Chapter 1
At the airport, Alex Carter handed two first-class tickets to Sophie White, the sales director, and her assistant.
Then he turned to me and handed me a bus ticket. "Honey, the company budget is tight. You and the admin team will take the bus to the neighboring state for your connecting flight. It'll save us 6,000 dollars."
Sophie shot me an apologetic look. "Sorry, I have a bad back and can't handle long bus rides. I know it's a hassle for you."
The employees nearby started whispering, shooting me looks that were half pity, half amusement.
After all, I was the one who stuck with Alex when we were broke, living off fast food together.
I looked at Alex. "You really want me to take the bus?"
He waved me off impatiently. "You're my wife. You gotta lead by example. Take care of the team, and you'll earn their respect."
"Fine." I gave him a nod and left.
Once I was outside the airport, I called the family office. "Philip, get my private jet ready. And tell finance to cut off all funding to CarterTech."
Philip's voice was obviously stunned on the other end of the phone, and then became serious. "Ms. Grant, you finally figured it out? Is it your husband again?"
"Don't ask any more questions, just do it."
"Understood. The Gulfstream G650 will land in ten minutes, and your car is already on its way."
After hanging up, I glanced back.
At the VIP entrance, Alex was fussing over Sophie, his hand almost on her waist, acting way more intimate than he ever did with me, his actual wife.
Sophie shot me a look, her eyes full of challenge.
Everyone else could see she was a scheming bitch trying to climb the ranks, but Alex was totally blind to it.
The admin girls nearby were whispering, "Olivia's so unlucky. She's the boss's wife, but she still has to cram onto the bus with us and take a cheap flight."
"Shh, keep it down. She's just not capable. I heard the company's only still standing because of Sophie," another girl whispered.
I ignored them and headed straight for the restroom, tossing the bus ticket into the trash.
It had been five years.
Alex probably really thought his one-hundred-million-dollar tech company was built on his genius business sense and Sophie's sales skills.
He forgot who had bailed him out every time his startup was on the brink.
Even though I always invested as a mystery benefactor, I made sure to leave him a note that said, "A man who truly values his wife will always find success. I'm only helping you for her sake. Don't let her down."
Clearly, he never cared about that warning at all.
Ten minutes later, I was sitting in the private lounge on the other side of the airport, holding a cup of freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee.
My phone buzzed.
It was a voice message from Alex. The background was noisy. He must've been boarding.
"Honey, don't feel bad. Sophie just closed that six-million-dollar deal. She's the star right now. You're family, so you should put the company first and take one for the team," Alex said.
I replied with one word. "Understood."
I meant it. Five years of my life were down the drain.
Philip was super efficient. Right before the plane took off, I got one last message.
Philip: [Ms. Grant, all Grant Holdings' venture capital firms have frozen their investments in CarterTech. And I've already notified the bank. Alex's credit limit will be wiped out in three days.]
I looked out the window at the city shrinking below, a cold smile tugging at my lips.
Three days. Just in time for the climax of this team-building trip.
Alex, let me see if your so-called star, Sophie, can bail you out of this hundred-million-dollar mess.