My CEO wife controlled every penny—except what she gave me. Until she handed our $10 billion portfolio to Liam Bowen, her rookie financial advisor. At a make-or-break bidding dinner, my transfer failed. Liam called, oozing smugness: "Mrs. Sterling's assets are under my control now. You need my approval for every cent." With minutes left, he refused—"No 30-day advance request." My rival sneered: "A VP who can't scrape together 2%? Go beg your wife for allowance!" Three months' work destroyed. Fine. If they wanted fury, I'd burn Sterling Industries to the ground. 1 After our rival won the bid, I stormed into my wife Serena’s office, my fury a roaring inferno, and slammed the now-worthless project proposal onto her desk. Before I could speak, she hit me with an accusation. “Adrian, you knew how crucial that government project was for the future of Sterling Industries. Why didn’t you do everything you could to win it?” “The moment Sterling’s competitor was announced as the winner, our stock began to tank!” Three months of sleepless nights, of skipped meals to avoid any mistakes, of enduring searing stomach pain to get to the meeting early—all of it was dismissed with a single, cutting phrase: “didn’t do everything you could.” I almost laughed. “I didn’t do everything?” “It was Liam Bowen who blocked the funds. I couldn’t even get into the bidding room.” “Do you have any idea how much overtime I’ve worked, how many client dinners I’ve endured for this? It was a sure thing, and we just handed it to them on a silver platter. No one is more furious about this than me.” “And you’re blaming me, instead of the one who sabotaged you?” Liam was there, too. White shirt, silver-rimmed glasses, hair slicked back with meticulous care—the perfect picture of a Wall Street shark. In reality, he was just a kid, a novice with zero experience. He’d taken five million of Serena’s money to invest and had managed to lose ten million in just three days. I had told Serena to fire him and hire someone competent. But she refused, insisting that Liam was young and needed opportunities to learn. I tried to give her the benefit of thedoubt, assuming she saw some hidden talent in him. After all, I had managed the finances before he arrived. Serena used to joke that having me as her “in-house CFO” gave her peace of mind. It was only when my own workload became overwhelming that she’d insisted on hiring a personal advisor. But now it was clear. Liam wasn’t just incompetent; he was ambitious. And he was using Serena’s protection to challenge my authority, brazenly telling me I needed to file a formal request to use our own money. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. “Handing over a ten-billion-dollar portfolio to a complete amateur,” I sneered. “Serena, if you have so much money to burn, donate it to charity. Don’t waste it on a failure!” Liam’s face flushed with humiliation, but he forced a humble expression. “Mr. Hayes, I understand you’re upset that I didn’t transfer the funds in time. But I was simply doing my duty, managing Mrs. Sterling’s assets. If I make one exception, soon everyone will think they can access her funds at will. I can’t take that responsibility. Please, try to understand.” He kept repeating that he was just “doing his duty.” But the company had its own approval process. Any department needing funds would go through finance. Besides her own husband, who else had the right to directly access her personal fortune? He was just a fox hiding behind the tiger’s might, flaunting his newfound power in my face. I let out a cold laugh, wondering if I’d become too agreeable lately, letting every stray dog think they could bite me. But Serena’s concern was for the “wronged” Liam. Her brief flicker of guilt towards me instantly morphed into annoyance. “Adrian, Liam already explained the situation to me. He did nothing wrong. You don’t need to make things difficult for him.” “Even if the funds were delayed, you could have found another way. You don’t just give up such a golden opportunity. I shouldn’t have to teach you that.” “Let’s just drop it this time. From now on, just follow the rules and submit your requests in advance.” In three years of marriage, we’d had disagreements over work, of course. But this was the first time Serena had ever sided with another man against me, telling me I had to beg for access to our own money. Had she forgotten that she owed her entire empire to me? Watching the triumphant smirk curl Liam’s lips, I fought to control the storm raging inside me. I looked at Serena, my voice ice. “Serena, do you have any idea what you’ve just done?” I was her husband. Our assets were shared. And she was letting another man dictate how they were used? But Serena had no intention of arguing further. She looked down at a file on her desk, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. “That’s enough. You can go now.” There was nothing left to say. I turned and strode out of the office. Once, Serena and I were the couple everyone envied, a rare case of genuine love in a marriage of corporate convenience. But Liam’s arrival had opened a crack in our perfect union. Serena, if you continue to ignore this crack, don’t come crying to me when it shatters everything. 2 I gave myself and my team a paid vacation and didn’t check in on the company once. A week later, a furious voice message came from Mr. Davies, one of our biggest clients. “Adrian, what is the meaning of this? I bring my associates to your club for a meeting, and you’re trying to charge me for a broken glass?” I had given Davies, our largest account, carte blanche at our exclusive downtown club, The Starfall, with all expenses billed to me. Every employee at Sterling knew this. They would never charge him. I called the club manager immediately. He stammered, “Mrs. Sterling has given Mr. Bowen full authority over The Starfall. Mr. Bowen says he’s in charge of the money now, and any expense not pre-approved must be charged. The approval limit is one hundred dollars per incident. And he specifically mentioned… especially for your clients, Mr. Hayes.” “Mr. Hayes, everyone in the company is whispering that he’s going to replace you. People are already lining up to kiss his ass.” The shards of a glass I’d been holding dug into my palm, drawing blood. Liam Bowen again. Replace me? He wasn’t worthy. I fought back my rage and told the manager to fix the situation immediately. But Davies snatched the phone. “A hundred dollars? Do they think I’m some kind of beggar?” he roared. “I was only considering Sterling because of you, Adrian. If you ever leave, I’d be happy to work with you again. But I am done with Sterling Industries!” He hung up. In his wake, a flood of calls came in from other clients, all informing me they were terminating their