Divorcing The Wrong Man: Her Regret

Chapter 5: The Loyalty Of A Man

John Cross sat stiff in the Bentley, his hands tight on his cane, watching Adrian’s face harden after hanging up on Vanessa. He listened in on their conversation and heard every word. John’s jaw clenched, his loyalty burning hot. He was extrememly pissed. “Young master,” he said, voice rough, “That woman is trouble. The Coorporation deal with Vanessa’s company… are we still pushing through with it?”

Adrian leaned back, Aria already fast asleep against his arm, her stuffed bunny pressed to her chest. His eyes were hard, like he was staring through the car’s tinted windows into something far off.“I only help my wife’s company, John. As Dom would say; ‘Family only’.”

John nodded slowly, a flicker of respect in his eyes. The response was clear as day. 

“Got it.” He replied. 

Adrian was only willing to help his wife, not his ex wife. Those were two different things entirely. He needed no further explanation. His reply was firm, but inside, he was already planning, calculating. Vanessa’s world, built on Adrian’s hidden favors, was about to crash. And he was going to make sure of that. Who dares speaks to Young Master that way?!

Finally, the cars pulled up to the E Hotel, its tall glass doors reflecting the morning sun. The place screamed money — smart polished glass facade, gold handles, gold plating, gold everything. Light poured out like it was bragging. John glanced at Helen, his beautiful granddaughter. Her face was soft but nervous as she looked at Adrian.

At this, John saw his chance to push them closer, the golden moment to make sure they both bond. “Um… Young Master, I um… I need to properly handle the Cooperation issue with Vanessa’s Company,” he said, gruff, waving a hand to his PA and other executives. “You, you, all of you, come with me.” And then turning to Helen, “Helen, you and Adrian go in first. We will catch up later.” her grandfather winked at her before turning to leave. Adrian did not notice. He just spent some time appreciating the beauty of Architecture.

Helen’s face went pink, but she nodded. “Yes, Grandfather.” Adrian didn’t argue, he just nodded in agreement. John and the others drove off, their engines fading, leaving Adrian and Helen together, alone at the hotel’s entrance.

They walked in.

However, as soon as they entered the lobby, they saw Vanessa anxiously waiting in the lobby, standing near a roped-off area, still on the black dress she had on that morining. Vanessa was not alone. A somewhat chubby man in a suit accompanied her, a flashy wrist watch glinting on his wrist. Adrian furrowed his brows. He wanted to pretend to not know this woman. She was trouble. Everything about her spelled ‘problem’.

He tried to take another route, but it was too late. Vanessa spotted them. “Adrian? What the hell are you doing here?”

Her eyes burned holes into Adrian, her heels clicking as she closed the distance between them. “You! What the fuck is your problem, Adrian, huh? Why can’t you just let me be? Can’t you just stay away from me? You keep following me everywhere I go. I’m pretty sure you are looking for a way to steal my money by all means.” she yelled, loud enough to make a couple nearby turn their heads. “How else do you end up in a hotel like this?”

“Thief!” she accused loudly. “Everybody hold your stuff tight. There is a thief in the building.”

Two security guards by the doors perked up, one reaching for his walkie-talkie, watching close. The other ensuring that the accused was under strict watch, so he does not resort to stealing people’s stuff as he was being of accused of. 

Adrian, however, shook his head in utter disappointment. Even in public? Just how much did she hate him? Once upon a time, she the shy girl who barely spoke in public. She’d hide behind him when someone confronted her and he would be her shield. But now, she was the spear, darting hurtful words at him, not caring how deep each spear dug.

“I’m here for a meal, Vanessa. The Cross family invited me.” he simply replied, indifferently. 

But his words were met with laughter. Vanessa laughed out loud, harsh and bitter, her purse swinging like she might throw it. “Do you even hear yourself? The Cross family? You? Get real, Adrian. Wake up! You’re pathetic. Ughh!”

At this time, the chubby guy smirked, stepping up, his breath reeking of coffee and nonsense. “This your useless ex-husband, V?” he asked, voice thick with a grin. “Your house-husband?” He looked Adrian from head to toe and then at Helen, who stood quiet, her lips tight. As much as Helen was enjoying the show, she was extremely dissapointed and angry at Vanessa.

Vanessa nodded, her sneer cutting deep. “That’s him, Bobby. A nobody who keeps following me everywhere I go.”

Bobby Jackson puffed up, adjusting his tie like he was a main actor on stage. He cleared his throat. “The name’s Bobby Jackson, billionaire, as you can see,” he said, sticking out a sweaty hand Adrian ignored. “See, I’m very tight with the Cross family. Real tight. My family and their family dine from the same table.” He waved his iPhone 14, smirking. “One call, and I’ll prove you’re full of smelly lies, pal. Nobody invites a loser like you anywhere.”

Onlookers were getting really invested in the movie unfolding before their very eyes. It was an interesting show, but it was also a serious and threatening situation. Why, they asked— would a man keep following his ex-wife to steal her money? 

“I knew it. Men are scum. I hate them.” one young Tiktoker lady voiced.

“Yeah. They never know when to quit. Look at that guy, has he no shame?” another added, referring to Adrian. “Broke guys are the worst.”

Vanessa’s chin lifted, her voice loud for the crowd. Everyone began to whisper. Some in support of Adrian for being calm and stoic through the whole ordeal, but majority supporting Vanessa. They taged her as a Femininst, a Slay Queen who took no nonsense from entitled men like Adrian.

Seeing that everyone was on her side, her fuel increased. Vanessa continued, “Bobby’s why I got the Cross family deal. He worked it out for me, easy peasy,” she said, soaking up the murmurs of approval around her. “He’s got connections, unlike you, broke-ass.”

Before Adrian could answer, a laugh broke through, soft but sharp. Helen, standing beside him, pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes glinting like she knew a secret. Because really, she did. She knew that the Cross Family were only langating with Vanessa Lang’s company for Adrian’s sake. Take Adrian out of the equation and you have absolute zero as the final answer. Put Bobby in the equation and you have minus 100 as the result. 

Helen’s laughter stopped Vanessa cold, her head whipping around. “What’s so damn funny?” she snapped, stepping closer, her voice climbing. “And who the fuck are you?”

Helen’s smile didn’t fade, but she stayed quiet, her calmness making Vanessa’s anger look small, making her look like a fool. Bobby’s smirk died. The crowd’s whispers grew, heads craning to watch the next scene and the new character, Helen.

Vanessa’s eyes flicked from Helen to Adrian, her face twisting. “Oh, oh, oh…. I see it now,” she hissed, her voice shaking. “You’ve been cheating, haven’t you, Adrian? How long you been sneaking around with her? Huh?”

“Answer me now! How long have you been cheating on me with this woman?!”