Chapter 4.
"Lisa, he said that I'm a bunny and that's why I wanted to cheat with Brian, who is a hunk. He became a wimp because he had to take care of the kids and cook, and that's why I got tired of him and started the affair. And this cheating is much bigger deal for men than for us. I don't know. He's still not coming home. He said I had to leave Brian first. Yeah, and then he said I was up to nine and a half because he left me."
"Really, so if Rick left me, I also would be nine and a half, hmm..."
"Maybe, but try to focus now, this is important. I'm just thinking right now that those bimbos are damn cute, and what if they take Mark away from me? There is no chance he could resist them if they want him. This has become a dangerous game now, damn it. What do I do now? Should I just dump Brian?"
"Don't you give up so easily. If you give up to him now, then he will have the upper hand on you and you will become a wimp."
"No. A cat."
"Huh?"
"Girls are bunnies and cats."
"Oh, a cat then."
"Yeah, I cannot be a cat. I just have to hang on then, I guess. But man, this isn't going at all as we planned. Before when I would nag him about something he would always bend, now he like doesn't care anymore, it's infuriating. How can he behave like that. I feel like I need a new strategy little by little."
...
"Where's Mark?"
"He's running his endless runs again. He's starting to resemble a greyhound gradually. And have you noticed his abs? He's really trying. I think it's quite sweet."
"He's trying what?"
"Well Lana back of course."
"Huh? Isn't Lana always whining Mark back? Why doesn't he just go?"
"Well, he can't just go like that because Lana doesn't understand what's what."
"Well, hey, she's not the only one."
"I think that's so romantic."
"Tut-tut Vi, I think you're starting to have a crush on him? Try not to mess this up now. We can get by if you don't spoil this with any drama. After all he's our Sugar Daddy."
"No he's not, he's a sweet guy. I might consider visiting his bedroom, if that's okay with you?"
"Otherwise yes, but what if it ruins this? What if there becomes some ugly drama."
"Well, what could come of it? The only reason could be that you get angry about it. If it's okay with you, then I guess I'll make some moves, so to speak."
"Well, I surely won't get jealous about that. I guess I can consider that myself also. I guess you don't have anything against it."
"What the hell Jane, isn't Roy enough for you anymore. Mark's mine, I don't share."
"Alright then, I was just messing with you, how are you going to seduce him. Tell me right away, I want to hear."
"Well, that's not rocket science. The guy has been without heaven knows how long, so there's not much needed. When you leave, I'll keep the uniform, but change the panties to skimpy ones. That white tight T-shirt. And look at that, oops, I just forgot the bra. We'll just relax a bit on the sofa and after a while the sheets are swaying."
"Yes, hot. Can I stay and watch?"
"Well, that would ruin everything. It will only work when you're gone."
"Huh, I guess so. You must tell me everything, though."
"Yep yep."
...
"What an earth Vi, are you trying to give me a heart attack. I guess you know that your right to inherit is a bit controversial? You can't go around in your underwear like that."
"Relax, this is just my work outfit."
"Yeah, but it's a different matter when you're lounging by my side in that outfit."
"Nonsense, what are we watching tonight? Jane is meeting Roy, she won't be back until tomorrow."
"Why don't you have a boyfriend like Jane?"
"Well, they're so hardworking. They just want to fuck me right away and I don't want to fuck strangers. And I want this project of ours to succeed without any drama. This is important to me. I don't want anything to mess it up. And then if I had a boyfriend, you wouldn't let me cuddle by your side, I know you that much already. And I really enjoy cuddling by your side, Mark."
"Well then. Have you seen LA La Land?"
"No. Isn't it some sob movie. How can you, a big man, dig something like that."
"What can I say, I'm an incurable romantic. If you haven't seen it, you have to watch it now. It's good."
"Well, you've talked me over, I'll get us some wine. You can watch my butt while I go, hehhe."
"Well, it would be humanly impossible not to look."
"Do you like my butt Mark?"
"There isn't a single breathing man in the world who doesn't like your butt. And you know it very well."
"Yeah, but I wanted to hear it from you."
"Now Vi, shut up and lift those gorgeous legs of yours into my lap."
...
"Oh Mark, why couldn't that have a happy ending. I hate shitty endings. I thought this was a romcom and then at the end they pull the rug out from under it. A good romcom has a happy ending. That was shitty."
