Chapter 2. Home Wrecker
In the morning, with red eyes from crying all night, and a body that aches from tossing and turning, Vanessa dragged herself to work at Husband’s Enterprise. She tried very hard to ignore the painful ache in her chest, and covered her eye bags and red eyes with make up, pretending everything was fine.
As she entered the company, waiting behind a few of her coworkers to clock in so she could do the same, she heard them gossiping, completely unaware of her presence—or maybe they just didn’t care.
“Girl! Have you seen the news lately? Isla Johnson is finally back!” Lilly, a blonde co worker whispered excitedly to her friend.
“The model?” her friend, Amelia, asked.
“Yeah, but she’s not just any model. She’s Alec Hudson’s only girlfriend and his true love. Everyone knows he literally can’t live without her,” Lilly said, almost giddy.
“Really? But hasn’t there been talk about that secretary Vanessa and the boss… you know… together?”
Lilly let out a disgusted scoff. “Oh Please, Vanessa? That dumb bitch is just a slut that spreads her legs for anyone with power.”
Amelia chuckled. “What a fucking joke. She probably thought sleeping her way to the top would have him wrapped around her finger, but now that Isla’s back, she’s over and done for. Bet she’s soon going to be losing both her job and her so-called status in one day.” The girls burst out laughing.
Vanessa clenched her fists at her sides. She could feel the heat rising in her face but stayed silent.
After all, No one else knew that she was actually Alec’s wife. Their marriage had been a secret, because Alec had forced her to sign a confidentiality agreement. As far as the world was concerned, she was just the “Secretary that probably sleeps with her boss.”
The girls finally clocked in and stepped aside to let Vanessa do the same, but the girls still kept talking.
Lilly shot Vanessa a sideways glance before continuing, “If I were her, I’d leave the company and probably change cities, or even countries. It’s beyond pathetic to hang on like some desperate home wrecker begging to be the main chick. Honestly, the shame must be unreal.”
Amelia snickered. “Hey, she can hear you.”
Lilly didn’t care. She just smirked. “Well, truth hurts, doesn’t it? She’s trying to steal a man who clearly belongs to someone else.”
Vanessa stared straight ahead, pretending their words didn’t sting.Home wrecker? If only they knew she was Alec’s wife, would they call Isla the home wrecker. But she couldn’t even tell anyone, could she?
She bit her lip as her heart throbbed in pain. Alec hadn’t come home last night, and she didn’t need to guess where he’d been. The thought of him spending the night with Isla at that hotel made her stomach twist, but what hurt more was that he hadn’t even bothered to tell her.
By the time Vanessa made it to Alec’s office, her mood had soured even more. She felt too sick and nauseated to work. All she wanted was to beg for the day off and leave before she broke into a pathetic mess in front of everyone.
When she knocked and entered, Alec didn’t bother to look up from his phone. He was wearing different clothes than the day before, confirming that he had slept, showered and changed in the hotel with Isla.
“You’re late,” he snapped coldly, without even glancing her way.
“I-I’m not feeling well,” Vanessa muttered. “Can I- can I take a day off please?”
“Why? Are you really that sick or you’re just lazy today?” Alec asked flatly, finally looking up, his gray eyes as icy as ever.
Vanessa was offended that he would think she was faking it, in all the years she had been working here, she had never ever taken a sick day, even when she was really sick. “I’m really… not feeling well Alec, please I need this,” she begged, swallowing the bitter knot in her throat, remembering that he had rushed out of their house in the middle of the night to see his ill ex girlfriend, but he didn’t even want to give a day off to his own sick wife.
There was a part of her that wanted to ask him where he had been last night. Wanted to ask if he’d spent the night in the same room with Isla. Whether they shared the same bed, But the words wouldn’t come out. She was terrified of hearing the truth.
“Fine, leave if you want to,” Alec said curtly. When Vanessa hesitated, he raised an eyebrow. “Why are you still here? Is there anything else because I have a lot of work to do today.”
Vanessa’s heart sank. He didn’t even try to be kind or reassure her. It was as if her feelings didn’t matter at all. She shook her head and quietly left the office, feeling more empty and useless than before.
Just as she was leaving the building, Vanessa had the great misfortune of running into the worst person she could ever see today.
Isla Johnson.
The woman was being helped out of her car by her guards, looking effortlessly graceful but extremely fragile like a precious damsel in distress that could collapse at any moment.
To make matters worse, Isla smiled at her as their eyes met, her expression annoyingly joyful like they were old friends.
“Hii, So, you must be Vanessa, right? Alec’s wife?” Isla said, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness. “I’m Isla, you must have heard of me. Nice to meet you.”
Vanessa felt her face flush. Was this supposed to be some kind of joke?
“I just wanted to say, Thanks for looking after my Alec these past few years,” Isla added with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Vanessa nearly laughed out loud. Look after Her Alec? Was that what Isla thought of her marriage to Alec? That she had been some kind of temporary caretaker or nanny until Isla returned?
“You don’t need to thank me for doing my duty as his wife,” Vanessa responded stiffly, trying to hold onto whatever shred of dignity she had left.
Isla’s smile remained unchanged. “Of course. Well, I just wanted to introduce myself since I’m sure we’ll now be seeing more of each other.”
Just as Isla began to move away, her purse slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground. She paused and even though she had guards around her, she looked at Vanessa with a helpless smile. “Oh sweetie, Could you grab that for me? I can’t quite reach it.”
Vanessa gritted her teeth but she didn’t want to seem petty so she nodded, bending down to pick up the purse. However, just as she reached out for it, Isla suddenly let out a loud cry and tumbled down to the floor on her own.
“What—?” Vanessa jumped back in shock as Isla hit the ground with a soft thud. Blood began trickling from her forehead, and her cries echoed in the parking lot.
Before Vanessa could process what the hell had just happened, a familiar voice shouted across the garage.
“ISLA!”
Vanessa froze. It was Alec. She’d never heard him sound so frantic and angry.
Within seconds, Alec was by Isla’s side, lifting her into his arms with a gentleness that he had never shown Vanessa. His eyes blazed with hot anger and disgust as they locked onto Vanessa then his cold voice cut to her like ice.
“What the hell did you do to her huh? What the fuck is wrong with you?!”
“No, wait I—I didn’t—”
“Get the fuck away from her!” Alec snapped, pushing her aside without a second thought.
Vanessa stumbled, falling onto the cold concrete as she watched him pick up and cradle Isla in his arms, whispering softly to her just like he did in the photos last night. The tenderness and care in his eyes was something Vanessa had never ever seen directed at her in all their years together.
And as he carried Isla away, Vanessa sat there, her heart shattered, realizing just how worthless she really was to him.