My wife and I were a power couple. Ten years of what I thought was love. That illusion shattered the day her boy toy stormed into my office behind her back. The young man’s arrogance was suffocating. “Claire will kick an old man like you to the curb for me, sooner or later.” I couldn’t have cared less. In fact, I turned right around, told my wife I wanted a divorce, and threw her out of the company. Suddenly, she was panicking, forcing her little lover to his knees in front of me, begging for my forgiveness. 1 “You’ve got no looks and no talent. What right do you have to monopolize Claire for a decade?” “Claire said she’s giving me the villa at The Water’s Edge. She knows you wanted it, but she gave it to me anyway. It’s only a matter of time before she kicks an old man like you to the curb for me.” Leo leaned over my desk, his hands braced on the polished mahogany, looking down at me with contempt. The Claire he was talking about, Claire Thornton, was my wife of ten years. Just a few days ago, a friend had given me a subtle warning. “Claire’s been getting awfully close to a new employee. Want me to take care of him for you?” He’d slid a folder of photos across the table. In them, Claire and Leo weren’t overly intimate. The most damning picture was of Leo’s hand on the small of her back as he held an umbrella for her in the rain. I glanced at them, neither accepting nor refusing my friend’s offer. After a decade together, I wasn’t going to resort to such ugly tactics. So I gave her three days. Three days to cut ties with Leo, and I would pretend it never happened. She agreed without a moment’s hesitation, her voice thick with guilt. “I’m so sorry I made you worry. It’s my fault.” And now, here was her lover, parading his arrogance in my office. The Water’s Edge was prime real estate—exclusive, private, the perfect place to hide a secret. Was Claire planning on keeping a lover? A wave of revulsion washed over me as I looked at Leo. My decision was instant. I picked up my phone and called Claire, telling her to get to my office. Immediately. Leo stared at me in disbelief, then burst out laughing. “Who do you think Claire is? Some stray you can just whistle for? Calling her over will only make her despise you more!” I ignored him, pulling a cigarette from my desk drawer and lighting it. Leo coughed dramatically, then had the audacity to try and snatch it from my hand. “I can’t stand the smell of smoke. Put it out!” The moment his hand shot forward, I flicked the cigarette twice. The hot ash landed squarely on his arm. He yelped and recoiled, staring at me like I was insane. “You son of a bitch, you burned me!” He lunged, aiming to punch me, but my free hand shot out and slammed him to the floor. Twenty years of professional combat training made dealing with a preening pretty boy like him effortless. He was howling on the ground when the office door swung open. Leo’s eyes lit up. He scrambled to his feet and clung to Claire’s leg, sobbing. “Claire, you’re finally here! Julian burned me with his cigarette, and then he hit me!” Claire’s brow furrowed—her classic tell for annoyance. She looked at me, her eyes a mixture of guilt and anger, as if furious that I’d embarrassed her by roughing up her pet project in public. “Julian, he’s my employee, you can’t just—” “Don’t,” I cut her off, my voice ice. “Don’t you dare lecture me. He wouldn’t have made it past security without the access you gave him. Claire, have I been too good to you all these years?” In our entire relationship, I had never raised my voice to her. Even when she made mistakes, I was the one who calmly cleaned up her messes. I would never have publicly humiliated her like this. Those simple words made her eyes flash with shame and fury. “You… you’ve gone too far!” Leo, seeing her anger, immediately fanned the flames. “Exactly, Claire! He clearly has no respect for you, or he’d never say something like that.” He thought he was stoking her rage against me. He didn’t expect her to violently shake his hand off. “Who the hell gave you permission to speak?” she snapped, her voice dripping with scorn. “What are you that you think you can lecture me?” I wasn’t surprised. After ten years of marriage, no one knew Claire better than I did. She could coddle Leo, spoil him like a pet, but she would never let him jeopardize her interests. Our marriage was as much a business merger as it was a romance. If it fractured, the fallout would be catastrophic for both of us. In the end, the only person Claire truly loved was herself. Her anger at me now was purely because I had embarrassed her—I had kicked her dog without asking the owner. The cigarette burned down to the filter. I crushed it out in the ashtray. “I gave you three days to handle him,” I said, my voice flat. “You didn't.” Claire took a few steps closer, her voice softening. “I was wrong, okay? If you don’t like him, I’ll get rid of him. Why stoop to his level?” She glanced over her shoulder, her tone turning cold. “You. Apologize to Mr. Shaw.” Leo stared at her, then at me, his pretty eyes welling up with tears. “Now!” Claire repeated, her patience gone. He scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, his voice thick with resentment. “I’m sorry.” Claire finally smiled, gently shaking my arm. “See? He apologized. Let’s just drop it. If you’re still upset, you can go find another woman. We can play our separate games.” She was protecting him, trying to smooth things over. But I don’t tolerate sand in my eyes. I had given her a chance because I still had feelings for her, and because, technically, she hadn’t crossed the line. Flirting was one thing. An affair was another. But now, my decision was made. I pulled my arm from her grasp, my voice laced with disgust. “Separate games? You think you’re worthy?” Claire froze, her expression hardening. “Julian, I admit you’re more capable than I am, but I’m no pushover. I run nearly half of this company’s operations. I’m offering you an out; you should