"It was art Violet dear. That's why it differs from genre. What do you think would have been the right ending for that?"
"Well, of course, that they would have found each other at the end and lived happily ever after. Children and that kind of crap as it should be."
"That happens only in fairy tales. In real life there is all kinds of crap and you have to live with it. Look at me now: twenty years of idyll and then everything changes upside down in an instant."
"What's going on with you guys. You can tell Mark. We're already good friends, aren't we."
"Yeah, I guess we are. But you're so young, I don't want to bother you with something like that. It's not nice to think back to it."
"Tell me now. It will be easier for me to understand you then."
"Okay, remember you asked for this. This is guaranteed to spoil the mood. But it's not really a long story.
Lana and I met at university, dated for a couple of years and got married after graduation. We were a really hot couple, both of us were crazy about each other. And we were equal, at least that's how I remember it. The children came right after graduation. Lana spent three years at home when the children were small. That's when I started my business. We were pretty tight with money, but we were really happy. At least I was. I'm not so sure about Lana anymore.
Then Lana made a career. She developed like a sixth sense to find investment targets that yielded well. Usually always better than others. Now she manages the largest Hedge fund in her company. She worked quite a long day, but nothing impossible. She usually came home at six or seven. I prepared the dishes and the evening was always shared and pleasant. I think we did well. Sometimes there were parties with friends. Well, the friends were mostly Lana's friends, but still. I did almost all the housework, but it wasn't a problem for me.
Then, a couple of months ago, she started talking to me about open relationships. I think I made it very clear to her that that kind of thing doesn't work for me at all. It just went on and on. Her best friend Lisa and her husband Rick had done it and Lana claimed it was the best thing ever for them. Rick did tell me a little different story though.
Shortly after that, the situation escalated. Lana started coming home from work at nine or ten. Lana behaved shitty and the sex stopped. I guessed that this was it. Then at the last weekend she said she'd go on a weekend-trip but didn't say anything more about the trip. When she was in a shower I saw a text from her boyfriend with an Airbnb address. I went there and saw them spawning in the pool. After that there was nothing unclear about it. I bought this on Friday and by Sunday I had moved in. She's still with that Brian dude."
"Well that was an even shittier story than the last one. I don't understand how she could do that to you. You are the sweetest man I've ever met. I feel so sorry for you. Do you think there's still any hope for you two?"
"I haven't filed for divorce because I somehow thought that some miracle would happen. But hope is starting to fade. I told Lana that there is no hope until she ends the relationship. It hasn't happened."
"Sounds like a crazy bitch. Has she even apologized to you."
"She has apologized for hurting me, but she hasn't apologized for the relationship. That's the problem. Lana thinks she has the right to the affair and she thinks I'm narrow-minded when I'm not joining in cheering for her life-enriching experience."
"I'm no prude and sex is quite free these days, but if I ever got married, I wouldn't look at other women with my husband either. That is, if it hasn't been agreed upon. That's a very clear thing. In my opinion, you're right in this and Lana is spaced out."
"That's enough of my stuff. Tell me a little about you and Jane's background. I've somehow understood that it hasn't been easy."
"It hasn't, no. Well, okay. We've lived in a trailer park all our youth. Both of our parents are useless junkies. We still did get food there as it was such a close community and there were also clear-headed people who tried to take care of the children.
When we started becoming girls, the difficulties started. First there were the boys, and then a little later the older guys too.
We learned to defend ourselves when we were young. Even now Jane always carries a knife with her. A couple of guys have had their balls smashed with a baseball bat. The knife has been used several times. And then Billy always stood up for us. He's the same age as us, but a little slow. His brain somehow suffered when his mother used in labor. Billy always played with us when we were little. When we grew up, Billy didn't stop growing up. He became gigantic. If anyone tried to do anything to us, Billy beat them to hospital. Even the narcs learned finally and we were left alone for the most part.
Then we just decided with Jane that we won't stay there. We managed to get the scholarships and got into the municipal college of applied sciences. When we graduated, we had saved enough money to rent a room here.
At first we tried to work normally, but it didn't quite work out. Probably our background had a bit of an effect. It's so hard for us to swallow any crap and the business world seems to be full of it. There's always someone hustling and harassing. And if you defend yourself, you'll hear about it too. And the jobs we were given were just crap.
Then we established the JV and offered the first project. Damn, that was a tough experience. We offered that project way too low and suffered from it harshly.
