Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 36

ASHAL

"Welcome sir." Everyone chimes as I make my way into Rollins Media. It’s been days since I’ve worked directly from my office. When I step in, there are gifts and flowers from different departments festooning my desk and sofas. The copywriting team left me a brand new hoverboard. The marketing team stocked my personal fridge with my favorite drinks and snacks. Tears glisten in my eyes at the show of love from my employees.

"Thank you so much guys. You didn’t have to."

"No, but we wanted to." Elyon, my creative lead quips. He beams at me. "We’re glad to have you back sir, hale and hearty."

I pat my eyes dry. "Okay. Enough now. Let’s all get back to work. We have a major campaign coming up. I need great ideas. There will be juicy rewards for the team that knocks this right out of the park."

Everyone coos with excitement as they retreat to their working desks. I sink into my chair and take a deep breath. Gosh, it feels good to be back.

Remote working is not my style. I love the power and control that only emanates from my high-back executive chair. I love hearing the hum of activity from the bull pen filtering in through my half open door.

I love the clomp of my secretary’s shoes over the tiles as she comes to reel out my schedule for the day. I love imagining lunch breaks in the staff cafeteria and eating with everyone.

We are like a family here. We are nothing like the HQ where everyone walks with an imaginary status symbols embellished on their forehead. Here, there’s no power tussle, just a family and their leader.

I am glad I dragged myself out of bed today. I need the distraction. With a lot of faces milling around me, it will be a while before I recall my dead child or Olivia’s bruised body. I’ll feel less likely to commit self-harm with so many people around. When I get my head straight with a few hours of deep work, I’ll go see Olivia.

Just after two meetings with all my team leads trying to strategize for the next quarter, I settle back into my office to prep for lunch when an expected visitor beams at me from the door.

"I was honestly starting to wonder when you’ll show up. I knew you couldn’t help yourself." frёeωebɳovel.com

"I tried and failed to give you your space." Mom admits with a huge smile and open arms. I embrace her. If I hadn’t insisted, she would have joined me to the office this morning and watched me work all day. I guess it’s one of the perks of being her favorite.

"I told you I’d be fine. You didn’t have to call Elyon or my secretary." Before she can deny it, I add, "They’ve been hovering over me all morning and making hushed phone calls. I know it’s been you on the other end."

Mom’s shoulders sag with resignation. "I had to know you were actually fine. You know I hate being clueless about your state of mind."

Together, we move from my office area to the adjoining room that serves as a lounge area to entertain our guests. I reach into the fridge and grab mom’s favorite can soda.

"I’m glad you’re here. I might need your help." I say, giving her the drink. Worry creases her forehead.

"What do you need help with?"

My face crumples for the first time today. I’ve tried not to think about Olivia and our lost child but right now, the emotions start to overwhelm me again. I wring my hands and gnaw on my bottom lip. Mom drops her drink to come sit next to me.

"It’s okay. I’m here for you. Anything you want."

"Thank you for not telling Asher."

She rocks my head on her chest and says nothing.

"I didn’t mean to do it, mom. I tried countless times to connect with Olivia as myself but she has always loathed me. She despises me even more because of my condition. The only name she loves and responds to is Asher. If there was a better way to make her fall in love with me as Ashal, I’d have opted for it but nothing else worked. I swear it."

"It’s okay."

I pull my head up to stare into her eyes. "No, it’s not. I don’t know if I am only shooting myself in the foot by making her fall deeper in love with Asher while I am pretending to be him. I am sick with worry wondering when she’ll discover the truth and how she’ll react. With the death of our child, will she ever forgive me now?"

Mom grabs my chin with both hands. Tears swim in her eyes. "That is why this plan is so risky. If you truly love her, you’ll have to be relentless in winning her over as Ashal and nobody else. You have to show her that you are so much more than your condition. I’ll help you talk to her."

I surge to my feet and blot my teary eyes. "You and father have been pushing me on her from day one. Maybe that is why she’s sick of me. She never wanted me and maybe she feels I am just with her because my parents demand it."

