Anniversary

—SAMANTHA’S POV—

It was Spring Season.

The rain drizzled lightly as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. The wipers of my sleek black sedan swayed furiously against the windshield, clearing my view as I sped down the empty road toward the Frost Enterprise.

I couldn’t believe what I was doing. The cake in the passenger seat was already beginning to melt, but I didn’t care. Today was supposed to be special. My 3rd anniversary with Zeke Frost, my husband.

I had been planning for weeks. I had worked so hard, spent hours picking out the perfect frosty cake, buying him the expensive Rolex watch he'd loved, picking out his favorite champagne wine, and getting everything else ready for when he’d walk through the door of the Frost mansion and smile at the surprise I prepared.

But along the way, I suddenly changed my mind —and decided to surprise him at his workplace instead for our anniversary.

Three years.

Three years of marriage, of sacrifices, of trying to be the perfect wife. And now, I was rushing to the Frost Enterprise, a small smile tugging at my lips as I imagined the reaction on Zeke’s face when he saw the romantic cake. He wasn’t expecting me. Would he be surprised?

Would he pull me into his arms and whisper, ‘Thank you, Sammie. You always think of me?’

The drive was mercifully short, and I pulled up to the fancy parking lot and parked my car before I took a deep breath. The building was towering and modern, the kind of place where everything seemed polished like nothing could go wrong. But for some reason, I was starting to feel uneasy.

Shaking the thoughts off, I walked towards the entrance with the cake box still in hand, hoping that Zeke would be as excited to see me as I was to surprise him. But as soon as I stepped inside the stunning lobby, I was met with a cold stare from the receptionist.

She didn’t even smile. Just a blank, lifeless look in her eyes as she watched me approach.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her tone icy like I was an inconvenience to her.

I frowned, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “Yes, I’m here to see my husband. Zeke Frost. It’s our anniversary, and I brought him a cake.” I held up the box, hoping the sight of it would soften her demeanor.

She glanced at the cake box, then looked back at me, her eyes narrowing. “Sorry, but Mr. Frost is busy right now. He has an important meeting with clients and wishes no one to disturb him.”

I stared at her, not understanding what was happening or why she was treating me this way. Why was she acting cold toward me as though I carried some sort of disease?

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean? I’m Zeke’s wife. I’m supposed to see him and it doesn't matter if he’s busy, I will wait for him in his office until he's finished.” I was starting to get pissed off.

Her lips pressed into a tight line. “I said you can't see Mr. Frost right now. Why are you being such a pain in the ass? Leave right now, scram!"

I gaped, jaw-dropping at the rude manner she was talking to me. Did she think I was joking when I said I was Zeke’s wife?

Isn't she afraid I would report this to Zeke and have her fired?

“I’m your boss’s wife!" I repeated, my voice growing firm and angrier, not caring if I was drawing awareness around us in the lobby. “I have every right to see him.”

The receptionist shook her head, but there was something about the way she looked at me that made I feel small. “I told you, Mr. Frost is busy! Everyone claims to be Mr Frost’s wife. So Wife or not, you won’t be seeing him! Look, you have two options. You’ll have to leave the stupid cake box with me and go —or— I will call you the security on you."

I felt my blood start to boil. My patience ruining thin line. No one told me what I could or couldn’t do. Especially not today!

Excuse me?” I snapped, my eyes darkening and my voice sharp now. “Who are you to chase me out of my husband’s company? I’m fucken not leaving and I’m going up there whether you like it or not."

I turned to leave, but I heard the bitch yell behind me.

“Security! There's a madwoman who just sneaked into the company!”

Whatever. I rolled my eyes and didn’t even look back as I confidently walked straight to the elevator, pushed the button, and stepped inside like a boss lady. My husband owns this company, and that makes it mine. No one dares to stop me!

"You bitch—" The receptionist pointed at me, nostril flaring and her eyes widened with fury.

As the doors closed, I couldn’t help but throw her a smug smile, feeling a small victory at the shocked look on her face.

The elevator began its climb, and I didn’t care about the cold air around me. I was too focused on what I was about to do. I was going to surprise Zeke, show him that I still cared about him and our daughter, that our marriage meant something to me. I couldn’t stop the excitement bubbling inside me as I imagined his face when he saw the cake. Maybe he’d be surprised. Maybe he’d remember why we needed to be together in the first place.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. I stepped out, my heart pounding, and I quickly made my way down the hall to his office.

Some of the workers glanced at me through their offices as I passed each department, throwing strange looks at me. What's wrong with these people Zeke hired?

I wasn’t going to pay attention to them as I had one goal in mind, and that was to get to Zeke.

Reaching his office door, I hesitated. First thing first I counted to three in my head, trying to calm my nerves. “One… two… three,” then I pushed the sleek door open.

"Surprise! Surprise!! Surprise!!!”

The moment I strode inside, grinning like an idiot, and shouting happily, my world came crashing down.

There he was. Zeke. Half-naked, his back arched as he was buried into someone I never thought I’d see again.

Ophelia.

I swayed, my knees weak. No. Not her.

All the colors on my face drained, and my stomach twisted into something painful as I stood frozen in the doorway.

Ophelia. My high school tormentor. The one person who had made my teenage years miserable. The girl who had never let me forget how poor I was, how stupid, how worthless.

And here she was, moaning in pleasure, her hands on my husband’s chest as he kissed her mouth hungrily, panting, and fucking her hole like a dog in heat.

I couldn’t breathe, my stomach turning as I watched them, his body pressing into hers with an intimacy that made my blood run cold. I felt a wave of nausea hit me, and I wanted to scream, to throw the fucken cake at them, but all I could do was stand there, watching in complete shock.

Zeke didn’t even look at doorway. Didn’t even flinch when the door finally slammed shut with a loud thud.

Ophelia looked up, her eyes widening in surprise, but the moment she saw me, her face twisted into something cruel. She pulled herself away from Zeke, an arrogant smirk forming on her lips.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. Mrs. Frost, in the flesh.”

My breath hitched, and my hands trembled, still holding that damned cake box as if it could somehow shield me from the truth. I had entered this office to celebrate with Zeke. To bring him something sweet, something that showed I still cared, something that said I believed in us, in our future. But instead, I stumbled upon something that wasn't supposed to be there.

I couldn't speak at first. The words lodged in my throat, choking me. I couldn’t understand how we had gotten here. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. How could he do this to me? To us?

I didn’t even look at Ophelia. I couldn’t. She was nothing to me. She always had been. It was him. Zeke. My husband. The man who I had built my life around, the man I thought I knew better than anyone. Bastard. How could he soil our marriage like this?

Zeke slowly straightened up, his towering frame filling the office as he looked at me finally. There was no remorse in his beautiful ocean-blue eyes. No guilt. Just a blank stare, as if he had been expected this moment, expected me to catch them.

I felt a sickening wave of humiliation flood over me.

"Sam…” he started, but I cut him off, my voice shaking with anger.

"No. Don't fucken Sam me, Zeke. Dont."