Lost in Love's Deception
But there was no response.
It felt like I had been asleep for hours. I could barely keep my eyes open, and the pain in my head was unbearable.
I grabbed my phone in a panic, my heart sinking when I saw the time. It was already 11:00 AM, and I had a meeting with a big client, Ash Frost, at 10:00 AM.
I rushed to get ready, brushing off the haze in my mind as I hurried toward the meeting. I tried calling Margot and Ash on the way, but neither of them picked up.
When I arrived, I found Margot chatting happily with Ash, as if nothing had happened.
When she saw me, she flashed a polite smile. "I'm so sorry. My husband can't even remember a scheduled time. How could he possibly handle a deal like this?"
Ash gave me a quick glance, his eyes cold and then turned away without saying anything.
I opened my mouth to explain, but Margot cut me off, pulling me aside. Her expression was a mix of contempt and indifference. "What are you doing here?"
I was caught off guard, laughing in disbelief. "I came to talk business, of course!"
Margot's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, so now you're awake?"
And just like that, it hit me. Last night, Margot had given me a glass of milk. It had tasted strange, but I thought nothing of it. She'd been so kind, and I didn't want to seem ungrateful. But now, I realized that strange taste. It wasn't just odd. It was probably a sleeping pill.
"You drugged me?" I demanded, my voice sharp with realization.
Margot shot me a disgusted look. "Finally catching on."
"Why would you do this? This deal is crucial for the company. What's in it for you? For me? For all of us?" My voice wavered, my disbelief turning to frustration.
"What's in it for me?" Margot tilted her head, her lips curving into a wicked smile. "Oh, there's plenty in it for me."
Before I could press further, a voice interrupted from behind us. "Margot, I've printed the contract. Should I take it to Mr. Frost now?"
Dominic Reed stood there, his gaze soft and almost loving as he looked at Margot. It was a tenderness I had never seen before. Then, as if he suddenly noticed me, he dramatically covered his mouth in feigned surprise. "Oh, Rowan's here. I thought I wouldn't see you today."
He looked at Margot, the expression on his face full of melodrama. "Margot, Rowan's here. Are you really going to let him take this deal from me?"
A flare of anger surged through me. What the hell was he talking about?
I had been the one managing this deal from the beginning. Now, after Margot drugged me and I showed up late, he was trying to steal it from me?
I opened my mouth to argue, but Margot was quicker, soothing Dominic with a gentle touch on his arm. Her eyes softened in a way I hadn't seen in years. "Don't worry, Dominic. What's meant for you will always be yours."
Then she turned to me, her eyes cold and calculating. "Whoever closes this deal gets the title of director. Maybe you should start calling him Director."
"You're out of your mind! Is this what you call a benefit? Giving Dominic a chance to secure his position in the company?"
"Or what?" Margot said dismissively, shooting me a contemptuous look before walking into the room. She handed the contract to Ash. "Mr. Frost, please sign. I'm sure with Dominic managing your assets, they'll double in no time."
I was speechless. "Margot, you've lost it. No investment could double in value that quickly."
Dominic sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Rowan, if you can't do it, don't assume no one else can."
I turned to Ash, my voice steady but firm. "Mr. Frost, we've known each other for a long time. You know what I'm capable of. Yes, the market is doing well, but doubling assets in such a short time? That's just fantasy."
I watched as Ash hesitated, his pen hovering over the contract. Margot's eyes narrowed as she shot me a fierce look before turning to Ash. "Mr. Frost, now that we're here, I can't bear to see you deceived any longer.
Everything Rowan's shown you was copied from Dominic's ideas. As his wife, I've tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. I just couldn't watch it anymore, so today I'm putting my own reputation on the line to help you sign this contract with Dominic."
"You're really saying all this?" I shouted.
Dominic stepped forward, grasping Margot's hand tightly. His voice was thick with gratitude. "Margot, thank you. Without you, I don't know how much longer I would have been plagiarized."
My head was spinning, my mind clouded with anger. Margot had gone this far to destroy me for Dominic. Didn't she see how much damage she was causing? Was Dominic really worth it?
Ash looked uncertain, but Margot pushed further. "We'll give you a discount. If you sign, we'll lower the service fee by ten percent."
Without hesitation, Ash signed the contract. Then, he looked at me with an apologetic expression. "Rowan, it's not that I don't trust you, but well... your wife said all this."
I watched him leave, my chest tight with disbelief. I turned back to Margot, my voice barely a whisper. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
Margot held Dominic's hand tightly, her tone cold and almost dismissive. "Of course, it's for Dominic! It's for the company. You've been the deputy director for years and still haven't moved up. Doesn't that say something about your abilities? Now there's a chance, and you're trying to take it with seniority, but Dominic is the right person. If you had the skills, you would've been promoted already."
