A Box At The Wrong Time
1424 Words
Mallory saw how the strange lady forced herself to composure the moment she saw Wilder. Pulling a smile, she ran to him, her heels clacking hard against the floor.
"Hey, babe!" She beamed, giving him a hug.
Mallory felt her heart skip a beat. Her throat got constricted and she had to take a very hard gulp.
Wilder glanced at Mallory before looking away.
"Safiya," he called, pulling away from the lady's hug. "What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming."
"Seriously?" The lady chuckled, walking her hand on his chest. Mallory could see so much obsession and lust in her eyes. "Do I need to call the love of my life before showing up at his office?"
Mallory couldn't stop the shock from reflecting in her eyes as she watched them, even Wilder noticed. Who was she to him? There was no way they could be married, right? No, her Wilder could not be married.
Safiya was still holding him.
"So, are you done for the day? Can we go home together?" She asked, playing with the small beards on his jaw.
"Luckily, you're just in time. I'm done," he shifted his gaze to Mallory. "Get my briefcase and bring it to the car."
Taking Safiya's hand, Wilder started walking away. Safiya gave Mallory a hard stare - one that held fear as well - before leaving with Wilder.
Mallory's heart was shattered, she couldn't breathe anymore.
She rushed into his office, and being alone in the enclosed space, she clutched at her chest and tried taking several deep breaths to calm herself. But, as she tried, tears came welling up in her eyes.
Was she his girlfriend? But why did she talk about going home together?
No, there was no way they could be married. She didn't want to think of it.
Tears trickled down her face as the thought of him loving another woman flashed at her. She couldn't accept it. Never. What the hell happened to her Wilder? Who did this to her?
She sniffed and wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve.
She made use of the elevator and came out to the ground floor in no time. Getting out to the facade, she found Wilder and the strange lady already seated in their sleek black Land Rover.
Wilder didn't look at her, he just had his eyes on his phone. But his woman kept staring at her, making Mallory uncomfortable.
She handed his briefcase to the guard in the front seat. And in no time, they were driving out of the building.
Mallory stood for some time, just staring at the exiting car.
She recalled the lady reacting like she had recognized her from somewhere. She could never forget the shock on her face, and even the fear it'd gotten mixed with.
Was it just a coincidence that she happened to recognize her from somewhere? Or could Safiya possibly know more about Mallory?
She returned to the office, got her things ready and went to the open workspace to sign out for the day. The rest of her colleagues were still there.
"Finally, you have time for us." Chloe rolled her eyes as Mallory reached for the register to input her signature.
"You must really be into this new CEO, Mal. You've never avoided us this way before," Vicky added.
Mallory didn't respond until she was done signing and straightened up.
"I'm sorry, guys. I had um...a lot to do." She forced herself to wonder.
They were right. They've always had lunch together, and from time to time, she'd pay them little visits when she was less busy. But that day was different. She wasn't thinking straight and had barely given a thought to them.
"So, how's he? What is it like working for him?" Silas asked with a small smile.
"It's cool." She nodded. "I um... have to be on my way now."
"Hold on. Let's go together." Chloe called out.
"Same here!" Vicky joined.
They signed out and left the office with Mallory.
"Okay, Mal. It's just us now. Do you actually know the CEO from somewhere?" Chloe asked as they walked into the elevator.
"No..."
"But you had acted like you knew him. I just didn't want to bring it up in front of the others, but I know what I saw, Mal."
"It was all a misunderstanding - trust me. I... I thought I knew him, but I was greatly mistaken."
Chloe and Vicky shot her scrutinizing stares.
"Really, girls. I'm serious." Mallory forced a chuckle.
"Fine. If you say so."
When they got outside, they boarded separate cabs and went their ways. That was when Mallory began calling Amy's line. That was the private investigator.
She called and called, but Amy didn't pick up. Mallory decided to keep trying.
***
Mallory kept calling Amy the whole time, but the annoying lady wasn't picking up. Now, it was beginning to get on her nerves.
She badly couldn't wait to relay the information to her so she could get to work as soon as possible.
She was simply impatient. Well, seeing your missing ex-husband and the father of your kids show up all of a sudden as your boss and someone else's lover, it was enough to get anyone impatient.
She alighted the bus when she got to her destination, and even as she walked down the street leading to her family's apartment, she kept calling.
Finally, Amy picked up and that gave Mallory a lot of relief.
"Thank goodness! Where the hell have you been? I've been calling endlessly, Amy," she groused.
"Oh, darling! I'm so sorry. I was in actually in bed with my man. I was hoping you'd stop calling at a certain point, but thanks to your endless calls, you made my man come faster," she responded naughtily.
Mallory didn't even chuckle as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She wasn't in for jokes.
"I ...I need your help, Amy; and it's very urgent." Her tone was imbued with the height of her seriousness.
"Okay... you sound really serious. What's the problem?"
Amy had been Mallory's friend from college. Although, they stopped hanging out when they got their separate jobs, but Mallory was sure she could trust her. Moreover, she was a very good investigator.
She went ahead to lay her request - telling her she needed an investigation on Wilder's past. She told her he was someone she had known from seven years ago, but meeting him for the first time today, he couldn't seem to recognize her. Mallory was careful not to mention that she'd been 'married' to Wilder.
"Why are you interested in this guy, if I may ask?" Amy curiously asked when Mallory was done giving her the details.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Amy, but can I keep that to myself?"
Amy sighed. "Hm. Okay, then. You can keep your reasons to yourself; I'll just do my job."
"Oh! Thank you so much."
"It's fine. But, you know what my charges would be like, right?"
"You... you can just text me the amount, but can I pay you by the end of the month, please?"
"Ugh. What are friends for? Just text me every detail you have on him, I'll get to work as soon as possible."
"Sure. Thank you so much, Amy."
"You're welcome, pretty."
The call was over.
Mallory took a deep breath, assuring herself that everything would be fine. She couldn't wait to learn how Wilder lost his memories, how he went out of the country, and how he ended up with that lady. She couldn't wait to learn all of it. If her Wilder was intentionally taken away from her, she was definitely going to get him back. Definitely.
Continuing her walk toward the house, her steps began to slacken when she noticed Ronan's car, as well as one other parked outside the house.
Huh? Was Ronan in? But he didn't tell her he'd be coming.
She almost rolled her tired eyes at the thought of it. Good Lord, she was exhausted and didn't need another dramatic series.
She advanced forward, opened the door and met a sight she never expected.
What?
First, it was balloons, then ribbons, roses, money bouquet, and the smiling faces of every member of her family.
In front of it all was Ronan, holding a tiny squared box.
Mallory didn't need anyone to tell her what was contained in the box. But no, she didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be.
- Writer