I give mom a reassuring smile. "I’ll win her over mom. I have to be a man for Olivia. She has to know that she can feel safe with me, around me and because of me. That’s why she loves Asher. I didn’t realize it until now. He gave her a false sense of safety and she has been clinging to it for a while now. I’ll show her that she’s safe with me."

"How do you intend to do that?"

"That’s where I’ll need your help."

***

After the strenuous security clearance in my own home, mom and I finally make it into the penthouse.

"Why do you have to go through all that clearance to get into your own house?"

"Because I have three brothers that look just like me and one of them happens to be loved by my wife. I can’t take any chances, mother." Mom nods sagely.

Just then, Lily appears in her checkered uniform and welcomes us. She stands, looking a bit confused about how to address me.

"It’s me, Lily, your boss."

"Oh, welcome Mr. Ashal."

"This is my mother, Mrs. Rollins."

"Welcome to you too, Mrs. Rollins. It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Mother beams at her.

"Where’s my wife?"

"She’s seeing a movie in the home theatre. I’ll inform her you’re around."

"Tell her to meet me in the living room upstairs. Mention that my mother is here too."

Mother joins me to take the stairs to the second living area where we sit and wait for Olivia.

"To the best of her knowledge, she doesn’t know that I know of her pregnancy for my brother. If I fail to win her over with my genuine promises as Ashal, I just might resort to weaponizing her betrayal. I’m not proud of it," I add when mom’s face hardens, "I just want to have a family with her and hopefully, she’ll be smart enough to realize Asher will never give her that."

"Okay."

When Olivia walks into the living room, she’s looking much better than I expected. She greets mother cordially and meets my eyes. She offers me a stiff greeting which I don’t take personally.

"How have you been, my dear?"

"I’ve been better." She replies mother with clasped hands.

"Please sit." I point to the sofa. Olivia hesitantly walks over and takes her seat.

"Olivia, I know at this point you have every reason to dislike...hate me." I correct. "I have hurt you more times than I can count and it’s no excuse that those were due to a medical condition I have no control over. Yet, here I am, still begging for your forgiveness and still asking for a chance to do right by you. Saying I love you might sound like the worst thing you ever heard but I will never stop trying to be a better man for you. I know our marriage was forced but I believe we can still make something beautiful out of it. I just need to know if there’s anything I can do to restore your faith in me and our union."

The room falls silent. Olivia gapes at me in shock. The words I just uttered are clearly not what she had been expecting to hear. She stares from mother’s face to mine, her lips unable to form words. Mother intervenes.

"Liv dear, I apologize on behalf of my son here for what you’ve had to go through because of my family. I am certain no mother could bear to see their child trapped like this. However, I am giving you my word that everything will be better going forward. Ashal is prepared to do whatever it takes to fix your marriage and give you the love and the life you deserve. All he is asking is for you to give him one more shot. While you deliberate, please remember that him hitting you has never been intentional. Without his condition, he’ll never even hurt a fly. Please don’t anchor your decision solely on his medical condition. Treat him like you would a normal man vying for your love and see what your head tells you."

I weigh in again, going to sit close to my wife and taking her shaking hands in mine. "Olivia, ever since you came into my life, I have never thought about my future with anyone else. I am deeply in love with you. This wouldn’t be our life if we didn’t meet the way we did and you didn’t threaten to ruin my family. If you agree to give me another shot and to stand by me and my family, I promise to have you join the Rollins mansion as the respectable daughter-in-law of our household. My mom here will bear witness. What do you say?"

When Olivia’s hands slip out of my grasp, I know she’s about to break my heart, again. Nervously, she rises to her feet and creates a distance between us.

"Is this a joke? Do I look like a fool to you all? You made these same promises to me and much more when we first got together." She glares at mom. "You promised he would get better and never hit me yet he never got better. Every time he beat me to a pulp, you pretended not to know and stayed in your mansion."

Her eyes fire up as she stares at me now. "You don’t care about me. You can’t possibly love me because if you did, you wouldn’t keep me in this marriage against my will. You wouldn’t be selfish with your love and constantly think of yourself and what you want. I know exactly what my life will look like with you in the Rollins mansion. Everyone will turn a blind eye to your actions. They’ll sweep my suffering under the rug like they’ve always done and rally round you to give emotionally support whereas I, I will be threatened to silence. That’s the norm in the Rollins household, isn’t it?"

