He Chose Power, I Chose His Boss

For those two weeks on the trip, Spencer kept a careful distance. We shared a suite, but he never stepped out of line, not even by accident.

He held doors open for me, fended off pushy drink offers at dinners, and the second a client talked down to me? He dropped them without hesitation.

…

On the flight home, I was slumped in my airplane seat when Spencer handed me a cup of water.

"You must be exhausted," he said.

I took it and saw a text from Reuben on my phone. "How was the trip, honey? I reserved a table at the restaurant where we celebrated our anniversary to welcome you home."

I thought he might still care about me.

I went directly to the restaurant from the airport, only to find out he'd already gone. A wave of confusion washed over me. My mind started racing.

Had something happened? Was he sick? Or had work pulled him away?

My heart lodged in my throat, but I swallowed hard and steadied myself. I pulled up the family tracker and saw him at some bar.

When I walked in, Reuben was face-down on the table, barely conscious. "Sweetheart?"

I hauled him upright and patted his cheek gently.

His eyes cracked open, glassy and slow, and the second they landed on me, he threw his arms around me. "Lissy, I'm finished!"

Every slurred word that followed felt like another weight dragging me under.

Reuben didn't bother with background checks for his project and immediately sent the 30% deposit straight through. Next thing he knew, five million dollars had vanished.

The sum might as well have been a billion for all it mattered to us. With the house and car loans still unpaid, liquidating everything we had wouldn't scrape together two million dollars.

"We need to call the police," I said.

"No!" He gripped my shoulders, his voice raw with panic. "I'm ruined if the police get involved—my career, my name, all of it! Lissy, please, you're the only one who can fix this."

His bloodshot eyes were so full of desperation that it gave me chills.

"Mr. Joplin will definitely help me with the money if you spend the night with him."

I slapped him, hard enough to be heard over the noise in the bar. My hand was shaking as I lowered it, and I looked at Reuben like I didn't even recognize him.

"Reuben, have you lost your damn mind?" My voice wavered. "I'm your wife!"

He sank to his knees and clutched my legs. "Lissy, please. I'm begging you. Just this once."

I closed my eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks.

Then, Spencer's voice came back to me. "I bet Reuben will send you to my bed himself."

I pushed Reuben's hands off, but he seized my legs again, tears streaking his face. His voice came out in a frantic, breathless rush. "It's only once, Lissy. Mr. Joplin swore he wouldn't do anything to you. Please."

I took a moment to steady myself, my head still spinning from the rush of emotions.

I drew a deep breath and reminded myself that Reuben was just shaken by everything that had happened. Once he sobered up, he'd stop being irrational, and we could work things out.

Even though my heart had gone cold, I still chose to fool myself.

I forced my voice to stay even, speaking slower than usual. "Reuben, I can't do this. I'm not some bargaining chip for you to play with. Think about what you're saying."

Then, I pried his hands off me and stood up.

Reuben just sat there, staring blankly, mumbling something under his breath. I ignored him and headed for the door.

I was about to leave the bar when he caught up and took my hand, guilt written all over his face.

"Honey, I was way out of line back there. I wasn't thinking straight. We haven't been to a bar together since the wedding. Why don't we just stay and unwind a little?"

He looked at me with eyes full of pleading, like a sad puppy.

I stood still, silently looking at him.

Reuben quickly added, "I won't bring up you entertaining Mr. Joplin again, I promise."

The weight in my chest eased at his words. The fact that he figured it out on his own was the best outcome.

I walked back with him to our seats and took his hand. "I'm glad you changed your mind. Tomorrow morning, we'll go straight to the police. Then, we'll play it by ear with the company. Worst case scenario, we walk away and start something of our own."

"Okay, honey, I'll follow your lead. Here, try this cocktail. It tastes amazing—sweet with a little tang, just how you like."

I didn't hesitate before taking the glass and sipping. "Thanks, sweetheart."

But the second it touched my tongue, I could tell something was off. It tasted sweet and sour, but with a faint bitter edge.

I barely even moved when a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, and grabbed Reuben's sleeve. "Sweetheart, my head… Why do I suddenly feel so dizzy?"

"I'm sorry, Lissy. Just one last time, okay? After this, I swear I'll never put you through something like this again. I've fought too hard for too long. I can't lose this job now."

Reuben's eyes were slightly red, filled with desperation. He had this all planned from the start.

I could feel my body slipping out of my control. I collapsed against the table, struggling to breathe. "What did you put in my drink?"

Reuben leaned in beside me with a look of pity, brushing the loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Relax, Lissy. It's just some aphrodisiac. You'll be fine by morning."

I swung weakly at him. "Reuben, you psycho! I'm your wife!"

He scooped me up and carried me out of the bar. "It's because you're my wife that this hurts so much. I don't have a choice, Lissy. Please forgive me."

I closed my eyes, unable to stomach the sight of him anymore. My body lost all control, flooded with bitterness and a storm of emotions. My tears fell freely.

I'd done everything he asked, even when he made me go on that business trip with Spencer and drink with clients.

But this? Reuben went too far. He'd broken my heart for good.

The idea of divorce crossed my mind.

Reuben led me out and brought me to a hotel. He stripped off my clothes until I lay there exposed on the bed. "Make sure Mr. Joplin is well taken care of tonight, Lissy. I'll pick you up in the morning."

As soon as Reuben was gone, Spencer stepped inside. He approached the bed, and the same hands that had once handed me water were now undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"So, you ended up in my bed after all."