At the team dinner, everyone started hyping Peggy Madoff and me up to call our partners.

Before I could even move, Peggy—runner-up to my top spot—whipped out her phone.

"Babe, everyone's making me call you!" she giggled.

On the line? Gerard Busch. Yeah, the CEO. He laughed.

"Guess I'll be counting on you all to look after Peggy," he said.

Cue the gasps and cheers.

I just kept downing my wine.

Because Gerard? He was my husband.

After I had the baby, I threw myself back into work—anything to dodge the mess of juggling a career and a newborn.

Grinding paid off. I snagged the top sales spot this year.

My boss threw a party to celebrate. Peggy, who'd only been with us a year, came in second, so naturally, the drinks kept coming for the two of us.

She tossed back the first like a champ, but when round two came, she hesitated. People egged her on, but she held her ground, smiling like she was half-embarrassed, half-thrilled.

"It's not that I don't wanna drink—my boyfriend's strict about that. I'm already pushing it with this one," she said, all bashful but glowing.

Cue the groans and playful teasing.

"Peggy, we're not buying it unless you call him. We wanna meet this mysterious guy!"

"Yeah! Danielle, if you're trying to skip drinks too, call your hubby. You two are always talking about your men, but they're like ghosts—we've never seen them!"

Eyes swung to me.

Before I could react, Peggy was already on her phone, her voice sugar-sweet.

"Babe, what are you up to?"

A low chuckle came through the speaker. "Honeybun, I'm working."

Everyone froze.

That voice? Unmistakable.

A coworker next to me grabbed my arm, whispering, "Danielle... isn't that Mr. Busch?"

I clenched my fist and said nothing.

Then Peggy giggled and stomped her foot like some giddy schoolgirl. "Gerard! I'm on speaker! Don't call me that in front of everyone—it's so embarrassing!"

Yeah. No more guessing.

A rising star dating the CEO? It was like a cringy office rom-com playing out in real time. Mr. Untouchable had officially been knocked off his pedestal.

Everyone just stared.

A few single girls shot Peggy dagger-eyed looks of pure envy.

Then his voice came through again, smooth as ever:

"I'll call you whatever you want. I've got a whole list—I could switch it up daily. But aren't you at your team dinner? Why the surprise call? Miss me already?"

He sounded soft, all-in, like he'd drop everything for her.

The table lit up with teasing and fake swoons. Everyone gushed.

Except me. I just kept drinking, the wine sharp and dry, burning down fast. My nails had dug so deep into my palm, I'd drawn blood.

Gerard was my husband.

Has been for three years—secretly.

So how the hell did she end up with him?

***

I'd known Gerard for a decade. Married him in secret three years ago.

I used to bring up going public—like, a lot. Every time, he'd shut it down with the same line:

"Danielle Astor, I'm the CEO of Busch Corp. You want people dragging me for dating a coworker?"

Cold. Always the same tone.

Eventually, I got the message—he just didn't want to.

But I kept telling myself it was me. That maybe I wasn't enough yet. That he was waiting until I proved I was worth it.

So I pushed harder. Made it to the top. Number one salesperson this year.

Didn't lose a single deal.

But then the whispers started.

People said I only closed deals by sleeping with clients.

Some took it further—said I catered to their weird kinks.

To them, every win came from my looks or what I could do behind closed doors.

And Gerard? Said nothing.

Worse, he used the gossip as another excuse to keep our marriage in the dark.

Last time I brought it up, he looked me up and down, sneering,

"You really want the world to know I'm married to someone every guy's had?"

That was Gerard. Cold. Cruel.

But now? That same guy was sugar-coating every word for Peggy, doing the whole flirty-boyfriend act just to make her laugh.

And even with their office fling out in the open, he didn't care.

He actually said, "Hi everyone. I'm Peggy's boyfriend, Gerard. She's a little immature, so go easy on her at work. If she slips up, come to me. I'll handle it."

Mr. CEO himself, openly playing the doting boyfriend.

Everyone around us melted.

After the call ended, every head turned my way.

"Danielle, Peggy called her boyfriend—your turn! One call and you're off the hook for drinks!"

"Yeah, let's see the guy who landed our sales queen!"

Peggy blinked all innocent, then jumped in. "I heard you've been married for years, but your husband's still a mystery. Time to spill, right?"

She flashed me that smug little smile.

And why wouldn't she be proud? Her boyfriend was the CEO of Busch Corp.

The same man I married.

She called my husband—so yeah, I couldn't call him now.

I gripped my phone but didn't move.

Just raised my glass—and drank.

The whispers weren't even subtle.

"Calling him her husband? Please. Probably just moans that in bed. Why else wouldn't she make the call?"

"She's got a kid, and this mystery husband won't even show? She's totally some rich guy's secret fling."

"Right? No real family would marry someone like her. Dressed like that? She's a toy. Use her, toss her, done. I even heard she sleeps with clients to close deals. Disgusting."

I kept drinking like I didn't hear a word.

Glass after glass, like that might drown it all out.

This was supposed to be my win. My celebration.

Instead, it was the most humiliating night of my life.

***

Any time I had a work dinner, Gerard made sure the butler, Raphael, left the lights on and waited—so he could barge in and start lecturing the second he got home.

Tonight was no different.

He rolled in around 3 a.m., after the lights had been burning for six hours.

He checked every room before finally opening the nursery door.

By then, I was already out cold, holding Nadine close.

He shook me awake, voice sharp. "Why didn't you wait up? You stink of booze—don't you care what that does to the baby?"

For three years, I'd always waited. Cooked for him. Talked to him. No matter how late.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I didn't cook.

Didn't say a word.

I didn't want to see him. Didn't want to think about why he was Peggy's boyfriend now. So I shut down, tucked myself into the one corner of the world that still felt safe.

Gerard frowned. Clearly didn't expect the cold shoulder.

He sighed and, for once, skipped the usual lecture about drinking. Instead, he tossed a bouquet at me. "Flowers. For you. Like 'em?"

He used to send them when I was upset. Back then, I thought it was sweet. Now? Just felt lazy.

I clutched Nadine and kicked the bouquet aside, face tight.

Did he really think flowers could fix cheating? The ego on this man.

His smile dropped. "Danielle Astor, what's that supposed to mean? Even if you hate them, don't be so rude."

Like flowers took effort.

I let out a low laugh, nose itching, and shoved them farther away. Petals scattered across the floor as the bouquet rolled.

Then I looked straight at him.

"I don't like them—and you still bring them home? Gerard, I'm allergic to pollen. Nadine is too. You cool with making us both sick?"

No fake smiles. No pretending it didn't happen.

Gerard snapped.

His jaw tightened so hard it cracked. He jabbed a finger at me, yelling, "So you're allergic—so what? You're always this damn delicate. This whole marriage was a trap!

"I went out of my way to buy those, and you're still ungrateful! Don't give me that allergy excuse—you're just bitter I care about Peggy! She's fun, sweet, actually lovable. Unlike you."

His voice rose with every word. "What made you think you could ever compete with her? Just 'cause I married you doesn't mean I can't love someone else. Don't act like you own me!

"You make me sick."