ASHANTI
“What are you cooking, Ashanti?” Genevieve asked me as she leaned on the table while I am cooking something. She sounded really awful though. Oh. I can’t blame her though. I am not a goddess in the kitchen, okay. I acknowledge that.
None taken.
Instead, I chuckled at her. “I’m cooking something for Kristoff,” I replied as I continued to slice the onions.
Genevieve wrinkled her nose. “That? You’re cooking that for your husband?” she asked me as she pointed at the onions.
I looked at the onions then blinked at her, nodding. “Why? Is there something wrong?” I asked her.
She sighed hard and rolled her eyes on me. Really now, Genevieve? What in the heavens did I do wrong?
“Sissy, you won’t make a circle-shaped onion when you cut it that way. Cut it cross-sectional!” she told me.
I looked at her confused. “Cross-what?” I asked back.
She rolled her eyes on me. “I can’t believe you sew dresses! You don’t even know how cross-sectional is!” she beamed, frustrated.
I laughed at her reaction. Genevieve’s reaction is really one of the best reactions in the world. And it makes me laugh. Her expressions. All. She’s just one of a kind.
“You didn’t just laugh at me, Mrs. Marx!” She beamed at me making me laugh harder. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at me. “Why am I even talking to you?” she asked me before she headed over to the living room and watched the TV instead.
“I’ll do this well, Mrs. Moore!” I teased her.
“I am not Mrs. Moore! I am not yet married to that guy!” she yelled from the living room and I laugh again.
Chester proposed to her last summer and she said yes. I didn’t even know they were dating! I mean, they aren’t boyfriend-girlfriend yet but now, they are engaged.
How cool is that?
I continued cooking. I don’t even know if Kristoff would like this. I mean, I am a terrible cook.
I remember the time I cooked for him. He ate all the food but it’s not even edible. There are black crusts and all but he didn’t even complain.
I guess, he really loved me then. He suffered that meal. He suffered for me.
***
Genevieve left an hour after because she had this appointment with an agency for her new magazine cover. I started to prepare as well. I’d have to drop by my office first before driving off to Kristoff’s office for lunch.
I cooked him beef steak. And I swear it tastes like one. I’ve been learning through the cooking shows. I know I have improved in this.
I arrived at the office and I saw this man staring at the front door.
“Hello?” I got his attention.
He looked at me and bowed. “Oh!” he beamed at me.
I smiled at him. “May I help you, Sir?” I asked him.
He stared at me, looking a bit shocked because he was fidgety. And he is hesitating on answering me.
I looked at him and cocked my head. “Are you alright?” I asked him.
He grinned at me. “Is Nina inside?” he asked me.
I raised my brow. “Nina?” I asked. He nodded. “You are?” I asked him. Well, Nina is my secretary-in-training and I just won’t tell him anything about her because I don’t know him. He’s a stranger for God’s sake!
He sighed hard and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, well…” He is hesitating.
I gave him a look and he laughed awkwardly. “Uh… I’m Mark,” he told me.
I raised my brow. “How are you related to the girl you are asking?” I asked him not mentioning Nina’s name. I mean, I have to protect my employees.
He bit his lip and he is looking at the floor. I don’t know but I feel like he is nervous or something.
Well, he’s not really bad. I mean, yes, he is handsome. He is really white and he has great eyes. Yes, I always look at eyes first when I stare at a person.
Mom said, “Eyes are the windows to the soul.” I laughed inside my head. How can we even see the soul in our eyes?
But yeah, seeing this boy standing in front of me, fidgety and nervous, I can feel like he has an important thing to say to Nina.
“Actually, I am her ex-boyfriend,” he told me then he exhaled deeply.
I raised my brow. “Ex?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “I am an ass that’s why she broke up with me.” He narrated.
“Well, what are you doing here then?” I remember Nina telling me something about her ex who cheated on her. With her best friend.
I remember telling her that he’s not worth it but seeing this boy in front of me right now, I think he is sincere. Maybe he wants her back.
He sighed hard. “Oh. Never mind. Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to me because I hurt her a lot.” Then he ran away.
What was that? That boy is weird.
I just shrugged and went inside the office and I was greeted by my employees. “Is everything good?” I asked them and they all nodded.
I smiled then I went straight to my office. I saw Nina and she was on her phone.
“What?” she asked to the other line. “Why did he come?” she asked again. “No. No way. I’m not looking back. I don’t care. He hurt me. I broke up with him. There’s nothing he can do. He cheated on me. Whatever. Bye.”
Then she sighed hard.
“Everything alright?” I asked.
That’s when she saw me.
She smiled at me. “Just some stuff,” she replied.
“Bad stuff?” I asked.
She just smiled.
“Oh, there was a guy named Mark who was looking for you a while ago.” She looked at me, shocked. “But he ran away even before I could ask him to come in.” She sighed in relief.
“Is he your ex?” I asked her.
She smiled bitterly and nodded. “Yes. He even went to my house a while back. My roommate just called,” she told me.
