Annabelle stood frozen on the spot as her husband's so called girlfriend ranted on.

Never in her life, had she imagined that a woman would claim her husband in her matrimonial home and there would be nothing she would be able to do about it.

"...So where is he?" Chanel asked drily.

Annabelle glared at her. If only she and her husband were in love or were even friends or at least tolerated each other, she would have taught the woman in front of her, a lesson she would never forget.

"He is not home." She said tightly.

"Oh really?" Chanel asked with a mocking smirk. "But why do I find that hard to believe? Well, the only way to find out is to call him, right?"

That was better. Annabelle thought. She wanted to hear David's response.

Chanel brought out her, obviously latest iPhone and dialed a number.

"Hello darling...where are you?...Oh... Well, your contract wife said you were not at home...yes she did...alright baby, I'm coming up now."

She hung up and looked pointedly at Annabelle.

"Don't tell me you're already falling in love with my boyfriend, because I can't explain this protectiveness over him." She came closer.

"But let me advise you. Try not to fall in love with him, because I assure you that your feelings will never be reciprocated. Just a piece of advice."

"Chanel."

A deep voice called from upstairs.

"Oh darling."

Chanel purred seductively.

"What are you doing? I thought I told you to come upstairs?"

"Oh, I'm coming right up, honey."

Giving Annabelle a triumphant smile, Chanel cat walked up the stairs to meet David.

Annabelle turned to look up at David with hurt and anger in her eyes as a result of his disrespect to her.

He stared back at her cynically, for a while then turned and walked away with Chanel clinging to his arms.

Annabelle felt like screaming at the world. She felt mocked, shamed and disgraced and couldn't do anything about it because of the falseness of her marriage. She had no power in the marriage, no power! She might be David Maxwell's wife but even the sexy Chanel had more powers over David than she did. That's even if she had any.

"M-madam." Abigail brought her out of her reverie. "I'm sorry about what just happened."

She took a deep breath and forced a tight smile. "It's not in any way your fault, so don't apologise."

Abigail nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen madam."

"It's okay."

"Will you be okay madam?"

"Yes, don't worry about me."

"Okay, dinner will be ready soon."

Abigail announced and left after her boss's wife nodded.

Annabelle legs suddenly became too light to carry her and she flopped on the couch nearby.

She felt so ashamed and disgraced. Her husband and his whore could possibly be doing some dirty things upstairs in her matrimonial home. And there was nothing she could do about it.

After dinner, she slowly made her way upstairs to try and get some sleep. When she got to the corridor, she heard moans and gasps coming from the room her husband had slept in the previous night.

She wasn't a child, she knew what was going on in that room at the moment and she definitely didn't want to witness it.

Shaking her head, she went into her bedroom, locked the door and leaned back on it, taking deep breaths.

If she would continue with this marriage, she needed to be strong. She needed to create a thick skin and not allow some certain things to get to her.

After all, she didn't love him as much as he didn't love her. So she wouldn't say or do anything rash that might make it seem as if she was jealous over David. Because she definitely wasn't! He could do whatever he wanted. She couldn't care less.

With her mind firmly made, she climbed onto the king sized bed and pulled the duvet over her body and settled to sleep. But sleep didn't come easily.

***

"You are starting work today."

David announced drily as he sat across from her on the breakfast table. He was already dressed for work. He had even had a change of clothes in the master bedroom, the room she was sleeping in, since that was where his closet was.

Annabelle looked up at him from her tea cup.

"Today? But you didn't tell me anything about it yesterday."

"Well I'm telling you now." He replied. "Get dressed quickly if you don't want me to leave you behind."

"But..."

"Do you want to keep enjoying your lonely, boring honeymoon?" He asked with a smirk.

Damn him! The idiot knew what he had been doing.

"No, but you should have at least told me yesterday or the day before so I would prepare myself."

She explained.

"Well, as the vice president of Maxwell Inc., you have to be ready at all times." He said cynically. "Even at short notices."

"But this isn't fair at all!" Annabelle voiced. "I had the right to know that I'll be starting work today."

"Today is Monday..."

"Which is still supposed to be our honeymoon." She blurted out then regretted when he smirked.

