In Love With My Bully-Chapter 59: The Battle for Numero

I stopped, but I didn’t turn around. My heart couldn’t take any more of this. My emotions were swinging this way and that.

He walked up beside me, and we both stood in the hallway of the hospital, staring ahead. He had his hands in his pockets like he was hesitating.

"I didn’t mean for you to see that."

"It happened either way. You may have forgotten that I am your wife; you may hate me for a contract that we decided to throw out long ago, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am your wife, a wife who loved you, and this... hurts me."

"I just got carried away. I mean, I was willing to give us a chance, but that contract changes things for me. I feel like I am playing catch-up in my own life."

I sighed, my next words heavy. "Our one-year contract is up. I am willing to wait for you to remember me, but I will accept if you want a divorce. I will resume back to work on Monday, but in the meantime, I will be at my parents."

"You don’t have to go to your parents; the house is yours too." He said.

"It stopped feeling like mine the moment you accused me of marrying you for money." I shot back.

"Isn’t that what it is? It’s clearly written in the contract!"

"A contract you drew up before I even got to the lawyer’s office!!!" I showed, drawing attention.

"Richard!" Mrs. Numero called from the other end of the hallway. "Gwen wants you. She says Chayara wants only you."

He started to say something once more but walked away. Mrs. Numero walked over to me.

"My baby... It’s going to be alright."

"I can’t do this anymore, Mum. I am exhausted. I just need to find myself before the baby gets here. I don’t know if or when he will get his memory back, but I need to think about myself and my child."

Mrs. Numero nodded and pulled me in for a hug.

"I’ll see you around." She said. I nodded also and left the hospital. Whenever he remembers what we shared, he knows where to find me.

*****

I resumed back to work on Monday. I haven’t been since the kidnapping; Sasha kept me updated. There was a lot of work to do. The CEO was sick, the COO is in jail, and I, the chief accountant, took leave off work to take care of her CEO husband, who doesn’t remember me.

The moment I stepped in the lobby, the whispers began. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I knew what the general gist was about. My life was indeed juicy gossip.

I waddled to my office, and Sasha arrived with my appointments and schedules, some documents, and invoices I requested ahead of time.

I had accounts to audit, and I had reports to submit, but the one I dreaded the most was heading up to the CEO’s office to get his signature on some documents.

He hadn’t called me or texted me since I left the hospital. All through the weekend, all I saw were pictures of him and Gwen on social media. Ex Beauty Queen births Numero Heiress.

I was number two, always had been, and sadly my child would also come second.

I headed to the tenth floor, knocked, and entered his office. He was at his desk, tired but still managing to look handsome.

"I need your signature on these." I said without looking at him and dropped the documents in front of him.

"How have you been?" he asked, reaching for a pen.

"Fantastic," I responded dryly.

He flipped through the pages, signing each one. "There’s a party at my parents’ house this weekend. My mum is having one for Chayara."

"and?"

"Well, you are my wife. You should be there."

"Do you think I should be at a party that’s being thrown for your mistress’s child?"

"Do you know how fucked up you sound?"

"I didn’t think this through, did I?"

"You should have."

"Look..." he started and sighed.

"Richard, let’s get a divorce." I said. I couldn’t be disrespected this way anymore. He needed to let me go.

"What?!"

"I can’t... I thought I would be able to handle this. Turns out this is the hardest test for me. I cannot be disrespected this way."

"I’m not giving you a divorce while you’re carrying my child." He shot back.

"You have a child with Gwen, and you’re not married to her. You can do the same with me."

"What happens when I remember my missing time?"

"Let’s hope it won’t be too late by then. I will hand in my resignation before the end of the day."

"You’re overreacting. Cut me some slack. I don’t remember you as my wife!"

"And I remember you as my husband!!! Cut me some slack!!! Playing the second fiddle is not what I signed up for!!! I will not be disrespected like this. You can have Gwen; I will not be in your way."

I picked up the documents and stepped out of the room. I was done with being Mrs. Numero.

*****

I sat at Mama L’s burger shack wolfing down a burger when a familiar black car parked on the street, and the driver approached me.

"Martin, what are you doing here?"

"I was given specific instructions by Mr. Numero not to let you out of my sight." He said.

"Take a seat. Have a burger."

"I am on duty, ma’am." He stood guard at my side.

"I won’t be Mrs. Numero anymore; I don’t need your protection."

"You cannot ditch your security detail, ma’am. You still carry a Numero." Martin said, his glasses covering his eyes, his head moving slowly from side to side, scanning the area.

"That’s all he cares about, isn’t it?" I finished the rest of my burger and got up. Martin stepped closer to me.

"Do you really want to leave his recovery in the hands of Gwen? She is already spinning the past to suit her narrative. I thought you were a fighter."

"You can’t force love, Martin."

"He loves you."

"I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but all of this mental stress is not good for me and my child."

"You earned my respect when you picked up arms to fight Sam. You were willing to do anything to protect your husband. You cannot stop now."

"I have been fighting since I became a wife. I am done fighting." I told him and headed towards the car. I couldn’t ditch Martin too; he would hunt me to the ends of the earth.

"Gwen told him he wanted to marry her but had to go along with his family’s choice."

I turned to face Martin. "She said that?"

"I’ll probably lose my job for speaking out of turn, but Mr. Numero deserves better than her. He deserves you." I looked at Martin once more. I was fighting this battle all wrong. with the wrong approach. It was time to bring up my charm. I am Mrs. Numero Junior, and it was time to take Gwen down a peg.