CHAPTER -1

“Come clean this area you slob, why are you staring into space?” The restaurant manager asked as he had found Ryan looking into thin air while on duty.

“I am sorry sir, I’ll get on it” he scurried off but his other male colleague put his leg on the way and Ryan fell on his face with the glass of water he had been asked to give a customer.

“See sir, I told you he was a clumsy one” His colleagues all laughed as he got up and tried cleaning the area where he had spilt the water and broken glass.

“Ouch, he yelped in pain realizing he had a piece of the broken glass embedded in his hand.

“Here, let me help you with that” Stacy his friend at the restaurant, butted in and tried to help him with his bruised hand.

“I can do this Stace please go focus on the duty you have been given” He urged her but Stacy was a stubborn brunette.

“I am done with my work for now, and please Ryan don’t let these douchebags treat you this way,” she said frowning.

“But…” Ryan tried to say but Stacy stopped him.

“You realized they’re men like you and you can stand up to them” she continued but he cut her.

“And then what? Have the manager fired me since he is friends with them?” Ryan asked.

“Not what I meant exactly but let's take care of this for now,” Stacy said and cut the banter they were having.

Ryan got his first month's salary and was excited to give it to her wife. 

Ryan’s wife Emilie Chris was one to talk highly of herself when she didn’t do anything to support her around the house.

She would make fun of her husband’s little efforts and make sure that when they got to hang out with their friends she was good at making Ryan feel less of a man. 

Hence this month's end she would be super happy and proud of him for whatever it was he gave her, but he was in for a huge surprise that would break his heart into shreds.

When Ryan returned home and saw that his wife had bought so many expensive things,

Surprised by this and knowing she did nothing to uphold the type of lifestyle she wanted to live he as any husband asked where all of the things where coming from,

 “Where did you get the money for all of these?” Ryan asked his wife as the smile on his face dropped to zero since what he had brought to offer her seemed to be a penny of what she had bought for herself.

“They are gifts from my boss” she told him nonchalantly, not minding that it could have hurt her husband’s ego as a man to hear that another man was getting gifts for his wife and he couldn’t.

This came as news to him because he did not know when she had started to work talkless of having her boss give her gifts.

“When did you start working?” he asked her trying to contain the hurt he felt but sadly it was hard to go away the pinch of her words still lingered.

“That shouldn’t be your plight don’t you think what you should be worried about is the fact that this man got me gifts you have never gotten for me as your wife” Emilie retorted.

Hurting his feelings even more as she was not mindful of what she was saying and how it would affect the man standing before her.

“I got these gifts because I work hard at my jobsite and I am able to take care of myself from this point onwards so why should it be a bother to you?” she asked him as she tried on the jewelries which were laid on the bed.

“You do realize as your husband I have the right to ask where these clothes and jewelries are coming from right?” he asked in a hurt tone, it was hurtful for him and his ego to be this hurt especially when he had brought home his entire salary to give to her just to make her happy.

“You can’t tell me you are the only hard worker at this so called jobsite of yours because from what I see since you say you have been hardworking that’s why you receive such gifts then that means everyone received the same as you right?” he raised a question but she didn’t give his mind and in his anger, he pulled out all the stuff that was on the bed and threw them to the ground including the bouquet of flowers he had been holding.

“Ryan you can’t do that, that’s Vera Wang, Gucci and Channel” she screamed picking up all her stuff that had been thrown on the ground.

In his anger he took out the envelope where his salary was and threw it on her body, Emilie still not moved at this action and also just felt like she was being assaulted by him.

“You don’t seem to get it do you? I don’t think this man is just your boss, there is something bigger and greater going on and I wouldn’t stand for such humiliation” Ryan screamed.

He was in anger as he held his head from bursting with the anger and pain he felt inside of him he couldn’t believe this was happening, he loved this woman more than life itself, she was his high school sweetheart and here she was most probably sleeping with her boss for gifts and putting the blame on him.

He had not even known she had found a job talk less of getting numerous gifts from her boss. Ryan had felt the drift but he didn’t know if it was just him but he had been trying to bring back the spark and fire in their relationship but this act just proved that she didn’t want any other thing to do with him.

Finally realizing the money which had been thrown at her she bent down and began to pick it up.

“Is this all you were paid?’ she asked as she counted the money $70 is this all you are worth? Is this why you are babbling in front of me?” she asked as she sneakily put the money into her bag muttering something about having to get a new hair she had been eyeing for the time being.

“That’s all you want, the money and nothing else, you know what? I need some air” he said and left the house not knowing where he was going to but he just needed all the air he could ever decipher.

“This money can’t even buy the sandal I have putting right now yet you keep making silly noise about trying your best, Your friends are buying cars and , mansions for their wives yet you’re here babbling words with me for $70?” she said and Ryan stopped abruptly and turned to answer her.

“But I try my best with everything that happens around the house, I make sure you don’t sleep with an empty stomach, I make sure you don’t look unkempt yet you can’t appreciate this?” he asked shaking his head.

“That’s all you do and that is all chicken change to me, I need a husband who can take me on trips and can make me happy with money at all times.

 I blame myself for getting involved with someone like you and for sure, you do need the air you are talking about” she said as she tried adjusting the clothes and jewelries on the bed and Ryan left hurt.

“At least he brought home some change today” Emilie still not bothered to follow Ryan to find out where he was going she picks up her clothes and jewellery and tosses the bouquet he had brought for her aside, then she gets a call from her boss.

“Hey pretty, hope you loved everything you got today?” he asked and she happily told him she loved everything she had chosen.

“Now, why don’t you get your sexy ass in one of those lingerie over here honey” Her boss’s voice resounded on the other end of the phone and she just couldn’t help getting wet from his sexy voice.

She had refused sexual intimacy from Ryan because she claimed he couldn’t keep banging her when he wouldn’t be able to take care of her if she got pregnant and also she had made mention of the fact that he could pass his poverty stricken self to her child if ever she got pregnant.

“I’ll be right there boo, let me arrange my stuff for the weekend” she said and hung up.

“That’s how real men behave” she commented and went to pack her bag for the weekend whatever happened to Ryan was seemingly none of her concerns at the moment because she didn’t care about that.

 To her he had done enough damage and she regretted why she had fallen in love with him as a lover and husband when he could not give her what she wanted.