Born For This

Chapter 007: A Late Discovery

Vivian stood motionless beside her desk, staring at the closed doors as though Kyle might suddenly walk back through them.

But he didn't, and the realization settled heavily into her chest. He was really gone.

Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of the desk.

"He wasn't just a nobody," she muttered to James' hearing. "He was my husband for three unbroken years."

Panic crept into her heart.

James stepped closer to her. "Vivian..."

She barely heard him. Her mind only kept replaying the look in Kyle's eyes before he walked away. It was cold and final. She had never seen him look at her that way before.

Not once in three years.

Even when she snapped at him unfairly, he usually smiled helplessly and let it go. So why had today been different?

Vivian slowly lowered herself into her chair.

"I went too far with him," she said quietly.

James' eyes flickered. "What?"

Vivian rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Kyle..." she swallowed slightly. "For him to react this way...maybe I pushed him too hard."

James immediately crouched beside her chair.

"Don't say that," he said firmly. "I won't have you blaming yourself for this."

Vivian frowned faintly.

James softened his voice. "No. You did nothing wrong, my dear. Kyle's the one acting irrationally."

Vivian chuckled dryly. "Oh, he hated that word."

"He embarrassed you in front of me," James continued in an even tone. "Right here in your own office. And over what? A harmless misunderstanding?"

James paused and watched her before speaking again.

"Actually," he muttered slowly, as though reluctant to say it aloud. "Now that I think about it, his behaviour only makes more sense in a way."

Vivian slowly turned to look at him. "What?"

James deliberately hesitated. "Well, I think Kyle's cheating on you."

"What?" Vivian repeated, her face squeezing into a frown. "Oh, please don't–"

"The more I think about it, the more obvious it becomes," he cut in. Then he leaned back slightly. "Oh come on, Vivian. You've known Kyle for years now. Does today's behaviour honestly seem normal to you?"

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Of course Kyle's behaviour was greatly out of place, she reasoned.

James continued calmly, "Men don't suddenly become cold overnight unless there's another woman involved."

Vivian's fingers slowly curled. "Enough–"

"He kept insisting he doesn't love you anymore," James added. "Doesn't that sound...suspicious?"

Something in Vivian's chest tightened.

James lowered his voice further. "Look. I didn't want to tell you this before because I wasn't sure yet–"

"Tell me what?" Vivian cut in, her interest spiked.

James sighed heavily as though burdened. 

"After Kyle stormed out of your apartment earlier this morning, I had someone follow him for a while."

Vivian's eyes narrowed. "And?"

Without another word, James pulled out his phone. He opened several photographs and handed the device to her.

Vivian froze. The photos clearly showed Kyle sitting across from a stunning blonde woman inside a café.

They both looked relaxed and very close.

In one of the pictures, the woman was even smiling at him warmly while Kyle looked at her quietly.

"Oh my God," Vivian gasped. "Oh...Kyle."

Her face instantly paced. Then fury surged into her eyes and her breathing sharpened violently.

"So that's it..." she whispered.

James remained silent beside her. He watched as she laughed bitterly.

"So that's why," she muttered.

Everything abruptly seemed to connect in her mind, and the guilt Vivian had begun feeling moments ago disappeared almost instantly. It was replaced by humiliation and rage.

"You see it now, right?" James said softly. "He's the bad guy here, not the other way round."

Vivian's nails dug into her palms. "That nitwit–"

She stood up abruptly and strode toward the office windows. Then she looked down through the glass just in time to see Kyle stepping into a sleek black luxury car parked outside the building.

"That's her car right there," James whispered into Vivian's ears. "He brought her here. To your company."

"He really dares," Vivian said through clenched teeth.

"Honestly," James said quietly. "I wouldn't be surprised if they've been seeing each other for a long time."

Vivian turned and dashed toward her desk, picking up her handbag.

"What? Where are you going?" James asked knowingly.

Vivian turned sharply toward the elevators. "To catch them!"

----------

Meanwhile, downtown traffic moved steadily beneath the afternoon sky.

Dora drove calmly while Kyle stared out the window. They maintained  silence between them for a while.

Eventually, Dora glanced sideways at him. "You okay?"

Kyle let out a faint breath. "I will be."

Dora smirked lightly. "You feel the effect of the divorce more than you're willing to admit."

Kyle rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Three years doesn't disappear in one afternoon, does it?"

"It sure doesn't," Dora muttered, heaving a sigh.

 The car eventually turned toward the towering headquarters of Transcorp Enterprise. The massive glass skyscraper brilliantly reflected the midday sunlight across its surface

Kyle straightened slightly in his seat as they approached the underground parking entrance.

But suddenly, a white Maserati shot directly in front of them and slammed to a stop sideways across the lane.

"What the–" Dora began to say as she slammed on the brakes.

Tires screeched sharply against the pavement.

Kyle frowned and looked out of the window just as the front doors of the Maserati flew open. Vivian and James stepped out immediately.

Dora blinked once, then laughed softly in disbelief. 

"Oh," she muttered. "This should be interesting."

Kyle heaved in exhaustion. He clearly wasn't ready for this.

"Stay in the car," he said calmly before opening the passenger door.

Dora raised a brow. "Are you sure? I can call the security–"

"No please," Kyle replied. "I'll handle this."

He stepped out onto the pavement and shut the door. Then he turned to see Vivian storming toward him.

"Kyle!" she yelled, stopping right in front of him.  Fury burned openly in her eyes—cold, fierce, and dangerous. Her nostrils flared with each heavy breath.

Kyle looked at her quietly. "What the hell do you want?"

Vivian gave off a sharp laugh. "You really have the nerve to ask me that?"

Kyle's patience visibly thinned. "If you're here because you regret signing the divorce papers, save your time."

That only enraged Vivian further.

"You jerk!" she snapped. "You think that's why I'm here?"

Kyle frowned faintly.

Vivian pulled out her phone and shoved the photographs toward his chest. "What exactly is this?"

Kyle glanced down to see photos of him and Dora at the café. He looked back up at Vivian with genuine confusion.

But she mistook it instantly.

"You can't even deny it now, can you?" she laughed coldly. "Sneaking around behind my back with some ugly blond bitch while pretending to be the victim?"

Kyle stared at her for several seconds before he connected the dots. Then he actually laughed. "You think Dora and I are having an affair?"

"Stop acting innocent, you freak!" Vivian shouted. "Everything makes complete sense now! No wonder you suddenly wanted a divorce!"

James folded his arms smugly nearby. He was a bit scared of going closer to Kyle in order not to attract Kyle's hardened fist to his face again.

"Honestly, Kyle, cheating after everything Vivian did for you? That's too pathetic."

Kyle's eyes instantly turned cold. He had completely lost his cool. But before he could speak, Vivian suddenly marched toward Dora's car.

Dora spotted this and laughed. 

"Kyle," her amused voice drifted from inside the vehicle. "Your wife seems very emotional."

Vivian furiously yanked the passenger door open. "I'd love to see what kind of shameless wom–"

Her voice stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" James asked behind her.

Vivian stood frozen beside the open car door, her eyes widening slowly. All the fury on her face completely vanished in an instant. It was replaced by pure shock.

She recognised the woman sitting inside the car to be no one but Dora Sinclair–CEO of Transcorp Enterprise.

Dora calmly looked up at her, one elegant brow raised slightly. Then she smiled.

"When you're done calling me a homewrecker," she said smoothly, "perhaps we can discuss why you're blocking my car and causing a nuisance in front of my company.”