|Plotting, Plotting|

                                    

                                          
The best-laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley. And leave us naught but grief and pain, For promised joy! (To A Mouse) by Robert Burns.
~•~
AMANDA 
The grim expression on Robert's face when I walked into his office was unsurprising. 
He stood in front of his desk, one hand on it and the other against the edge, drumming impatiently. 
I could tell he wasn't thrilled about my visit by the tenseness in his muscles and the way his jaw ticked. But I didn't mind. 
"Amanda—" He greeted me coldly as I approached the desk.
I took a seat, placing my small clutch purse on the cool wooden surface and flipping my hair sideways. 
"Robert..." I replied smugly, and he raised an eyebrow at me.
"What do you want?" 
His tone held an undertone of irritation, as if he didn't appreciate my presence here and that I was well aware of.
However, I did not respond right away. Instead, I used a few moments of silence to look around the large office. 
The room was decorated in a masculine style, and I couldn't help but notice how every object in this room screamed luxury and wealth. 
Everything was of high quality, including the window panes, balcony glasses, and minimalist art decorations that hung on the wall. 
Robert had done so well for himself—as evidenced by his possessions—and the realization made my chest squeeze with jealousy. 
I opened my mouth to respond to his earlier question when I noticed a black card on his desk, and my curiosity took over. 
I leaned forward and took the card without asking permission, scanning the invitation with my sharp gaze. 
"Give me that," Robert's voice cut through my thoughts startlingly, and I froze for a second.
I didn't notice him approaching until he snatched the card from my grasp and placed it back on the desk. 
"Woah!" Surprised, I looked up at him, but he wasn't standing in front of me anymore, having moved back to his office desk, arms crossed and standing as he shot me a disgusting look. 
"What is that card for? Oh, no need to tell me." I remarked sarcastically, "I'm already aware of what it is." 
I knew I'd struck a nerve with my words when his face darkened, but I didn't care as usual. 
"What do you want, Amanda?" I gritted my teeth as he asked again, diverting the conversation. 
I'd wanted to ask him if he had a date to the ball, even though I knew the answer. 
Of course, he'd take the sleazy bitch he was currently fucking to the party, and suddenly an idea struck inside my head.
"Amanda..."
"Isn't it obvious, Robert? I want a reconciliation—a family reunion—between you, me, and our son." I said. 
To my ears, my voice sounded sweet and sincere, but on the inside, I felt anything but that. 
Coupled with the fact that I was already plotting something sinister in my head, I decided to concentrate a little more and not deviate from the conversation I was having with the father of my child. 
"It'd be much easier if we just talked this out." I added and Robert snorted, looking down at his hand again. 
His fingers were still tapping impatiently against the polished wood, and I watched as they made small patterns on the desk's surface, as if he was trying to express his displeasure somehow. 
When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost like he was growling. "There is nothing to discuss, Amanda. That is something both you and I are aware of." 
"Aren't you going to serve me any refreshments?" I smirked, trying to divert the conversation for the time being. "This will be my first visit to your office, and—"  
"You weren't invited here, Amanda. You came on your own, so I don't think I owe you any refreshments." He cut in abruptly. 
The room fell silent as I considered what I should say next. 
"Well, I do have some news for you." 
"What news?" 
"I made some headway when I spoke with Dylan a few days ago. One of the reasons I'm here is because he agreed to another family dinner." 
"Why didn't you call and tell me? Why did you come to my office?" 
"I called you numerous times, Robert, but you never answered. I even called before I came to your office today, but you ignored it. So who is to blame in this situation?" I asked, my lips clacking as I glared at him. 
"Oh well..." He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest before murmuring almost inaudibly, "I guess it's time I renew that restraining order."
"What?!" 
"You heard me. I'm going to get another restraining order against you since you don't want to leave me the fuck alone." 
"Leave you alone?" I chuckled bitterly before continuing, "Too bad I just can't, Robert. Have you forgotten that we're bonded for life? We have a son who is flesh and blood bound to us." 
Letting out a dry, cynical laugh, which irritated me to no end, he asked. "That's the only leverage you have against me."
'I have other leverage against you, my dear. I'm your first wife. Your first love. The woman you lost your virginity to. The woman who won't let you be till death do us part. The....' My thoughts trailed off, and I hissed softly. 
I wanted to speak these thoughts out loud, but I couldn't. Instead, I said again, a smug smile on my lips, "About the restraining order, you should know that my record these past few months has been squeaky clean, so you'll have some difficulty requesting another one."
"You think I don't have the means to get one if I wanted to? Amanda, you seriously underestimate my abilities." 
"Well, dear ex-husband, I'd love to see you try." I responded with phony sweetness, my tone tinged with sarcasm. 
"Your time here is over. You should leave now." He said curtly before raising his arm and pointing to the door with a flick of his hand.
"You still haven't answered me about the dinner with Dylan. I'm not leaving until you give me a positive response."
"You do whatever you want to do, Amanda. I'll be there if you text me the location but know that hell will break loose if I don't see my son." 
"Are you threatening me? That doesn't seem fair, does it?" As I stood up and grabbed my purse, I smirked cockily and tilted my head to the side. 
"I guess it doesn't." 
"I saw that the party you were invited to was a masked one, and attendance isn't strictly on invitation...." I paused, taking a step back from the desk. "Would it be okay if I came? It's been a long time since I've been to a distinguished ball, and—"  
"You wouldn't dare, Amanda." He cut me off before I could finish, and I grinned broadly. 
"I wouldn't dare what? Attend a charity event? You, of all people, should know just how much I love parties like this, and I won't—" 
"Don't push your luck, Amanda." His tone dropped, and suddenly, a menace in those eyes bored into mine with fury. "Will you please leave my office now?" He asked coldly, staring at me with unblinking eyes as if daring me to disobey him—not that I wanted to.
"Have a good day, Robert." I gave him one last smirk before leaving and shutting the door behind me with a click.
I needed to clear my head and plan my next move. One that entailed attending that damned masked party and having a good time with his potential date. 
I'd memorized the event's location and knew I'd have no trouble getting into the building. 
Oh, this was going to be fun!
.......
Thanks for reading. 💕