Chapter 4: Becomes 4

Bill’s POV

I find myself staring at the door, just waiting for Serena to come into our room.

The truth is, I didn’t actually need to work on the Johnson and Haines proposal. I just needed a reason to get Serena to stop bringing up divorce. But now, here I am, typing away on my laptop, rewriting the same words over and over to look busy.

I don’t get why Serena was being so damn irrational. First, she threw a tantrum at dinner, embarrassing herself in front of everyone. Then, she goes and accuses me of ignoring her just because I was chatting with Doris.

And now, out of the blue, she was talking about wanting a divorce. Something’s not adding up here.

Serena wasn’t like this before we got married. One thing I always admired about her was how she stayed calm and wise, even under pressure. It’s like a switch flipped in her head, and now she’s a totally different person.

Is it because I don’t give her enough of my time? I knew I had become more busy after we got married. I promised to take care of her, and I think I’ve done a decent job at that. My company is now worth billions of dollars because of the effort and focus I’ve put in.

I just don’t want Serena to feel like she’s in a sinking ship, like what happened with her dad’s company. I don’t want her to have to struggle like she did before.

Sometimes I wish she didn’t always see me as the bad guy here. I’m not big on talking, but if it means we need to see a marriage counselor to open up more, I’m willing to give it a shot with her.

But I can’t figure out why she’s got a problem with Doris. A few weeks back, I realized Doris was my childhood friend. I noticed she was wearing the seashell bracelet I gave her after she saved me from those bullies at the beach.

I sometimes catch myself thinking, what if Serena was more like Doris? She understands that I have a lot on my plate. Doris also never expects more than I’m able to give and she’s been quite helpful in assisting me with business matters.

Unlike Doris, Serena would start these silly arguments out of nowhere. I guess she wanted my full attention. But with all the craziness at work, the last thing I need is feeling like I have to babysit someone at home too.

I wait a little longer for Serena to come in. Maybe if I fuck her good tonight, she’d shut up about divorcing me. But she doesn’t show up. It looks like I’ll be spending the night alone.

Tomorrow’s agenda is packed with an important meeting, and I have to visit Mom as well. Dealing with Serena will have to wait.

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

Whenever I pull up to Mom’s house, it never fails to impress me. The mansion shows off our family’s wealth, amid well-kept gardens. The driveway, a long stretch of perfectly laid cobblestone, leads up to the main entrance. The grounds are filled with artistic sculptures and a fountain that looks straight out of a luxury magazine.

As I’m about to enter, I run into Calvin on his way out. “Uncle Calvin,” I say. “Is Mom inside?”

“Oh, hey Bill,” he replies, attempting a smile. “Yeah, She’s. By the way, I need to go. There are some urgent business matters I have to attend to.”

“What’s the hurry? Join us for brunch.” I invite.

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome here.” He looks at me still. “Bill, Your family needs your care. Your family members.”

My family? Am I missing something? “You sound like you’re a stranger. You know you’re Mom’s favorite brother, right?” I say to him.

“Half-brother, but yeah, I appreciate that,” he chuckles. “Anyway, I should get going.”

“See you later then,” I say, bidding him farewell. There’s no point in asking him to stay. After all, he’s got his own empire to run. He’s the owner of Deep Horizon Industries, a European conglomerate with famous brands under its umbrella. While I was hustling to become a billionaire, he was already there just waiting for me.

I’m sure if my companies were put in a bad place, Calvin’s would back me up without a second thought. That’s just the kind of guy he is, deeply loyal to his family.

I watch as Calvin drives his McLaren out of the mansion without looking back. For some reason, I have a feeling he’s avoiding me. But why?

I remember walking in on him and Serena having dinner last night. Serena just looked so… carefree. It’s been a while since I saw her smile like that. I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the scene. What on earth did Calvin say to make her grin like that?

I clench my fist, wanting to punch something. But honestly, I can’t quite put my finger on why I’m so mad right now. Maybe it’s because Serena is bringing up divorce.

I’m still upset about Serena drugging me into marrying her. She’s smart and beautiful, no doubt about that. But I wasn’t sure if liked her romantically. Her evil scheme made it hard for me to trust her. Even now, I’m unsure about her true intentions.

Then, it hit me… She might just want a big payout from the divorce settlement. What a clever girl. I think about my net worth, and she could easily walk away with around $100 to $300 million from me.

My mom warns me to be careful around Serena. I always defended my wife and gave her the benefit of the doubt. But now that my companies are doing really well, I can’t help but think she might be planning to divorce me at the perfect moment.

I’ll play along. But I won’t make it easy for her. If she wants to divorce me, she’ll have to play by my rules. And who knows, maybe she’ll eventually realize that her plan to divorce me is a big mistake.

I smirk, imagining the look on Serena’s face as she begs for a second chance. She’ll come crawling back to me when I start acting cold. It works every time.