Nikos woke up as sunlight streamed through their window. His stomach rumbled and he decided to get some breakfast. His wife was still asleep but he let her for he knew he tired her out the night before. They made love three more times before dawn.

Now, Nikos felt the aches and pains of that total of four times. On top of that was his headache from yesterday’s hangover.

He needed to eat and drink so he headed down to the hotel restaurant. He sat at a table by the balcony, ordered some coffee and grabbed the morning newspaper. As expected, the headline on the society page was his wedding with Cassia while the headline on the business page is the merger of Andrade International and Demakis Shipping Incorporated  along with the announcement of him being CEO of the new mega corporation.

“Good morning, son.”

Nikos looked up from his paper and saw that Costas Andrade sat on the chair opposite his.

He sighed and replied, “Good morning, Costas.”

Costas smiled. “How went the wedding night?”

Nikos felt a spark of irritation at being questioned about something so private.

“As it usually is,” he replied with a shrug.

“Looking at you, I am glad that my granddaughter pleased you.” Nikos almost rolled his eyes but again, he just shrugged.

“I wanted to talk to you about the changes in the corporation. The merger is still fresh and I would need you in the Greece office to finalize more details. I’ll also train and introduce you to the board so that you can take over easily.”

Nikos nodded his agreement. “Anything else?” he asked.

“That’s it. Enjoy your honeymoon but I think it will need to be cut short.”

“No. I guess we’ll be skipping the honeymoon first in order to get everything settled and just have it later this year. I need to be there during the company’s transition. That cannot wait but my honeymoon can.”

“I like that attitude. Business first,” Costas said with a smirk. “Next order of business, I want to know where you’ll be living with my granddaughter.”

“My penthouse in Athens. It’s closer to both companies.”

“Well...she very much expressed her interest that she wanted to live still under my roof. Can’t you give her that? She’s still acclimating herself to Greece after living in America most of her life. It will break my heart also if she was parted with me. She very much agreed that both of you will live with me.”

Nikos clenched his teeth. How dare she agree without telling him about it?

“I’ll speak with her,” he grated in a rough tone.

“She also expressed her disinterest with bearing your heir at this point. I do hope that you will respect that wish. She is young after all and she still has her life ahead of her. Maybe after three to five years?”

“If she wants all of that, why can’t she tell me herself?” Nikos spat as he found himself growing angrier with each word.

“She’s still a bit shy and she doesn’t know how you’ll handle it. I’m really sorry about this, my boy...but there’s one more thing: about your mistresses and your lifestyle. She respects your way and I already explained it to her. I spoke to her before I went down this morning and she wasn’t really big on how your wedding night went. She told me she’d respect it if you still wanted to go with your mistresses. Just that you do it discreetly and keep her in the lifestyle she is used to.”

Nikos finally understood. He stood up abruptly and his coffee spilled on the table. He clenched his fist. How could he believe they could have had a chance when she was one huge liar and schemer just like her grandfather!

“Now I think I know what you are getting at, Costas. Cassia wants to be married to me but she can’t give up her extravagant lifestyle. She’s not ready to work with the company yet that’s why she still wants to stay with you rather than be a wife to me. She does not want to have my son and so she wants me to run along to my mistresses? Also, I have to keep giving her the lifestyle she craves which I think would cost me millions of dollars a year. Do I have it right?” Nikos snarled.

“Well, I really wanted to phrase it delicately...but you are correct. I am really sorry about this but this is how my granddaughter was brought up. I tried changing her but her ways are instilled in her. And I love her too much that I am afraid I also spoiled her.”

Nikos threw his napkin on the table.

“Well if that’s what she wants then that’s what she’ll get,” he whispered in a deadly tone.

Without another word, he turned his back and left.

“Come in,” Cassia said and the door opened.

A chambermaid came in bearing new linens.

“Housekeeping,” she answered and looked at Cassia with something like pity.

Cassia dismissed it and grabbed some water from the fridge.

“Have you seen my husband?” she asked.

The woman’s lips pursed and she turned to Cassia again with both pity and concern in her eyes.

“Mrs. Demakis, he is in suite three. But please don’t say that this came from me,” the woman said.

Before Cassia could ask more, the woman dashed out of the room.

Why did Nikos go to another suite? Was that one of his friends’ suites? Cassia sighed and resisted the urge to pull at her hair. She didn’t have time for these things now. She could not let the events from last night deter her from what she was supposed to do today.

She had to talk with Nikos and tell him about the divorce.

On the way to Suite 3, she encountered her grandfather.

“Good morning, Cassia,” he said with one of his malicious smiles Cassia hated so much.

“Good morning,” she replied tersely.

“Where are you off to little one?” he asked in a mocking tone.

“To find Nikos.”

“I’m so sorry, Cassia...I didn’t want you to find out this way...but Nikos is in suite three.”

“And what about it?”

“It’s not my place to tell you this...but you’re my granddaughter. So you must know the way of things. Men are never going to be satisfied with just one woman. They will always stray. Remember that when you face him.”