My hands clenched into fists. "Do you even realize what you're doing to me?"
She scoffed, "What's the worst that could happen? You don't think you've had a great run, do you? Helping Dominic build his future isn't such a bad thing, is it?"
I looked at her, and for the first time, she seemed like a stranger. The way she looked at Dominic, the adoration in her eyes... it was like a different person entirely.
No, maybe this was who she'd always been.
I remembered the first time I met her in college. She had given Dominic a bottle of cheap water on the basketball court, and he had mocked her for it. I'd watched as she stood there, helpless, as he walked away with some rich girl's water. And I'd handed her a tissue, trying to comfort her. Her eyes, filled with tears, were so clear. It felt like I could see into her soul.
Later, when Dominic convinced her to buy him a phone she couldn't afford, I stopped her, showing her the truth. I knew she wasn't a bad person. She was just someone who didn't know better. She thanked me, and we grew closer.
But that was before Dominic confessed to the rich girl, before everything spiraled out of control.
She'd been heartbroken, even tried to harm herself. I'd been there for her, holding her hand as she cried, asking me, "Rowan, do you think no one will ever love me?"
I listened to her painful story, her abusive father, her weak mother, their poverty. And as I watched her cry, I felt a deep, almost unbearable pity for her. I promised her, "I'll love you."
But now, it seemed like those words had meant nothing. She'd only agreed because Dominic wasn't hers.
And now, here I was, watching her, standing beside him, as if nothing had ever mattered.
I should've seen it all coming.
The pain in my chest was overwhelming. I turned to Margot, still clutching the contract with her defensive stance. "Don't worry," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside. "I won't take this contract from you."
Maybe it was the lingering effects of the sleeping pill, but I felt utterly drained. The weight of despair was so heavy, I could barely keep my eyes open.
Back at the office, I deleted every investment plan without a second thought and formatted my computer.
The market was volatile. Although things had been looking up recently, it was only temporary. It was all due to the country's expansionary fiscal policy. Once the market cooled down, things would stabilize. However, there were always reckless investors who would face huge losses.
And clearly, Dominic was one of them.
He had barely scraped through university and, after three years at the company, had managed to mess up every single project he'd worked on. If it weren't for Margot constantly begging me to clean up his mess, he wouldn't have lasted this long.
But he walked around acting like he was some kind of genius, blaming me for his failures, convinced that I was always trying to sabotage him. He thought he was untouchable, smarter than everyone around him.
His investment strategy was reckless, like a gambler who had no regard for the risks. The portfolios on his contracts weren't even the most optimal market choices, just a few stocks he'd randomly picked that had been doing well. But anyone with any real knowledge knew that those stocks would crash soon enough.
When Margot came back to the office, she was practically dragging Dominic behind her, rushing to the boss' office to demand that he be promoted.
The boss glanced at me with hesitation. "Uh... Rowan, you've been handling this account, haven't you?"
Before I could say anything, Margot cut in, her tone sugary sweet, "Sir, this is about who has the ability. Dominic is far more capable than Rowan!"
Seeing the boss still unsure, Margot pressed on, her voice smooth and insistent. "And all those investment plans Rowan gave Mr. Frost? He copied them from Dominic!"
The boss turned to me in shock. "What? That can't be true!"
Margot crossed her arms, her voice dripping with authority. "I'm Rowan's wife. Don't you believe me?"
I chuckled bitterly, the irony too much to bear. "I've been at this company for five years, working with Ash for just as long. Dominic's only been here for three. How could I have copied his work?"
Margot faltered, speechless for a moment, but the boss was already wavering. Seeing his doubt, Dominic stepped in with his usual dramatic flair.
"Sir, it's true. Rowan has been sabotaging my career, making sure I don't get promoted, while covering up my mistakes. He's been using his position to keep me from advancing. He's only been pretending to help me, but really, he's been holding me back."
The boss looked at me, stunned, clearly conflicted. Dominic kept pushing. "If you make me Director, I'll give up my commission for the Frost deal and donate it all to the company."
That was enough to seal the deal. The boss, moved by Dominic's offer, clapped his hands and declared, "Alright, I'm promoting Dominic to Director!"
The boss glanced at me with a touch of guilt, clearly unsure how to comfort me. I stood up, taking off my nameplate and saying coldly, "No need to comfort me. I'm resigning."
Margot exploded at once. "Resign?! How can you resign? What about me and Dominic?"
It was clear she knew Dominic's abilities were barely above average. But what did she expect? Dominic would take the money, Dominic would get the promotion, and I... what was I to her?
After all these years together, was I just a stepping stone?
I forced a smile, my voice calm but cutting. "Margot, I'm done. We're getting a divorce."
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