Episode 4
She looks at the file of paper work on her desk and gasped out tiredly.
Since two weeks now, she has not been able to concentrate at work.
Even her manager noticed the errors in her office performance few weeks ago and asked her what was going on.
She apologized and promised that it won’t happen again.
It happened again but her manager over looked it untill this week.
Today was Wednesday, her performance since Monday has not been impressive at all.
A whole lot of mistake and misplaced files.
After summiting her file work yesterday, she came to work this morning only to see the same piles of work that she has done previously on her table.
She saw a written note on it from her business development manager asking her to do it all over due to many mistakes in it.
She stared at the work tiredly and rest her head on her chair with her eyes shot.
“Mrs Spence…?
Florence quickly sat up and saw her manager.
“… what’s going on? Recently, your performance is becoming very poor… unlike you. Is affecting our daily productivity here.
“I’m sorry. I will readjust… I promise that’s it won’t happen again. Florence apologiesed.
“Yeah, you kept promising and saying the same thing every time. please let it not happen again for real this time. I’m already getting sick and tired of combining your work load with mine because yours isn’t properly done. Making excuses for your mistakes and working late because of you. Is over a month already with same issue, please we can’t continue this way. We all have different families to tend and other personal troubles. But we make sure it doesn’t get in the way of our jobs. Try to get yourself together and leave whatever troubling you aside… you need to refocus Mrs Spence… please. So that we can move forward…Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
Florence nodded to everything that her manager was saying
She apologized again and promised to do better.
After work she thought of going over to Susan’s place but to avoid further problem from Cole made her change her mind.
She has told Susan over the phone that the reason why she haven’t come by is because of her busy schedule.
She did not tell her it was because her husband stopped her from visiting.
She crave to speak to someone, maybe a drive to church will do lots of good, where she can pour out her mind to God but that too is under restriction.
Maybe a call to Tina, her close pal will be okay.
But Tina doesn’t know anything about her marriage. She has always fed Tina with lies painting Cole and her marriage as perfect.
She can’t possibly tell Tina the real thing she is passing through.
Tina holds her in high esteem and respects Cole
It will change everything and she may want to start asking about Maxwell.
She slowed things with Maxwell. She is a married woman no matter how sad her marriage to Cole is at the moment.
She remain married and wouldn’t want to give room for extra marital affair.
Cole and his mistery woman are definitely having something going which she has refused to admit to.
She has asked Cole the following day when he retuned about the female voice addressing him as Mr Spence.
But Cole said is his office secretary they were on a field work together.
She tried not to push harder just to avoid problem but Cole has been coming home late, spendings alot of time with his phone and leaving the house weekend and returning late.
She knew something is fishy but she refused to admit to it. Hoping that her assumption is not true.
She really needs to sit up and focus on her job to avoid further problem. She can’t loose her job because of Cole.
She will go totally insane if she stays home without stepping out.
Going to work is a little escape from the prison called home.
Cole will probably be coming late as his newly developed habit.
Stopping in the church for few minutes won’t be a bad idea.
Florence drove to church and walked in straight to the quiet place.
She sat at the front pew hoping there won’t be any distractions.
She crave to have few minutes alone with God.
“Oh God of heaven and of earth, you remain God above gods. You sees the heart of men and the content it holds. My heart is open before you God… no one can save my husband or my marriage if not you. Be merciful and answer me…. mend my home please Lord. Restore sanity, love and godliness in my marriage. I want my husband to seek you and truly know that you are God. Help me to forge ahead as each day comes…. when my strength is not enough to carry me along, please Lord of all Lords carry me in your wings and don’t let me fall… please don’t let me fall….
Florence stayed praying and talking to God.
Tears run down her cheek and she didn’t bother stoping it’s flow.
When she later felt relieved she stood up and drove home.
Cole wasn’t back and she was happy for that.
She quickly prepared dinner for him. It was almost 11pm that he came back.
“Hey sweetie…
Cole surprisingly greeted his wife. He presented her with a banquet of flowers.
“… You’re still up? Thought you will be asleep by now. Did you make dinner…? I had my fill at the office but your food taste better to me. I will have a spoon or two before heading to bed. Sorry for keeping you awake… closed late as usual and the traffic was terrible too… could have called but got carried away. Sorry sweetie.. Let me shower first.
He bent over and kiss Florence before walking to the room.
Florence pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
She put the flower to her nose and it smells so nice.
She inhaled slowly before dropping it carefully.
She quickly set the table and made sure everything was perfectly in order to avoid getting him upset.
Could this be an answer to her prayers. The answer came quicker than she thought or was it a mere coincidence?
Could this be that God has really answered her prayers?
Florence continued to wonder within herself.
Cole had dinner and asked her how her day went
Florence gladly fill him in and try as much as possible not to go into details.
