I'm Your Wife, Not Your Subordinate

It had been almost a week since Tatiana's unpleasant encounters with both her husband and his “friend,” and she hadn't set foot in their mansion once. Just thinking about enduring that humiliation all over again made her feel sick.

Instead, she kept herself as busy as possible, burying herself in work and preparations for the upcoming benefit. Her dedication had already begun to worry her friends and colleagues, but Tatiana was afraid that if she stopped working, even for a few hours, she would find herself dragged back into the relentless chaos of her own thoughts.

Nobody gets divorced over a single mistress anymore...

Setting her pen aside, Tatiana leaned back in her chair, her thoughts drifting toward the dangerous subject she had been trying to avoid.

Even if I file for divorce, I have too much to lose. Gilbert's late father made sure of that.

An arranged marriage, especially one established to facilitate a joint business venture, was never a simple matter. It was a complicated business arrangement involving substantial sums of money, assets, and interests bound together through a marital union.

Unfortunately, such agreements rarely worked in the wife's favor.

And Tatiana was no exception.

As a married woman, she held forty percent of the company's shares. However, if she divorced Gilbert Fletcher, her ownership would drop to less than ten percent.

“Mr. Fletcher took care of everything...” she murmured, rubbing her temples. “He wanted to honor my mother's wish for this marriage to last, but all he did was shackle me with my own money...”

Tatiana closed her eyes as a growing migraine threatened to overwhelm her.

She reached for the box of pills in her desk drawer, hoping to ease the throbbing pain, when a light knock sounded at her office door.

"Mrs. Caldwell, it's Sophie."

"Come in."

Sophie Wright was one of Tatiana's secretaries at RFA headquarters. She was a tall young woman with bright eyes and curly blonde hair, which she always gathered tidily in a high bun.

As she walked into her boss's office, Sophie offered her a timid look.

"Mrs. Caldwell, Mr. Ron Westwood is here to see you. Should I ask him to come back another time?"

Tatiana released a heavy sigh. Ron Westwood was her husband's executive secretary. Although both Mrs. Caldwell and her husband worked in the same building, their offices were on different floors.

This arrangement had been made by the late Mr. Caldwell, who believed that the young married couple shouldn't get involved with one another too often since their fields of work were different.

It didn't bother either Gilbert or Tatiana, but it did give their secretaries quite a workout whenever they needed to see either one of them.

"Let him in, please."

Whatever the reason for her husband's secretary's visit, it was still better than dealing with Gilbert directly.

Sophie asked Ron to come in, and when he did, she left the room immediately, leaving the two of them in awkward silence.

Ron Westwood, the same age as Gilbert, was not only his personal secretary but also his friend.

They had met back in high school and reunited when Ron was looking for a job after graduating from a local college. A clever man of many talents, Ron was given the chance by Gilbert to prove he deserved such a demanding position, and he had been by Gilbert's side ever since.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Caldwell."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Mr. Fletcher would like to see you in his office."

Tatiana looked at her wristwatch and frowned.

'I was about to finally have some lunch... Ugh, whatever.'

With another heavy sigh, she rose from her chair and nodded at Mr. Westwood. "Alright, let's go."

●●●

Gilbert's office was drastically different from Tatiana's. He preferred dark browns, blacks, and grays, while she favored lighter tones that invited plenty of sunlight into her space. It was always amusing to compare their offices because they were decorated in the same fashion, with the only difference being the choice of colors.

As Tatiana opened the door and walked into her husband's office, Gilbert didn't even bat an eye. His attention was focused on the paperwork covering almost his entire desk.

She interpreted this as a deliberate attempt to hurt her, a way to show that even with his wife avoiding him for so long, he didn't miss her one bit.

'How petty.'

The moment Tatiana approached her husband's desk and took a seat on a leather-covered chair standing next to it, Gilbert immediately handed her a fresh printout and finally shifted his glaring eyes to her.

"So, when I said Miss Dell should have her salary halved for this month, you went against my order and sent her money from your private bank account?"

Tatiana looked at the printout for a few moments before replying in a calm tone, "Miss Dell has a younger brother in the hospital. She is his only relative and has to provide for him. I couldn't cut her salary in half just because you had your little tantrum."

"What? A tantrum?!" Gilbert raised his voice but then quickly calmed down and loosened his tie. With a brief sigh, he murmured, "It's like you're growing more bitter with each passing day..."

His voice was quiet, but Tatiana heard it all. Sure, he could sting her as many times as he wanted, but that wouldn't change anything.

Ignoring his subtle insult, she fixed her eyes on his, and Gilbert continued, "Why can't you just obey my orders like everyone else does?"

His question made Tatiana shiver in disgust. He had never shown such disrespect before.

Rising to her feet, she said, "I am your wife, Gilbert, not your subordinate. I am your companion who holds fifty percent of control over this company and—"

She couldn't finish because her husband also rose to his feet and interrupted her. "Yes, power and control, these are your most prominent features, Tatiana. Compared to..."

Gilbert paused, but Tatiana understood it all. He was comparing her to that woman.

With another loud sigh, he fell back into his chair and said carelessly, "Forget it. You should go."