Two weeks had passed since the drama that had happened at the Ribbon Palace event but everyone still bore the memories in their minds like it had only happened yesterday, and that was why when Cheryl walked into The Aviary felling high and mighty with her nose positioned high in the air, she was openly sneered by the people who watched her walk in.
She didn’t look around, neither did she bother with any other person, she had a reason for coming here and someone she needed to see. She walked past the reception table and she very clearly heard the receptionist ask another why she would have the guts to come in here after what she had caused for them. She almost stopped in her tracks to give the lady a piece of her mind and put her back in her miserable little place but she thought otherwise, she was bigger than this anyway.
She headed straight for the elevator to take her up to Jeremy’s office.
She walked into his office without knocking and when he looked up from the phone in his hands to see who had just entered, his face fell and he sighed, tilted his head back and focused on the ceiling for a moment like he was praying for strength to deal with her because Cheryl would never bother to leave the house and come all the way here if it wasn’t for a kind of drama.
Drama that she could not wait for until he got back.
“You were not expecting me.” that was not a question, she knew. She placed her bag on the desk and took a seat.
Jeremy pressed the power button on his phone and the screen turned off. He placed it screen down on the desk and clasped his hands, interlocking his fingers then he faced her. “No Cheryl, I was not but since you are here, what brings you?”
She ignored him and looked around the office. “I did not see Charles when coming in.”
“That is because he is not available for you to see him.” he paused and leaned back on his chair, his eyes roaming her. “It is surprising that you made a quick recovery and you’re back to your usual ways already.”
She eyed him. “What usual ways? I cannot come see you at work?”
He sighed. “No Cheryl, you can no longer.”
“And why is that?” she frowned and crossed her legs.
“Why is that?” he chuckled like she had just said something funny, he could not believe how dumb she was now. “You ask me? After the drama you had put up during the Ribbon Palace event?”
“That is gone now, how long ago was that, it isn’t even in the news.”
“Of course it’s not and do you know why? Because something bigger is there!” he grabbed a newspaper and slammed it on the desk close to where she sat. “Headline, The Aviary looses many endorsements!”
She picked up the paper and read the headline and then shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t understand how this has anything to do with me or what I had done.”
“You pissed off Keith Preston! Do you know who Keith Preston is in Hontari city?!”
Cheryl lifted an eyebrow and dropped the newspaper. “If he is that powerful… isn’t your father too? Surely he can clear this like he had done before.”
Jeremy groaned and leaned back. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shut his eyes and felt the back of his head begin to pound. “How dumb really are you Cheryl?”
“What? Isn’t it true? Or does your father no longer control the kind of power he once did?”
“This cannot just blow over because of my father’s influence.” He exhaled and rocked his chair, his fisted hands came to rest on the arm rest and he opened his eyes. “You should not have pissed him off, you should not have touched Donna.”
Cheryl got angry at the mention of her name. “I knew this was more about her than you were showing. This isn’t really about the headline but about Donna!”
“Yes it is about Donna you stupid fuck!” he yelled and faced her. “All this is happened because you attacked her, she is Keith Preston’s person and you fucking touched her! Now we are loosing because you have made us seem like an enemy to Mr Preston!”
“Enemy? I have no business with this Keith Preston.”
“Well I do, and you might have just tampered dangerously if not already cut off an important nerve.”
Cheryl shook her head. “No, this is more than just business and the news and the company to you Jeremy, this is more personal, is it not?!”
He sighed, she was right, it was more personal but the truth was that The Aviary was also suffering from her actions. “This is also about work and business and the company! My company!”
Cheryl watched him with keen interest, he didn’t look at her but she could almost tell what he had in his head, what he was thinking of as he sat there and she knew it was a woman who was on his mind, a woman whom she had managed to kick out of his life once. A woman who had now snaked her way into their once seemingly perfect picture life.
“Do you still…” she paused and leaned in closer, placing her palm flat on the table. “Are you sill in love with her Jeremy?”
He laughed a little and rocked his chair as he watched her angry face. Yes, he still had feelings for Donna and he still wanted her. “And if I do?”
“You are married to me! To me Jeremy!”
“And?” he asked nonchalantly, “There is no rule, no law that say I cannot still have her.”
Cheryl fumed and straightened up. “Your father would never agree, he would never hear of this and he would never allow you.”
“You are sure he would take your side on this? Do not forget Cheryl that you are the sole reason he lost his wife, the reason my mother died!”
Cheryl calmed a little on hearing that like a bucket of ice water had just been poured over her, she still felt guilty for that and she knew she was to blame. She sat back down. She glanced up at Jeremy and her anger returned, she knew that if given the opportunity, he would kick her to the curb and take Donna in, with her current standing in the Aberus and among the other vampires, she would be hunted.
The only thing that still assured her safety was the fact that she still had Xiu attached to her name. If Jeremy were to divorce her, she would be killed the very day. She could not allow that happen, if Jeremy was willing to divorce her to get Donna then she would make sure that he never got Donna, even if it meant that she would make a repeat of what she had done all those years back to Donna, she would and without any regret.