Read Online Possessed - Part Three by Coco Cadence - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Coco Cadence
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starters, let me just apologize for the way I behaved in my office. It was harsh and unnecessary. I didn’t want to brush off like that.”
“But …?”
“There is a reason,” he says, licking his lips and taking a deep breath. “I had to fire you.”
“ Had to? Why? I thought you said you didn’t care about what anyone thinks, and that you wanted me more than anything else.”
“I did, and I still do. And yes, you’re right, I don’t care what they think. However, I was forced to fire you.”
“Who forced you?” I ask with furrowed brows.
“Marilyn did.”
Chapter 12
My jaw drops. “What?”
“It was her final demand for her to sign the papers.”
“And you did it? So you’d get out of the marriage? You used me again then.” I fold my arms.
“It’s not like that. We were on the phone when I found out about that article you sent to that newspaper.”
“Oh … so it is about that. I told you why I did that, and it wasn’t to hurt you. But you didn’t have to retaliate like that, Leo.”
“It wasn’t my intention to get back at you,” he says. “When I read that article, I knew we were fucked. I was angry, yes, that my reputation had gone down the drain within a day. However, hers was, too. Once she noticed, of course she realized that she had no more options. Nobody would take her on or would want her to be CEO of any corporation. So in essence, what you did was good.”
“You tell me that now, after firing me. Where’s the logic?”
“It was the only way to get her to sign the papers and to finally be rid of her. If she felt like she had just a little bit of control over the situation, it would go much smoother than if I would have smoked her out, so to speak. She had to do it, thinking she’d won.”
“So you fired me so you could annul your marriage with her …” I say.
“Yes.”
“You couldn’t have just said that? Why didn’t you just tell me this from the beginning?”
“Because she demanded that she hear everything. She wanted to hear me fire you over the phone, so she knew for sure that I’d do it. If I told you what was going on, she would have heard it and wouldn’t have accepted the deal.”
Staring at him, everything finally clicks into place for me. “Is that why you were so abrupt with the conversation?”
“I just wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. I knew I couldn’t say much, if anything, because she was listening in to our conversation.”
“No wonder …” I say, grinding my teeth.
He leans in to grab my arm, and the sudden touch makes me aware of how good it felt to have him near me.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I really am. Please believe me. I didn’t want you to get hurt the way you did.”
“But she did,” I add.
“Yes, she wanted us both to hurt. She even told me that she wanted to see me in pain after that article in the newspaper. She felt ruined.”
“Good,” I hiss, a little too vicious.
His lips curl up into a smile. “You seem to enjoy ruining her.”
“I do because she ruined my life, too. Because of her, I had to pretend to be your wife. And she got me fired!”
“And she made me lose you. Again,” he says, looking down at me as he steps closer and grabs my hand. “But I’m not letting you go, Sam. Even if I’m the one to blame for all this mess, I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever punishment you want to give me, as long as it means I’ll get to keep you in my life just a little longer.”
I swallow away my nerves. “I don’t know what to say …”
“Say you’ll forgive me. I didn’t want to fire you, although I have to admit it wouldn’t have worked if people found out you and I were a thing.”
“I don’t like the past tense you’re using,” I say.
He laughs. “Me neither. I’d prefer this to still be a thing. And more …” He raises his eyebrows. “Even if you’re not my assistant anymore, I still want you … more than ever.”
“But what am I supposed to do now? I
“But …?”
“There is a reason,” he says, licking his lips and taking a deep breath. “I had to fire you.”
“ Had to? Why? I thought you said you didn’t care about what anyone thinks, and that you wanted me more than anything else.”
“I did, and I still do. And yes, you’re right, I don’t care what they think. However, I was forced to fire you.”
“Who forced you?” I ask with furrowed brows.
“Marilyn did.”
Chapter 12
My jaw drops. “What?”
“It was her final demand for her to sign the papers.”
“And you did it? So you’d get out of the marriage? You used me again then.” I fold my arms.
“It’s not like that. We were on the phone when I found out about that article you sent to that newspaper.”
“Oh … so it is about that. I told you why I did that, and it wasn’t to hurt you. But you didn’t have to retaliate like that, Leo.”
“It wasn’t my intention to get back at you,” he says. “When I read that article, I knew we were fucked. I was angry, yes, that my reputation had gone down the drain within a day. However, hers was, too. Once she noticed, of course she realized that she had no more options. Nobody would take her on or would want her to be CEO of any corporation. So in essence, what you did was good.”
“You tell me that now, after firing me. Where’s the logic?”
“It was the only way to get her to sign the papers and to finally be rid of her. If she felt like she had just a little bit of control over the situation, it would go much smoother than if I would have smoked her out, so to speak. She had to do it, thinking she’d won.”
“So you fired me so you could annul your marriage with her …” I say.
“Yes.”
“You couldn’t have just said that? Why didn’t you just tell me this from the beginning?”
“Because she demanded that she hear everything. She wanted to hear me fire you over the phone, so she knew for sure that I’d do it. If I told you what was going on, she would have heard it and wouldn’t have accepted the deal.”
Staring at him, everything finally clicks into place for me. “Is that why you were so abrupt with the conversation?”
“I just wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. I knew I couldn’t say much, if anything, because she was listening in to our conversation.”
“No wonder …” I say, grinding my teeth.
He leans in to grab my arm, and the sudden touch makes me aware of how good it felt to have him near me.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I really am. Please believe me. I didn’t want you to get hurt the way you did.”
“But she did,” I add.
“Yes, she wanted us both to hurt. She even told me that she wanted to see me in pain after that article in the newspaper. She felt ruined.”
“Good,” I hiss, a little too vicious.
His lips curl up into a smile. “You seem to enjoy ruining her.”
“I do because she ruined my life, too. Because of her, I had to pretend to be your wife. And she got me fired!”
“And she made me lose you. Again,” he says, looking down at me as he steps closer and grabs my hand. “But I’m not letting you go, Sam. Even if I’m the one to blame for all this mess, I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever punishment you want to give me, as long as it means I’ll get to keep you in my life just a little longer.”
I swallow away my nerves. “I don’t know what to say …”
“Say you’ll forgive me. I didn’t want to fire you, although I have to admit it wouldn’t have worked if people found out you and I were a thing.”
“I don’t like the past tense you’re using,” I say.
He laughs. “Me neither. I’d prefer this to still be a thing. And more …” He raises his eyebrows. “Even if you’re not my assistant anymore, I still want you … more than ever.”
“But what am I supposed to do now? I
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