In the fifth year of my marriage to Marcus, he found his true love. He was so worried I might hurt her that he kept her under a shield of fierce protection. When his best friend asked him why he didn’t just get a divorce, Marcus sighed. “Claire is the kind of woman you marry. She takes care of everything, the house, our lives. Nina’s too young for all that. She just needs to be with me.” Marcus wasn’t making a choice. He wanted it all. But I have no interest in collecting trash. 1 The first sign was the plant on Marcus's desk. The money tree in its delicate white lotus pot was gone. In its place sat a succulent terrarium, a miniature, self-contained world. It had been a while since I’d last visited the office. This time, I had to be formally announced by his secretary before I could go in. Inside, a young woman in a crisp white pantsuit stood beside Marcus. She was his new assistant. The moment I entered, she snapped her folder shut and made to leave. I stopped her before she could escape. "Could you get me a coffee, please? Thank you." She shot a quick, nervous glance at Marcus before scurrying out. I sat down across from him, and we began discussing our social calendar for the second half of the year—birthdays, anniversaries, business dinners. I took notes in my planner as we spoke. From the corner of my eye, I saw the assistant return with the coffee. I reached for it. Before my fingers even brushed the saucer, she let out a sharp cry. I yanked my hand back, but it was too late. Scalding liquid splashed across my skin. Marcus shot to his feet. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice sharp with alarm. “I’m fine.” “It’s nothing.” We spoke at the same time. I looked up at the assistant. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she stared at Marcus, a picture of wounded innocence. He grabbed my hand, inspecting the red splotches. “I’m… I’m so sorry,” the assistant stammered, her voice trembling. “I thought Mrs. Thorne had a firm grip on it before I let go—” “Get out,” Marcus snapped, his tone cold and severe. The assistant bit her lip, her face a mask of grievance, and ran out of the room, wiping away tears. I’d never seen an employee so comfortable being emotional in front of their boss. “Should we go to the hospital?” Marcus’s question pulled my attention back. I shook my head. “How did you end up hiring someone so clumsy?” Marcus, for all his polished and gentle demeanor, had zero tolerance for incompetence. Assistants who couldn’t keep up with his train of thought were quickly dismissed. One who couldn’t even carry a cup of coffee should have been fired on the spot. “She’s from a small town, easily spooked,” he said with a dismissive wave. “Her family’s got it rough. It’s not worth making a big deal out of it.” I said nothing more, but my heart began a slow, heavy descent. The company had clawed its way to the top through ruthless efficiency, not charity. And Marcus was never the type to go soft on anyone, especially not for a pretty face. This was uncharacteristic. A woman's intuition in these matters is a terrifyingly sharp thing. I just needed to know how far it had gone. 2 Marcus’s phone, lying face down on the desk, buzzed a few times. He ignored it, diligently reviewing the gift list with me one last time. As I gathered my things, I asked, “Where should we go for dinner tonight?” “Oh.” He glanced at his phone, a guilty expression flickering across his face. “I’ve got a work thing tonight. You could come along, but… everyone will be smoking.” I waved him off. “You go ahead. I’ll head home.” He walked me to the elevator personally. “I know things have been busy. Thanks for handling all this. I’ll try to get home early tonight to be with you.” His voice was a low, seductive murmur. When he turned on the charm, that soft, devoted look in his eyes, he was irresistible. I smiled and waved as the elevator doors closed. Down in the parking garage, I called our driver. “I left a file in Marcus’s car. Could you come down and unlock it for me?” He arrived quickly. He was a company veteran who had been driving for Marcus since before we were even married. The backseat of the car was my personal storage space—a spare handbag, a jacket, a custom-made neck pillow. I turned on the recording pen, tucked it deep inside the foam of the front passenger seat’s headrest, and grabbed a random folder on my way out. “Thanks for coming all this way,” I said. “Your daughter is graduating this year, isn’t she?” “Yes, ma’am. She said her practice exam scores are looking good. It’s all thanks to the tutor you recommended back then. We wouldn’t have known where to start otherwise.” I smiled. “She’s a smart girl who works hard. And you’ve worked hard all these years for Marcus.” The driver’s expression shifted, becoming uneasy. “Mr. Thorne has been… very busy lately, Mrs. Thorne,” he said softly. “You should take care of yourself.” 