I don't know what came over me. I guess maybe it was the aftereffect of our kiss at the courthouse or the need I felt to get closer to Diana or what, but I just needed a sort of assurance. That she was indeed in my house, in my bedroom, bearing my name and being my wife. So I gave her a peck on the forehead. She always had a thing for forehead kisses. I don't know why, but sometimes when I would try to kiss her lips, she would deviate mine to her forehead. She said they meant more.

"You can unpack your things. I have some business to attend to"

She nodded.

At that, I left my room and went in the direction of my office. I got there and started doing some work when my office doors burst open.

"Are you serious Alejandro? "

Valeria yelled

"Valeria please, I'm busy"

"Don't give me that bullshit Ale", she retorted.

And then I tuned out. Valeria Casillas, my best friend. I don't know why but Valeria had always had a special hate for Diana, even when we were together but it got bigger when Diana broke up with me for a seemingly richer man. So you could say they were like cats and dogs.

"Valeria! ", I gritted out

" I thought you said you didn't love her anymore. I thought you said you wanted to hurt her like she hurt you and now you're married to her?, unbelievable! "

"I know what I'm doing Val"

"Oh really, and what is that?, if I may ask"

"This marriage is purely a business deal. I agreed to fund her fathers dying business, in exchange for Diana's hand in marriage so when I want to get my revenge, I pull out of the deal and I hit Diana full force. "

"Yeah? ", she asked suspiciously

" I'm not backing down Val, that girl and her father destroyed me. I'm not backing down from my revenge ", I assured her

" You better be fucking right. You were a mess when she left you. I don't wanna believe you're giving her an easy pass"

With that she left my office.

I hope I'm right as well too.

************

I finished unpacking the little clothes Alejandro's staff brought over. And then stood to take the room in. A giant king size bed was against one wall with a giant portrait of a lion above it. The room was large and painted gray, white and black. There was a giant fireplace opposite the bed with an equally giant plasma TV above it. There were 2 doors on each side of the TV. One led to the more than delectable bathroom, with a well sized shower big enough to take in 4 people and a bathtub just as big. The bathroom was stark white with little plants here and there.

The other door led to the humongous walk in closet one side was completely filled with Alejandro's clothes. Ranging from suits to sweatpants to button-ups, button-downs to shoes, singlets, ties all of which were in a dark, somber colour. Talk about dreary. The other side however, (my side), was empty as ever with only a few folded shorts and jeans, and about 3 tops on hangers.

This was my new home. I just felt awkward standing in here, like I didn't belong, which I didn't. Alejandro was back to being evasive as ever. There was no one to talk to so I decided to take a walk around this gigantic house and familiarize myself with the many stairs and hallways and whatnot's. I walked around for quite some time and stumbled across Benjy's room. I peered in to see him sitting with Paco on his Lightning McQueen bed and talking excitedly. Lightning McQueen was his favorite race car of all time, closely followed by The King. His room was painted a baby blue with his favourite Disney characters of all time plastered on the walls, there was Lightning (obviously), The King, Simba, Woody, Sully and Mikey, Hercules, Dusty Crophopper, and strangely enough Rapunzel(she was his current crush). I'm guessing he told Alejandro all his favorite characters the day they met and the latter took it into his consideration to make Benjy's room his own little Disney movie.

A little flicker of hope quickly sprouted at the thought that maybe there was a little feeling underneath all that hard exterior, but I quickly dismissed it. He told me himself, all feelings he had for me had vanished.

I was swiftly pulled out of my train of thought when my stomach violently rumbled. Off to find the kitchen we go.

After a few wrong turns and several dead ends, I finally came upon the weirdly gigantic room. I don't get it, is largeness like a criteria for all rooms here?. I quickly passed the marble countertops towards the double-door fridge. I surveyed the contents and then pulled out some bread, cheese and ham, and then got to making my sandwich. Alejandro won't mind me using his resources, right?. Well anyway, I'm too hungry to go back now.

I was halfway through when I heard that voice, "Well, well, well. The prodigal girlfriend has returned"

I looked up from my sandwich to see the annoyingly smirking face of Valeria Casillas. God I hate this girl, I really do. Back when Alejandro and I were dating, she was just the most evil person ever. I don't know why but whatever I did, was wrong in her eyes. I tried so hard to make her like me. I learned Italian, I learned how to cook Italian dishes. I tried so hard but whenever I uttered a sentence in Italian, she would laugh at a mistake I doubt I even made and even when I made some Lasagna for her, she spit it out calling my cooking preposterous. The nerve of the heinous she-devil.

"Yes Valeria, nice to see you too"

"So how are you enjoying your new house, Signora Delmanti?", she said with disgust dripping from her tone while saying my title.

" Very good actually "

"Of course, why wouldn't you, I mean you do have another man to suck dry, don't you?", she replied

"I'm not marrying Alejandro to 'suck him dry' Valeria"

"Then what for? Love? ", she scoffed, " I hardly think that's the case dearest Diana, considering how he doesn't love you anymore"

Well that stung.

"Whatever makes you happy", I replied

" Oh really? ", she laughed, " I know your kind. You're nothing but a gold digging whore who just wants the life of a queen but doesn't wanna work for it. You just walk around moving from man to man looking for your next culprit"

I laughed, "Sweetheart, I was born with a gold spoon in my mouth. How much more would I need to dig? ", I wasn't exaggerating. Back when I was little, Prichard & Co was among the top 5 ranking companies in the country. So yeah, my spoon wasn't just gold. It had Diamonds and Sapphires embellished in it with Emerald and Ruby linings. And that's saying something.

" Yeah", she replied, "I'll admit you were, but that doesn't change the fact that you had a pea-brain for a dad and he couldn't keep giving you the lifestyle. So you had to find someone to do that for you. And now that that person's gone, you come running back to my best friend the same person you scorned just to have your extravagant life back on track"

"That's not true", I said fiercely.

" Mmhmm, yeah it is. You know you'll never have Alejandro.You simply aren't good enough for him. He deserves someone who'll stay by his side, stick with him despite the odds. Someone who won't leave him when things get tough, and you my dearest Signora Delmanti", note the disgust,"Are non of the above", and she turned and walked away. Leaving me to tend to my emotional wounds.

I tried to hate her more but I couldn't. She was right, about everything. Alejandro didn't love me anymore, he needed a wife who wouldn't leave him, no matter what, he needed a strong woman. And I, sadly wasn't that woman

***********