#Chapter 68 One Last Envor
#Chapter 68 – One Last Favor
Stella
I do not know what possessed me to say yes to having a conversation with Adrian, but the elevator ride up to my apartment has me feeling anxious and nervous. A flood of uncertainty crashes throughout my mind and I am unable to look at him as he stares at me.
“I’m okay,” I say, eyes flitting to his before diverting all over again. “My health is fine.”
“Did you lose weight? Are you eating all of your meals?” Adrian asks.
“I’m fine, Adrian. You don’t need to worry about me,” I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest.
“Alright, I’ll stop talking about it. But you need to take care of yourself, okay?” Adrian says, taking a step towards
- me.
I look up at him. There is heavy concern behind his eyes, giving off the impression that he truly is a caring yet estranged husband.
Who is this man? Where is the same venom that he had when we spoke over the phone? It is alarming how fast he is to switch sides. That phone call is no starting to feel foreign, like the words he spoke to me did not come from his mouth.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. I nod, giving him a fake smile before it disappears. I exit the elevator and fish for my keys inside my bag, feeling his presence linger from behind me.
I slowly unlock the door, glancing at him from behind me. He wears a small smile on his face, the corners of his lips barely perked up. When our eyes meet, though, the smile fades and he clears his throat.
I push the door open and he is quick inside, kicking off his shoes as he moves to the kitchen. I barely close the door behind me and slide my slippers on when I notice that he is already filling up the kettle with water and places it over the open flame of the stove.
“So,” I break through the awkward silence and hang my bag on the hook on the wall, “what do you need from me, Adrian?”
He turns to look at me. He crosses the small distance between us and circles behind me, his touch on my shoulders. His fingers curl around the jacket that sits on my shoulders and he helps me shrug off the material.
I look away from him and keep my face hidden as much as possible. Heat rises in my cheeks, the feelings of love and longing I held towards him throughout our marriage suddenly coming back. I push them away, forcing myself to remember what he has done to me and my body.
“I was wondering if you can do me a favor,” Adrian’s words take me by surprise.
I turn around and stare at him, slowly lowering myself onto the couch. The kettle begins to scream and he is quick
to take it off of the heat.
“Mugs?” He asks, looking in my direction.
I gesture to the cabinet that sits right behind him. He nods and grabs out a fancy and expensive snowman mug, one that my mother bought for me during our shopping trip. He fills it with water and dumps a teabag inside.
Adrian walks through the space of the apartment like he lives here, as if this is the place we have called home for the duration of our marriage. It is both unsettling and warming to see.
pato?
On one hand, I hate the fact that Adrian has made himself at home inside my safer space, the place where I am allowed to be alone and live my life the way I see fit. Watching him as he makes a cup of tea as if it is an ordinary
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+25 BONUS
#Chapter 68 One Last Favor
Tuesday is unnerving, making me feel so small.
On the other hand, though, it is nice to see Adrian and I co–exist in a place where there is no arguing or a screaming match. This is not our old home, a place where once burned a journal full of notes about him and a place that I was forced to play housewife and lab rat. This is something entirely different and new. It feels…nice.
I can’t let my guard down, though. I have to remember that once our divorce is finalized that I will be running away from him as far as I can, putting as much distance between us as possible.
Adrian approaches the couch and sits in the spot next to me He passes off the mug, which I hesitantly accept, and look down at the green tea that sits inside the mug. I look back to him, our eyes meeting, and my breath hitches in
myg. my throat.
“I was wondering if you would be open to attending a gala with me,” he says, placing his arm on the back of the couch, his hand dangerously close to my shoulder.
“A shareholder gala?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. I bring the mug to my lips and sip on the green tea, the sweet taste of honey hitting my lips. Adrian nods.
“They changed it to a gala instead of a presentation meeting,” he confirms, his eyes wandering around the room before coming back to me.
“Do you still have to make a speech?” I ask, remembering the previous shareholder events that he had me attend alongside him in the past.
Adrian chuckles and my heart skips a beat. I clear my throat and look away, taking another sip of the tea as I distract my eyes with a plant that sits in the corner.
“It’ll be one last event as husband and wife. After this, I promise I won’t ask you to do anything else,” Adrian says. My chest tightens. I turn to face him once again, frowning.
“I don’t know if it’ll be a good idea. Things always end horribly between us. I wouldn’t want to ruin a big night for you and the company,” I respond to his favor, shaking my head.
“It’ll just be us, I promise. Nobody else will be there,” he leans forward, closing some of the distance between us. Looking into his eyes, I feel a sense of safety, that what he is saying is true. I can’t help but remember the vile words he spoke to me just the day before, unsure where this Adrian has come from.
Maybe if I go with him, I can figure out why he decided to tell me to die and vanish from his life. It’ll be public and he won’t have a meltdown like he probably would on any other occasion.
but
There is something different about this, though. I can tel that he really needs my help and if this, quite selfishly on my end, works out, I can probably have an easier divorce with him. I need him to trust in my plan, after all, the best plan is one that nobody knows except for the creator.
“Okay,” I breathe out with a slow nod. “I will go with you. I’ll be your date on one condition, okay?”
“Yes? What is it?” Adrian asks, his eyes big and wide as he inches closer to me.
“This is the last thing that I will do as your wife. After this, we’re done. Just like you said,” I speak the w..us slowly and with sincerity, serious.
Adrian immediately nods. I nod back, a sense of relief and uneasiness filling inside my chest.
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