Wild Billionaire Romance - Chapter 134: Chapter 134

ELLIE
Leaving my horrible marriage and the relative security of Gary’s home was a rude, rough awakening for me. Moving into St. E’s, while much appreciated, was a lot different from the places I’d lived.
They had an outstanding staff, and with Meredith taking over and Josef’s company providing security, well, it was safer and better than ever.
But those first few weeks had been difficult.
Wrapping my head around the fact that I’d been hurt by the man who swore to love and honor me was stunning.
It was unbelievable.
I didn’t mourn Gary or my marriage. On the contrary, I rejoiced at my newfound freedom, and that was maybe the thing that made me feel the guiltiest.
I should have left long before he raised his hands.
I didn’t love him.
I didn’t want him.
I didn’t even like him.
So what the hell was I doing with him?
I guess I thought it was expected of me. He was the father of my child, and I’d made a vow, right?
But sometimes life wasn’t so cut and dry.
Sometimes it was messy and complicated.
Gary was a douchebag—admitting that part was easy.
He deserved to rot for what he did. And I knew I wasn’t to blame. Nothing I’d ever done in my whole life warranted him putting hands on me.
As for what he’d tried to do to my son? What he was still trying to do?
Get visitation. Fight me for custody.
Those were things I would never allow to happen.
Over my dead body.
“You okay?” Andres asked, and I nodded, still too raw to speak.
I guessed he accepted my response because he said nothing else. Just hugged me and rubbed my back while inside my brain I spiraled.
Gary had never shown an interest in Sammy. He spent no time whatsoever with my sweet boy.
He hardly even acknowledged him. I was sure Gary was just using this as an excuse. A pitiful attempt to hurt me.
This was just him throwing a temper tantrum because his plans to get my father’s company backfired.
Gary was a fucking pig, and he deserved to drop dead.
Maybe that made me a bad person, but I was fine with it.
I was worried, yes, but I trusted Andres to find a solution.
That sonofabitch Gary only wanted to use Sammy as a pawn, I was sure of it.
But I didn’t really understand how it all tied together with my father’s company.
I mean, I knew I inherited the lion’s share, but I also knew there were stipulations that would force a sale.
My father didn’t ever want me running Maxwell Mining.
I knew that better than I knew my name.
Maybe that should have made me angry.
Maybe the feminist in me should have fought with my father.
I could have maybe convinced him that women could and did run companies bigger than Maxwell Mining.
Maybe.
But the truth, the real truth, was I didn’t care about the company.
I had no desire to learn about the family business or to run Maxwell Mining.
None at all.
I didn’t know if that made me a traitor to my sex or not.
My interests leaned towards things like cooking, baking, raising my son, reading, even crocheting. I mean I liked other stuff, too.
I just didn’t like business.
And yes, I realized what a privileged life I’d led.
My father’s tendencies towards misogyny just enabled me.
I mean, maybe it was a lazy point of view to want the lifestyle I wanted, but I couldn’t help it.
And really, didn’t it make me the ultimate feminist to want the life I wanted? Even if it didn’t include running a multimillion dollar company?
Even now that I had a few more years under my belt, one divorce, a new husband, and a son to raise, I was still fundamentally the same.
Those things hadn’t made me want to join the corporate world.
I would have sold Maxwell Mining to the first person who offered after my father died, but Gary had challenged the will right off the bat.
Even though my father’s lawyer was supposed to handle that sale, it was the fact I was inheriting the proceeds that Gary took issue with.
Like he somehow deserved my inheritance.
Poor Gar. He had honestly thought marrying me would grant him the position he’d always coveted. But that wasn’t my father’s way.
Dad didn’t think a woman could run the company, true. But he also wasn’t a fan of nepotism.
My father’s will had been written to ensure my ex-husband would never get his hands on the company. Dad and I had a strained relationship, but he never liked Gary.
Now I knew why. I only wished he’d been the kind of dad who would have told me how he felt. But he wasn’t, and he didn’t. And I couldn’t change the past.
I wouldn’t want to.
The past brought me Sammy.
And my son was worth everything I’d been through.
That wasn’t the issue. What really had me wringing my hands day in and day out was my current marriage.
I’d ignored the fact that I was actually a lot more attracted to Andres on a personal level than I’d ever intended to be.
But I really should have known better than to allow myself to get caught up in feelings for Andres.
I mean, this marriage was one I’d proposed, born of need and convenience.
What kind of idiot was I to allow myself even the fantasy that he might care for me someday?
Like really care for me.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, taking note of the aromas in the air, I could tell dinner needed more time to simmer.
Just enough time for us to hash this out, because we needed to do that. I needed to do that.
I had to clear the air, otherwise I might combust.
Holy shit.
I think I maybe caught feelings for my husband.
And that was the dumbest thing I could have done.