I looked at her. “Don’t you love him anymore?” I asked.
She sighed. “How could I not love him? I made him my world,” she replied in a sad tone.
“Then why don’t you have him back?”
“Because he hurt me and it’s bad. I love him but my love for him is like poison. The more that I’d I love him, the more that I would die, the more that I would hurt.”
She sighed deeply again.
I smiled at her. “You’re just like me, you know,” I told her. She gave me a questioning look. “You love to hurt yourself.” Then I chuckled and I went inside my office.
Oh, kids really.
***
I left office after knowing that everything is fine. I headed to Kristoff’s office.
Believe me or not, it is my first time to come here. I have never had the guts to come over because I am not really that person who would visit someone. I can’t visit Kristoff before because I didn’t know his heart.
I walked in and people looked at me. I don’t know why but they are looking at me. I walked to the reception area. “Excuse me?” I asked the person in there. Her name’s Mara. I saw on her name plate.
She smiled at me. “What can I do for you, Ma’am?” she asked me politely.
I smiled at her. “Uhm, can I know where Kristoff’s office is?” I asked her.
Suddenly, her eyes looked at me like I asked something wrong. But then her expression lightened. “Ah, it’s on the eighth floor, Ma’am. Turn left then it is his office.” She smiled at me but her smile now is different. I wonder why.
Does she have a hidden crush on my husband?
I let it go and walked to the elevator. Still, people are looking at me.
I went inside the elevator and pressed 8 on the buttons. There are some people inside me and they are giving me looks—weird looks, in other words.
They are looking at me like I pressed a wrong number.
“Are you sure you’re going to the 8th floor?” A beautiful woman asked me. Her name’s Krystal. I saw in her name plate as well.
I nodded.
She raised her brow. But then she didn’t dare to speak.
The elevator opened at 7th floor and everyone else walked out of the elevator. I’m alone.
I sighed hard and held my chest. Going to Kristoff’s office is really scary.
I arrived at the 8th floor and I turned left like what Mara told me. Truth be told, it was Kristoff’s office. It has a big OFFICE OF THE CEO letters on the bar near the secretary. I think she is the secretary.
I walked on and stopped by the secretary.
The secretary looked at me. “Excuse me? Do you have an appointment with Mr. Marx?” she asked me.
I stared at her for a moment. Do I really have to make an appointment to meet my husband in his office?
“Excuse me, what’s your name?” she asked me.
“Ashanti,” I replied.
She gave me a questioning look. “What? You are?” she asked me.
I gulped. “Ashanti. Ashanti Marx,” I repeated.
She scoffed at me. “Are you kidding me?” she asked me.
My eyes widened. “No.” Why would I even joke at her? What would I even get?
She shook her head and dialed something. “Security…” she talked and my eyes widened.
“Wait, Miss. I am Ashanti Marx. Why are you calling the security?” I asked, my voice was raised for a while.
The secretary sighed and looked at me. “You may sit on the couch first, Ms. Ashanti.” She put an emphasis on my name like she is mocking me or something.
I rolled my eyes on her. I don’t want to be rude but she called the security.
I took my phone out and dialed Kristoff’s number. This is supposed to be a surprise. His phone is ringing but I ended it when I saw the security coming in and they headed to me.
One man took my arm and I looked at them weirdly. “Excuse me?” I asked starting to get pissed.
“Miss, you are not supposed to be here.” One man told me as he talked to someone on his walkie-talkie or whatever that is.
“Why wouldn’t I be here?” I asked them.
“Because this is the CEO’s office and civilians are not allowed to come here.”
I laughed at them. “Civilians? What are you? Where am I? Am I in a war zone or something?” I asked, mocking them.
They all shot me death glares and I had to roll my eyes on them.
“Come on! I am Kristoff Marx’s wife!” I yelled at them as I tried to yank my arms out of their grip.
“Ashanti?”
Everyone stopped when Kristoff walked out of his office.
The security men gripped on my arms again. Their leader I guess, the one who talked to someone through his walkie talkie, bowed at Kristoff. “We apologize for the incident, Sir. We are going to take this woman out of your office now.”
My eyes widened at what the leader of the security men told Kristoff.
I looked at Kristoff and he looked confused.
“Wait—”
“Hands off my wife!”
Kristoff glared at the security. They all stopped and looked at him.
“I said take your filthy hands off my wife. Now!” he yelled and the security men let me go.
I gave them all a look before Kristoff walked to me and inspected me. “Did they hurt you?” he asked me.
I shook my head.
He sighed in relief then he held my hand. He looked at the security. “If this happens again, I will fire all of you,” he said then he looked at his secretary. “You, too!” He yelled.
I almost laughed at their facial expressions. They all looked embarrassed. They can’t even look at me.
“You may all resume to your duties,” he told them then he pulled me inside his office.
His employees immediately resumed to their duties. I bet they are all scared of Kristoff.
You don’t mess with the legal wife.