Build And Break novel Chapter 13

"Stop it." Angela pled.

Steven laughed amused at the situation. "I don't know if I should feel glad or feel sorry for the guy to be honest."

"I said stop." Angela's voice broke.

"The ex-husband took his woman." Steven continued with much sarcasm and cynicism.

Angela threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Oh, for heaven's sake, just stop. Tony's dead." And she couldn't hold back anymore. Angela wept in uncontrollable convulsive sobs. Her trembling body found the bed to sit back on.

Steven was frozen. He observed Angela as she touched the silver ring on her finger. Tony's ring. He said nothing. He had already let his jealousy get the best of him enough. He was jealous of a deceased man while Angela was in grieving ache. "I... I'm sorry."

"No, you're not." She snatched the photo frame from him. Eyed it with sadness through blurred, watery sight. "You're a heartless bastard."

He was. He cautiously sat beside her. "How did he die?" The tone in his voice was calm then. The shock of the news he heard stunned him.

"Car accident." Angela sniffled, stopped her tears. "I was with him."

Oh, dear. Was she...? "Where you...?"

"I had a collapsed lung. I was in coma for three months. I don't even remember how it happened or how he died. I can't even remember the last few moments with him." Her breath caught in her throat at the memories.

"I... I didn't know." Steven said in a low voice.

"Of course you wouldn't." Angela snapped through her teeth. "Tony's family found your numbers but they couldn't reach you. You've changed all your numbers. Of course, I knew that from the day you kick me out. I had tried calling you for days to explain the truth. But I guess even if I spoke to you, you wouldn't have believed anything I said to you."

Steve stood up. Looked away from her. "I don't believe anyone."

Angela followed him. Went to stand before him. "I was your wife."

"You cheated on me." Hurt was evident in his tone.

"I didn't cheat on you." She reminded him.

Steven held her gaze for a moment. She couldn't read him. "You still went on and had a kid with him."

"Mhm." Angela answered nonchalantly while she plated the salmon and the salad between two servings.

"You never told me you drew like this." He seemed genuinely impressed.

"Were you ever at home to tell you? The discussions we had were all about your work and your business. You never even asked me how my day was. I had been going to art classes for a year before you divorced me. You didn't even know. The few hours we had after you came from work, you spent them seducing me to bed. We never had the time to learn the new stuff about each other."

Steven remembered of the days when he would return home and was greeted by his wife's warm embrace.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" Steven attempted.

Angela brought the two plates to the table. They sat opposite each other.

"I don't have to. I'm not your wife anymore." Angela said before forking the salmon. "But I'll talk just to make being in the same room less awkward."

"Why did you want to draw?" Steven's curiosity was clear. He wanted to know about her. He wanted to know her.

"I've wanted to draw since I was a little girl. Guess I got tired of waiting around to seek permission or get the encouragement from my father or from you. So I just booked a class. It's where I met Tony."