Too Late For Regrets [Extra #1]

Part 5

I could tell that my lawyer was shocked by my order. He looked at me with wide eyes and asked, "Divorce papers? For whom?"

"For me," I said and handed him the prenuptial agreement I signed the previous day. He took one glance at it then gasped in surprise when he saw my name on it. "In case you're confused, I got married yesterday," I told him solemnly. I could understand his shock, because I literally asked him to prepare divorce papers a day after getting married, but I had to think of my future at the time.

I couldn't possibly allow myself to be careless about something so serious. I had to make sure I was prepared for everything that came my way. There was no way I would trust my husband to keep his end of the deal. I knew men like him. Men who were so driven by greed and the promise of profit they'd do absolutely anything to get it.

Even destroy other people.

"Should I file for that divorce right away?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by my lawyer, who was still reading the prenup.

"As you can see, the duration of the contract is two years, so prepare it for then. I don't want to have any loose ends to take care of later on."

"As you wish, boss. The date on the contract is the twentieth of June, so I will send the papers to the court on that day as well."

"That will be appreciated. I don't want to continue this farce for even a day more than necessary," I sighed heavily, rubbing my tired eyes that felt so dry I could barely blink without wincing. It was a normal allergic reaction to specific chemicals used in laundry detergents, so I assumed it was all because of the blanket I slept under at the hotel. I couldn't have possibly predicted that when I went there, but I couldn't also make judgment without checking the facts. It could've easily been because of the clothes I was forced to wear during the day. Those dresses were not made for me but my little sister who, unlike me, wasn't really allergic to anything.

"Are you feeling okay, boss?"

"I'm fine, just tired," I lied easily, not eager to share my personal issues with my employees.

"It couldn't have been easy to come to work right after getting married," the lawyer joked with a bitter smile, aware of how absurd this situation is.

"For normal newlyweds that may be the case," I shrugged nonchalantly, getting a sympathetic look in response. I didn't need his sympathy, though.

I needed his skills. "Divorce is one thing I called you here for, but there's one more issue I need you to look into. You can get your team to work on it, but do it as discreetly as possible."

"What is the issue?"

Instead of responding, I took a file I had compiled years ago and handed it to him. It contained detailed information about my father and his business ventures over the years. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to change my name when I left home, so it was hard to associate me with that man, but once my lawyer dug into the things I wanted him to check, the truth would inevitably come out. Luckily, he was a trustworthy man who would never disclose the truth to the public.

"Hmm, it seems a bit complicated, since such matters are usually kept private, but I'll do what I can," he said seriously.

"Spare no expenses and manpower. I'll take care of the aftermath if there are any problems, so don't hold back."

"I won't disappoint you, boss."

"I know you won't."

After my lawyer took all the necessary documents and left my office, I decided to get ready for the meeting with the chiefs. They're not some regular directors of different departments but worked solely for me in absolute secrecy. Only my secretary, who's also my right-hand man, knew about them. None of the employees at the company knew about them. They were only aware of their presence, but they had no idea who they were or what they did.

Not talking about the chiefs was also part of the NDAs I had my employees sign as soon as they started working for me.

I couldn't afford any miscommunication with the chiefs so I had to tell them about the newest development in my life. They had been with me for years and supported me when I had no one, which is why it felt wrong to keep something as big as my marriage a secret from them. They were not only my workers, but also my friends.

Thanks to my secretary's mischievous prank, I had to see them wearing the ridiculously business-like attire, which was a huge difference from how I usually dressed. In order to hide from the public eye, I usually wore things that wouldn't let people think I was working a serious job. My secretary had often nagged me about it, saying it was unbecoming of a boss of such a huge company as mine to wear t-shirts to work or motorcycle riding gear. Whenever he saw me coming into the office in my riding jacket, he'd immediately grab onto the back of his neck and complain about his blood pressure rising. I found it funny, so I would always laugh at how dramatic he was being.

Perhaps that's why he decided to get revenge on me by bringing me that ridiculous blouse and skirt set when I'd asked him to get me clothes. Well, he succeeded in making me miserable, that's for sure. I felt extremely uncomfortable in such attire, and the fact that the skirt was so fitting and restricted my moves didn't help.

As I walked to the hidden room behind my office to meet the chiefs, my phone rang. It was one of my few private phones, so not many people had the numbers, and I wondered who could be calling me at such early hour.

"Hello?" I greeted politely, since I had no idea who was on the other side. The number displayed on the screen was not registered in my contacts, so I wanted to find out who it was.

"Hello? That's it? Where are you?" a manly voice shouted from the other side and I immediately recognized it as my husband's. I didn't know why he was so upset, but I had a feeling he was angry with me.

"Is there a problem?"

"A problem?" he scoffed, "Yeah, there is. My wife left me alone the day after our wedding and I had to explain myself to my whole family about why you weren't here for the breakfast."

The breakfast? Exactly how sumptuous was it to be called that? "I had no idea there was a breakfast planned, but even if I had known, I wouldn't have joined in. You seem to forget that I'm not your real wife, dear husband," I emphasized the words in distaste, letting him know once again that our relationship was anything but normal. "Besides, I left you a note saying I was leaving, so I don't understand your aggression," I added. It was ridiculous and irrational for him to blame me for leaving.

"A note? You mean that scrap of paper you left on the coffee table? You think that's a reliable form of communication?"

"You were sleeping, so what was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, wake me up?" he exclaimed sarcastically.

"We don't know each other enough to take such liberties," I retorted with finality.

"You're my wife," he argued, but I only laughed at that.

"Contractual wife. So don't expect me to act like our relationship is more than a business deal."

Much to my surprise, my husband quickly changed his attitude after hearing that and gently asked me, "Where are you? I wanted to take you home to discuss a few things."

Home? Surely he didn't mean his house. That was not my home. "I'm at work. And I know the way to your house, so there's no need to take me there."

I could hear him sigh heavily at that, but he didn't argue with me, thankfully. "I know our circumstances are not ideal, but do you really have to act like this? Like it or not, we're married. I will be your husband for two years..." he trailed off, as if unsure what to say.

Unlike me. I knew exactly what I wanted to say. "You're right, I don't like it," I stated gravely then hung up and turned the phone off so he couldn't call me again.

I walked into the meeting room still angry after the phone call with my husband, and the chiefs instantly realized I wasn't in the mood for jokes. They waited quietly for me to take my seat and reveal the reason for the sudden meeting. I decided to not beat around the bush and be honest with them.

"I got married yesterday."