Convenience

Part 21

David was stunned. 

Just to be clear, he left her in no doubt about his state of finances. "You do know I am now a seriously wealthy man?" She could not be for real. What is going on? He wondered.

"Yes." Beatrice folded her arms and stared at him. Idiot. She thought. Her next sentence cut through his arrogance. "I imagine what profit my business makes in a year, you make in a week!"

Pure guesswork. Of course she knew he was in the multi-millionaire bracket. But what she wanted could not be bought. The man she married clearly did not know her. She nearly smiled, why would he, he'd barely taken notice of her when they married. She doubted he could tell her what she wore on the day let alone what she looked like on that fateful day.

David frowned. But as he stood and watched her, David came to the conclusion that he had seriously underestimated this woman on so many levels.

"I read the financial papers." She stated bluntly.

He said, "And you don't want a share of my wealth." Not a rhetorical statement.

She could expand her business. Now that he looked into her eyes, he saw the tenacity he'd seen in her grandfather's eyes when he had negotiated a marriage in return for financial support. He could have simply loaned the money to David and charged interest. Instead he'd stated that he would only loan the money on condition that his granddaughter was married to David.

"Correct." She snapped. "I don't." Derision laced both words.

"So if I serve papers you won't contest?" He sounded as incredulous as he felt. Perhaps he ought to come clean and tell her all the details about his businesses, about his roles, his status, his accumulated wealth. She clearly had no idea that he was a billionaire.

"Correct! Again! I won't."

"Look, I am worth..."

She picked up on the one word. Beatrice snorted and nearly laughed outright. "I know what you are worth financially, Mr Cardoso." She interrupted with heat. His eyes narrowed. She said bluntly but softly, "I'm just not interested in you!"

His eyes narrowed. Insolent! It just did not make sense. He scoffed, his brows snapping together as he pinned her, "And you won't contest..."

She banked her exasperation as she interrupted. She shrugged. "What's to contest?" She looked at him her eyes cool, her tone measured as she spoke, "We never lived together."

"True. Your fault. You moved from Auckland. Without telling me about your intentions. No discussion. Remember." He mocked. "Forgotten you had a husband?"

She squared her shoulders. Caustically she tacked on "What husband?" Her eyes were blatantly ridiculing him. "Never shared a house, let alone a bed. Have no shared property of any form, whether it be a teapot or apartment." She ticked off, using her fingers as she listed each point, "We never met without at least another couple of people being present. Easy to forget any husband if he isn't there!" She'd seen his reaction to her sneering last shot. Great. Finally, she thought. Time to be straight. She drew in a slow breath before adding in a calmer tone, "You have not influenced the development of my business. I have not influenced the development of yours. I built my empire. You built yours. I do not have a life style that necessitates your finances for it to continue. You gave me this ring." She waved her wedding band at him.

"Exactly!" He interrupted. "You are wearing my ring!"

She nearly yelled at him! She squared her shoulders. Her voice suddenly became low. "I understand you gave you last girlfriend diamond ear-rings."

That had his eyes narrowing. How did she know that? But before he could ask her that, she was talking again. This woman should work as a detective!

"Wearing your ring means nothing!" She said.

He blinked. He hadn't expected that. If it meant nothing, why wear it?

She gave him a quick look. "I have not been with you in any sense! Or for the term of our marriage. In the last five years we have never met." Her eyes swept over his body, "Why would I have any entitlement to your assets?"

David was starting to understand that the woman he had married was anything but a shrinking violet. Odd that he hadn't noticed that at the time. But then, back then, five years ago, his priorities, his agenda, his goals had not included her. Everything has changed.