THE UNEXPECTED DOMINANCE OF RICHARD PAYTON

Chapter 2 - After The Call

The entire room was silent.

"Hello... Are you there? Hello...?" The caller called severally before Richard finally answered.

"Please, today is my wedding anniversary, if this is a prank, it is very much not appreciated" he replied.

"We would never think of pranking you, Sir. Our boss wants to see you as soon as possible" the caller continued.

At this point, Rachel walked angrily and snatched the phone from Richard. 

"Look, whoever you are, don't ever call this house for this rubbish again. Ever!" She warned and banged the telephone.

"Are you even considering that it might be true?" She flashed a silent Richard a disgusting look and stomped her way upstairs. However the phone rang again, making her stop in her tracks. 

"Let me get it, honey" Grace said and walked down the stairs towards the telephone to pick it.

Richard stood there, silent and bewildered. He didn't know what to think. Even if this was a prank, who would think of pulling this on him? Or was this whole drama actually planned by the Chryslers to make him look even more stupid on his wedding anniversary?

He looked at Samuel who had an equally deliberative look on his face.

"What are you looking at, loser?" Samuel yelled.

"Hello" Grace picked the phone.

"Please I want to speak with Mr Chrysler" the caller insisted.

"Please if this is a prank, we do not appreciate it. The Chryslers are a very responsible and respected family. We are not taking this very lightly" Grace warned.

"I'm sorry for any inconveniences, Mrs Chrysler but my boss has insisted that I keep on calling until Mr Richard Chrysler has agreed to a meeting" the caller insisted.

Grace looked at Rachel. She could see her daughter's burning anger at the whole situation. She knew she had to make a decision.

"Alright, but you will have to come with your boss to our residence to pick Richard up. Agreed?" She asked, thinking that would make the prankster or whomever was calling back down from the mischievous act.

But she was proved wrong!

"Alright, Mrs Chrysler. We'll be there tomorrow morning to pick up Mr Richard" the caller said and ended the call first.

"Somebody tell me this is a planned prank" Rachel shouted from the too of the stairs.

She walked to Richard whose face was to the ground, buried in thought.

"It was you, wasn't it? You planned this to make us feel tense about you right?" She asked him hostilely.

"No, it wasn't me. I would never do that" Richard replied.

"Shut your mouth!" Samuel yelled. "He must have gotten angry from the frustration of his loser life and decided to make us think he's some bif tycoon's hidden heir" 

"I will not forgive you if this is a prank, Richard" Grace warned. "You will ultimately be thrown out of the house and cut off from the family" 

"Ma, I swear it's not me. I never even..."

"Save your swearing and defense for tomorrow morning when the so-called Payton Group boss doesn't show up" Grace said and immediately left the living room to her room.  

Richard was devastated. He had no idea of any such thing. How was he going to explain to them that he didn't plan this?

Samuel wasn't done with him. "You are not worthy of my sister. And I will never accept you as her husband. I don't know why she had to choose a loser like you of all men. 

"You should be grateful that you're even allowed to live and eat here. But count your lucky days over when tomorrow comes. Because I know there's nobody coming" he said disdainfully and left with his friends who laughed and booed at Richard.

"And don't even think of packing any thing together, because everything you have was given to you by this house. They all stay here. Even though we won't ever use them" Grace added from up the stairs before finally leaving.

That left only Richard, Rachel and the rest of the servants who stood like they were in waiting but were really waiting and eavesdropping to find out what will happen next.

"Tell me the truth, Richard. Did you set this up?" Rachel asked.

Richard was beginning to feel somewhat agitated at this point. If there was anyone who was supposed to know him, it was supposed to be Rachel.

"I've spent the last three years of my life with you, Rachel. You real think I would pull such a stunt off?" He said with pain in his voice.

It hurt him deeply that as condescending as they looked at him already, they were accusing him of something even pettier as this.

"I don't know anything, Richard. I don't know. You were never my husband for the record, you just occupied a placeholder. I'm sure you must have heard it around the house. But if you haven't, let me make it clear to you.

"I never loved you, I never had any feelings for you. You were just a means to an end for me. Just a stepping stone. And you're still not of any importance to me emotionally. So I've never known you at all. Who knows? A desperate man can stoop to any lows" 

"Rachel, I might not have money of my own or even a worthy name to bear but at least I have my dignity. I would never do something like this" he replied as calmly as he could, lifting his face to look her in the eyes. 

Even though he was agitated at their view of him he couldn't bring himself to speak angrily to this woman. Deep in his heart, he loved her. Even though he knew she didn't love him. He still had feelings for her.

"I don't know about dignity, Richard. If you had the supposed dignity, why did you ditch your last name for mine? Why didn't you go with your original last name? You needed the Chrysler name so you could be favoured not so?" Rachel shot mercilessly at him. 

Richard heart couldn't get any more broken. She was the one who had included that in the terms and conditions for the marriage. That he would have to bear her last name.

"But it was necessary for the..."

"Whatever, Richard... If you had any dignity, you would have refused. But you jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of my last name. Don't talk to me about dignity" 

"Rachel..." Richard was speechless.

"I'm going to bed, Richard. First, you embarrass me in front of everybody with that fake cheap necklace and now all this. I don't know what to do with you. I think I'm tired. Marrying you was the biggest mistake I made in my life. A year more and I would have made a better decision" she concluded and walked away.

The last part got to Richard. "Is it because of Francis?" He shot calmly. His tone was direct.

Rachel stopped halfway. "What about Francis?" She asked.

"Well it's obvious he's the better decision you would have made. You don't even hide it. He's all over you here at home, I'm sure he's more at other places too" he retorted. 

It was obvious from his voice that he was pained. He had seen Rachel return with Francis late at night on multiple occasions while he was up waiting for her. And Francis always slept at one of the executive guest rooms upstairs while he stayed in the servants quarters downstairs. There was infinity to be guessed as to the transpirations of the upper rooms with both of them going up together.

"I'd advice you keep his name out of your mouth. It's bad manners to talk negatively about someone better than you. He's the man you could never be. You should be grateful I haven't dumped you for him after all you're not of any benefit to me" she replied, a little upset.

"You're saying I should look away while another man flirts with my wife? Have you ever stopped to consider my feelings? I love you, Rachel. I didn't marry you for your name or your money. I married you because..."

"And I don't give a fuck, Richard! I don't care! I don't love you, I don't have feelings for you, I don't give a fuck why you married me! Don't make me throw you out this night. You're as useless as you are and you're making me waste my time and voice on you. "

At least Francis compensates me for my time and attention. And you dare compare your sorry excuse for a life to him? Tueh, you make me sick. I'm getting rid of you, Richard. I'm calling my lawyers first thing tomorrow morning.

"I'm divorcing you tomorrow!"