Chapter 6 He Used To Be The Sweetest (Before The Divorce)

• Flashbacks
• 2 years ago
• Xavier directed all his anger and resentment at Mia for the failure of their marriage.
• Before Xavier's marriage to Mia, he had been in a loving relationship with someone else, someone he loved deeply. While he hadn't been certain about marriage, he was sure that his ex-love was the one who had brought him happiness at that point in his life.
• The marriage with Mia came as a surprise for Xavier. His father, who was diagnosed with cancer at the time, made him promise to get married, but Xavier thought the solution was simple: he'd marry his then-love. However, his father had other plans.
• A company on the verge of bankruptcy would typically opt for financial aid in the form of money, a partnership, or the sale of shares. Mr. Astor was not satisfied with these options; he was far more greedy.
• To forge ties with the Sinclair family, Mr. Astor offered his daughter Mia's hand in marriage, a contract that included a clause stating that if Mia failed to conceive within a year, the marriage would be dissolved.
• Xavier's solution seemed simple: avoid Mia for a year. What he failed to anticipate, however, was the possibility of lowering his defenses.
• In their marriage's early days, Xavier avoided Mia in every way possible—no looking, no talking, no touching. On their wedding night, he left their room and returned drunk, with lipstick stains on his shirt. But he felt no guilt, as he had promised himself a year of celibacy—no sex with Mia, no affairs.
• But slowly, things began changing between them. The sexual frustration between the two of them got loose after one night of passion when he was at his lowest. He got into an argument with his lover, and they broke up. Mia was not feeling well herself and needed friendly comfort, and he was just the right person at the time.
• The comfort from each other turned into a night of passion.
• The look in his eyes changed from just lust to total admiration upon finding out that he was Mia's first until that night.
• "Xavier, I have something I need to tell you," Mia began, her hands shaking and shoulders tight. Xavier noticed her nervousness as she spoke.
• Weekends, which Xavier had previously used as an opportunity to escape from Mia, had become times he looked forward to.
• After a moment, Mia mustered the courage to say what was on her mind: "I would like to resume work."
• Xavier's surprise was evident as he considered her statement. He was taken aback, questioning, "She was so tense about her desire to resume work? I don't understand why she would be so anxious to tell me this."
• Mia continued, "I have a job in my father's company, and I'd love to return to my job. I'm just so tired of staying at home all the time, all day." She pleaded her case, eager for Xavier's understanding.
• "Why would she decide to work under that man again when her husband is the CEO? He took note of the fact that he had referred to himself as her husband, a rare occurrence, and it genuinely felt so good.
• He couldn't ignore the sensation that Mia was holding back and hiding something from him, no matter how hard he tried to dismiss it.
• He took a steady breath, walked towards Mia with deliberate strides, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. His voice held a softness. "Are you sure that's all you want to say?"
• She nodded her head.
• "You look beautiful, by the way." Xavier commented, observing that she had gained a healthy weight, her breasts had grown larger, and her skin was radiating a subtle glow.
• "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, revealing the news that had been weighing on her mind. She held her breath, awaiting Xavier's reaction to her announcement.
• Xavier was rendered speechless by the news, his mind as empty as a blank canvas. He collected his jacket and silently exited the house.
• She planned this, didn't she? Now you are stuck in this marriage!" His sister was livid, outraged by Mia's pregnancy.
• "Just as manipulative and deceitful as her father!" His sister fumed.
• For two days, Xavier remained away from his home. He remained at his penthouse, distancing himself from Mia and their shared home.
• "It’s not entirely her fault." He was irritated by his sister’s negative comments about his wife, and he felt a strong impulse to defend her. After all, it takes two to tango. Yes, she got pregnant, and it was not what he had been hoping for. However, the deed had already been done, and he couldn’t bear to abandon his wife in her time of need.
• He realized that he wanted to be with her every step of the way, to face this journey together. With this decision made, he bade farewell to his sister and made his way back home to his wife.
• Xavier entered the living room and saw his wife on the couch. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had spent the night crying herself to sleep. She was curled up, hugging her knees to her chest, but as soon as she noticed him, she immediately stood up.
• Xavier took a step towards her and asked, "How far along are you?"
• Her reply was almost a whisper, but he heard it clearly. "Four months." She was four months pregnant, and yet she looked so beautiful to him.
• He approached her and enveloped her in a reassuring embrace. He whispered, "We will do this together."
• As two months passed since the pregnancy revelation, Xavier came to terms with the new circumstances.
• Despite his initial reluctance, he eventually agreed to let her work, under the condition that she would take a break in her final trimester.
• "Are you heading somewhere?" He watched as Mia sifted through her documents in a frenzied attempt to complete her tasks hurriedly.
• Going home together after work had become a habitual part of their daily routine.
• "I just need to pick something up quickly downtown," she responded.
• The rain fell heavily, and his worry for her safety intensified, particularly because of her pregnancy.
• "I can drop you off," Xavier offered.
• "It's only a five-minute drive from our house, and I will be quick," she insisted.
• "Does it have to be today?" Xavier asked
• Mia nodded in response.
• Knowing that today was his birthday and the surprise was most likely related to that,
• "Why don't you take Taylor with you? I'm not comfortable with you going alone."
• "You don't have to get me anything. Everything I need is right here," he said, gesturing to her affectionately. He tried to convince her to stay.
• After planting a quick kiss on his cheek, she rushed out of the door, pretty much determined to leave.
• What should have been a quick drive home for Mia turned into an hour-long delay,
• As the minutes turned into an hour, Xavier's concern for Mia grew, his eyes moving back and forth from his watch to the door, hoping to see her walk through it, only to be met with the ringing of his phone from an unknown number.
• "His wife had an accident and lost the child."