contracts. I’d had enough. I called Serena, my voice colder than the grave. “Serena, what is the meaning of this?” I deliberately stressed her name, a reminder of how absurd her decision was. The Starfall was the first major asset she bought with her first big success, a birthday gift to me. She’d named it using a blend of our names, a symbol of my authority and my place as the husband of the CEO. And now, she had thrown our promises and our rules out the window, handing it over to an unqualified upstart. It was a direct challenge, a slap in the face. But my questioning only seemed to annoy her. “You heard? Liam must have had his reasons. Stop targeting him over every little thing. As for the clients, just send them a gift basket or something to smooth things over. And remember to file a request with Liam a month in advance.” You don’t poke a tiger and expect it not to bite back. My face was a mask of cold fury. I had been giving her face, holding back. If Liam wanted to play at being powerful, I would show him what real power looked like. He demanded that all company expenses be approved by him? Fine. I put pressure on the entire company. Anyone who dared submit a request to Liam Bowen was fired on the spot. Soon, the very people who had been fawning over him were now mocking him, calling him a pretty boy who’d tried to sleep his way to the top and gotten slapped down by the real boss. Liam retreated, taking a leave of absence and posting melodramatic updates on social media. “Even when I’m deliberately misunderstood, I will swallow my grievances and face my work with a smile!” he wrote, accompanied by a picture of himself with artfully reddened eyes and a brave, pained smile. Serena called me immediately, furious. “Do you get some kind of sick pleasure out of bullying a junior employee?” “Adrian, can you stop being so unreasonable? There is nothing going on between Liam and me! I just think he’s hardworking. If you’re doing this out of jealousy, you don’t have to!” “And even if he was in the wrong this time, can’t you be the bigger person and just let it go?” I was her husband, yet she defended Liam at every turn, completely disregarding my feelings. Fine. I no longer had to care about hers. I hung up on her. To spite me, Serena bought Liam a new BMW. I didn’t argue. I simply authorized massive bonuses for the entire company. Top executives got luxury cars and jewelry. Junior employees received five-figure cash bonuses. Money flowed out of Sterling Industries like a river. Serena finally lost her nerve and called to stop me. The next day, she brought Liam to our home. He stood behind her, a picture of nervous humility. His eyes were slightly red, with faint dark circles beneath them. He was wearing a tailored black suit, understated and expensive. It was from my favorite brand, the one Serena always bought for me. He noticed my gaze and quickly stepped forward, bowing in apology, his voice dripping with sincerity. “Mr. Hayes, it was my mistake. I was being immature. I’m so sorry.” “The post I made yesterday, it absolutely wasn’t about you. I was just in a bad mood. Please, I beg you, find it in your heart to forgive me this once. From now on, your requests will always have my priority approval.” He kept his head bowed, the very image of a terrified subordinate. I didn’t even bother to look at him. I scoffed. “Priority approval? You really think you’re something, don’t you? Get out.” Liam flinched as if struck, his face a mask of profound humiliation. He struggled to maintain his composure. Serena thought I had gone too far. She glared at me. “Liam has already humbled himself and apologized! Do you have to grind a man’s dignity into the dust to feel satisfied?” Disappointment and a sense of the absurd washed over me. I sneered. “Forget whether he is worthy of me begging for money. You, as my wife, have repeatedly sided with another man against me, let him usurp my position, take over my responsibilities, made an exception for him at The Starfall, bought him a car and a suit—constantly blurring professional boundaries. Why don’t you ask yourself what you really want?” “There is nothing between Liam and me! Why won’t you believe me?” she shot back, stung by my words, her voice growing shrill. Just then, Liam spoke up. “Mr. Hayes, it’s all my fault. Please don’t argue with Mrs. Sterling because of me. She’s been very tired lately and needs to rest. I’ll go to the office and resign now. I won’t disturb you and Mrs. Sterling any longer.” This was Serena’s weakness. She immediately grabbed his hand, right in front of me, telling him it wasn’t his fault. “Mr. Hayes already despises me so much that he sold The Starfall just because I’d been there,” Liam said, his voice laced with sorrow. “And all the gossip at the office… if I stay, it will only make him unhappy and cause you more trouble. It’s better if I leave.” Serena, who had been about to scold me for bullying a junior employee, froze when she heard what I’d done. She stared at me, her eyes wide. “What? You sold The Starfall?” Oh, so now she remembers it’s important? Then why did she let an outsider manage it? I stopped looking at their entangled hands, leaned back against the sofa, and laughed coldly. “Serena, you broke the rules first. Why should I keep a piece of garbage that’s been tainted?” Before she could explode, I added, “Since you’ve broken the rules time and time again, crossed every line, and made me subservient to Liam Bowen, I no longer wish to be this company’s Vice President, or your husband. Let’s get a divorce.” Serena’s eyes widened in disbelief, her accusations dying in her throat. Seeing the calm resolve on my face, that I wasn’t just saying it out of anger, she panicked. She compromised. “This was my mistake. I didn’t consider your feelings. I promise it won’t happen again.” “From now on, you can access funds whenever you need. You won’t need Liam’s approval. And I won’t have any unnecessary contact with him. Are you satisfied now?” I looked into her eyes and decided to give her, and our marriage, one last chance. “Fire Liam Bowen. And blacklist him from ever being hired again. Then, I’ll pretend this never happened.” The relief on Serena’s face vanished, replaced by a troubled expression. She bit her lip, then finally conceded. She let go of Liam’s hand and turned her back to him. “Come to the office tomorrow to collect your personal belongings. You don’t need to come back after that.” Liam could only leave, his face a mask of resentment. That night, Serena cooked my favorite meal. We acted as if nothing had happened, the picture of a loving couple. But we both knew the cracks in our hearts could never be mended. The next morning, Serena and I went to the office together.
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