Linda instantly froze at the door.
"Th..Thomas...you departed the house in such a state of distress that you overlooked your vital contract dossier...that is the sole reason I traveled here to deliver it to you," she stammered, her voice trembling.
Mabel rose slowly from Thomas's lap, grabbed her clothes from the floor, and began to get dressed."Linda, it is actually a blessing that you arrived. Erm, I presume you won't be truly offended by this sight, because we are both aware that I am merely reclaiming and enjoying what is rightfully mine," Mabel declared, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips as she continued to provocatively stroke Thomas's skin.
"What is yours? He is my wedded husband… is he not? Or have I simply been fooling myself this entire time?" Linda whispered to herself, the words barely audible.
"Oh, dear Linda! You should have called me, why didn't you send one of the guards at home to bring it? Why go through the stress?" Thomas says, smiling and looking her in the eyes.
offering a pleasant smile while locking his gaze directly with hers.
"You exited the home in anger, and I only wished to come here to offer my apologies," she struggled to say, fighting a losing battle against the flood of her tears, "but I am beginning to realize that I should never have set foot in this office."
Her heart aches as she says that, tears forcefully running down her beautiful cheek as she brings the file forward and drops it on his desk. "Mabel I know you are trying to hurt me back, but this is too much Thomas is now my husband. And you need to let us enjoy our marriage, I have lost so much" Linda says barely able to look up at her.
"Oh, now you are begging? You cheap slut! You thought throwing yourself at my man and getting pregnant for him would make him love you? Good thing you lost the baby, you can leave him for me now"Mabel replied, those words pierced through Linda's heart like a sharp knife. None of them felt sorry for her, she lost her baby and was repeatedly blamed for it. Linda turns around and tries to leave.
"Go home and do your duties as a wife" Thomas finally says coldly.
Linda pauses for a minute without saying a word she heads for the door. Immediately she grabbed the door knob she changed her mind and ran towards Mabel. She grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the ground.
"You stupid bitch... I didn't steal your man, he came for me. You had no right to talk my dead child like that."Linda slaps Mabel repeatedly on the face as she sits on her.
"Get off me"Mabel struggles from the floor, trying to return Linda's punches." You stole him, you were supposed to turn down his advances, you knew he was drunk, yet you slept with him" Mabel says aggressively.
"I was drunk as well Mabel, why haven't you ever believed me?" Linda says pressing Mabel's face to the ground.
Thomas quickly comes to separate them.
"Enough of all these, you both can't be fighting here, I don't want the other staff to hear all this noise and start spreading gossip" Thomas says as he lifts Linda up from Mabel's body.
"This is my workspace, Linda you should know better than bringing a fight here" Thomas says furiously.
Linda stands there weeping without saying a word, she wipes her face with her hands and heads to the door.
She walks sluggishly down the hallway as though her legs were too heavy to carry her. Her driver came out to open the car door for her, and she is soaked in her own tears.
"Take me to my father-in-law's house" she gets into the car.
"Yes ma'am" he replies without hesitation.
As the car pulled away, Linda leaned her head against the window, her reflection staring back at her—broken, tired, and unfamiliar.
They drove over to Mr John Penthouse's mansion.
The grand gates of the Penthouse mansion slowly opened, and slowly they drove in. The car finally came to a stop.
She walks tiredly into Mr John Penthouse's mansion.
All the security guards stared at her with pity, knowing she had lost her baby just a year ago and was still grieving.
"Good afternoon ma'am" they greeted her almost at the same time
"Is... Is my father-in-law at home?"Linda their greeting and asked, trying so hard to control her tears.
"I'm sorry ma'am, he left for a meeting with some of the board members" Simon the chief security officer answered.
"Oh I will have to wait for him" she says while walking into the living room, heartbreaking thoughts running through her mind, she can't help but weep profusely. She walks straight to the bar section of the house and grabs a strong bottle of alcoholic wine, she opens it and drinks directly from the bottle. She gulps and laments.
"What have I done wrong?" She asks while drinking some more.
"Have I been a bad wife? He said he doesn't want a maid, I cook, I clean, I put everything for him but I am never enough, why then did he insist on marrying me?" She downs more wine.
"How long will I continue like this?" Linda asks herself.
"Ma'am, do you need me to do anything for you, what is the problem, ma'am? Simon asks.
"Just stay away from me" At this point,t the liquor was hitting the right spot, and Linda was already tipsy.
"Very well ma'am " Simon moves away slowly.
Linda sits at the bar, she is on her sixth bottle of château margaux.
She looks all tipsy and she is lamenting and laughing alone.
"Ma'am I think you've drunk too much" Simon says politely
"Haven't I told you to leave me be, Simon?" She replied weakly.
"Where's Mr John Penthouse?" She asks loudly.
"He just drove in ma'am" Simon answers as he hurriedly walks out to welcome Mr John Penthouse.
The living room door opens shortly after.
"Oh dear, what are you doing?" Mr John asks.
Mr John Penthouse is a 48-year-old business tycoon with a Midas touch, He has blonde hair with a few white hairs on his beard. He built an empire in tech and real estate. He is known for his sharp suits, charming smiles, and piercing blue eyes that see right through people. He started the Penthouse empire and holdings.
Linda nervously hugs him sobbing.