Love in the line of duty

Jeremy Truman sat at the corner table of Cuisine Royal, he nervously tapped his fingers against the smooth wood. He had made a reservation a month ago at the best restaurant in town, which also happened to be Nicole’s favorite spot. Jeremy had saved for six months just to afford dinner here tonight. It was Jeremy and Nicole's wedding anniversary; they had been married for two years, and Jeremy wanted to do something special for her. He glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. She was late, more than an hour. He had tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail. He felt a sense of unease settling in. Just then, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught his attention. Everyone in the restaurant seemed fixated on the news playing on the TV above the bar. Jeremy glanced up and froze. The headline read: "The Billionaire Clifford Family Perishes in a Tragic Plane Crash." But it wasn't the headline that shocked him, it was the news ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen, which read... “CEO of Wellington Conglomerate, Damien Wellington, Engaged to His Lover, Nicole Gilbert." Jeremy’s heart dropped. For a moment, he thought he had read it wrong. “Nicole?” His Nicole? Jeremy’s whole world came crashing down. He sat still, he was unable to process the information, it had to be false, it can't be true, he didn't read it right. How can his wife, a woman he had loved for almost a decade accepted another man’s proposal? And not just any man, his boss, a man he had driven to business meetings, a man he had been loyal to for years. Without thinking, Jeremy stood up. His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he rushed out of the restaurant, his mind raced with fear and confusion. He didn’t know where he was going at first, but then it clicked, he knew exactly where they would be. Damien had given Jeremy the day off, but as his driver and bodyguard, he still had access to Damien’s schedule. He knew Damien would be in his private lodge, it was a secluded estate just outside of town. Jeremy’s fear grew as he drove to the lodge. The guards at the gate didn’t stop him from going in; they knew him well. The house was silent, except for faint sounds coming from upstairs. As he approached the door to the room, he paused, his wife and boss were in the middle of a very passionate lovemaking, he felt his heart broke into pieces. His legs failed him as he fell to the ground. After their intense love making, he could hear Nicole and Damien talking, their voices were clear through the slightly open door. “Do you think Jeremy has seen the news by now?” Nicole asked, her voice laced with concern. “I’ve got five missed calls from him.” She said holding her phone up. “Maybe,” Damien replied, his tone nonchalant. “I wanted to be the one to tell him,” she sighed. “You should’ve waited until I divorced him properly before proposing to me in front of everyone.” “I’m sorry, Nicole,” Damien said, his gaze softening. “I wanted to wait, but you made me so happy after sealing the deal with Glassman Automobiles. You’re a treasure, and I knew I had to make you mine, even if it meant taking you from my driver.” “Well, not to worry, I've arranged everything. All that’s left is for him to sign the divorce papers, and then we can get married.” Nicole reassured him. “Do you feel bad for leaving him?” Damien’s voice sounded smug. Nicole let out a short laugh. "Not at all. My only regret is not leaving him sooner. The moment Jeremy introduced us a year ago, I knew you were what I wanted. You’re everything Jeremy could never be, Damien. At first, I thought you’d never noticed me because I was married, but when you showed interest six months ago, I knew it was time to leave Jeremy and his broke life behind." Jeremy clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His heart was breaking all over again. “The only problem here is that, he works for you, and I'll be running into him all the time.” She paused. “If only there was a way to avoid that.” “Nicole, I’d sack him if he wasn’t the best driver and bodyguard I’ve ever had. He is loyal and dedicated to a fault. But don’t worry, I’ll pay him off to let you go, I don't care how much it takes. Jeremy doesn't deserve you, you belong to a man like me that can spoil you silly.” Damien said, leaning in for another kiss. Nicole pulled back slightly. “Don't be naive Damien, Jeremy can't keep working with you after this! I’m sure there are plenty of other capable drivers out there. There’s nothing special about Jeremy. Just replace him. I don’t want to deal with seeing him again.” Damien chuckled. “Okay, okay, if it bothers you, I’ll fire him.” Nicole nodded in agreement. “Good. I don’t want him in my life anymore.” Jeremy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All those years of love and sacrifice, and now she wanted him erased like he never mattered. “How much do you think I should give him as severance?” Damien asked thoughtfully. “I was thinking thirty million.” “Thirty million?!”Nicole scoffed. “That’s way too much! Trust me, Jeremy is simple-minded. What would he even do with that kind of money?” “But he sold his mother’s property to send you to business school abroad.” Damien reminded her. “And don’t forget, he introduced you to me and got you the job as my business development manager. He’s been loyal, and if not for your sake, I wouldn’t let go of such a man.” Nicole rolled her eyes. “All that’s true, but I know Jeremy more than you do, he doesn’t need that much. Just give him a million or two; he’ll be fine with it. Focus on our wedding, Damien. I want it to be perfect.” Jeremy felt like a fool, his mind raced with the realization that he had been used. The property was the last thing his mother had left him, and Jeremy had given it up to give Nicole the education she dreamed of. Jeremy couldn’t hold back any longer. He burst into the room, startling both Nicole and Damien. “Jeremy!” Nicole gasped, her face pale. “How long have you been standing there?” “How could you do this to me, Nicole?” Jeremy's voice trembled. “How can you accept another man's proposal when we're still married?” Nicole met his gaze, her eyes cold and distant. “Jeremy, I didn’t want you to find out like this, but it just happened." She sighed, her voice was emotionless. "I’m not happy anymore. I’ve outgrown this marriage, I've outgrown you. You don’t have what it takes to keep up with me. It’s time we end this. I want a divorce.” Tears blurred Jeremy’s vision, his body trembling with anger. “You want a divorce? After veverything? You used me, Nicole. You lied to me! I gave you everything I had, everything, but it was never enough for you, was it?” Nicole's expression remained icy, unbothered by his pain. “Jeremy, I’ve moved far beyond you. Why do you think I insisted on keeping our marriage a secret at work. I was embarrassed to admit I was married to a driver. But I can’t pretend anymore. I need someone I can be proud of.” Jeremy’s heart sank as the realization hit him. He’d thought she wanted to keep their relationship private for professionalism’s sake. But now he saw it for what it was, she was ashamed of him all along. Damien stepped forward, crossing his arms. “Jeremy, I understand you’re upset, but this doesn’t give you the right to barge in here. Don’t forget, you work for me.” Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t care anymore. You were planning to fire me anyway, right?” Damien reached for his phone, probably to call security, but Jeremy didn’t care. “You could have any woman in the world, Damien. But you chose my wife. How cruel can you be?” Damien sighed. “If you heard everything, then you know I intend to compensate you fairly.” “To hell with your money!” Jeremy spat. He gave them one last look, full of hurt and betrayal, before saying, “You two deserve each other. I hope you’re happy in your selfish little world.” The security guards arrived. Jeremy didn’t fight them; he pushed past them, walking out.