After Funding His IPO, He Married His Assistant

Caleb Jensen and I had a bit of a falling out, and he didn't come back to our bedroom all night. The next morning, I went ahead and made breakfast for both of us like I always do. To my surprise, he casually mentioned he'd drive me to work. Ever since we got married, he never acknowledged our relationship publicly at work and insisted on keeping things strictly professional. Even when we left the house at the same time, he never let me ride with him.

I didn't turn down his offer.

I assumed Caleb’s unusual behavior was due to the cold shoulder I gave him the night before. But ten minutes into our drive, the car came to a halt. There, on the sidewalk, was Vera Wheeler, waving us down. After Caleb parked, Vera hopped into the front seat.

"Amelie, what a shock to see you here today!" she remarked, her look defiant and confident.

"I ride with Caleb every day. It's the first time I've seen you in the car," she continued with a pointed tone. Apparently, Caleb had been giving Vera a lift to work daily.

The rainy season seemed endless, with days of heavy downpour. I approached Caleb at the office, asking if he could drop me home after work since the car I booked couldn't make it. He abruptly reminded me that personal matters shouldn't be discussed at work, and if I couldn't find a cab, I should just walk home. Later, I saw Vera climbing into his car. Caleb was happy to go out of his way to drop Vera home but wouldn’t offer me a lift in the pouring rain.

"Vera doesn't own a car and lives quite far from the office. I'm just helping her out," Caleb explained.

"Ah, Vera is such a star at work. She deserves to be treated specially," I replied, noting the smug look on Vera’s face.

"Caleb was planning to get me a company car, but my driving skills aren't the best," Vera chimed in sweetly. "Amelie, you don't mind Caleb giving me a ride to and from work, do you?"

Caleb interjected before I could answer. "It's just a ride to work, nothing to get upset over."

I gazed out the window, ignoring Vera's smug demeanor. I simply nodded and refrained from speaking further.

Caleb was displeased with my reaction. As we approached the office, he eyed the towering building with irritation and said, "Get off at the corner. It's not far from the office, and you can walk the rest of the way."

Even today, although he had uncharacteristically brought me along, Caleb was still anxious about our colleagues discovering our relationship.

"We're almost there. Might as well let Amelie ride with us to the parking lot," Vera’s honeyed voice coaxed him.

"Fine, you can join us in the parking lot," he agreed.

With Vera in the car, our colleagues would likely assume they were merely giving me a lift out of courtesy. I wasn’t interested in listening to whatever Caleb and Vera were discussing. All that occupied my mind was getting to the office and figuring out how to get my resignation processed by HR.

I exited Caleb's car, following Vera, as the early morning rush enveloped us. A few colleagues glanced our way.

Yet, their attention was focused on Caleb and Vera, who walked into the office building arm in arm. Our company had recently taken on several interns, with only two positions available after their projects ended.

I discreetly slipped my resignation letter in with the notices for the interns being let go. Nyla Webb, our HR manager, assuming I was simply helping with mundane errands, didn’t scrutinize the document and signed it without hesitation. She didn't miss a beat and complimented me.

"Amelie, you and Vera are practically Caleb's right and left hands!"

I gave her a silent smile.

As soon as I arrived at the office, my phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification from Caleb. He sent over images of two movie ticket stubs. Clearly, he was trying to patch things up, knowing full well that the future deal with Armani Burke hinged on the chip I had created.

"We haven't caught a movie together in forever. How about tonight?" he messaged.

After a moment's thought, I replied, "The project team isn't swamped tonight. I can meet you at the theater after work."

I planned to use this movie outing to talk about our divorce. But after finishing work, I noticed Vera hopping into Caleb’s car once again. Minutes later, another WhatsApp message popped up: "Something urgent came up at the office. You head to the theater on your own."

I didn’t hang around. I headed straight to a law office and got in touch with a lawyer to draft a divorce settlement. By the time I made it back to the theater district, the film Caleb had picked was already halfway through. A romantic movie—my least favorite, but I always stuck it out for him.

I snagged a ticket for a different screening and grabbed dinner before heading home.

Flipping through Instagram later, I stumbled on a picture Vera posted. She was at a swanky restaurant—steak and red wine on the table—with two hands clasped across it. Only the hands were visible, but I instantly recognized them as hers and Caleb’s. The caption read, "Reciprocated love is the best gift. Thanks, love, for the special present."

Not long after I got home, Caleb returned as well. "I got you a scarf, check it out," he said.

Whenever he broke a promise, he’d try to smooth things over with a gift. And every time, I’d act thrilled, fussing over it to his delight. Caleb never tired of this routine.

"Just toss it in the closet," I replied casually.

Caleb bristled at my unexpected response. "Amelie, I messed up tonight, but I got you a gift. Why are you acting like this?"

"Caleb, isn’t that scarf just a giveaway?" I asked, observing how his face reddened with anger.

"What are you implying, Amelie?"

I used to never question his gifts, interpreting anything from him as a sign of affection. But now, having received the divorce papers from my lawyer, I didn’t bother to look up. "It’s nothing."

Caleb thought a tantrum would make me cave, but this time, despite his icy glare, I remained composed. After verifying the agreement with my lawyer, I finally shut off my phone.

"Caleb, the label on that scarf says 'Not for Sale.' Do you really need me to spell it out? I’m not interested in leftover promo items."

"Amelie, who do you think you are? You spend all day tucked away in the development department, acting like you have a clue! I was being thoughtful with that scarf, but if you’re not interested, fine!"

Ignoring Caleb’s further protests, I got up and headed to the guest bedroom. With divorce decided, I wouldn't let Caleb’s words affect me anymore.

I stayed in the guest room the rest of the night, and Caleb didn’t come looking for me either.