Miss-Fortunate Reality (12 page)

I
felt good about my decision to have Jerry take over Alexam Limited here, he
knew his stuff, I trusted him and he was hungry to move up the corporate
ladder.

Later
that day a bunch of the senior designers, other staff members, Jerry and Paul
took me out for lunch on King Street to wish me a Bon Voyage.
We went to this fine Italian Restaurant that welcomed corporate clients and
they had lots of large dining rooms for staff parties. The place was busy with
a lot of suits sitting around talking business, mergers and everything in
between. Our hostess sat us down and brought us the menus. Today it had been a
good day as far as not feeling sick to my stomach. Still, I wanted to order
something fairly small and spread out my meals until we got to Cairo, as I
didn’t want be sick on the plane.
As I was looking at the salad menu, I heard a man talking in the next table, a
voice I recognized, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He sounded very
professional, talking about investments, liabilities and what his company was
about to do for whomever he was speaking to. I looked over and I realized it
was Marc that was speaking so eloquently. He was sitting at the head of the
table in a grey suit with his older brother at his side and they had about six
other suits sitting there attentively listening. My heart stopped and suddenly
I lost my appetite.
Out of all the fucking restaurants!
 Just then
the waitress came by to get our drinks.
“Ma’am?” she asked but I couldn’t speak “Alex, what are you having to drink”
asked Jerry getting my attention “Um a dry Martini” and then I remembered “No,
wait, just some fizzy water” I said “Are you ok, I’ve never seen you turn down
a drink” Paul piped in and I smiled “I’m trying to cut back” I said.
I kept trying to listen to Marc’s voice, it seemed he was doing a pitch to get
these clients to go on board with them. They kept asking him questions and
hypotheticals, and he never missed a beat, answered every question in detail
and with honesty.
“Jerry, when the waitress comes back to get our order, please order me a Cobb
salad, light on the dressing please” I said getting up, I needed to go outside
for some fresh air.
I walked passed his table without looking at him or anyone sitting there, I
couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and I walked so fast that I nearly ran
into a waiter carrying drinks, but he stepped aside and missed me.
I was out there for about five minutes, when a group men in suits came out of
the restaurant. I steeped further away from the door looking the other way. My
heart was still racing.
“Well hope to hear from you next week then” said Marc’s voice again.
Christ,
my luck!
He was with that group of business men leaving the restaurant.
“Great to meet you Mr. Collins, I think we have something here, we’ll be in
touch” said another man.
“Give me a minute Daniel” said Marc whom was obviously speaking to his older
brother Daniel Collins.
“Hi Alex”
I looked at him and there he was in a slightly better suit, a nice tie and his
winning smile.
“Hey” I replied but somehow I couldn’t smile.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine and you?” I said but was having a hard time making eye contact with
him and kept looking at the traffic instead.
“Good” he began “I took over the business, my brother finally realized he had
no clue how to run the firm.”
“That’s great, happy for you, I’m sure Pam is off your back now”
He laughed “Yeah, she is, we’re better now so…”
I nodded, but my blood began to boil and I knew the conversation was almost
over.
“So how are things between you and Rob?”
“Things are great, we’re moving to London in the fall”
“London, Ontario?” he asked. I began walking toward the restaurant door and
then I stopped and looked into his eyes. “London, England” “Goodbye Marc” I
said, looked away and made my way inside the restaurant.

As
I sat in the restaurant pretending to enjoy my Cobb salad, I wished I had told
him about the pregnancy but the fact that he blatantly told me that things are
better now between him and Pam, I felt used and stupid for believing that he
ever loved me.

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

I hardly slept the night before
our trip. I was dreading it, I wasn’t sleeping well or sleeping at odd hours,
food either grossed me out or I couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t smoke and
certainly not drink. And then seeing Marc yesterday really sent me off the deep
end.
Rob had been acting weird since we left Toronto. He barely spoke two words to
me since we left Toronto, and he insisted on staying the full ten hours layover
at the airport in Montreal, he slept the entire way to Rome and now we were
aboard the flight to Egypt.
As soon as we sat in our seats he closed his eyes again but I knew he wasn’t
sleeping.
“Are you ok?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything.
I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes. Maybe it was the time change that
was bothering him because it was certainly bothering me. Then I remembered
there was Wi-Fi on the plane so I grabbed my phone out of my purse and turned
it on to check my messages and Rob suddenly took it out of my hands and glared
at me. “We’re on vacation” he said sternly.
“Excuse me?”
He put my phone inside his jacket pocket and leaned his head back on the seat
again closing his eyes.

“Rob,
I just wanted to check my work emails, see if anything was missed”
He didn’t say anything.
I sighed “Thanks Rob”

