THE CEO'S SECRET

The Marriage

Chapter 4

After a month of dragging my feet through the wedding plans, I finally married Audrey. On my wedding day, I looked anything but happy.

As we drove to my house after the ceremony, I could see doubt in her eyes. She was quiet, just staring out the window, lost in her thoughts.

When the car stopped, I turned to her. “Get out!” I yelled. She fumbled as she hurried out of the car. Without another word, I signaled the driver to take me to see my father.

As I walked through the house, the staff greeted me with congratulations. I ignored them.

In my father’s room, I met the caregiver feeding him. I told her to leave, trying to hold back my anger. She quickly stepped out.

I grabbed one of his cigars from his stash and lit it. Sitting next to him, I stared at the shell of the man who once controlled everything. He wasn’t really there anymore, but I didn’t care. He needed to hear this.

"I married your precious little w***e today," I said coldly. “Isn’t that what you wanted? For me to take care of your beloved Audrey?” I let out a dry laugh and took another drag of the cigar.

“You thought you could still control me even now? You don’t know me at all, Dad.” I leaned in close, my voice low. “I’m going to make her suffer for your sins. I’ll make her beg me for a divorce, and you won’t be able to stop it.”

I blew smoke into his face, my eyes cold. “Take care, Dad,” I said, patting his shoulder. “I’ve got a bride waiting.”

After that night, I made it clear: Audrey would suffer. I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to her, and honestly, I didn’t want to see her. So instead of going home, I stayed at the hotel with Maggie. She was happy to keep me company, just like old times.

I return to the house the next morning. As I pulled up, I wondered if she had been waiting or if she’d figured out what her life would be like, lonely and cold, a far cry from the fairy tale she might have imagined.

When I walked into the house, she was sitting in the living room, her eyes widening when she saw me. She looked... different. Maybe it was the weight of worry, or maybe she hadn’t slept well waiting for me. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. She was about to get what she deserved.

"Where have you been?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking as if she feared the answer.

I didn’t even look at her. "Out," I replied, walking past her like she was a ghost.

"I’ve been worried..." she tried again, but I cut her off.

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped, cold and dismissive. “You should be grateful I’m here at all.”

She swallowed, lowering her gaze. “I... I’m trying. I know this is hard, but—”

“Hard?” I chuckled darkly, turning to face her finally. “Hard is being forced into this sham of a marriage because of you. Don’t act like you're some innocent victim here. You’ve been playing this game for a while, haven’t you? You’ve wrapped my father around your finger, thinking I would be an easy target too."

Her eyes filled with tears, but I wasn't moved. "That’s not true,” she whispered.

I shook my head, almost laughing at how pathetic she looked. "I don’t care. Whatever lies you fed him to get this far won’t work on me. You’re nothing to me, Audrey. Just a stepping stone."

She flinched, the tears now falling down her cheeks, but I didn't stop. I wanted to break her.

“You know what the worst part is?” I leaned in, towering over her. “You’ll never have a moment of peace in this house. I’ll make sure of that. You’ll wake up every day, wondering if today’s the day I finally get rid of you. You’re stuck with me until I decide I’m done, and when that day comes, you’ll beg for the divorce. And trust me, Audrey, it will be the happiest day of your life when I finally walk away.”

She was shaking now, her hands trembling as she tried to wipe her tears. "Please Dominic... I’m not your enemy," she pleaded.

“Too late,” I said coldly. "You made your choice when you crawled into my father’s life. Now, you’ll deal with the consequences."

From that day on, I barely acknowledged her. I left early in the mornings, came home late, and refused to share meals or conversations. Whenever she tried to talk to me, I would brush her off or give her the coldest response possible.

Audrey tried to hold herself together, acting like it didn’t affect her, but I could see the cracks starting to show. She was breaking slowly.

*******************

One evening, I came home later than usual, Maggie by my side, and found Audrey waiting in the hallway. Her eyes were red, probably from crying, though she quickly wiped them when she saw me.

Maggie, always quick to pick up on the mood, slipped her arm through mine and smirked at Audrey, making no effort to hide that she was with me.

“Are you going to keep doing this?” Audrey asked, her voice small but hurt. "Parading her around like this?"

I shrugged, moving past her. "What I do is none of your business."

Maggie laughed a little as we passed her, and I didn’t look back. Audrey stood there, frozen.

Maggie and I made our way straight to my room. I shut the door behind us, leaning against it with a smirk.

“Want to celebrate my new life?” I asked, my voice low and teasing.

Maggie flashed me a playful grin. “You know I’m always up for that.”

Before I knew it, we were on the bed, our lips crashing together. I pushed her back, feeling the heat between us rise. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.

“Damn, you feel good,” I murmured against her skin, my hands roaming over her body.

She giggled softly, her breath catching as I kissed down her neck.

“You always know how to make me feel wanted,” she said, I could hear the desire in her voice.

As we continued, I made sure to be loud, wanting Audrey to hear every moment. The sounds of our pleasure echoed off the walls, moans, gasps, and the slap of skin against skin filled the air.

“Maggie, you’re incredible,” I said loudly, wanting Audrey to hear me.

But something happened. When I looked at up at Maggie, I saw Audrey’s face instead. Suddenly, I was back in that hotel room, the air thick with desire. Audrey's eyes sparkled in the dim light, how she bit her lower lip seductively. Those memories kept coming back to me.

Why was I thinking of her? I tried to push the thought away and focus on Maggie, who was wrapped around me, urging me to stay in the moment. But every time I heard a gasp or moan from Maggie, my mind betrayed me, bringing back memories of Audrey’s warmth and how her presence had ignited something deep inside me.

I pulled away from Maggie and stood up.

"I need a drink," I said, pulling my trousers back on.

“What the f**k, Dominic? You can’t just leave me like this!” she yelled, but I didn’t care. I walked out of the room, my mind racing.

As I headed to the bar, I couldn’t understand why Audrey kept popping into my head while I was with Maggie. Why did I feel a pull towards her? I needed to clear my thoughts.

I poured myself a drink, trying to drown out the memories of that night at the hotel, the sweet scent of her hair lingering in the air and the warmth of her skin against mine, the way her eye sparkled with raw desire that made my heart race.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I muttered under my breath.