Chapter Thirty five
I stared up at the tall building as I got down from the vehicle. The ride took about fourty five minutes from the house so it was quite a distance, it was a good thing I left quite early. I walked in and said hello to the receptionist at the lobby who responded with a warm smile.
I informed her about my reason for being there and she directed me to take a seat. There was not a lot of people seated, just about five of them so I guessed I still had a good chance.
The wait lasted for nearly an hour and it seemed like everyone else was being drilled thoroughly in their interviews. I swallowed, suddenly nervous.
"Ma'am, you can go in now." The receptionist said to me and I stood up, adjusted the hardly present creases on my skirt before walking. I followed her direction and the next thing I knew, I found a mahogany door that fit the description the receptionist had given me.
I knocked and waited for a reply whilst rocking back and forth on my heels.
"Come in." I heard a male voice call out. I twisted the knob and pulled the door open. My eyes gave the simple office a cursory glance before falling on who I presumed was the interviewer.
"Good morning sir." I bade with a professional smile plastered on my face.
"Morning. Have a seat." He gestured to one of the chairs placed opposite him on the other side of the table.
I sat down carefully and propped my bag on my laps. I handed my CV over to him and he looked through it. He hummed as he went through it. The interviewer was apparently a pretty young man, certainly not what I was expecting. He had soft features although he looked very serious and that reminded me of my husband.
"You do not have any professional working experience?"
"No sir, but I'm willing to learn, unlearn and give this company the best of what I have to offer." I said steadily.
He nodded.
"You're newly married?" He probed while staring at my glimmering ring finger. I nodded slowly.
"Yes I am."
"That might be a problem." He said.
"I promise that my marriage would not get in the way of my work, my husband is a very busy man as well." I said quickly.
"I don't know why but you seem very familiar." He said like he was trying to recall something.
I froze on the spot. I did not want him to recognize me as Damien Kingston's wife, that would jeopardize everything. Damien was feared in the business world and who knew what hiring his wife would mean for the firm that had done it. It was a two way thing, either it earned his wrath and they become inevitably crushed or,
"You're Damien Kingston's wife, aren't you?" He said and I somehow got tongue tied that he recognized me.
"You're hired!" He exclaimed happily.
As I was saying, or the firm would use it as a leverage to get to him. There was my answer.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I can take this job." Once again the Kingston name had dampened my spirits.
I stood up and he did same.
"But why ma'am? It would be such a privilege to have you working with us." He was practically pleading with me as I picked up my CV and rushed out of his office.
I slammed the door shut and rushed out of the building immediately.
"Drive please." I said to the driver the moment I got in.
"Where to ma'am?"
"Back to the house." I muttered, looking out the tinted window as I did.
"¿Como le fue" Miguel asked turning to me from the front seat. (How was it?)
"Malo." I sighed shakily. (Bad.)
"Realmente muy mal." I said still not removing my eyes from the window. (Really really bad.)
"Lamento mucho oír eso." He empathized (I'm so sorry to hear that.)
I nodded and mouthed a thank you which he nodded to and turned to the front.
I held my tears in and waited in silence till we arrived back at the mansion nearly an hour later.
****
I walked into the house and swiftly mounted the stairs. My heels clicked the floor as I walked briskly, headed straight for the bedroom.
Blinded by angst as I opened the door, I did not notice the figure seated watching me from one end of the room.
I looked up and screamed my lungs out. I covered my mouth reflexively and held on to my chest with my other hand. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it would jump out of my chest.
"Damien?" I questioned dumbly, like he was not in front of me. His grey eyes took me in from my head to toe. I followed the trail of his gaze until our eyes met.
"Hey wify." He smirked. He walked towards me and instinctively, I took a few steps back.
"I didn't know you were coming in today." I uttered, watching him closely.
"Hmmm." He hummed and stretched his hand towards my face. I shut my eyes and waited to feel his touch on my face but it never came, instead I felt my hair being let down as he removed the pin on it.
"I like seeing your hair down." He said huskily as he ran his fingers through it. Now this was a first.
I stared at the ground then he lifted my chin and leaned closer, obviously to kiss me but I pulled back.
"Damien, we're not in public." I reminded softly.
Something flashed through his eyes as soon as I said so. He pulled my hair, a little violently. I gasped in shock, there was only slight pain though.
"You're my wife and I can kiss you whenever I want." He gritted.
"No, you can't! I'm human and you will respect my decision." I bit back.
He pulled back and stared at me very closely before moving away.
"Where have you been?" He questioned with his usual icy tone.
He walked over to the small bar and poured himself a glass of whisky.
"I went out."
"I know but where exactly did you go?" He questioned after taking a sip from his glass.
"I..." I was speaking but he butted in before I could breathe another word.
"Don't even think about lying to me." He warned.
I shut my eyes and sighed in resignation. He probably knew about it anyway so lying would only escalate things.
"I went for a job interview." I said lowly.
"And you did not think it wise to let your husband know about it?" He questioned and I frowned. Why did I have to ask for his permission on every little thing but he could do whatever he wanted, leaving me in the dark ever goddamn time!
I voiced my thoughts and that only heightened his anger.
"I'm not answerable to you." He uttered sternly.
"Fine. I'm not answerable to you either." I walked away from him and headed into the closet to take my clothes off. I took off my earrings first then my jacket and was slowly unbuttoning my shirt when my eyes met his through the mirror.
He leaned on the door frame and continued staring at me before he spoke.
"How did it go?" He asked in an indecipherable tone.
"You want to know the truth right?" I asked rhetorically staring at him fiercely. Yes, I was mad and it was all his fault. What I had gone through today was all because of him.
"It was awful and it's all your fault. Marrying you just has to be my greatest mistake because I cannot even secure a job without you getting in the way. I used my maiden name when I applied only for the interviewer to somehow know that I am 'the' Damien Kingston's wife and I was automatically hired!" I ranted and he watched me silently without an expression on his face.
"Isn't that good news?" He prodded.
"No it isn't! I refused to take it because the only reason I was hired without a proper interview is because of the person I am married to. Those people were trying to to use me to get to you." I yelled.
"Wise choice, I'm impressed." He said like he did not just hear everything I had said. Did he not understand how hurt I was feeling that his status and influence was getting in the way of my once peaceful life?
"It's pointless talking to you." I finally broke down into the tears that I had been holding in all morning.
"This is so hard. I can't even go out anymore without worrying about people staring at me weirdly. Now I can't get a job without feeling like I did not merit it. This is not what I want for myself." I lamented sadly. I could not help the tears that poured out in torrents.
I soon felt two strong hands around my waist as Damien pulled me into a hug. I did not push him away this time, I cried on his chest while he rubbed my head soothingly, we stayed like that with nothing being said. The silence was somewhat comforting.
