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He stepped back. “From here on, you will receive a monthly allowance. You are not to be in any country I or my family are currently in. Which means since we’re here now, you must leave, not using the company jet of course. But a public one, economy, since that’s the only kind you’ll be able to afford.”
“You won’t get away with this.” Esther spoke between clenched teeth.
“I already have.”
Their eyes locked with each other, and this time Esther slowly came to understand it was over for her, just like that. In an instant, her son truly had taken everything away from her.
“You will do this to your own mother just for that bitch’s sake?”
His face hardened. When he spoke again, he made no effort to lower his voice, allowing everyone to hear him. “I’ve changed my mind, Mother. You will only receive money from me if you get on your knees now and beg for it – and promise never to call my wife any kind of name again.”
“Never.”
“You’re free to go anytime, Mother, but I will not make the offer again. Once you turn your back on me, it is over. You will be forced to make your own way from here.”
And since her son always meant what he said, Esther knew she had no choice. “Bastard.” But the way her voice shook was answer enough, both of them knowing it was only a matter of time before she gave in.
“I actually hope you don’t fall on your knees, Mother. If you did, and just for the sake of money, wouldn’t that make you the gold-digger now?”
Esther whitened.
Hearing Damen speak so cruelly was unbearable, and Mairi tugged on Damen’s sleeve. “Damen.” She knew he was only saying such things because he had been angered on her behalf, but Esther wasn’t worth all this nastiness. She knew, one day, Damen would despise himself for letting his anger take control of him.
Slowly, Damen looked down at his wife. When he saw the pleading look in her eyes, he said grimly, “Don’t say it, Mairi.”
She nodded towards their daughter, dozing quietly in her stroller and looked after by Jane. “Think of what she’ll say when she finds out how hard you can be.”
His jaw clenched. “She doesn’t deserve your pity.”
“And I don’t want it, either!” Esther spit on Mairi, but it landed on the scrap of fur in the other woman’s arms.
“You...” Damen started towards her, but Mairi quickly blocked his way.
“Damen, please, no!”
“Can’t you see?” she asked in a low voice. “It’s just her pride talking. She’s got nothing already. Nothing. She can’t hurt us ever again. That should be enough.”
When she turned to face her mother-in-law, Esther spit on her again but this time, Mairi was ready and she stepped back in time, almost bumping against her husband in the process.
“Will you please stop spitting?”
“I can’t help it,” Esther answered snidely. “You look like trash to me.” She looked at the mongrel in Mairi’s arms. “Like that dog you’re holding. Ugliest four-legged trash I’ve ever seen—-”
“Eslee is not trash!”
Damen’s head snapped towards his wife. “Eslee?” he repeated slowly.
Esther’s eyes widened.
Mairi’s did so as well. Oh shit, she hadn’t intended to let it slip.
“Eslee...is short for something, isn’t it?” Damen asked.
“Yes, kinda...it’s short for Esther Leventis?”
“YOU NAMED YOUR DOG AFTER ME?”
Esther’s face as she screamed the words was indescribable.
Cameras clicked, light bulbs flashed, and a photographer gasped, “Isn’t that meme-worthy?”
Again, light bulbs, imaginary this time, as everyone realized the photographer’s words were true. Suddenly, everyone was in a hurry, trying to look for the right applications in their phones, tablets, and laptops so they could be the first one to create said meme and be credited for what was likely to be the viral sensation of the month.
Esther, too, had realized what was happening, and spinning around, she went after the reporters. “Don’t you dare post that!”
More clicks, as another photographer shouted, “That’s another fucking meme right there!”
As chaos ensued around them, Mairi and Damen turned to each other. Suddenly, she felt like the world had fallen away, leaving just the two of them and Nala, still sleeping peacefully, the noise not bothering her at all.
She looked at her husband, really looked at him, and found herself breathless. Her Greek billionaire was so, so beautiful, and she just couldn’t believe he was really hers.
The way his wife was looking at him had his lips twitching...as well as another and more insistent part of his anatomy. “Hi.” He spoke with sham seriousness.
Mairi bit back a nervous giggle. “H-hi.” Sheesh, she was married to this man and they already had a baby, and she still ended up stammering in his presence.
Somewhere behind them, they could still hear Esther screaming.
“You probably never thought it would end up this way, did you?” she asked wryly.