"If you want us to consummate our marriage, you only have to ask." He said huskily with a teasing look.

Annabelle's eyes widened.

"What? N-no! I...I don't want to sleep with you."

How could he say when he wasn't even attracted to her. Anyways he was only teasing her. He wasn't serious. Yes, he wasn't.

He smirked again and ran his eyes over her.

"You are not bad at all. You are actually worth ravishing."

She blushed then glared at him.

How dare he talk to her like that after spending the night with that whore that called herself Chanel?

"I won't have you talk about me like that, David."

"Why not? You're my wife."

He said nonchalantly.

"Only on paper." She replied drily. "As you so pointed out."

"Ah, yes." He grinned mockingly. "You are an intelligent woman. I'm beginning to agree with my father that you would make a good vice president just like I did."

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh, but you know it's true."

They continued their breakfast and her mind again wandered to the woman that came to look for her husband the previous evening.

"Why didn't she come down for breakfast?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Who?" He looked confused.

"I'm certain that it was only one woman that came to look for you last night."

She replied drily.

"Oh, Chanel? She... She's still asleep."

"Oh, good." She got up. "Excuse me. I have to change."

***

She donned a fashionable black long sleeved blouse and tucked it neatly into a white high waisted, boot-cut pants that accentuated her curves and matched the attire with black pumps. She did light makeup, brushed her hair into a neat shiny ponytail, donned pearl earrings, grabbed a white handbag and left the room.

"I'm ready."

She announced coldly. She was still fuming over why the bitchy Chanel would spend the night in her matrimonial home.

He turned and ran his eyes over her then nodded towards the door.

"Let's go."

The drive to the office was a silent one and Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief when David pulled up beside a gigantic building, a skyscraper with the logo "Maxwell Inc" at the peak.

And after she was welcomed by the building itself, she went through series of introductions with some of the workers in the company, both males and females. David had just introduced her as the new vice president skipping the title of her being his wife. She tried her best not to mind, though.

"Annabelle, this is Katherine Barth, the director of operations, she will show you to your office and do some briefings with you."

David said as he introduced her to a lovely young woman, after showing her his own extra large office. The lady looked like a workaholic in her spectacles.

"I'm leaving her in your care for the meantime, Miss Barth, I have a meeting in five minutes. See you later Annabelle."

With that, he strolled away with two other men at his sides.

Annabelle's office was vast and beautifully furnished. She loved and appreciated it. Katherine Barth had shown her to her office and helped her on certain things she needed to know about running the company as the vice president.

Katherine was a very nice and patient young woman and Annabelle had learned that she was twenty four, just a year older than her, unmarried and a Master degree holder of Harvard University, USA.

She started working with the company two years ago and she also briefed Annabelle on some of the people she was introduced to.

Katherine left her when she was satisfied and Annabelle officially started her first day at work as Vice President of Maxwell Inc even though her moron of a husband didn't tell her she would be starting on that day.

During lunch period, she thought about going down to the company's cafeteria but thought better about it since she didn't know whether her almighty husband would approve of her eating there or not.

She found her way to his office but didn't meet his secretary, who had probably gone for lunch as well.

She knocked on the door and an unfamiliar voice asked her to come in.

She opened the door and her eyes dropped on the dark, gorgeous but unfamiliar man that sat on the visitor's chair with his legs hanging on her husband's huge table, like he was the owner of the place.

"Uh, good afternoon?" She greeted awkwardly.

His eyes lit up in admiration as he stared at her.

"Hello, beautiful."

"I'm here to see Dav - Mr Maxwell." She said breathlessly.

"Oh, he just went to empty his bowels, he'll be here any moment."

"Oh okay..."

The young man stood up in all his six feet.

"The name's Derek Justice, best friend to that hard head."

He said stretching out his hand for a shake and she accepted it.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Annabelle." She said simply.

"Mm, that's a most beautiful name for a very beautiful lady."

He said and kissed her hand just as the other adjourning door burst open.

"Is that your current startup line, Derek?"

The both of them turned towards the sound of David's deep voice and he stood there with quite a memorable scowl on his face.