That Evening.
Walking into her suite, Rupert saw her reading on the sofa. Closing the door, he watched as she looked up, giving him a small smile.
"Good evening," She said, watching him walk over to sit in one of the arm chairs. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"A lot better now I've had a rest," He said, resting his arms on the arm rests.
"Good," She smiled, and looked back down at her book.
"What have you been up to today? He asked, watching her look back up, staring at the fireplace as she thought about it.
"Well, when we got home from the hospital, I got ready and made a start on the paperwork. After that I went for a walk, had lunch with you before having a nap and spending time with Philippe." She said looking over at him "Then we had dinner and here we are." She smiled.
"Fun day for you then." He said, watching as she nodded and looked back at the book.
"We missed you at dinner though, Philippe was hoping you would be there as he wanted to ask you about a school trip." She said, looking back up at him.
"I will talk to him about it tomorrow." He said, staring at her book momentarily. "Do you want to know what I've been doing this afternoon?" He asked, watching her look up from her book once again.
Closing her book, she lent forward and placed it on her coffee table before sitting back and looking back at him "What have you been doing today?" She asked, watching him stand up and walk over to the fireplace.
"I have been looking at the security cameras..." He answered, placing one of his hands on the mantel above the fireplace as he stared into the raging fire. "And I found them to be quite interesting." He said, glancing back over at her as she sat up.
"Really?" She asked, watching him look back into the fire as her heart began to race.
"Yes," He nodded "Maybe you could help with something, you see I am trying to work out how it could take someone over 7 hours to pass on a message." He said, turning back to Clarisse "And why, even though he wasn't seen to be in your suite he was seen coming from there, after you had left to go downstairs?" He said, glaring across at her as she stood to her feet.
"Rupert, I can explain." She began, her heart thudding really hard in her chest.
"I'm going to ask you only once, and I want you to answer me honestly." He began and watched as she nodded "Did something happen between you and Joseph last night?" He asked and watched as she closed her eyes, nodding slowly before tipping her head forward. "On our anniversary!" He exclaimed as she opened her eyes.
"Was it really our anniversary?" She snapped back, taking him by surprise "As it felt like any normal day to me, days where you just ignore me and never want to be alone with me. It was our twentieth anniversary and you couldn't even be bothered to spend time with me." She exclaimed.
"I do want to spend time with you, so don't use that as an excuse." He answered back.
"When was the last time we actually spent time together, alone?" She asked "It was last month, on my birthday and before that?"
"I can't remember," He said shaking his head.
"Exactly, you can't remember it was that long ago! And even then it was wham bam, thank you mam!" She exclaimed while folding her arms, staring over at him "Then you went back to your own suite, hardly talking to me for days after." Shaking her head, becoming angry "When was the last time you held me close, or told me that you loved me and meant it? Or kissed me on the lips for that matter?" She said watching him "I can't even remember, it was that long ago." Moving, she sat back down and looked at her coffee table "You couldn't even tell me that you loved me yesterday, on what was meant to be a special day..." Shaking her head, she looked back up at him.
"I can't believe that you are turning all this around, blaming me for everything when you are the one who cheated!" He snapped, and watched as she jumped up.
"How dare you! Need I remind you that you cheated on me too, remember?" She exclaimed "And back then you put all the blame on me, apparently for not loving you the way you wanted when thats all I ever done from the day we married was love you." Shaking her head "I should of left you back then, everyone thought I was mad to stay."
"Then why did you stay?" He snapped.
"Because of our sons, my duty... and believe it or not because I loved you, even after the cheating came to light I still loved you." She said, looking down and shook her head.
"Clarisse, I do love you..." He began as she looked back up at him "I may not show it like the way you want, but I do love you." He said, watching her walk over to the windows. "I have hated myself ever since I cheated, I was stupid and came so close to losing everything, you, my boys, my world." He said and watched as she looked back at him. "I guess that's what has made me the way I am now, I don't know, but I do know that I'm very sorry for everything." He said sadly. "Maybe now that Joseph is going, we can work on our marriage?"
"I beg your pardon?" Clarisse exclaimed as Rupert looked over at her.
"What? You don't think that he get's to stay now, after this do you?" He asked, shaking his head "No, I have fired him and sent him packing."
"How dare you, he works under me, not you and you have no right to fire him!" She exclaimed, making her way over to the door "If he goes, I go!" She snapped.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her back and stared into her eyes "Do you really want to walk out that door and break up your family, let him go quietly and no one needs to know about this, we can carry on being a happy family." He said, gripping hold of her wrist.
"Rupert, there's a huge difference between me cheating and you cheating. I know Joseph will never go to the press about it, unlike your fling!" She snapped, pulling her arm free. "And after the way you've treated me, do you really think I want to play happy families with you now?" She glared, walking over to the door a moment later.
"Alright, if you don't do it for our marriage then do it for our boys, your world..." He began and watched as she stopped, slowly turning back to him "How do you think they are going to feel when they find out that their mother cheated?" He said, watching her step back "Let him go quietly, and they need never know."
"You make me sick, you know that!" She snapped and looked towards the door momentarily before looking back at him. "Just because you fired him doesn't mean it's going to stop me from seeing him." She said "He's my friend, Rupert! Just you remember that."
"You are right, I know Joseph would never tell anyone about what happened. But just you remember if you walk out that door, I will make sure the whole world knows what happened between you and him. Could you really bare the fact that your sons will know what happened, and that you broke this marriage up?" He said, watching her as he made his way over to the door "Just something to think about." He said, opening the door.
"You wouldn't dare?" She said, folding her arms.
"Just watch me." He said, walking out and closing the door behind him.