Free Back To The Viper by Antara Mann

me what’s the matter with you ?” She immediately freed herself from his hug. “What are you doing?”
    He laughed.
    “What do you mean? Can’t I hug my wife?”
    She gave him an ironic look.
    “Craig, we’re getting divorced! Are you suffering from amnesia or what? Anyway, Lauren is preparing the divorce papers, and I hope everything will be over in a few weeks.”
    Craig stared at her, flabbergasted. “Divorce?” he thought. “Papers… in a few weeks? What is all this supposed to mean?”
    He wanted to object, or at least say something, but he felt a lump in his throat and had the feeling he was suffocating. At that moment, the triumphant melody was played again.
    “For Christ’s sake, stop this noise, Craig!” Monique screamed from the corridor.
    He went and violently hurled the laptop to the ground. To his utmost surprise, however, the music was still playing and the message “11 o’clock – golf with Michael” was still floating on the screen.
    “Please, shut up!” Craig screamed.
    This was undoubtedly the most nightmarish day of his life.

Chapter 14
     
     
     
    Wayne was woken up by somebody’s footsteps and heard a female voice close to him.
    “Honey, wake up!”
    He opened his eyes. He had arrived at his new home in the late afternoon of the previous day and had been stunned when he’d seen the palace he lived in: a magnificent three-story villa with all the extras imaginable. Tired of the long ride, he’d gone to bed unusually early – at seven in the evening. He had expected to see Cassidy, the girlfriend he’d had up to now, but it had turned out he was now living with the model-actress Olivia Hamilton. He had seen her on film sets from afar – charming and attractive, always surrounded by huge bodyguards. Wayne was lying half-awake and next to him, there was Olivia Hamilton in flesh and blood, talking to him as if they were a couple. Opening his eyes wide, suddenly he remembered – he was engaged to her. Wayne laughed inanely.
    “Honey, don’t forget about tonight. I’ll wait for you at Cleo. Don’t be late!” Olivia leaned and kissed him. “You’ll have finished at MTV by seven p.m., won’t you?”
    “MTV?” Wayne repeated. He had completely forgotten he was the host of Punk’d on the music channel.
    “I have no time, I’m in a hurry. Austin Clayton is really strict, you know – he wants all of us on the film set at nine o’clock, otherwise we’ll be fined.” Olivia stormed out of the bedroom, and Wayne was left alone. He took a deep breath and then began to laugh. Olivia Hamilton was his fiancée! It couldn’t be true! He got up and jumped with happiness, crying: “Yes!” He had his own show on MTV. The only problem was that he didn’t know who to contact or how to find out where to go for the episode shooting. There was only one option – to call his best friend Joe. After a while, he got the valuable information, although his questions had really surprised Joe. Wayne had several hours until the afternoon, when he had to go to the studio. He sank down on to the couch happily. So this was what it felt like to be rich and successful? At some point, his cell phone rang. The name Brendon Pierce appeared on the display. It was the first time he’d seen it. He answered and a loud baritone exploded from the other side:
    “Wayne, you bastard, what are you doing? I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour, damn it! Get your ass here!”
    “Wait a minute, where are you waiting for me?” Wayne checked himself from asking who was calling in first place.
    “Are you kidding me? What do you mean ‘where?’ At Sage Organic Vegan, of course. You have several minutes to get here before I freak out.” Brendon ended the call, and Wayne heard the corresponding signal. After half an hour, he arrived at Sage Organic Vegan. It was the first time Wayne had set foot in a vegan restaurant – he mainly ate meat and dairy products and couldn’t imagine having to deprive