*
"How's it going? I'm surprised you're this patient with them, it's unlike you, but then again, love can make someone act so different." Rex poured Sterling a glass of whiskey.
Love?
Did he love his secretary? Did waking up every morning aroused to the wet dreams of her, wanting to explore every inch of her gorgeous body with the tip of his tongue, inhale her womanly scent and wanting to wake up to it every day of his life count as love?
Perhaps or maybe not.
"Fuck off!" Sterling scowled at his cousin, emptying the glass in several gulps.
Rex snorted, pretending to be hurt. "That's not nice to say to someone who's been there for you every single step, why is appreciation so fucking hard to get these days?"
"Since when did you become so meddlesome? Get a drink, fuck a whore but just leave me alone, don't remind me to get back at you for what you did last time!" Sterling snapped and Rex rolled his eyes.
"Thank me you mean? I saw what you did with those pictures, you're hard-hearted and brutal, how could you do that to sweet sister-in-law?"
Sterling clenched his fist and Rex lifted his hands jokingly in surrender.
"I'll leave, I'll leave, you're no fun to be around anyway, hope you choke on your drink"
Rex walked away and Sterling thought. Was he cruel? He didn't think so.
If he was hard-hearted, he could have simply killed his secretary's boyfriend and kidnapped her to one of his faraway islands to spend her entire life with him with no disturbances.
The idea was still tempting.
He didn't want her to be afraid of him, he craved her trust as much as he did life.
His patience would pay off in a short time.
She was an important piece of chess in his hands and he would play steadily, even more, fulfilling was the prize he would get at the end of the game.
She would be his and would never even expect how.
Sterling started to pour himself another glass of drink when his gaze fell across several people entering the club.
Dan was walking in with two other people Sterling would guess to be his friends.
He recalled Faith's words from earlier in the office about she and Dan resolving the issues between them.
Like hell, he would allow that to happen! Sterling's lips curved into a sneer. The quicker the bastard vanished from her life, the better it would be for all of them.
Sterling was no longer patient, there had to be a way to just end everything as it was, a plan was starting to form in his mind to which he smirked.
He had not counted on meeting Dan in this place, why would he allow such a good opportunity that presented itself to go to waste?
He signaled at a waiter who approached immediately.
"Those three, their bills are on me, tell him that___" He whispered to the waiter who nodded eagerly and quickly dismissed himself.
Sterling counted the seconds and minutes in his head and wasn't disappointed. He relaxed his back against his chair, from his spot, he could see the waiter returning, along with Dan.
"This is the man who paid for all your expenses, you can thank him personally." The waiter spoke.
Sterling watched as Dan's gaze suddenly found him, anger and hate flared immediately.
The waiter excused himself, leaving them alone.
"You! What the hell do you mean by this! How the fuck are you even here! You vile son of a bitch!" Dan charged toward Sterling who was still sitting calmly, his fingers toying with the glass in his hand.
"For your own sake, I will advise that you calm down and listen to me." Sterling's calm state seemed to irritate Dan the more.
"Or else what? What can you do! What did you do with my girlfriend! What's that news all about?" Dan challenged.
Sterling slammed his glass on the table and shot Dan a mocking stare.
"Don't be such a sore loser, Your girlfriend you say? You couldn't offer her anything, she had to return to me!" Sterling sneered and stood up so he was staring at Dan directly.
The animosity and tension in the room were so intense.
"Faith is not that kind of woman, those pictures are fake, isn't it? You did all that, didn't you" Dan spoke and Sterling chuckled.
"Don't be an idiot! I don't have so much free time on my hands, I'm afraid you don't know Faith enough to know the kind of woman she is. Yes, the article was correct, she's always been fucking mine, I don't know who let the news out but it's definitely true."
"I don't believe it! why did she agree to date me! She liked me!" Dan spoke again and Sterling smiled.
"She's beautiful, smart, and sexy, of course, she can make any man think she likes them, if you want to know, then I'll tell you exactly what happened between us. She knew I would never marry her and got upset, you know how women behave, she only dated you to make me jealous and change my mind, she never liked you, she was never yours either! You were nothing but a used pawn!" Sterling smiled inwardly, seeing the defeated look in Dan's eyes.
The man was starting to believe him instead of his girlfriend, how dumb! Sterling thought. Well, it would all work to his advantage.
"You certainly could not give her anything, not even the status she deserved, you will always be a loser in her eyes and of course, she learned being my mistress was more profiting than your sham relationship!" Sterling struck the final blow.
*
*
Faith had just taken her shower and wore her nightclothes when her doorbell rang.
Seconds later, she heard Natalie speaking, along with Dan's familiar voice.
He came!
But why so late at night? He didn't even call her.
She hurried downstairs to see that it was indeed Dan. Natalie gave her the secret thumb up and mouthed "good luck" before disappearing from view.
"I didn't expect you to come, can I get you something to drink?" She offered, rubbing her palms together nervously.
She noted that there was something different about him.
The usual warmth his eyes possessed.
It was no longer there.
"Is something wrong? Why are you so quiet?" Worry prickled in her heart the longer he stayed quiet.
Was it that he was upset about the article? Faith thought.
"Dan, listen, I also wanted to speak to you about the article today___" She started to explain when her calm boyfriend exploded.
"I suspected you and him all along! I mean you always defended his actions, I finally got the answers today, how could you play such sick games with me, Faith? I'm so sickened to be in your presence!" Dan shouted, angry veins forming on his forehead.
"What___why ___" Faith couldn't manage to form words.
"How many times did you laugh at how much of a fool I was? You didn't want me, but decided to waste my time and emotions!!"
Faith flinched backward, moisture starting to form in her eyes, his words were like a knife piercing her heart, but it turned out to be only the beginning.
"Why don't you trust me? That article is all lies! Please believe me!"
"Shut up!! Do you think I'm stupid to believe you ever again?" He roared, looking at Faith with disgust in his eyes.
He glared at her hatefully before stabbing her once again with his words.
"Now I get it! I get everything! you even asked us to wait, you told me that I was your first boyfriend for a very long time! and that you weren't ready yet for deep commitment! but that was all because you were sleeping with your boss right? You pretended innocent but you're his fucking mistress!"
Tears of anger and sadness sparkled in Faith's eyes, there was nothing she could say, words had no importance at this point.
"You think all of that about me, I might have only known you for a short period, but I really liked you, Dan, but it's time we go our separate ways, nothing's ever going to work after today."
Dan choked out a cruel laughter.
"Who would want a dirty whore like you?! I regret ever knowing you!!"
Faith slammed the door after Dan left, Natalie tried to speak to her but she walked straight to her room.
She lay on her bed, surprisingly she didn't cry.
It didn't hurt as bad as she thought it would.
She would live.