take it. We’re adults. We both know that monogamy is a myth. I have money and status now. I can have any man I want. This attitude of yours will only hurt the company.” Her voice grew sharper with every word, ending in a cold sneer. “Besides, how would you benefit from a divorce? I’d advise you not to push your luck.” I swiveled in my chair and sighed. I had fallen for Claire because of that fierce confidence, that courage. I admired her pride and her talent. But she didn’t understand. The company had grown far beyond what her abilities could manage. “You still don’t get it, do you? I don’t tolerate betrayal.” I paused, my voice dropping. “No matter how much I loved you, I will not have a wife who cheapens herself with trash like that.” Claire’s hands clenched into fists, her face crimson with rage. “You’re calling me cheap?” She grabbed my collar, her knuckles white. My eyes drifted calmly from Leo back to her, a mocking smile on my lips. “You’re willing to associate with vermin like him. What does that make you?” “Claire, I’m done talking. My lawyer will have the divorce papers on your desk tomorrow. We’re finished.” Her lips trembled, and her grip on my collar slackened. She stumbled back, repeating my words in disbelief. “You… you want to divorce me?” “I won’t accept it!” I gave her a cold look. “It’s already done. What makes you think you have a choice?” I had meetings to attend. I wasn’t about to let this melodrama derail the entire company. I stood up and walked toward the door. Claire tried to follow, but Leo grabbed her arm. “Claire, if you go after him now, he’ll know you can’t live without him!” he hissed. “You’re amazing! You can have any man you want. That old fool doesn’t appreciate you! Besides, you’re the majority shareholder. You can just fire him and become the sole boss!” His words actually made her stop. I walked into the conference room without a backward glance and started the meeting. It was ten p.m. by the time I got home. My phone was ringing incessantly. Claire. I ignored it. She called again. And again. Finally, I answered. “Julian! Come get me,” she slurred, her voice thick with alcohol. The background noise was a deafening wall of electronic music. My first instinct was to hang up. But we were still legally married. If something happened to her, it would be my problem. I grabbed my keys and drove to the bar. The moment I stepped into the private room, a bucket of water crashed down on my head. I dodged, but not fast enough. My shirt was soaked. The metal bucket clattered to the floor, rolling to a stop at Claire’s feet. She was draped over Leo, her arms around his neck, her eyes full of defiance. “Julian, I thought you wanted a divorce. Why did you come running the second I called?” she taunted. “The great Julian Shaw, pathetic as a stray dog you can’t get rid of.” Leo roared with laughter. “Not a stray dog, a drowned rat! Hahahaha!” I took a deep breath, trying to hold on to my last shred of reason. As I turned to leave, Leo leaped off the sofa and grabbed my arm. “Did I say you could leave?” he snarled. “You hit me today. Now we settle the score.” His fist came flying at me. I sidestepped and threw him to the ground. This time, I didn’t hold back. He hit the floor hard, a line of blood trickling from his nose. Claire screamed. “Julian! How dare you hit him again! Do you want to be thrown out of this company?” She raised her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist and flung it away. I had no idea what nonsense Leo had been feeding her, but it had clearly worked. Leo staggered to his feet. “Stop pretending you’re so noble,” he spat. “You only came running because you’re desperate to keep your job. One word from Claire, and you’re out on the street!” I straightened my disheveled collar as my assistant arrived with a fresh shirt. Their childish provocations were laughable. “Go on then,” I said. “Try me.” The next day at the office, everyone stared at me. I walked calmly to my office, only to find all my belongings piled up outside the door. Leo was lounging in my chair, his feet propped up on my desk. He whistled when he saw me. “You’re fired!” That’s when I noticed the company-wide email from Claire, announcing my termination. In the same breath, she had appointed Leo as the new CEO. I remembered her threats from last night and almost laughed. For years, I had worked in the shadows, quietly building the empire and letting her take all the credit. I had paved the way for her to live out her dream of being a powerful businesswoman. And to protect her from whispers that she’d slept her way to the top, I never let anyone know the extent of my involvement. Only a handful of major shareholders knew who really held the reins. As soon as Claire appeared, they descended. “Claire! You can’t fire Julian! He’s the heart of this company, our cornerstone!” “That’s right! We’d be nowhere without him!” Claire’s lips curled into a cold smile. “So what? I’m the boss here. My decision is final. If anyone has a problem with it, you can get out too.” She thought her threats would silence them. She forgot these were seasoned veterans, not easily intimidated. “Julian built this company from the ground up. If anyone should be leaving, it’s you!” “We all know who’s done the real work and who’s been coasting. You think your shares are all that matter?” “Julian has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into this company for you, and you throw him away for some boy toy? We’ll pull our investments and stand with Julian!” The shareholders tore her apart, their words sharp and merciless. She should have been furious. Instead, she hesitated. With so many people siding with me, could she really win this fight? But Leo couldn’t wait. “Claire, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he urged. “Get rid of these old fossils, and the company is all yours! You’ll be the undisputed queen, and all the profits will be ours!”
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