Cassia gritted her teeth and ignored her grandfather. She continued on her way towards Suite 3 and refused to think about her grandfather’s words. He knew this was another one of his ploys to kick her harder when she was down. She knocked on the door but no one answered. She found the door unlocked so she quickly entered.

Cassia saw a woman sleeping on the bed and she was naked. Then, the door to the bathroom opened and out came Nikos with his hair still wet from his shower. He only wore a towel around his lean hips.

“Nikos—“ Cassia gasped.

The woman on the bed stirred and Cassia came face to face with one of the most beautiful and famous French supermodels. Her name was Marietta and she was rumored to be Nikos’ latest mistress before he had to marry her.

Cassia gasped in shock and took a step backwards.

“Oh it’s you...” the woman purred.

Cassia’s mouth fell open when she realized the implication of Nikos being here. How could he do this? How could he take her to bed on their wedding night and then go straight to his mistress’ bed after?

Indeed, this was the last straw!

Her heart twisted inside her chest and she felt as if a knife has been plunged through. For a moment, she stopped breathing as sheer agony tore through her whole body. She knew this marriage was not real and she wished for only one night with Nikos before they went their separate ways.

Yet why did she feel like this?

“Please leave. I have to speak with my husband,” Cassia calmly implored.

“Husband, huh? Well, that marriage contract and the ring is all you’re going to get from him anyway. He’s still mine,” the woman said in heavily accented French.

Cassia felt the threat of tears in her eyes so she blinked them away quickly.

“Mademoiselle, I am not looking for a fight this morning. I just want to speak with Nikos. So if you could please leave us...that would be great,” Cassia tried to stay calm as she said the words.

The woman inclined her head and slowly sat up on the bed. She shrugged then rose from the bed in all her naked glory. She even stretched before reaching for a robe beside the bed. Cassia saw red when she saw Nikos watching his mistress flaunt her body.

“I don’t really know what he saw in you. Hmm...then again, maybe it’s because of all the money to your name,” Marietta told her with ice in her voice before she started to walk across the room.

“All right. Get out!” Cassia shouted. “Nikos, we need to talk.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything. Your grandfather already said all you wanted to say,” Nikos replied in a bored tone.

“What? What did he say?!”

“That you don’t want to live with me...you don’t want to be my wife. You want to receive a big monthly allowance. Does that sum it up?”

“What? I never said that!”

Nikos threw back his head and laughed.

“Do not lie to me Cassia. I am perfectly agreeable with your terms. I thank you for letting me keep my mistresses. So quit the wounded wife act at seeing me here with Marietta. You practically gave your consent for this.”

“What?! I never said anything like that! In fact, I am wondering how you could jump from my bed to another’s in such a short span of time!”

The man even had the gall to laugh.

He gave her a patronizing glare and spoke, “I have no wish to discuss my personal affairs with you. I don’t even know why you are acting like this when you told your grandfather that I can keep my mistresses so long as I am discreet about it.”

“Nikos...I didn’t say that! Can’t you see that Costas is lying to you like he’s been doing right from the start?”

“As they say, the fruit never falls far from the tree.”

Cassia flinched as if she’s been slapped.

“Nikos...please. Listen to me. I don’t know what happened but Costas must’ve heard of my plans of divorcing you—“

“Divorce? Dear gods, where did you get that idea, wife?” Nikos asked in a mocking tone.

He finished dressing and turned to glare at her. He wrapped his arms around his chest and then casually leaned his hip on the side of the desk.

"Nikos—“

Nikos held up a hand. His green eyes burned with his fury.

“Stop it. There shall be no divorce. I think I know now what this is. You conspired with your grandfather for him to tell me to carry on with my mistresses, with my previous lifestyle. Then minutes after, when you found me in my mistress’ bed, you now want a divorce. I see what’s going on here,” Nikos laughed and strode towards her.

He gripped her arms and forced her to look at him.

“You want the divorce and you want to blame me for it so that my family will lose everything and you and your grandfather will get your greedy hands on what we own!” he roared.

“It’s not—“

“Silence! I will not listen to any more of your lies! I’ve tolerated enough, Cassia! You already have me! You have what you want! You bought me, correct? You just told your grandfather that you wanted me and he bought me for you! I’ve fulfilled the terms of the merger. I married you even though I did not want to! I even bedded you to completely seal the deal! Look at you. Who would go and marry someone like you? Good thing I was drunk or I would’ve run! Now just accept what fate has dealt your greedy little hands. We are married. This is what you wanted. This is what you’re getting. There’ll not be any fucking divorce and you’ll have to deal with me for the rest of your miserable life!” Nikos snarled.

Cassia’s eyes started to fill with tears at his hateful words.

At that moment, Hector’s words came back to her.

“Such a kind heart, princess... Now I know why people step all over you. Just promise me one thing... Never ever allow anyone to do that ever again. Hold your head high because you are better than all of them...”

She promised him she’d never allow that again.