The Tie That Binds: A Marriage of Convenience Novel

I stare at my work screen blankly. Four days. It’s been four days since Daniel walked out on me. True to his word, he didn’t come back home once. I know, because I waited for him every single night. It seems like he truly won’t return for as long as I’m there. I thought he’d change his mind soon enough. I thought he’d regret what he said and that he’d come back asking for forgiveness. Instead, I’m staring at photos of him with Olivia.

It’s been less than a week since our marriage fell apart and he’s going out on dates with someone else. With Olivia, no less. I scan through the article and my stomach twists painfully.

Trouble in paradise?

It’s been some time since Daniel Devereaux has been spotted with his girlfriend, Alyssa Moriani. Instead, he’s been seen hanging out with his childhood friend, Olivia Diaz, on numerous occasions. This isn’t the first time the two have been spotted together and over the years we have wondered whether something was going on between them, but they’ve always denied it. This time both parties declined to comment. That on its own is telling. Will we soon get a statement from Daniel Devereaux confirming his new relationship?

We’ve done some digging and found countless photos of Olivia and Daniel throughout the years. Though we feel bad for Alyssa Moriani, who has also declined to comment, we must admit that Olivia and Daniel look incredibly cute together.

I stare at the photos of Daniel and Olivia. There are photos of them as kids, as teens, and finally as adults. In most of them, they’re smiling at each other or Daniel has his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Is it her? Was it her all along? Is that why he tried so hard to hide his kiss marks… Why he ignored me throughout the lunch we had. I feel sick as I glance at the photo of them last night. He took her out for dinner to the same restaurant he took me to on our first date. The restaurant I’ve come to think of as ours. I guess to him it wasn’t even a date. He was just rescuing his little brother’s best friend from a night filled with awkwardness. He probably enjoyed the restaurant a lot more with Olivia there.

I’m startled out of my sombreness when Kate knocks on my office door and walks in. She looks stricken, and I wonder if it’s because she saw the article. “Uh, Alyssa,” she says carefully. I raise my brows at her and she fidgets before she slides a document towards me. I stare at it in disbelief.

“He already handed in his resignation to the board, and they accepted it. He’s using his leftover holiday days to cover his notice period. The board allowed it, since you’ve proven that you can handle the company by yourself just fine.”

I tremble as I pick up the document. He’s destroying every tie I’ve got to him. Why did he marry me only to abandon the company as soon as he signed the divorce papers? Was it just his shares he was interested in, rather than the company? What is he thinking?

I grab my phone to call him, only to remember that he’s blocked my number. I bite down on my lip and throw the document in my bag.

I nod at Kate as I walk past her. “I’m going to be out for the rest of the day. Reschedule my meetings where required.”

I’m absentminded all the way to Devereaux Inc. Daniel won’t let me in if I ask him for a meeting. I can’t call him either, but one way or another I need to see him today.

I walk into Devereaux Inc. and straight to the exclusive executive lift that I’ve seen Daniel and Mary use before. A security guard walks towards me, but thankfully the doors of the lift open as I press my thumb to the scanner. Like I thought, Daniel has given Devereaux Security the order to give my biometrics all the same privileges as his.

I sigh in relief as the lift moves up. I don’t know what I’ll say to him when I see him, but just the thought of finally seeing him again sets my broken heart at ease.

I get numerous curious looks as people recognise me, but no one stops me as I walk towards Daniel’s office. I’ve got my hand on the door handle when I hear giggling coming from inside. My hands tremble as I turn the handle and push the door open.

Daniel is sitting next to Olivia on his settee. He’s leaning back, looking relaxed, while Olivia leans into him. Her lipstick is smudged, traces of it all around her lips. My heart shatters as I glance around his office. His desk is messy and bears a disturbing resemblance to what his desk at DM looked like after he fucked me on top of it.

I feel sick. My entire body is shaking as I walk in, and I wonder if my legs will actually hold me up. Daniel sits up in surprise when his eyes land on me, his smile dropping instantly. He looks wary, and I’m sure he’s already wondering how I managed to get in at all. Olivia jumps up when she sees me and looks at Daniel worriedly.

“Can I have a word, please?” I say, my voice clear and even. Daniel glances at me as though I’m a cagey and dangerous type of animal and eventually nods.

Olivia looks at him and smiles tightly. “I’ll go,” she says as I sit down opposite Daniel.

He shakes his head and grabs her hand to pull her back down. She stumbles back into her seat and he wraps his arm around her shoulder, the way he did in all the photos I’ve seen of them. “Stay,” he says, his voice gentle and caring.

I bite down on my lip hard enough to draw blood, and even that isn’t enough for me to remain in control of my emotions. I look down at my lap and grit my teeth, praying I won’t burst into tears in front of them.

“I received your resignation today. I won’t accept it.”

Daniel chuckles. “The board already accepted it, so I don’t care what you think of it. It’s done.”

He’s never been so cold to me before. Not even once. He’s always been there for me, and he’s always treated me with kindness. I’d have thought that he’d treat me with politeness, even if it’s just because of the relationship we had.

“I would like you to reconsider. I’m not ready to handle the company by myself. I can’t do this without you,” I plead.

Daniel looks away and glances at his watch, as though he’s wondering how long it’ll take to get rid of me.

“Then you’d better look into hiring another external CEO. I won’t come back.”

Olivia fidgets in her seat, clearly feeling awkward, and Daniel grabs her hand. As far as I recall, he never used to hold hands with any of the girls he’s dated. I was the first, and I thought I’d be the only one.

I clench my teeth and grab another stack of documents from my bag. “Very well,” I murmur. I hand him a copy of the numerous photos the press published of him and Olivia, and then place a copy of the fidelity contract we both signed and a share transfer agreement on top.

“This needs to stop. I won’t sign the divorce agreement, Daniel. Unless you want to lose your 300 million shareholding, I suggest you keep it in your pants. I won’t hesitate to sue you. You’ve done most of the work for me. All I need to do at this point is to show these photos to a judge. I’ll let it go if you stop now.”

Daniel stares at me and then at the photos before finally settling on the documents. He looks oddly impressed when he should be looking worried. Eventually he bursts out laughing, and my traitorous heart skips a beat.

Daniel reaches for the pocket inside his suit jacket and pulls out a pen. He then proceeds to sign the share transfer agreement without hesitation. He glances at it with a bittersweet smile before handing it to me.

I take it from him with shaking hands. He actually signed it. He’d rather sign away the shares he worked so hard to keep instead of staying faithful to me.

“What does this mean?” I ask, my voice breaking. “Did you…” I can’t even get the words out. I can’t even bring myself to ask him if he signed the papers because he has already breached the terms. It’s been four days. How could he do this to me?

I must look devastated because Daniel suddenly looks panicked and pained, the way he used to when I’d burst into tears whenever I’d miss my dad in the first few months after the funeral.

“No!” he says, losing his composure for just a second. When I glance up, his stoic expression is back in place. “No, I haven’t… but I want to. So I might as well just sign now and settle, rather than having to go through court proceedings.”

I stare at him in disbelief. He’d rather give me 300 million worth of shares than remain faithful to me? My eyes automatically travel to Olivia. I guess that type of money is nothing to him when it comes to love. He’s a Devereaux, after all. I wonder if losing such a large amount would affect him at all. I doubt it.

I nod absentmindedly as I put away the documents I came in with. I was so sure. So sure I’d be able to tie him back to me this way. Never in a million years did I think he’d sign. I glance at him before I walk out, but his eyes are firmly pasted on Olivia.