SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 25

No matter how awkward it is, some conversations just have to be had. Sunday morning I woke up early enough for us to have breakfast as a family and we even went to church and after that went for lunch at a restaurant picked by Lindsey. Throughout all this time Duke and I didn’t really speak directly to each other and the topics raised put Lindsey in the spot so she did most of the talking but eventually we had to address the elephant in the room so upon getting home we went up to the bedroom to have the talk.

“Did you think about what I said last night?” Duke got the ball rolling.

“You were drunk” I pointed out, was it weird that I wanted him to not want me anymore?

“I meant every word I said” Duke spoke, I was seated on the couch in his room and he followed to come and sit next to me. “I love you and I want us to give this marriage a real chance.”

“What has changed?” I had to ask, “a few months ago you didn’t want me.”

“I’ve always liked you Audrey, you know that.”

Sure, he’s always said he liked my personality and thought I was a good role model for Lindsey but that was it.

“You clearly said, repeatedly, that I am not your type.” I reminded him and he looked like he had swallowed a lemon.

“Things change, we’ve been living together for more than a year now, it was inevitable for me to fall in love with you” he said, and I almost laughed, that was a very lame answer.

“you mean I changed, I lost weight and started fitting in your slender girls type” I pointed out and he wouldn’t even look at me straight in the eyes which just proved that I was right. “what happens when I gain weight? Because I will gain.”

“Why would you want to gain?” he asked, wow, the audacity “you look incredible and am sure you feel great too.”

“this isn’t my body, this is a depressed body” I tried not to get upset as I said it, him and his mistress could have easily driven me to an early grave with depression.

“Depressed?” he straightened up “what do you have to be depressed about?”

This time around I actually laughed.

“how about the fact that you wouldn’t let me live my life but were busy with Connie without even being discreet about it?” I asked rhetorically and he opened his mouth but failed to come up with a defense.

“I …. I didn’t know it bothered you that much… am sorry” he finally spit it out but how the heck would he think it didn’t bother me? I had made it very clear from the beginning that I had wanted him “It was just sex with Connie.”

Of course, just sex, as if that isn’t one of the most intimate action two people get do.

“it doesn’t matter, it’s in the past,” I brushed it off.

“we can start over, a new page” he moved a bit closer to me.

“am sorry Duke but I don’t think I can be what you want me to be” it was very difficult for me to get those words out of my mouth but they needed to be said.
I was in such a good place, a peaceful mind, just happy with no worries… the last thing I needed was to fall back in love with Duke then have him switch up on me down the line, if he didn’t want me when I was “fat” he doesn’t deserve me when I am slender.

“you’re just saying that because you’re a bit scared and I get it but you have to trust me…”
I would be a naïve idiot to trust that he would stay faithful and not spring up some contract which says I have to maintain a slender body or that if I gain weight, he will have the right to run to Connie again.

“that’s not it, I just…. I don’t feel the same way I felt about you months ago” I spoke honestly, and his face deflated as if I had slapped him but he quickly recovered, clearing his throat.

“I understand that you may maybe resent me a bit but I won’t give up on us, I will gain your trust and make you fall in love with me again,” he vowed but I just remained quiet.
.
.
Clement and I continued seeing each other here and there but we had to be careful so mostly we just communicated via calls and texts.
Jerome hadn’t told Duke about us and when I asked why he said;

“I just want you to be happy, I know Duke hasn’t been treating you right. I couldn’t be the man who did because of…. Obvious reasons… but I will not be the one who ruins whatever happiness you’re trying to find for yourself.”

I really appreciated him saying that and keeping my secret, but I knew that I could not continue doing this for the next five years.
My talk with Clement was prompted by Connie’s, she posted a pregnancy announcement and even though she didn’t mention the father, I knew it was Duke and I guess that was the final nail in the coffin to really bury whatever chance of reconciliation may have been there. I guess Connie was just better at seducing the billionaire than I was, she was getting exactly what she wanted.
After that announcement I had a talk with Clement asking him what we were doing and where he saw everything going.

“Well, if I had it my way, I would have you divorce him and be with me but I know that’s unlikely, I know am not a billionaire, not even a millionaire” he chuckled “so I don’t really see you abandoning the billionaire lifestyle for me but a guy can dream,” he smiled at me.

I felt a little sad that he thought I would rather stay with Duke because of the money. I had my own money now, I had bought more houses and I was renting them out, some on a monthly basis while others were fully furnished apartments rented out on a daily rate and weekend rates.
When Clement pointed out the money issue, I decided to test him, I know it’s stupid but I had to know how he would react so a few days after our initial conversation I told him that I Duke had found out about the affair and he was cutting me off.

“He doesn’t know who it is but he knows am seeing someone, so he has stopped giving me the monthly allowance” I had told him
“don’t worry baby, we’ll figure this out, you can get a job and we’re waiting for a job to be found I have your back.” He assured me.

But would his words match his actions?