The Return Of His Ex Wife
Chapter 19: Standing Up To Ex

Chapter 19: Standing Up To Ex

Tara’s POV

I was lashing out at the directors and some top staff, pouring out my damn rage! "Do you think this makes any sense, Mr Raj? Or madam Anita? No, it doesn’t!"

It had just got to me now that they had all been keeping quiet about this case. Derek has enraged an Hernandez?? How! And there I was acting like an idiot in the presence of Arlo when he knew all along that my stupid ex husband was causing trouble with his step mom. Wait, did Arlo even know Derek to be my ex husband??

"We didn’t want to worry you, ma’am. It just happened recently too, we wanted to handle this as discreetly as we could. Until yesterday when Mrs Hernandez made things official by dropping off a file for us." A close assistant to Derek said.

"It doesn’t make sense, you know that our companies are intertwined now. Our loss, our gains, fame and downfall, we share it all now, Mr. Dunkan. I wish you had told me sooner." I scolded the young man.

Heaving in a deep sigh, I was all about moving forward. On to the next stage. "Okay. Let’s just um, we can do this. I just need to...excuse me." I didn’t know what to say exactly, but I needed to get out of there.

"Yes ma’am, we will settle this. Don’t worry." Another man, slightly older than me said.

"Yea, I just need to--"

Derek stepped inside the room, all mighty and high with his shoulders raised up proudly. "Do you really have to shout like that? I’ve been hearing your voice from all the way outside!"

The room was a big area we used for important meetings, and now, there wasn’t even the liberty of sitting on any of the chairs lined around the long rectangular table. We all stood, talking about our urgent problem. While Derek, he stepped in, dragged a chair forward and balanced comfortably on it.

"Oooh... This damn bastard..." I thought to myself. How dare him try to embarrass me like this in front of such important staff members!

"You don’t have to yell like that. There have been some mistakes and we will fix this--"

"Derek. Let’s talk outside." I cut him off, then stormed out, not stopping to steal glances at the surprising staff.

I didn’t stop until I was outside by the balcony in a stretching corridor where few people lingered in. Thankfully, Derek was behind me now. I turned to flash him a deadly stare, eying him from up to toe.

"What was the meaning of that?? Huh!" I demanded.

"Hey, slow down. I notice you didn’t call me Mr. Marisol, or Mr Derek like you used to. Does that mean you’re finally starting to regret all of your bad behaviors these past while?" His lips curved into a somewhat satisfied grin.

"What was that? Is that what you’re bothered about the most?? The Hernandez, Derek, are you so stupid to realize the huge mess you’ve created? Just half of their compensation after the case could buy your company. And the buyer would even still have some change left!"

The Hernandez were big families and with whatever charges being laid down, Derek could be asked to pay millions for compensation if he wasn’t careful. And that could affect me too!

"I think you’re overreacting right now, Tara. This woman just needs a little threat. I don’t give a damn about who they are. I’ll put them right into place." He said, and I was actually forced to laugh out.

It was only for a brief while, but I felt sorry for him. "You’re still battling with this horrible pride, aren’t you? One day, it will kill you. End your life. I promise you that."

"But alas, I can’t cancel the partnership deal just yet. So you will stay behind me like a little baby, and let me handle this. You understand me, Derek?" I let my frown reveal the depth of how angry I was to him.

"You know what, you’re the one with this size of pride now." He lifted his hands in the air, spreading them wide apart from one another just to show me. "And you just keep thinking that you can do better, until you make a huge mistake by trying to shame me and my mother. Do you not know that you are at fault for this, huh?? Trying to mock my mother at the supermarket??"

"Alice brought that to herself." I cut him off with a strict tone. "And until you and your little miserable family learn that, you’ll continue to get embarrassed by me. So stay out of my life for fuck sake. Stop monitoring me, Derek. I know about all your little spies. What are you hoping to find anyway??"

"How’s your son by the way?" His voice came out being all eerie and scary that I flinched. I hadn’t been expecting that at all!

"What? And how is that supposed to be any of your business?" I finally willed myself of the strength to reply. My son was my business!

He advanced closed and leaned till he was whispering in my ears, every word sending shivers down my spine. "And what about the father? He must act so much like him, don’t you think? Even though I don’t think he looks anything like him. Come to think of it, the little kid has my eyes and hair and everything down to my smile! You don’t think he could be my son, do you?"

I took a huge step backwards, trying hard not to hide the fear in my eyes. Damn it, why was that so hard to do?? Heaving in a deep breath, I summoned all courage left in me, glaring deep into his eyes, not revealing any fear. I felt so proud of myself!

"Oh Derek, you still don’t get me, do you? If you’re not careful, you know the complaint list Mrs Hernandez added in that file? I’ll add two extra and boy, and I’ll extend your punishment at court. I won’t even care whether we’re business partners or not."

He looked dazzled for a while, then his expression softened. "You’re all grown up now, aren’t you? And I really admire this version of you. You know..if only you had been like this all those years we’d been married. Who knows, we might have never divorced. I could still be your sweetheart that you fell in love with all those years, instead of you running around some dumb man now--"

It came as a mighty slap and I hadn’t even meant to, but damn it felt good. What was worse was that he smiled while caressing his face, maybe feeling to see if I’d pierced his lips with the slap.

"I had worshiped you and your family for so damn long. You don’t have the right to speak to me in this manner. Besides, you’re no longer my husband, remember? I am Tara Aniston, and you will respect me, do you understand that, Mr Derek?"

"Now we’re back to the whole mister thing--"

"Do-you-understand-me!!!" I asked again, making myself more audible. Something resembling fear appeared on his face, and I was impressed. His lips pressed together as he gave a quick head nod. "Good."

Walking away from his sight, I didn’t think I had ever been that angry before in a long time. I hated him even more than before, and a part of me felt so stupid that I still longed for him all through these years after our divorce!

I dialed a number and it rang for a short while before I heard the same strong Australian accent from the other end.

"Hey Sunflower, called to say you’re sorry?"