CHAPTER 6: STUBBORN ASTON

"You can't, Carlos. I won't allow you to do that, not when I am here with you."

"Really? I never knew you could raise your voice this high at me. And who are you to tell me what I should do with my mistress? The last time I checked, this is just a marriage of convenience and we live our lives separately."

"I am your wife! The woman you once loved." She wanted to scream at him but she held it in, screaming in her head.

"I know I do not have any right whatsoever in what you do but please try to understand me just this once."

"Understand you? There is no time to understand each other anymore." he scoffed at her.

"Do you have to constantly remind me about that? It's all in the past, Carlos. Besides, that is not what we are talking about. The thing is, you can't go to Vivian's place."

"Why?" he threw the question at her but it wasn't a question.

"Can't you see it yourself?"

"Oh, are you hurling insults at me now?"

Bailey pressed her hands against her forehead, tired from the conversation going nowhere.

"Calm down. Breathe in and all will be fine," she muttered under her breath as Carlos watched her from the corner of his eyes.

"We just tried to resolve a huge scandal you caused just right after our wedding. I followed you here to help you because you asked and now you still want to go out to meet her?"

"How does that concern me at the very least?"

"It seems you have other tricks up your sleeve to contend with your father. Your shares are at stake for crying out loud, Carl."

"I do not want to hear that name come out of your mouth ever again!"

His eyes glistened with some of the coldness that sent chills down her spine. He looked like he was ready to pounce on her if she dared call his name that way again.

"Alright, I am sorry, I won't call your name that way again. But please, I am begging you this time, you shouldn't go see her. I don't care if you go see her a day, two days, or a week from now but please do not go now."

"Save your pleas. You know that won't work on me."

She decided to try her last resolve if he would give in. He had always been a stubborn man.

"Don't you care about your company? You may lose the company if another scandal breaks out. The media is hungry and will do anything to bring even the big shots down."

"Don't worry about my business, darling. Like you said, I have my ways around this."

"Oh, is it your business now? Just a while ago, you looked all frustrated and sought my help."

He threw his face over to the other side, not answering a word to her as he watched the view outside.

"Hurry up, Eugene. We should be arriving in her studio in less than fifteen minutes, right?"

Bailey gave up. She wasn't going to persuade him anymore. He could do whatever he liked.

Her phone beeped and she turned the screen on to see a text from her father.

He was the last person she wanted to speak with, but she didn't have a choice.

"Drop me off at my father's house. I don't want to witness your stupidity."

"You should get off quickly. I don't even want to have you around. You are like a burden weighing me now and it is so painful as I will have to endure this for a lifetime."

The duo remained silent until they each got to their destination.

"Should I drop you off first before I drop madam?" Eugene asked.

"Can't you tell my father's house is before his mistress's studio? Drop me off first. I don't need you to come back. You can remain there with your boss." she shot at him.

Eugene was caught in between and waited for Carlos to say something.

Seeing Eugene in a tense state, he replied, "Just do as she says. Drop her off immediately."

***

The car stopped in front of Bailey's father's mansion.

"See you at home." he smiled, waving wryly at her.

"Whatever! You can choose to die at her place and not even come back!" she hissed at him before walking into the mansion.

"I am a stay-at-home father," she announced as she stepped in.

"How was it? Were you able to resolve the scandal? You should know that anything that affects Aston Realtors also affects us. You just got married to him and this can't happen."

"I..well,...Father we..."

"What did you do? What efforts have you made?" he snapped at her, growing impatient from her stutterings.

She gathered herself together and strung her words coherently,

"It is under control, father. You don't have to worry too much about it. I and Carlos have resolved it."

"You should have said that sooner." he relaxed in his chair when he heard that.

"I don't blame Carlos at all. He is a man and it is normal for him to go out once in a while to have a nice time without another woman. But you should get him under control. It doesn't have to be frequent."

"I understand your concern, father."

"I don't want to have to hear of another scandal or fight between you and him. You should get your act together."

"I will try my best, father."

"Okay. I hope you know the consequences if you fail to do all of this. You will cease to become my daughter and you will be kicked out of the family. I trained you to be decent and disciplined so show me the results of my efforts all these years."

"I know the dire consequences. I will not bring shame to you or the family." She tried to maintain a steady voice but it was getting shaky.

"Remember this you have to be on his good side. I do not want to know what happened between the both of you in the past. Just fix things up with him and try to make your marriage work."

"Yes, father."

Watching her from the rim of his glasses, he waved her off, "You can go now."

"Yes, Father." she scurried out of his presence and out of the house.

A tear she had held in so well trickled down her cheek.

How long was she going to try to live up to his expectations?

"I have married just as he asked me to and still I have to do this. This is killing me!"

Picking up her phone, she dialed Ava's number and she picked up in one ring,

"I am dying, Ava. What should I do?"

"Don't you ever say that! Nobody is dying. But if you really want to, then you are going to give your assets to me."

"What exactly do I do? I can't handle the pressure from my father and Carlos is not helping me either. Can you believe he actually left off to his mistress' place just after we tried to resolve the issue on the ground?"

"What the heck! I am coming over to your place this minute. Hang on, bitch."