She had many questions she wanted to ask pertaining to his sudden niceness to her but she swallowed it up and hoping to ask on a good day.
They had a loving night, where he slowly cuddled her, he caressed her gently. Kissed her passionately which left Florence wondering what was really going on.
She has concluded within her that her husband is not the type that waste time in romance, he is not capable of treating her tenderly but he just proved her wrong.
“, Darlin… is it time to finally start trying for a baby?
Florence managed to ask while relaxing in his arm.
Cole was quiet, Florence almost thought he was offended by the question and was about apologizing to him.
But he suddenly said.
“I’m not fully ready yet. Let’s wait sweetie… maybe after this year then next year we can start making babies…
He replied her. Florence wish he can agreed to start right away but she nodded instead with a smile.
She was very okay to whatever her husband says.
While they were still in bed caressing and kissing, Cole moaned out a lady’s name.
It sound strange and might be a mistake which made Florence to ignore.
But he did it over again and again in the middle of mating.
She went still and cold in bed, she didn’t know how to react to it.
After the whole thing was over, Florence still couldn’t wave it off.
She decided to asked him.
“Who’s Marina?
Cole turned and looked at her strangely.
“…. I’m sorry but you mentioned her like twice or more. It got me wondering…
Florence said calmly and hoping he won’t deny it.
“, I can’t remember doing that but Marina is my personal secretary’s name. Is probably due to she’s officially close to me but I can’t remember calling her name though….
Florence nodded quietly. She didn’t want to stress the issue any further.
They just had one beautiful bedroom moment that isn’t common unlike the rough love making she was used to.
She doesn’t want to spoil the atmosphere with worries, questions and doubts.
The following day she was early to work.
Due to last night time with Cole, she felt delightful and concentrated on her job.
Before weekend she was able to tidy her office work with no mistake.
Cole drove out that Saturday morning while Florence was tidying up the house when Susan came visiting.
“Is months now I haven’t seen your face. We have only been speaking over the phone. Since you complained of tight schedule is the reason for not coming over to my place, I decided to come visiting.
Florence was pleased to see her sister but she doesn’t want Cole to come back and meet her.
“Flo, you have not start considering childbearing? You have to force Cole, talk and fight for it if you truly desires to be a mother. Is four years already Flo…
“I know Suzy, Cole said next year… I will patiently wait till then. Florence cut in sharply.
“Listen Flo, you are a woman and this child bearing thing doesn’t work like magic… you need to be certain that you are very much fertile and can conceive easily. Cole is a man, he’s not the one that will carry the burden of the pregnancy. Is all on you… I will advise you to get pregnant first… then tell him about it. He won’t have choice than to accept your timing. Since he agrees next year, the differences is not much… start trying from this year Flo. Get pregnant and tell him and you will be surprised that he will be also be happy with the news…
Florence later dismiss her sister with the excuse of going to buy groceries.
She thought of what Susan told her and decided to take the risk.
She stopped taking her drugs and started getting more intimately involved with Cole who doesn’t know what she was after.
She bought alot of pregnancy test stick and hide it away
Cole’s harsh behavior retuned gradually but she tried everything possible to avoid getting into his trouble.
After two months, there was no sign of pregnancy. She kept trying, and became a bit worried at fourth month. Florence didn’t give up trying, she became more serious at it.
One Friday on the fifth month of trying to conceive, on her way home from the office she decided to pick up few groceries.
Cole spent the previous night out due to office work according to him.
She was going to make a delicious dinner before he returns tonight.
After picking up the groceries, she drove back home and was surprised to see Cole’s car.
He was back already, that was way too early for a night walker like Cole.
Florence happily got into the house, she was glad that her husband is home on time.
The weekend will be a great one.
She called out to her husband who is probably in the room.
She heard noise coming from the room and thought that he must be on call.
The sitting room, dining and kitchen was totally messed up. She wondered if there was a house party or it was just Cole who does not like a messy place but single handly messed up the entire house.
While she bent over at the kitchen trying to unpack, somebody startled her from behind.
“Hi… you must be Florence?
Florence quickly stood and saw a fine young lady, wearing her clothes as she walks straight to the fridge to take a drink.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my cloth…?
“Oh, are the cloths yours? I didn’t know… Mr Spence pointed to a wardrobe and asked me to take anything from there and wear. We have been home all day and I didn’t come with much stuffs…
Cole came into the kitchen just then and said.
“Florence, you are back… try and clean up the house. You know how much I hate a messy place. By the way… this is Marina, my personal assistant. We have some paper work to tidy up together, so she will be spending weekend with us. Hurry and make dinner for all of us… I’m famished already. I guess Marina is equally hungry…
A speechless Florence looked from Cole to Marina who was smiling sheepishly.