"Olivia."

"Don’t call my name, Ashal. I don’t want your selfish love. Why can’t you understand that? I don’t love you and I may never be able to love you."

My fingers clench by my side. When Olivia sees it, she staggers back.

"Are you going to hit me in front of your mom too?"

"Ashal" Mom calls me, rising nervously.

"I’m not going to hit you or anyone." I run a hand through my face and settle back down on my seat. "I’m trying so hard to win your love and trust despite how many times you’ve trampled on mine, Olivia. Why are you so adamant about rejecting my love? It’s not just because of my condition, is it?"

I stand and square my shoulders. "It’s because you’re in love with another, right?"

Olivia’s eyes widen with shock.

"I know. I know you just lost a baby. I know it wasn’t mine but you don’t see me being spiteful of you. You don’t see me asking questions or trying to get mad at you. I have learnt to forgive you quicker because I never want to hurt you again. Why isn’t that enough proof of my love for you?"

Olivia’s lips tremble slightly. "Why won’t you ask who the father is."

"Because I don’t want to get mad at you."

"You know who it is." Olivia says firmly.

"I forgive you, Olivia, whoever he might be. I am sorry for the loss of the innocent child at my hands. Now, I want us to start on a clean slate, just you and I. No more betrayals. I am not the only one who needs to put some effort into repairing our relationship. I need you to meet me halfway if this must work."

I stretch out a hand to her. "Will you agree to be my wife and the mother of my unborn kids before the whole of Danvarr?"

Olivia stares at my outstretched hand.

"Excuse me sir, Mr. Asher Rollins has just been cleared by security. He is requesting your approval for entry into the penthouse." My chief security officer announces.

***

"You’re a difficult man to see, Mr. Ashal Rollins." Asher says as I take the short stroll from the entrance of the penthouse to his car on the driveway. "Now, why the fuck is your security detail treating me like I am being cleared to enter the Whitehouse? I thought this was like a second crib for the boys?"

"You didn’t tell me you were coming, Ash."

"Pffft, my bad." Asher grabs his phone and sends a text. My phone beeps in my hand. When I read the text, it’s clearly from him informing me that he is about to pay Olivia a visit. I chuckle softly at his flippant response.

"This will not do from now on. You can’t get in here without clearance from me."

"What the hell is going on man? I’m your brother for Pete’s sake."

"That’s exactly why you weren’t turned away at the gate."

Asher fixes me with a hard look and steps down from his G-Wagon. He eyes the penthouse and deliberately lets his eyes stray to Olivia’s window.

"This isn’t what you think it is. I didn’t want to bring this up with you without confronting your wife first but I guess you leave me no choice."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ashton had a lot to say to me the other night when I exposed Demi’s pictures with her ex. He accused me of some very vile things which I admit I might be capable of but in this case, I clearly didn’t do. Apparently, you and Olivia lost a pregnancy." He pats my shoulder somberly. "I’m really sorry about that. I don’t know why you didn’t tell me but we’ll leave that discussion for another day."

He replaces his dark sunglasses on his face. "I’M HERE TO CONFRONT YOUR WIFE FOR INSINUATING THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PREGNANCY SHE JUST LOST."

I do my best to look shocked, not shocked as to how Ashton found out and even told Asher but shocked as a man suddenly discovering that his wife might have been cheating on him.

"What the h-hell are you t-talking about r-right now?"

Asher tosses his head and laughs. "You’ve always been a terrible actor, little bro." His face hardens now. "LET’S TRY THAT AGAIN. YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHY YOUR WIFE BELIEVES SHE’S BEEN FUCKING ME AND EVEN GOT PREGNANT BY ME WHEN I HAVEN’T SEEN HER IN MONTHS? Think again before you lie to me, Ashal Rollins."

Before I can caution him to keep his voice down, we get interrupted.

"Asher?"

We both look up to find Olivia staring dejectedly at us.

Oh no!