The hanging up

Valeria has just introduced herself as Ripley Rose to her clueless husband, Mark Brinstrone, and told him to leave after turning down his invitation to dinner and insulting him. She also refused to give him her contact number. Mark took it in his stride and chuckled.

"We will surely meet again Ripley Rose, I am sure of it," he drawled. He tipped his head slightly, gave her a smouldering look, turned and strutted back to his car.

Valeria rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at his back. "Asshole," she mouthed.

He turned to smile his charming smile at her and she gave him a haughty look. He likes a woman to play hard to get and this is what he will get. She also made sure to stand in a sexy way, thrusting out her ample breasts and licked her lips in a sultry manner.

She noticed his eyes give her body a once over and darkening in desire. Yup, he is fully hooked. Valeria knows she is playing a dangerous game but she doesn't care. Revenge is foremost in her mind right now. She turned away from him and sashayed down the street, knowing that he is watching.

She can hear him getting into his car, closing the door and then the engine rumbled alive. Then he drove off, passing by her slowly while he waved, before speeding off. Sure that he's out of sight, Valeria raised her middle finger and shouted "You cheating asshole!"

Then she turned around to walk back to the Soul Zen Headquarters. She had walked pass it on purpose. She didn't want Mark Brinstrone sniffing around the place trying to search for 'Ripley Rose'.

Once inside, she looked at the half eaten sandwich and onigiri in the plastic bag she was holding. She has lost all appetite. She found a rubbish bin and dumped the food. She went back upstairs to her room and opened the door.

The sight of the calming interior of the room was like a balm to her troubled heart. Her feelings are in turmoil. She is still hurt from finding out about her husband's cheating ways. Stumbling upon him and then watching - no, listening to him having sex with a woman in the alleyway. Bumping into him with his secretary at a hotel. Reaping one of his mistresses' soul who was also pregnant in the same hotel.

It is all crashing down on her and she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. She went to a corner and sat down cross legged on a mat. She tried to take deep breaths and centre her focus on other things.

Like the souls she has to reap. Or her system. Right. She can always check on her system and see what she needed to do to level up. But she couldn't focus and couldn't find her system suddenly.

Thankfully that annoying demon Ari is not here, she thought. He would probably laugh at her and told her she's stupid or something. Which Valeria herself believes she is, stupid to a fault. Why is she getting all bothered and hurt about a cheating abusive asshole like Mark Brinstrone? She shouldn't care at all.

As she took calming breaths to slow down her rapidly beating heart and the ache in her heart, her phone rang. No one has ever called her except for her monster-in-law. She wondered what that evil woman wants. She has already kicked her out. Still, out of habit, Valeria dug around her tote bag for her phone and found it.

She stared at the name flashing on the screen. It can't be. What in the world is happening?

It was her husband Mark Brinstrone. This is the first time he is calling her since…since…she can't even remember the last time he called her. She let it ring till it cuts off.

She doesn't know what to say to him if she answered his call. She is still in this Ripley Rose disguise too. She accessed her system and changed back to her original face and body. Her phone pinged. Mark had sent her a message.

She opened it. There were only three words on it and not the ones she no longer believed in.

"Call me. Urgent."

It was an order. She should ignore him. His mother had kicked her out and he didn't even bother to look for her and check on her. Why should she even call him back? What is so urgent? He had always said she was useless. Good for nothing. Not even beautiful anymore. Her youth gone after 15 years of marriage.

"You can go suck it, you fishpie douchebag," she told the phone, staring at Mark's message.

"Fishpie douchebag…that's a new one," a voice behind her said. She rolled her eyes. Even if he's a demon, doesn't he know that it's rude not to knock?

"I was here all along, you didn't notice me, you were too busy…ummm…what were you doing earlier anyway?" Ari asked.

She turned to glare at him. He is lying comfortably on a beanbag as if he's been there for a long while. So, maybe she didn't notice him earlier.

"Well, you are like a lump of beanbag so can't blame me for not noticing you," she shot back. "Also, what are you doing in my room? Go to your own room, I am not sharing my room with you!"

Ari grinned at her. "Nope, I like it here," he said.

"Nope, I don't like YOU here," she replied.

"Too bad, I am staying here," he replied.

"Well, too bad, I am kicking you out!" she said. She went to him. She will drag his sorry ass out of the room if that's the only way to get him out of her room. He raised his hands defensively.

"Hey, I'm injured because of you and you are going to be heartless to kick me out like this?" he clutched at his side and gave her a sad puppy dog face.

"Yes, I am heartless, I am a substitute reaper who kills random people with a designer scarf, so sue me," she replied. She pulled at his arm. "Get up and leave!"

"Nope, ain't movin'," he pulled his arm from her and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Fine, don't think I can't drag you out," she warned.

She bent to pull at his arms when her phone rang again. She stopped and looked at it. She had placed it on the floor and she could clearly see Mark's name flashing on it. Twice within the span of a few minutes. That's a first.

"Go on, answer it, otherwise we will have no peace," Ari said.

She gave him a warning look. "You better shut up when I'm on the phone," she warned him. She picked up the phone and answered it.

"Valeria. What is the meaning of this?" Mark said the moment she tapped the button to answer the call.

No 'hello my love'. No 'where have you been'. No 'are you okay'. Straight to an accusation on something she may or may not have done.

"Meaning of what?" she asked. She really doesn't know what he meant.

"How dare you leave without my permission," Mark said.

What? He is mad that she moved out? But wait. His mother kicked her out after telling her that Mark will be filing for divorce.

"Your mother said you are divorcing me and told me to leave," she told him.

"Are you married to my mother?" he asked her coldly. "Obviously not. I did not say anything about divorce. Come home right now," he said.

Now she is confused. Why would he want her back? Obviously Erin Brinstrone would have shown him the pictures of Ari kissing her.

"Why? You don't even love me anymore, maybe this is for the best," she said. She is safe here. He will not be able to lash out at her for saying what she has been wanting to say for years.

"Who do you think you are Valeria? You think you can survive alone without me? You are nothing without me. NOTHING. Come home right now, I will talk to my mother," he said.

Wow. He is almost begging her to go home. But Valeria has already tasted freedom, if only for half a day but it was good. No ridiculous errands to run. No tedious house chores. No screeching monster-in-law. Life is good.

"No thanks Mark. I realised I like being free from you and your wicked family," she replied. It felt good to say that.

Mark sighed heavily on the phone.

"Look, you need to come home right now, there's been some unsavoury news going around and I need you here to present a happily married front to the people," he said.

Ah. So that was what it was about. Lex Lindi's revenge. Also her revenge. Social media and the gossip vines must have exploded. She stifled a giggle.

"But that's just it isn't it? We aren't happily married so byeeeeeeee," she said and hang up.

That was the most satisfying hang up ever for Valeria.