Page 116 of Zimyra

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“Sure it was. You were being deceitful from the moment you walked into my office and asked for a job application, were you not? You’re the chief operating officer of a multi-million dollar organization and you come down here to Columbia asking for a job application to be a maintenance worker.”

“Okay—I wasn’t truthful with you, Zimyra—”

“Wasn’t truthful…is that your way of trying to soften the fact that you lied to my face?”

“I never lied to you.”

“But you did! Even what you said just now is a lie! You just can’t stop, can you?”

I don’t respond. She has yet to turn to face me again, so if she wants to talk, I’ll just let her get it all out.

She says, “You came down here pretending to be someone you’re not. I don’t care how you try to dress it up—that was an outright lie.”

“Zimyra—”

“Why were you here, anyway? Why did you lie and lower yourself from your mighty throne to pretend to be someone that you’re not?”

“To watch you work.”

“Why did you need to watch me work?”

“Because you were doing your job so well, the company wanted to know what you were doing to lower the move-out rate at Atlantic Properties. So, I came down and got a job in maintenance so I could monitor your moves.”

“Were you the reason my last maintenance staff up and quit on me?”

I sigh heavily and respond, “Yes. I paid them off.”

“And the bonus, the online maintenance app…that all came from you?”

“Yes.”

“And you don’t think that’s deceptive?”

“Listen—I know you’re hurt—”

“You don’t know anything!”

She turns to face me. Her face has darkened a shade. Her eyes are dark. Her beautiful face shows a side of her I’ve never seen. She says, “You lied, and I feel stupid for trusting you. Forfallingfor you. Jokes on me, right?”

“The only joke is you thinking this is the end of us. Don’t get it twisted, Zimyra. There is no universe where you and I don’t exist. You are my wife. You’remine. That’s forever. I don’t care how long it takes for you to forgive me—I’ll always be here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t care where you are. I refuse to be with a man I don’t trust.”

“Well, that’s too bad, Sunflower.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Why? Why is thattoo bad? Because the big, badlyingexecutive always gets what he wants?”

I flash a smile and slide my hands into my pocket, answering her question without having to say a word.

She says, “Not this time you don’t. You can go lie to somebody else, Axel—if that’s even yourrealname.”

She walks past me, stops abruptly and says, “And another thing—I’ve been planning this party for my tenants for a while. I don’t need you coming here disturbing me because everything is aboutyouandyourtiming. Have a little respect for someone other than yourself.”

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