The morning after I uncovered my husband’s affair, I packed every suit, watch, and pair of shoes he owned into 2 suitcases and wheeled them into his office during the Monday staff meeting. “You wanted him? Take him,” I told his young intern. The room fell silent… until she pressed a thick envelope into my hands and said, “He never told you who’s really been paying for all of this.”

The romantic facade shattered instantly, leaving only the cold, hard, transactional reality of her greed.

Tessa physically backed her chair away from the desk, standing up. She didn’t look at Adrian with love or concern. She looked at him as if he were covered in a highly contagious plague. She took three distinct steps away from him, distancing herself from the blast zone.

Adrian looked at his mistress, silently begging her for support. She turned her head away, avoiding his eyes entirely.

Chapter 4: The Boardroom Execution

“You can’t do this!” Adrian shrieked. His voice cracked, pitching upward into a pathetic, desperate whine as the reality of his total annihilation crashed down on him. He lunged toward the reception desk, grabbing the edge of the marble. “I built this company from nothing! Tessa, tell them it’s a lie! Tell them she’s making this up!”

“Don’t drag me into this!” Tessa yelled back, her eyes wild with panic, raising her hands defensively. “I didn’t know anything! I just wanted a promotion! I thought you were single!”