chapter 1

Martine had once thought of herself as the luckiest girl in the world. She had a great career as a fresh, new architect, with her own fledgling company building up a steady reputation. But at the same time, she also had a caring, loving fiancé who doted on her. Things couldn't be more perfect.

Martine had met her fiance just over two years ago. They had met at a single bar and hit it off straight away. Sid was cool and confident, but not afraid to show how crazily in love he had fallen with Martine, showering her with gifts on an almost daily occurrence. Martine had an idea that Sid was fairly well off when she met him, but nothing could have prepared her for the lavish lifestyle Sid actually enjoyed. He had inherited his father's export company and was now worth more than a few million. Martine's friends had always been a little jealous. As far as they could see, Martine was using her pretty face and beautiful body to get ahead of the game in life, shacking up with a millionaire who was a few years older than her and already a little overweight. The idea was hurtful, but Martine tried to not let it get to her.

For their first anniversary, Sid had whisked Martine off to Barbados and proposed to her on a beach at sunset. She hadn't needed to think twice. It was the perfect fairy tale as far as she could see.

However, the trouble started when Martine moved in. Sid started to take longer and longer business trips away, arriving home with more lavish gifts, as if he were trying to surpass himself each time. But deep down, Martine felt bored and lonely, with only Sid's staff about the house, who were not the most talkative bunch.

When Sid announced that he was setting up offices in China, he had made a half-hearted attempt to get Martine to go with him for the planned six months trip. But Martine was clear that she needed to be here for her own business. And so it was that Sid left, with a teary goodbye at the airport, leaving Martine all on her own.



Martine woke the next morning in the large bed she shared with Sid. She had been getting used to waking up alone recently, but she still sighed sadly as she rolled out and went downstairs. Andre was there, one of Sid's team of security guys. He was a great looking guy, but didn't really seem to have a lot going on upstairs. He wore his tight fitting uniform that showed off his defined pecs and biceps, but Martine also swore she could almost see the outline of his beefy, muscular six-pack as the light caught on the shirt. His face was strong and kind looking, despite his job as a security guy.

'How come you've been left behind?' asked Martine. She had assumed Andre would have gone with Sid on his business trip. All of the other big, heavy security types had gone after all.

'Oh, you know how it is. Sid likes things done a certain way,' Andre said, as if it was some type of answer. It was the typical sort of response Martine had got used to from Andre, who seemed to dislike Sid and Martine with a quiet passion.

Martine poured out some thick chocolate milk and threw some bacon in the microwave to cook quickly. Andre stirred in the background like he wanted to say something. 'What's the matter?' asked Martine, almost impatiently.

'It's just, Sid, sort of left instructions for me to see that you look after yourself while he's away,' he began awkwardly.

'Look after myself?' questioned Martine, unsure what Andre was trying to get at.

'He wants me to encourage you to eat a little bit more healthily. Maybe use the gym a little more. Things like that,' he trailed off, almost wincing, waiting for Martine's reaction.

Martine looked around. Sid had only been gone 12 hours and here was his trained monkey telling her she needed to, what? Diet? 'Are you calling me fat?' asked Martine, offended.

'I'm not,' Andre protested. 'It's just what Sid said to me before he left.'

Andre really did look sorry about it. Martine could hardly envy the position he was in. Sid was his boss after all. She looked down at herself and finally admitted that she had let herself go a little bit since getting engaged. Her once flat stomach was looking pretty soft and swollen, whilst her toned butt felt a little fuller and softer alongside her hips which seemed puffed up and enlarged. Andre had a point, but surely Sid should have said something to her himself if he had a problem with it; not get the gorilla security guard to do it for him?!

Martine threw the bacon in the trash and poured the chocolate milk down the sink, sighing sadly to herself once more.