Chasing His Rejected Wife
Chapter 56 -

Jessica

I got the call from Ellen as I was packing for my trip. I was a bit flustered and in a hurry since Martin was already waiting downstairs. Aiden had texted me our schedule last night and since our flight was at 10:30 am and I'd woken up at 9:15, I barely had any time left if we were to fend through heavy New York traffic in time to make it to the airport.

I had spent half the night plagued by thoughts and when I finally ended up falling asleep, I'd slept right through my alarms...all three of them set at 30-minute intervals. Needless to say, I was now regretting my decision to put off packing for the trip until morning. So, after allowing myself a minute to freak out, I had scrambled out of bed and frantically began stuffing a suitcase with clothes and things while getting dressed.

At this rate, I was sure to forget something important, like packing extra underwear or ending up with mismatched pairs of shoes.

My phone began to ring as I was brushing my teeth and trying to run a straightener through my unruly hair. I muttered a curse and almost electrocuted myself while trying to reach the phone before it stopped ringing, thinking it was either Martin, gently reminding me to hurry or Aiden telling me to get my ass in the car now.

Turns out, it was neither.

"Hello?" I was breathless from my near run from the bathroom. Trepidation filled me as I clutched the phone tighter, wondering if there was bad news.

"Hey, it's Eden." She began, then paused. "Umm...are you okay? Did I call at a bad time?"

"No, no...it's fine." I assured her. I opened my underwear drawer and pulled out five new sets, adding it to my already overflowing suitcase just in case and went in search of another pair of comfy sneakers. "Is there a problem?"

"I just called to tell you some good news. Your husband has signed the papers." She said, "They were mailed to my office late last night and just now, I just got out of the courthouse, the papers have been notarized and stamped by a Judge, so you're a free woman now."

My knees weakened at the news and I sank down on the floor, inundated with mixed feelings. It was finally over; a piece of paper now gave mockery to the words I had uttered at the altar on the day of our wedding. 'To love and cherish forever.' Well, forever had lasted only two years. How painfully ironic.

"Jessica? Are you there?" Eden's concerned voice jostled me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here." My voice came out shaky and tears rolled down my cheeks as I hugged my knees to my chest. "I'm sorry, I'm just...emotional I guess."

Her voice softened in sympathy, "I understand how much of a turmoil you're in right now. I'm sorry, dear. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll get there soon."

"I suppose so," I sniffed, reaching for the box of tissues on the bedside table. "Thank you for letting me know."

"No problem. I'll mail a copy of the documents to you as soon as I get back to the office."

"Of course. Yeah. Umm, I have to go now, I'm running late for something."

I waited long enough for her to accept my excuse, then hung up. I let the phone drop to the floor, leaned my head against the wall and gave in to my tears. I don't know how long I stayed in that position, but I pulled myself together as my phone went off once more.

"I'll be right down, Martin. I'm sorry to keep you waiting." I said into the receiver before he could say anything. I got to my feet, wedging my phone between my shoulder and ear and began stuffing the rest of my stuff into the box. "It's alright, Ms. Brown" Hearing the name made me wince. "Mr. Brown tried to reach you just now, but your line was busy. He asked me to tell you to take your time, the plane will leave when you get to the airport."

"He tried to reach me?" I asked then remembered I kept meaning to activate the call waiting feature and voicemail, but kept on forgetting. "Um...okay. I'll be down soon anyway."

********

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As Martin drove me right up to the plane waiting by tarmac, it's huge silver body emblazoned with the Skylark name and logo, I couldn't help but think of how it was a good thing I'd never really became accustomed to this sort of VVIP service since my brief time as the wife of the President and CEO had officially come to an end.

I was still unable to fully process my feelings about the matter. One moment I would feel relieved to finally be able to put my past behind me, the next minute, I would be wallowing in sadness over my failed marriage and still yet be apprehensive about how I was going to raise two kids without my husband's constant support. Because shared custody meant that I would be on my own for half the time.

