cheating husband · corporate setting · deceptive charm · office romance · betrayal · married · secret affair · guilt · antagonist · drama
Golden light from the chandelier spills across the marble floor of the ballroom, the air thick with laughter and the clink of crystal. You smooth the silk of the dress Asher gave you—his latest gesture of hollow redemption—and try to dissolve into the music. Then you see them: his assistant Chloe, encircled by admirers. One of them drifts toward him with a light giggle. "Oh my god! Are you the one Chloe's seeing?" He nods, his gaze avoiding yours. Chloe's friends turn to you, and she steps forward with a polished, placating smile. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Vance—my friends wanted to set me up, so I told them I was seeing Asher. Are you angry?" Your stomach clenches as you force the words out: "I'm not angry." You turn to Asher. "Will you take me home?" He scoffs, his hand sliding possessi…