"Cancel the concert Ronica, and I'll let you come home." James said. His heart was pounding as no answer came through the line. Did she think he was bluffing? Had she cut the call on him? "Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes James, I heard you loud and clear," her surprising voice of steel cut through.
James breathed with relief. He could salvage the situation as long as Ronica stayed on the line. He resolved to take the heady calm approach. "Ronica," he began, "What's all this? Why are you acting out all of a sudden? This isn't like you. Tell me where you are and I'll come pick you up. Then we can discuss this."
"There's nothing to discuss."
"What do you mean there's nothing to discuss? Are you out of your mind? Do you forget who I am to you? I am your husband."
"I think it is you who have forgotten that I am your wife," Ronica snapped. "For eight years I succumbed to you. I left my family for you. Quit my career for you and you couldn't even respect that. I was a golden egg sitting in your house doing nothing."
James rolled his eyes. "Is that what this is about? If you want me to treat you better just say the word."
Ronica scoffed. "Fucking your secretary James. Now that's a low even for you. Getting her pregnant, something you refused to do for me for eight years. Remember what happened the first and last time I conceived when you claimed you weren't ready to be a father? That was just a lame excuse, wasn't it? It's me you didn't want to be a mother."
"If you come home right now and cancel this ridiculous concert, I will let you coparent Mona's baby with us. Let's pretend this never happened. I can use my connections to take down all the newspaper articles. These tantrums of yours are getting increasingly absurd. Please don't embarrass yourself and my family. You haven't touched a musical instrument in eight years. So face it that you no longer have what it takes to swoon a crowd. And what money do you want to use to host this concert, my money? I blocked all your cards."
"Yes James, I know you blocked all my cards so I'll let you know that I am financially bouyant myself."
James was sweating now. He loosened his tie as he felt hotter than usual. All the words that used to induce her submission were no longer working. But James was certain of one thing, if there was any right time to divorce Ronica, it was after Patrick Simmons was dead.
"I know what you are thinking James but you can't change my mind. You can't keep my decision from your father forever."
James gulped. "You'll come around Ronica, I know you," he growled.
"You never came around to me carrying your child. Clearly you don't know me well enough."
"Is it a child you want? Come and we can discuss it."
Ronica laughed coldly. "This conversation is over. Never call this number again." Just like that, Ronica cut the call.. having no time to brood, James swiftly entered his car and ordered the driver to drive to Patrick Simmons' estate.
Without a break in stride, James marched into his father's study without so much as a courtesy to knock. Veins of amger popped in his neck. He would not have to take this degradation from Ronica if Patrick just handed him the family fortune. Yet, it seemed he had not taken Patrick by surprise at all and Patrick was in fact expecting him to barge in. Patrick slammed a reputable newspaper upon his desk with the headlines glaring even as James clutched another newspaper brand in a tightly clenched fist.
"Did you upset your wife?" Patrick asked gravely. Patrick had always respected Ronica and he partly blamed himself for her leaving her family and career. Knowing how worthlessly his own son could act sometimes, he was not willing to allow James disregard Ronica's sacrifice.
"That's… that's not the only… the only headline!" James stammered knowing his anger was no match for his father's. "All of my friends are mocking me. You are already old. Why can't you grant me succession already? I even married Ronica like you wanted. What else do you want from me?"
"A grandchild for starters," Patrick quipped without missing a beat. "I hope you did not marry Ronica for my money but because you truly love her. So prove to me that you love Ronica and only then will I announce you as my successor. You may leave."
Patrick resumed what he was doing and acted like James was no longer there.
"Since you are already old, you can die anytime now. I will still inherit the family business with or without your help. I am your only son."
Patrick barked out a harsh laugh. "Without my endorsement, you will have no customers who trust you. The family business will crash or you'll have to make it public. If you don't have what it takes to make your wife happy, what makes you think you have what it takes to run a company? Silly boy." Patrick chuckled. James was desperate now. The secret he was hiding was that he was flat broke and was now depending on funds from the family business. He may have already siphoned a few hundred thousand dollars but if he legally became the owner of the business, he would safely escape any legal implications. If his father tried to open the business to public investors on the other hand, his theft would be discovered and he would be entirely cut from his father's will.
With this in mind, James pulled his last card.
Leaving his father's estate, he was driven to his own villa where two of his cronies were waiting for him at the gate. They were the very same ones he had hired to kidnap Ronica and steal her blood.
His face was frozen, his voice hard as steel as he delivered his latest order. "Hire the best investigators, find my wife and bring her back to me at all costs."