I caught sight of Aiden - my now ex-husband, standing by the plane, and I felt a wrench twist my gut at the sight of him. He was listening to a man in uniform whom I assumed was the pilot. However, as Martin pulled to a stop next to them, Aiden's attention shifted to me and I felt my muscles tense up as he excused himself and came over to open my door for me, one hand held out to assist me.

I braced myself with several deep breaths, pasted a small smile on my lips and slowly, placed my hands in his. He was warm to the touch, his much larger hand curled around mine and my pulse quickened, my senses hyper aware of him. I made the mistake of drawing in a deep, steadying breath and his scent engulfed me, my senses reeling from his proximity.

"Good morning," His eyes swept over me, and a slight frown appeared between his brows, "Are you alright? You look peaked." His hands tightened on mine and he drew me close and away from the car. "Did you have trouble sleeping again?" Flustered at being so close, I swallowed past the lump that had somehow lodged in my throat and forced myself to respond. "I'm okay," I added with a nervous laugh and cringed at how breathy I sounded. "I actually overslept, really. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

He dismissed my apology with a wave. "Didn't Martin pass on my message? There's no need to apologize."

I nodded, unable to replace my voice. It was strange being so close to him after everything that had happened between us. I could feel the tension between us, the awkwardness of the situation palpable. I didn't know what else to say or if I should mention that my attorney had finalized the divorce.

To my relief, the pilot strolled towards us and introduced himself and I was grateful for the distraction. He was new and Aiden told me the previous pilot had retired early. Introductions done, Aiden guided me into the luxurious interior of the plane and I was soon settled comfortably into one of the creamy leather seats, a flight attendant making sure I was comfortable.

When Aiden settled into the seat across from me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease because I still didn't know what to say to him. But he didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, merely leaned his head back and shut his eyes as the pilot began the takeoff routine.

I stared out the window, watching the scenery slide past and gaining momentum as the jet picked up speed. Soon, we were in the air, and my attention was drawn as Aiden sat up and pulled out a laptop and files.

He caught me watching him and raised an eyebrow, "Hope you don't mind if I catch up on work?"

I shook my head and he returned to his work. I pulled out my Kindle, grateful I'd had the foresight to bring it along for the flight. But no matter how much I tried to lose myself in the words of the thriller I was attempting to read, I couldn't stop my attention from straying. Several times, my eyes would dart over the top of the tablet to steal peeks at my hus - my ex-husband.

"Did you go see your mother yesterday?" I had just been in the process of stealing another look when he looked up, his gaze catching mine. I was mortified at being caught, my cheeks turning a fiery red.

I placed the Kindle on my lap and licked my lips that suddenly felt dry. "Um....no, actually. She had to suddenly go back to LA to deal with an emergency." I couldn't quite disguise the relief I felt at not having to deal with her. He made a sound in his throat and went back to his work. The rest of the flight passed in silence.

*****

"Aiden, it's fine, I'm sure it was an honest mistake, we can manage for one day and sort it out later." I said with a confidence I didn't feel. All I wanted at that moment was to save the poor hotel manager from the full force of my husband's... my ex-husband's wrath.

"There should have been no room for error in the first place." Aiden grated, glaring down at the man, his gaze filled with the promise of retribution. "For a hotel of this size and prestige to mess up a simple booking is unpardonable." "On behalf of the entire management of the Freeling, I sincerely apologize for this mix up, Mr. Brown." The Head Manager actually bowed to my husband, the rest of the staff following his lead. "I will personally ensure that the error is fixed as soon as possible."

Aiden merely made a displeased sound in his throat, spun around and stalked into the room. I managed an apologetic smile for the small gathering and followed him into the suite. With butterflies in my belly, I took in the suite that had been assigned to us instead of the presidential suite that Fletcher had booked.

This room, in contrast but no less luxurious than the presidential suite, had only one bedroom.