Chapter 7: The Wife Who Fights Back
878 Words
The office buzzed with energy that morning — the kind of energy Ayla hadn’t felt in a long time.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, whispers, and hurried footsteps. Something was
happening. Something big.
Ayla stepped out of her car, her heels clicking on the marble floor of Lewis Group’s main
building. Today, she wasn’t the broken wife who cried herself to sleep. Today, she was Vice
President Ayla Martez-Lewis — brilliant, fierce, and determined. The woman she had been
before the cracks in her marriage began to show.
The decision was made last night, between tears and sleepless hours. If Brylle wanted to let go,
fine. But she would not crumble. Not at work. Not in front of the world. Not anymore.
As she entered the executive floor, Janine rushed to meet her, eyes wide.
“Ma’am, you need to see this.”
Ayla raised a brow. “What is it?”
Janine handed her a tablet, showing a news article that had just broken online.
“Isabelle Rivas Returns: Former fiancée of Lewis Group’s CEO Back in Manila, Rumored to
Join as Major Investor.”
Ayla’s chest tightened. Isabelle. The name she hadn’t heard in years. The name that once haunted
the early days of her relationship with Brylle.
The woman before her. The woman who nearly became Mrs. Lewis.
“She’s in the conference room with Mr. Lewis and the board,” Janine whispered.
Ayla’s jaw clenched. Of course she is.
Without another word, Ayla straightened her posture, smoothed her blouse, and walked with
purpose toward the conference room.
Inside, the board members sat around the long table, tension visible in their faces. Brylle stood
at the head of the table, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. And beside him, with perfect
poise, sat Isabelle Rivas — stunning, confident, and clearly aware of the stir her presence had
caused.
Ayla opened the door without knocking. The room fell silent as she stepped inside.
“Mrs. Lewis,” one of the board members said, relief in his voice at the sight of her.
Isabelle turned slowly, offering a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Ayla,” she said smoothly, as if
they were old friends. “It’s been a long time.”
Ayla met her gaze, her own smile polite but firm. “It has. Welcome back, Isabelle.”
Brylle’s eyes darted between them, tension flickering in his gaze. “Ayla, I didn’t expect—”
“I’m Vice President of this company,” Ayla interrupted, her voice calm but powerful. “You can
expect me at any meeting that involves major investors or changes to the company’s future.”
Isabelle let out a soft laugh, tilting her head. “Still as sharp as ever. I admire that.”
Ayla took a seat across from her, ignoring the way the board members watched, as if expecting
the two women to tear each other apart right then and there.
“What’s Isabelle doing here?” Ayla asked, directing the question at Brylle, but keeping her eyes
on Isabelle.
“She’s proposing an investment,” Brylle said carefully. “A partnership that could open
international opportunities for the company.”
Ayla nodded slowly, scanning the papers in front of her. She saw it immediately — the terms
Isabelle proposed weren’t just generous; they were dangerous. Too much control handed to an
outsider.
“I see what this is,” Ayla said, setting the papers down. “An impressive offer. But one that gives
you too much influence over the company’s direction.”
Isabelle’s smile didn’t falter. “Ayla, darling, this is just business. Nothing more.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Ayla said, voice smooth as silk. “But forgive me if I don’t trust the timing. You
appear out of nowhere, right after my husband suggests a divorce. And now here you are, ready
to ‘help’ the company. Forgive me if that’s hard to swallow.”
The room tensed, the board members exchanging uneasy glances.
Brylle opened his mouth to speak, but Ayla held up a hand. “No, Brylle. Let her speak. Let’s all
hear it.”
Isabelle’s smile faded, the mask slipping for just a moment. “This is business, Ayla. Don’t let
personal feelings cloud your judgment. Brylle and I have history, yes, but this isn’t about that.”
“Then you won’t mind if we review the offer thoroughly before deciding,” Ayla said, standing.
“And you won’t mind if I remind the board that this company was built on integrity, not
desperation. We don’t need saving. We need smart choices.”
She turned to the board. “Schedule another meeting. I want a full legal review of this proposal
before we consider anything.”
The board members nodded, grateful someone had taken control.
Ayla gave Isabelle one last look — not of hatred, but of warning. You may have been his past.
But I’m still his present.
Without waiting for a reply, she left the room, her heart pounding. Brylle called after her softly,
but she didn’t stop.
She wasn’t just the wife anymore. She was a fighter. And no one — not even an ex from the past
— would take what she had worked so hard to protect.
- Writer