3 Marcus was having an affair. The driver’s warning couldn't have been clearer. By the time I got home, I felt as though all the strength had been drained from my body. A tiny, foolish part of me still clung to a sliver of hope. I just couldn’t understand it. Why would he do this? I hadn't sensed a single crack in our relationship. He planned thoughtful celebrations for every holiday, every anniversary. My friends all envied me, seeing me as the cherished wife of a perfect husband. But… the truth was likely a bitter joke. Perhaps all those expensive gifts were just his way of paying off his guilt. I rubbed my throbbing temples, my mind frantically sifting through the years, searching for a clue, a forgotten moment, a missed sign. I found nothing. That assistant seemed so… plain. Compared to the other women who had tried to flirt with Marcus over the years, she was bland, almost timid. Suddenly, a memory surfaced. Timid… I sank onto the sofa, covering my eyes with my hand as a hollow laugh escaped me. I knew who she was. 4 Nina. I found her name in the company's HR system. She’d been hired less than two months ago. But her history with Marcus went back four years. She had once shown up at our doorstep, dragging a burlap sack half-filled with produce from her hometown, wanting to thank the “kind benefactor” who had sponsored her college education. Marcus’s company made charitable donations every year; everyone knew it was primarily for the tax write-offs. It was a win-win. Sponsoring underprivileged students had been my idea. The arrangement was anonymous, so I have no idea how Nina tracked us down. She was thin and dark-skinned back then, with an air of rural simplicity clinging to her. She couldn’t meet our eyes, wouldn’t even step inside. She just mumbled her thanks and pointed at the sack. “We don’t want it. Take it with you,” Marcus had said, appearing in the doorway with a frown. His voice was laced with impatience. “And you don’t need to thank us. Don’t show up here uninvited again.” The girl’s eyes instantly filled with tears. I had nudged him, thinking he was being too harsh. She had come all this way, and it was a sincere gesture. I accepted her gift and had our housekeeper pack a bag of fresh fruit for her to take back. She refused it and ran off. Thinking back on it now, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She had changed so much. No wonder I hadn’t recognized her. She was nothing if not persistent. 5 Marcus came home very late. He was drunk. The driver helped him inside, and he was calling my name. But this time, I didn’t rush to his side. I let the driver deposit him on the living room sofa. Before leaving, the driver placed the car keys on the console table by the door. “I feel sick… Honey, my head… it hurts so much.” I glanced at him once, then turned and went down to the garage. The car reeked of stale alcohol, but underneath it, I could smell the sweet, cloying scent of another woman’s perfume. Much of the dashcam footage had been deleted. My lips pressed into a thin line, I retrieved the recording pen. Soon, a tearful, feminine voice filled the silence. “Why were you so mean to me?” “Did you spill that coffee on her on purpose?” Marcus’s voice was sharp. Nina didn’t deny it. “You have no idea how much I love you! If you leave me, I’ll die!” she sobbed. “I’m jealous of her! I want you all to myself!” The sound of rustling fabric, a sharp intake of breath from Marcus. “I can do this for you. Can she?” Nina’s voice was a seductive whisper. “Open your mouth.” Marcus’s breathing was ragged, his voice urgent. A muffled gasp from Nina that was anything but pain, followed by sounds that were… unbearable to hear. I clamped a hand over my mouth, bile rising in my throat. It was disgusting. Utterly vile. I sat there, frozen in a cold sweat, forcing myself to listen, a strange form of self-torture. I don’t know how much time passed before the recording picked up new sounds. “You drank that much and you’re still going home?” It was Leo’s voice, our mutual friend from college and Marcus’s business partner. “A CEO taking shots for his assistant? It’s a little obvious, man.” “This isn’t like you, Marcus. Don’t tell me you’re actually falling for her.” Marcus laughed, his voice thick with alcohol. “She’s so naive. She says she doesn’t want anything, she just wants to be with me. Being with her… it’s relaxing. A completely different feeling. I can’t stand to see her get bullied… it makes my chest hurt. Is that… love?” Leo made a sharp sound. “Just have your fun, but don’t do anything stupid. You know Claire doesn’t tolerate bullshit.” When Marcus didn’t respond, Leo’s voice grew urgent. “If you care about this Nina so much, why are you making her your mistress? Why don’t you just divorce Claire?” Silence filled the car. After a long moment, Marcus let out a heavy sigh. “Claire and I… Claire is the kind of woman you marry. She helps me take care of our home, our life. I still have feelings for her, but… it’s not love anymore. It’s family. She’s my family.” “I don’t want to hurt Claire, but I can’t stop thinking about Nina. I can’t control it. It’s a feeling I’ve never had with Claire.” “Jesus,” Leo muttered. “You’re drunk. Stop talking.” “I’m not drunk, Leo,” Marcus mumbled. “My head is perfectly clear right now.” “Nina’s young, and pathetically naive. She loves me so much. She makes me feel free, happy in a way I’ve never felt before. She needs me.” “Claire is great, too. I admire her, but… I’m also afraid of her. She’s not officially in the company, but Finance and HR are filled with her people. She holds all the connections to our biggest clients.” “I have to constantly please her, cater to her. I don’t feel like her husband. I feel like her son. No… more like her slave!” Leo seemed at a loss for words. “Man… that’s not fair to Claire.” “I know,” Marcus said. “That’s why I’ll never divorce her. I’ll give Claire the title, and I’ll give Nina my love.” Leo sucked in a sharp breath. “You want both? What happens when Claire finds out?” Marcus was silent for so long I thought he had passed out. Then, his voice, slurred but firm, cut through the quiet. “I won’t let her hurt Nina.” Leo’s voice was filled with disbelief. “If you had to choose one… who would you choose?!”
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