All Chapters of The Wife Who Returned: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The board meeting was on the fourteenth floor.I'd been assigned coffee duty, which wasn't technically part of my job description, but no one ever questioned it when the lower-level employees were expected to make themselves useful during executive meetings. So there I was, circling the long mahogany table with a tray of perfectly arranged cups, pouring black coffee for men in expensive suits who didn't bother to look up when I set theirs down.I didn't mind. It gave me a reason to move around the room. To observe. To listen.What I didn't expect was to feel watched.At first I thought I was imagining it. A prickle at the back of my neck, a weight on my skin that had nothing to do with the fluorescent lights or the stuffy air in the conference room. I glanced up casually, scanning the faces around the table.The board members were focused on the presentation slides. Richard Hammond was checking his phone under the table. Mrs. Whitaker was taking notes in a leather journal. Patricia Che

The Vale Company quarterly launch event was held at The Meridian.a sleek, glass-walled venue in downtown Ravenport that screamed money without trying. Champagne towers. Live jazz. Men in tailored suits and women in dresses that probably cost more than cars.I arrived in a simple black cocktail dress, hair pinned up, gold studs catching the light. Nothing flashy. Nothing that screamed for attention.I didn't need to scream. I just needed to listen.Maribel was there, of course. She worked as a model for Reverie—the cosmetics brand Vale Company had recently partnered with. Tonight she was on duty, stationed near the product display in a stunning emerald gown that showed off every curve she had. Her job was to look beautiful and sell lipstick. She did both effortlessly.Wha

"The company retreat is in two weeks," Adrian said over breakfast—a bowl of cereal he'd poured for himself while I drank black coffee. "Everyone gets to bring a plus one."I didn't look up from my phone. "Okay.""You should invite Maribel."My finger paused mid-scroll. "What?""Maribel." He said it like it was obvious. Like suggesting I bring the woman actively destroying my reputation to a work retreat was completely reasonable. "She's been asking about it. And you know how she gets when she feels left out."I set my phone down slowly. I looked at him.He was focused on his cereal, jaw working mechanically, not meeting my eyes. The picture of casual indifference."No," I said.His spoon stopped halfway to his mouth. "What?""I'm not inviting Maribel."Adrian's expression shifted from surprise, bleeding into annoyance. "Sera, don't be childish. She's your best friend. It's one weekend."Childish. The word landed exactly where he intended. A dismissal. An insult wrapped in condescensio

The sound of the door slamming made me jump.I was in the bedroom, changed into sleep clothes, and was going through investment reports on my laptop. It was barely nine PM. Adrian wasn't supposed to be home for hours; he'd said something about a business dinner that would run late.But from the sound of things, the dinner had involved more alcohol than business.I heard him stumble in the hallway. Curse. Something crashed, probably the side table where I kept my keys.Then: "Sera! Where the fuck are you?"I closed my laptop slowly. Set it aside. Took a breath.When I walked into the living room, Adrian was leaning against the wall, his tie loose, his shirt half-untucked, reeking of whiskey. His eyes were unfocused, his face flushed with anger and alcohol."There you are," he slurred. "Been waiting for you.""You're drunk," I said evenly."So what?" He pushed off the wall, swaying slightly. "I had a shit day. I'm allowed to drink."I didn't respond. Just watched him stumble toward the k

"You look stunning," Vivienne said when she picked me up at seven AM, her eyes scanning my outfit with approval.I'd chosen the dress carefully—a long, sheer blue gown that clung to every curve, with a slit that ran dangerously high up my thigh. Underneath, I wore a matching blue bikini set. The whole ensemble was topped with a wide-brimmed straw hat that made me feel like I was in some glamorous beach film from the sixties.Vivienne herself looked effortlessly chic in a flowing beach skirt and a black bikini top, her hair pulled into a high ponytail."Ready to survive a weekend with our coworkers?" she asked with a grin."As ready as I'll ever be."The beach resort was two hours outside Ravenport, white sand, crystal water, and cabanas that probably cost more per night than I used to make in a month. The company had rented out the entire property for the weekend.By the time we arrived, half the staff was already there, drinks in hand, music playing from someone's portable speaker. T