Chapter One.

"How did you get in here, woman? I ask for the last time." 

Declan King sat at the edge of the king sized bed in a magnificent suite of  hotel Antonio, New York.

He wore a grim expression and took a final look at the lady clinged beside him.

The lady  had a red dress that hugged her curvy body on. The upper part of the dress was open in a v cut, letting the right amount of cleavage flash. The slit of her dress cut deep on the left side, giving her thick thigh away. 

Declan's eyes met with hers and she gave him a curt wink, with her lower lip  trapped between her teeth. Declan wasn't in the slightest entertained by her showcase. 

"Ivy. Call me Ivy. And yeah, the right  question should be how do you want me to make you feel...." Ivy ran her hand over Declan's shirt as she spoke. 

"Don't!" Declan slapped her hand away and the top buttons of his shirt tore apart. He sprang up at once, his teeth gritted at the mess. He was about to say something when the room door opened  and two ladies walked in. 

"What the hell is going on here?" May Williams demanded, unable to hide her displeasure. She was Declan's wife and the last thing she expected was to walk into a hotel room and actually find her husband with a lady, half naked.

"I warned you May, this husband of yours is of no good" Clara Williams snorted. Clara was May's mom and had always been against her daughter's marriage to Declan. 

"It's not what you think, May. I can explain" 

"Oh! Shut your trap, cheat! You're an ungrateful bastard and you do not deserve to be married to my daughter."

"Mom...."

"No! May. Call me that when you divorced this bastard." Clara reached for her handbag and brought out a paper. "Sign this while I'm still nice" she stated and flung the paper at Declan.

"What's that?" May inquired. 

"Divorce papers. This is me doing what you should have done a long time ago." 

"This is ridiculous, I was not with that woman. I don't even know who she is and how she got into my hotel room." Declan tried to explain. His mother-in-law was always dramatic but he didn't see the divorce papers coming. 

"Save your lies for your next victim. My daughter and I are so done."

"Mom! Please…. I need him and I to be left alone."

"I will be outside then." Clara responded and left with the lady. The bang of the door left the couple in an uncomfortable silence. 

"Do you have anything to say, Declan?"

  Declan's expression was flat. He felt a slight pain in his chest because she doubted him. 

"If this is what you want... I mean about the divorce.... then it's fine."

May scoffed in disbelief. "What do you mean if this is what I want? You are the one caught in a damn hotel room with some lady and you don't even have a defense on what was going on."

Declan checked out his opened chest as he walked to the other side of the bed. His demeanor exudes calmness. "I don't have to go to the end of earth to make you believe me. I already told you I didn't do it. it's up to you to take my word for it or not."

May rubbed her temples in obvious frustration. He was unbelievable!

"I know what we have is not real but at least show some dignity and respect! 

How do I explain to my mom about what she just saw?"

She paced the room waiting for Declan to say something but he remained calm which got her more upset. 

"Still no words huh?"

Declan shrugged. his nonchalance irking the shit out of May. 

"We've been in this contract for three years, Declan. Three solid years! You know how much I need you at this point in time. I can't believe you jeopardized everything you and I have worked hard for."

May breathed, trying to keep her emotions together. She was disappointed at Declan and that was understandable. But what she didn't quite understand was why she felt and showed that amount of pain. Declan was just a fake husband. He had agreed to enter into a marriage contract with her to fulfill a favor he owed her by helping her inherit her company. She didn't like how much she was affected by what she just found out. 

She grabbed a glass of water from the bed stand and downed it in seconds and Declan just watched on. 

"You shouldn't have done this. You just shouldn't have. I'm highly disappointed at your incompetence and new lifestyle." She paused, not sure about the next words about to come out. 

"Maybe it's best you signed those papers"

Declan paused. He didn't like the sound of what May had just said but he was not going to stop her either. He didn't like the way his chest twisted when he picked up the letter and signed on it. May was devastated. The sting in her heart intensified. She took the paper and turned to leave. 

"Wait!" Declan's hoarse voice brought her to a halt. 

"About Lucian Enterprise, how is the project coming along? Do they still give you problems?"

May scoffed at what she sensed as his hypocrisy. "What do you care, Declan? Not like you can do anything to help right now. I will be leaving first."

 May left, leaving Declan alone in self deprecation. He didn't like the fact that May felt betrayed. But there was nothing else he could do to ease her pain. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Mandy? It's been a minute" 

"Oh my, Declan! I'm delighted to speak to you. To what do I owe this call?" Mandy's squeaky voice teased. 

"Oh don't flatter yourself yet. I need you to help deal with something. My wif — ex wife needs her latest  project with Lucien Enterprise going, and I need you to see to that right now"