Loving Madeline

Hunter's POV

"Is it almost nine o'clock in the evening, Mr. Divenson." I heard Cal's voice after he got inside my office, and I deliberately raised my head and scowled at him.

"So, what do I need to do with the time, Calixto?" I asked in a sarcastic manner, and he looked at me in the eyes, and I know what he is going to say.

"Hmm, you are young and a married man; you have a gorgeous wife waiting for you in your beautiful mansion. If I were in your shoes, I would be going home the moment the clock strikes at five o'clock in the afternoon." He declared, and I let out a heavy breath and leaned my back on the backrest of my chair while I put my hands on the armrests. 

"You know I can't do that if you only knew how much I want to go home early every day to see my lovely wife and spend my time with her in our room, but you know the reason why I am doing all this. My nightmares are getting intense every night, and I spend my time in Rebecca's room all the time because I can hear her calling me on my sleep, and I am trying my best to stop, and I am so tired of going to the doctor." I said, and his face softened, and he walked near my table and sat on the side chair before he speaks.

"I think it is better that you will tell her everything, and I am sure Madeline will understand." He said.

"Do you think she will still accept me after she will learn I killed Rebecca?" I asked him, and his eyes widened.

"For heaven's sake, Hunter, for how many times do I need to tell you that Rebecca was hit by the car, and you have nothing to do about it, and I think you should stop thinking that way so you can move on with your ex and love your wife before she leaves you for good." He replied, and I can feel the disappointment in Cal's voice.

"She ran away from the mansion because of me, I asked her to leave, and I didn't listen to her pleas, and I am stupid to let my anger overshadowed my love for Rebecca." I responded, and I felt like I can't breathe as I remember everything that happened on that day.

"It was from the past, and any man who will find his fiancee kissing another guy on the night before his wedding day should feel the same way, and it was only understandable that you hated her the moment you found her on the situation. You are not a bad person Hunter, but you are starting to be a horrible husband to your wife. Madeline has nothing to do with what happened between you and your ex. And even though you marry her for a different reason other than love. She didn't ask you to love her back, and all she needs from you is your presence." Cal said.

"And you can't deny you also feel something for her because you will not marry her if you don't feel anything, I know you, Hunter, I can tell it the way you look at your wife, but the memories of Rebecca are the reasons that you are holding back your real feelings for Madeline. It is about time you should give yourself a chance to be happy. Please, you need to let go of the past so you can live happily in the present. Rebecca is dead, and you have to bear that in your mind. She is not coming back; your guilt will kill you someday if you do not fight it. You should never forget you didn't kill Rebecca, and she chose to leave you." He said, and he got up from the chair and walk to the door.

"I think you should start caring about Madeline, or you will lose her to another man; she is young, and she needs attention, she is orphaned, Hunter, your wife only has her aunt who sold her, and she is always alone in that big house, and you spend your night on the separate room." He said while he stopped on his tracts in front of the door while his hands are in his pockets, and I wonder how did he know I was sleeping in another room.

"Don't look so surprised, Hunter; I know you were sleeping separately." He said while his back is still on me, and I shook my head, Cal is unbelievable, and his concern about Madeline swells my heart, and I know Calixto was right. 

"I should go home now before my wife throws my things outside my house." He said and closed the door of my office gently. Cal has been long gone, but I remained in the same position after he left me, and I sighed and picked up my phone from the table, and I turn my gaze on the big frame on the wall; it was our wedding portrait. Madeline looked so beautiful and happy, and I realized Cal was right; I am making her life miserable, and how I wish she will hold on, but I don't want her to hold on to anything because I know I am a lost cause because deep in my heart I realized I am no longer capable of loving. 

Calixto has a point since I felt something for Madeline, and it was only a strong attraction, and I know it can't go deeper. I love her body and the way she moaned and enjoyed our lovemaking. I love to have her every night, but I fight the urge to have sex with my wife because I know I am making it harder for her to forget me the moment I file the divorce after she gives birth to our child. Calixto's words made me feel so guilty that I dialed Madeline's number.

I can't deny the excitement that I have when I pressed call, but I suddenly felt alarmed when I couldn't contact her, and I think her phone is turned off. I dialed for how many times, but she can't be reached. I dialed our landline number, and it keeps on ringing, and it is impossible if she will not hear it because it has an extension line to the master's bedroom. And I don't know why I feel so scared. I seldom text and call her, and I never call her on our landline number. Maybe that is why her phone was off, but the landline number was ringing. It only means one thing, my wife is not yet home. Where could she be at this hour?

I got up quickly from my chair and picked up my coat from the backrest of my chair, and I get out of my office. And I felt glad to meet Cal in the parking lot, and he smiled when he realized I am on my way home. And I instructed him to call my wife before I get inside my black SUV car and drive fast in going to our new house.

I felt frustrated, and I can't stop the racing of my heart when I don't find Madeline at home; the entire house is dark except the lights on the wall around the house and on the front porch, which I believed the maid switch on before they left the main house going to the back house. I tried calling her smartphone again, but her phone is still off, I ran to the stairs and opened the master's bedroom, and I let out a sigh of relief when I realized she didn't run away since her important documents are still there in the drawer of her closet.

My eyebrows furrowed when I received a file from my father and when I opened it, I want to throw my phone on the floor. It was a picture of my wife hugging Jack Morigan, and of all people why it has to be Jack, and I felt my entire body weakened when I read my father's message.

"It is now time to divorce your wife, Hunter." My Dad said in his text, and I never felt so angry my entire life that I punched the wall of our bedroom, and I can feel the sting on my fist, but I don't care about the pain on my hand because of what I have felt in my heart is more than the injury on my hand. I continued calling Madeline, but her phone is still off, I know I was a jerk, and I ignore her, but I couldn't believe she will cheat on me, and Calixto's words echoed on my mind, and I felt so afraid if Madeline already found love in Jack's Arms.

How could my father find out all about this? And I realized maybe he hired a private investigator to know what my wife was doing because my father was bugging me to divorce my wife. Right now, I can tell he finds enough reason to force me to get rid of my wife even though I was to blame why she finds comfort from another man, but I will never make the same mistake again, I am no longer a teenager that will be driven by hate and anger.

I got out from our room with heavy steps, and I turn on all the lights of the entire house, including the lights on the roof deck and the swimming pool, and then I get out of the main house, and I waited for my wife to come home on the porch. I don't recognize the new feeling that I felt inside my chest, and I hate feeling this way when I know Maddie is just my temporary wife, and I want to believe I am feeling this way because I own Madeline Brownwood.. After all, she is my wife on the paper, and she is not allowed to have a relationship with another man because she is mine.