BRAZEN OBSESSION[[coming soon]]

6) Divorce the devil

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3RD POV
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The golden shine of the ring on the desk aught Chris' eyes while he sat on Lise’s chair. He picked it up and fell into a trance for half a minute. He could remember the excitement on her face when he had presented her with this ring on their wedding day. She had later engraved the letters 'L' and 'C' on it.

He continued staring at it until the bathroom door opened.

"He-hello," Lise greeted with a spec of nervousness that Chris seemed to miss. He did, however, notice that she had changed her hair, and her makeup was a little bold.
His eyes further fell on her neck as she was desperately trying to hide by standing at an angle half facing him without making it obvious.

He lifted the ring while walking up to her.
Lise panicked and pulled the door shut before springing away from it. "Why, why do you have th-that?" She reached out to yank it from his hand but he lifted it higher than her height.
Frowning, Lise walked past him, letting him see her attitude.

Chris sighed, clearing the little playful air he had almost succumbed to and whirled around to follow his wife. "Why did you take it off? You never take it off even when you're bathing."

Lise stopped only when she had lured Chris away. She bent over and opened a drawer before picking up the little black scarf folded in there.
As she fixed it around her neck, Chris frowned slightly, feeling an awkward aura coming from his wife.

"Why is your hair up? I told you I liked-"

"It down because I looked better than exposing my features!" Lise finished the statement for him, leaving them to look at each other while exchanging a silent war with just their eyes.

Chris took Lise's left hand and slid the ring back to its place, his gaze piercing through her eyes as if telling her defying him would not end well for her.
But she reciprocated the challenging aura, letting him know that things would change from now on.
When he stretched out to take the hair tie off, Lise moved away giving him the 'don't-touch-me' gaze.

He swallowed and retreated his hand.

"We need to talk, Chris."

The confusion on his face could not be hidden. Or maybe Lise was just better at reading expressions than he was. "About what?"

Without answering him, she took his wrist and guided him towards the exit.
The timer was still ticking. If she did not get him out of the office in three minutes, Dylan would just walk out of the bathroom and leave her to explain to his father what they had been doing in there before he got there.

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"What's this about, Lise? Are you still mad about last night?"

Silence. She only sipped her juice, her eyes looking out the shop through the glass wall close to them.
"Come on, aren't you too petty for your a-"

"Divorce me." The words that had been choking her for some hours finally made it out, surprising her heart.
Lise looked at him with a firm expression. "Grandma is already gone. Nobody will stop you from marrying whoever you want or staying single and dating as many women as you wish."

The veil dawning on Chris' face was more than terrifying. It was vicious. Enraged. Murderous.
Never in his life had he ever thought he'd live to witness a woman blatantly breaking up with him, much less, divorcing him.
His hands folded into rock-hard fists while continuing to rest on the table. Something which attracted Lise's attention. She wondered if he wanted to smash them in her face or smack the table till it broke.

Yet this sight did not sway her decision.
"Why should I divorce you? We already signed a-"

"Because there's no point in pushing this act any further. You have your women out there, we have never had sex without a condom, you stay out whenever you feel like without even informing me, your son hates me, and I...I've stopped loving you," Lise exploded.
Something rolled off her shoulders. It was the weight she had been carrying around for years. The endurance she had held so firmly of changing things.

"You have what?" he questioned with his jaw clenched just like his teeth to avoid raising his voice in such a public space.

Lise took another sip to moisturize her throat. She would be lying if she said she wasn't terrified of Chris's current anger which bled from every pore of his body. She had never seen him this crossed.
But, her decision had to be respected by even, herself.
"I won't take any money, just make me a shareholder in the mother company. We can be partners after the divorce without causing any-"

"Oh, Lise!" Chris hissed leaning in. "Who has been whispering this nonsense in your ears?"

She put down the glass and inclined to him with a smirk. "If you refuse to divorce me, then don't be mad if I find myself...someone else."

Chris's turquoise eyes lit up from the furious flames that ignited in there. "Find...someone else?" he repeated with a dangerous calmness.

"I'm tired of waiting for you to change. Waiting for you to love me. So why don't we make a clean break up? I get the shares and you get your freedom back. You owe me this much at least, don't you think?"

Chris didn't answer. He just...laughed. A crazed laugh that made his brows lift while coming together to end up in a frown.
"I should have known. You're just after the money, aren't you? You lay all these baseless accusations just to get me to divorce you. But did it ever occur to you why I've been keeping you around?"

Silence.
"Because honey..." He cupped her left cheek with his right hand in what would be seen as lovingly but possessed nothing but malice. "You're great at sex. And you come cheaply as well. So why would I divorce you? Why would I fire my hot slut just because she feels unloved."

Lise swallowed.
Six years of marriage and only now was she witnessing the demon Christ had kept locked away. She had spent most nights with such a vile man in the name of marriage, thinking that he only had a loose cock.
But seeing and hearing him now, Lise didn't recognize any part of him.

"I'll be kind as to warn you before you get someone in trouble, Lise," he continued speaking while stroking the corner of hee mouth. "If another man touches this body, I'll chop him into tiny little pieces every single day until nothing is left. If you think I'm bluffing, try me," he said with a sweet smile that was interpreted as affectionate by those who were watching them from another table.

Her eyes shook.
The fear flooding her chest was more real and dense than any emotion she had ever experienced before.
She felt so grateful that she had chosen to have this talk in this public space rather than booking a private room.

'Father and son are both monsters. Demons,' Lise concluded pulling her face from his hold.

"Find someone else," she said with a detectable tremble in her voice.

Chris grinned sitting up.
He drew his glass of juice closer and played with its rim, eyes on the tensed female. "I'm too lazy. Besides, I already decided ages ago that you'll be the only slut I bring home. If you're concerned about Dylan, just ignore him as you have been over the years. As for your other concerns, we can work out something."

"Do you think I don't dare take evidence of your affairs to claim my compensation according to the contract?"

Chris chuckled satisfied. "Oh you naive little thing. Did you really think that that contract still exists? Even if you choose to divorce me, you'll get nothing from me."

"Wha...what are you-"

"I'll send you the contract that exists. The earlier you know your place, the better."

He got up. "If you ever bring up this nonsense again, there will be a price to pay that isn't monetary." It was a threat.