When
we finally arrived, he was still unusually quiet.
It was diner time by the time we arrived and Rob had already made arrangements
to have our dinner delivered to our suite, so
as soon as we entered our private cabana, the food was waiting for us.
We freshened up and sat down for dinner.
“Wine?” asked Rob.
“No thanks”
“It’s their best wine Alexandra, have a glass” he ordered.
“No Rob, I can’t”
“Why can’t you?”
“I just can’t ok, leave it alone please”
He poured himself a full glass and drank it in one shot then poured another.
Our dinner consisted of fresh fish, rice, vegetables and lobster. I took a bit
of the fish and it tasted slimy and gross, I had a hard time swallowing it but
I did anyway. The rice tasted salty, the lobster looked under cooked, and the
only thing I could eat were the vegetables.
“Why are you picking at your food?” his voice reprimanding. “Because it tastes
a bit gross to me”
He put his knife and fork down, wiped his mouth with a napkin and threw it back
on the table. Got up and started pacing around the room.
“I received a call from Doctor Daren Friday afternoon” he began.
“He called me to congratulate me” he said his voice low and heavy “Do you know
what about?” he asked.
“Why did he call you and not me?” I asked not looking up from my plate.
“Do you know why he congratulated me Alexandra?” he shouted.
“Because I assume I am pregnant, but I did tell him I wanted to be the one to
tell you” I retorted.
“Yes Alexandra you are three weeks pregnant”
“Why are you angry Rob, isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked looking at him.
He let out a laugh, a deep evil laugh. Then he stopped.
He came in behind and squeezed my shoulders, then ran his hands down my
breasts, his face next to my ear “How many times did you fuck him Alexandra?”
he snarled.
My heart stopped at that moment, I felt an overwhelming feeling of dread and
fear.
“What are you talking about?” I managed to say.
“How many times did you fuck Marc?” he whispered.
I felt dizzy and nauseous at that moment and I tried to get up but he held me
down. My hands started to shake.
“Ok let me start” he began pacing again “So let’s see, he fondled you in the
kitchen, you blew him in the foyer and then you fucked him in our bathroom and
according to your credit card, there was a room booked at the Holiday Inn. Then
you stayed at your friend Victor’s condo where I know he spent the day with you
that Sunday and then again on Monday over your lunch hour, would that be
accurate Alexandra?”
I swallowed.
He reached in his shirt pocket and threw surveillance pictures on my plate. “I
bet you didn’t know I had cameras installed in the house did you?”
“Why would you do that?” I said under my breath.
“The better question Alexandra is how soon did I know you were doing this?” he
began.
“From the moment it started happening. You see the cameras email me pictures on
the hour, every hour. I was in London in the middle of a fucking meeting when I
saw what was happening in my own house, you whore” he yelled.
“The baby is yours Rob” I said, tears were rolling down my face.
“Impossible”
I looked at him. He was standing over me, his face unreadable.
“I’m infertile Alexandra” he said suddenly.
“What?” I asked stunned.
“When we were trying to have a baby three years ago, Dr. Daren informed me that
I was, so I paid him a significant amount of money to tell you it was you the
one with the problem”
I looked at him and blinked, and I felt the anger running through my veins “Why
would you do that Robert?”
“Because you would have left me”
I stood up suddenly “How could you!” I yelled.
“Sit back down” he said taking my shoulders forcing me to sit again.
“You’re a monster” I whispered.
“And you’re a whore, which makes us even”
He began pacing again.
“So tell me Alexandra, I know he dumped you, which was expected, men like him
don’t stay with women like you, you’re a novelty, a prize, but you’re not worth
him leaving his wife for. Now you’re carrying his baby but you can’t tell him
because you know deep down it won’t make a difference”
I started to cry.
“Why did you wait to tell me this now?” I asked him.
“Because Alexandra, here you have nowhere to go, nowhere to run, and you’re
forced to listen to what I have to say”
“What’s that Robert? You want a divorce? You got it”
“Oh no, on the contrary Alexandra, plans will move ahead, we will move to
London and I will be the father of this baby, within six months you will step
down as CEO of Alexam Limited and you will never come back to Toronto. We will
make the public announcement shortly after we return home and we will leave a
week later”
“What happens if I say no” I retorted.
“I will ridicule you publically Alexandra, make no mistake of that. I will make
these pictures public, your investors will pull out and you will lose
everything” he said holding my face tightly.
He let me go and opened my luggage, grabbed a bikini, and threw it on the bed.
“Change” he ordered.
“I need to sleep Rob, I’m tired”
“I didn’t ask you” he yelled.
I stood up and began to take my clothes off. I felt sick to my stomach and for
the first time in the course of our marriage I was ashamed to get undressed in
front of him.
“So tell me Alexandra, did you think about him when you were with me?”
“No” I whispered.
“Don’t lie to me” he yelled.
I was down to my bra and panties and I sat down on the bed.
“Robert” I began “Let’s just call it quits, we have nothing left”
“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you”
“I just don’t see the point” I said and he marched toward me grabbing my face
wrapping his hand tightly around my jaw.
“When you married me, you were told you were mine and only mine and it will
stay that way Alexandra, I will never let you go” he yelled between his teeth
and violently pushed me back on the bed. “Now change” he ordered.
“Fuck you” I said as I sat up again. Next thing I know I was on the floor, he’d
slapped so hard my face burned badly and I forced myself not to cry.

I
kept my mouth shut for the rest of our vacation. I did what I was told and he
had his way with me whenever he wanted. I felt empty, helpless and most of all
feared for my life when he was around. He no longer looked beautiful to me, he
was a stranger and worst of all, a monster.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Monday morning I was back at
work by 8am. I had to get the media release ready for the announcement on
Wednesday morning. We were booked for a press conference for 8am, at the same
time the TSX opened.
I was trying my best to pretend I was happy and had a good vacation. Deadlines
were approaching fast for fall/winter line development and sample production
keeping everyone busy, so it was easy to pretend I was busy as well and keep my
answers short.
Rob made sure to lay some rules on me for the remainder of our time left in
Toronto. He fired Phillip and had one of his drivers drive me to and from work.
I wasn’t allowed to leave my office during lunch unless he was picking me up,
and I had to be home by whatever time he dictated. In a matter of a week I had
become his prisoner and I was terrified of him.

First
thing I went through were my messages as I knew after 8:30 the phone will start
ringing off the hook. I noticed that Nathan had called a few times last week,
with a call back number but no message attached.
Shortly after 8:30 the phone started ringing.
“There’s a Nathan on the line for you” said Jerry over the intercom.
“Busy, take a message” I said. That was the last person I wanted to speak to
today. Whatever he had on me, no longer mattered as the cat was already out of
the bag.
“He says it’s important” said Jerry.
“I’m busy” I said sternly.