Chapter 4

He suddenly had mood swings, and Madison couldn’t understand why. “Just a goodnight,” that was the last word she heard him say that night.

***

It had already been a week since the grand wedding that enveloped the attention of every single individual in NYC. Madison had suddenly become a household name after getting married to the city’s youngest billionaire. Not many knew about the ‘behind the scenes’ of the marriage, definitely not Lila, Madison’s best friend.

“I spotted Nathan at the BND Club yesterday,” Lila related to Madison.

“That means nothing. Probably, he was there for a business meeting.” Madison tried to kick against whatever thought Lila was breeding in her mind.

“By midnight? Come on, girl, we both know what happens at the BND Club at midnight.”

Lila and Madison were in a verbal brawl for a while. Lila insinuated that Nathan was cheating on his newlywedded wife, Madison. If only she knew of the contract between Nathan and Madison.

As stated in the contract, both Madison and Nathan were allowed to be intimate with any other person during the spell of their pretentious marriage.

“I still see no reason why you got married to Nathan.” Lila was not backing down yet with her claims. “Is it because of your son? You had it all under control, Maddie,” she continued.

Madison had not told anyone about the huge loan debt her late husband incurred. It was still a surprise to Madison how Nathan found out, but he was Nathan Westbrook and had access to all the hidden coffers in the city.

“You don’t understand,” Madison said to Lila.

“Then make me understand, Maddie, why you got married to an arrogant and uncaring clown heart like Nathan Westbrook.”

“You haven’t known him well,” Madison said in Nathan’s defense. “He does care about a lot of people, about a lot of things,” she added.

“Is it the money that’s making you say all of this?!” Lila asked in a higher voice this time around.

Madison just wanted to let it all out, every single emotion wrapped up around her chest. Two years on without her husband, and she’s been fighting the storms alone, at the same time, wearing a smile.

“It’s not about the money, Lila. There are some things best kept to us.”

“How can you stay with someone who cheats on you?” Lila asked with disgust on her face. Now, Madison couldn’t answer any more questions; she was sobbing.

“I’m so sorry, Maddie. I should not have spoken so meanly,” Lila apologized.

Just then, an angry masculine voice echoed loudly from behind them: “Get out now!”

It was Nathan Westbrook. He had been listening to every word of their conversation.

“I said get out of my house!” Nathan reiterated. Madison wasn’t just going to let him humiliate her friend in such a manner.

“She stays, Nathan,” Madison opposed Nathan. But Lila decided to leave on her own when she noticed it was about to get heated between Nathan and Madison.

“It’s okay, I’m leaving already.”

“No, you are not.” Madison could do nothing to deter Lila from leaving. Both ladies shared a hug, and then Lila departed the mansion.

“What was that for?!” Madison asked angrily immediately after Lila stepped out.

“No one comes to my house and bad mouths me.”

“She was only concerned about me. She doesn’t know about our contract marriage, remember.”

“Still doesn’t give her the right to bad mouth me in my own house.”

“You forget you are married in the eyes of everyone; maybe you should start behaving like a married man.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nathan asked in an irritated tone.

“You know, behaving with at least some shame.”

The argument went on for a while. Nathan hated being schooled on his behavior. He wished everyone just went about their business without caring what he did.

“You are always out, always drunk. Maybe that’s why your grandpa wants you babysat by someone responsible.” Madison fired some hot shots at Nathan. He took some time to process that one.

“Did you just say that to me?”

“That’s the truth, Nathan. It’s high time you grow from a teenager to a man,” Madison was still blowing hot. “You are only a man by age, but you depict a teenager,” she added.

Nathan couldn’t believe Madison had just said all that to his face. They met eye to eye, more like a staring match. Madison felt awful for what she had said to him. She needed to air it out to him, but she thought she went about it the wrong way.

“I’m sorry, Nathan, I was just trying to help you as a friend.

“As a friend?” Nathan asked with disbelief on his face.

“Y-Yes,” Madison responded, even if she wasn’t sure she should.

“Whoever told you that we are friends?”

“We aren’t?” Madison asked again, even if she still felt she shouldn’t. It was like the words just kept finding its way out of her larynx.

“We are not friends, Maddie; we never can be,” Nathan said to her. “Our only relationship is that of business. Business partners, that’s what we are,” he added.

Madison was not sure why she felt the way she did about Nathan’s words. He was right; they were business associates. She was wrong to believe she could ever be friends with the city’s biggest playboy.

There was silence after Nathan’s utterances. Madison’s feet were ice cold with the feeling of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s my fault that I thought we could ever be friends,” she said in a cracky voice.

Nathan was pricked by his conscience, but he had learned to ignore it. He had a very harmful sense of pride and wasn’t going to apologize. Madison waited for the apology, not that she wasn’t expecting to be disappointed, either.

As Nathan climbed up the stairs, Madison felt the urge to ask: “Why then do you call me Maddie if we aren’t friends?”

“I owe you no explanation. I’m your boss.”