side, was in law school herself, and still had a year to go. She was good for Wil. He’d never seen his friend smile so much in the past year and a half of knowing her. His eyes moved to Rin, and he smiled at her, the way he always did. No one knew about their divorce, and he stepped right up next to her. “You look lovely.” He murmured softly. “Thank you,” she stated, “I’ll get you a drink.” And then she walked away from him. Cal frowned, that wasn’t normal for them, and she always complimented him back. He watched her walk away and asked the bartender for a drink. The man smiled right at her, all charm, and his jaw ticked instantly as he heard that man f***t with his wife. “Still get jealous after three years of marriage.” Anabell slipped her hand through his arm, and leaned on him, and he looked down at her, as she smiled at him. “I hope Wil, will be just like you and still get jealous after we’re married.” She told him. “All husbands should get jealous of anyone flirting with their wife, if not, why stay married at all?” he told her. “Now where is Wil?” “He got held up with a judge this afternoon; running late.” She shook her head. “Nothing unusual about that.” He turned at his name, “Calvin, your drink.” And he frowned right at Rin. She never used his full name, but he watched her hold out a drink to him, a Whiskey neat. She was also holding two Champaigne flutes in the other hand. He took his drink, and she handed one flute to Anabell. “Ah, I see Winnie.” She smiled and walked off to go and talk to another. “Oh, you’re in the dog house I see.” Anabell smiled. “She doesn’t normally leave your side.” “Appears that way.” he nodded and sipped his whiskey, as his eyes followed Rin across the room. “Hey hands off my woman.” Wil’s voice rang out. He turned and looked at his best friend who was pulling his jacket off by the door. Many laughed, and Anabell slipped her hand from his arm instantly to go and k**s her fiancée. He watched Wil slide a hand around Anabell’s n**k and use his thumb to tilt her face up towards him as his mouth lowered to hers, to k**s her all soft and sensual, uncaring of who saw them.