It was simple. Minimalist. But the silk was heavy, Italian, and cost more than David’s first car. I had bought it with the dividend check from my private investment portfolio—a portfolio David knew nothing about.
“Are you wearing that?”
David emerged from the walk-in closet, struggling with his cufflinks. He looked at me with a familiar mix of boredom and irritation.
“It’s elegant, David,” I said, smoothing the fabric over my hips.
“It’s plain,” he corrected, turning back to the mirror to admire his own tuxedo. “Tonight is the Apex Innovations Annual Gala, Maya. It’s not a church picnic. There will be investors there. The Board of Directors. People who matter.”
He emphasized the word matter as if to clarify that I did not fall into that category.
“I’ll stay in the background,” I promised, picking up my clutch. “I’m just here to support you.”
“Good,” David grunted. “Because rumor has it the new owner—the ‘Ghost Chairman’ who bought the company out of bankruptcy six months ago—might actually show up tonight. I need to make a good impression. If I play my cards right, Henderson might tap me for the Senior VP role.”
I hid a smile behind my hand. “I hope you impress them, honey.”
David didn’t see the irony. He didn’t know that the “Ghost Chairman” who had saved his company, who had authorized his bonus last month, and who held the power to fire him with a single signature, was standing right in front of him.
He thought I was just Maya. The quiet girl he married out of college. The “housewife” who managed the budget while he managed the world. He had no idea that while he was playing office politics, I had been building an empire in the shadows, using the inheritance my grandmother left me to acquire distressed tech companies.
His phone buzzed.
“It’s Sarah,” David said, reading the text. “She’s already at the venue. She says she’s ready to ‘handle’ you if you get bored and start talking about recipes.”
“Your sister is so thoughtful,” I said dryly.
“She just wants what’s best for me,” David said, checking his watch. “Let’s go. And Maya? Try to look… smarter. Just nod a lot.”
We walked out to the waiting town car. David settled into the leather seat, checking his reflection in the window, oblivious to the fact that tonight was the last time he would ever ride in a company vehicle.
Part 2: The Nanny Lie
The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of black ties and glittering gowns. Waiters moved like ghosts with trays of champagne, and the air buzzed with the murmur of deals being made.
David was in his element. He strode into the room like he owned it, gripping my elbow a little too tightly, steering me toward the VIP section.
“There’s Henderson,” David whispered, spotting the acting CEO near the ice sculpture. “Stay close, but don’t speak unless spoken to.”
Arthur Henderson was a good man. He was the only person in the company, other than my legal team, who knew my true identity. We had met secretly in coffee shops for months to strategize the company’s turnaround.
When David approached him, Henderson’s eyes lit up—not for David, but for me.
“David!” Henderson boomed, shaking his hand. “Good to see you.”
“Mr. Henderson,” David beamed, puffing out his chest. He shifted his body, trying to block Henderson’s view of me, as if I were a stain on his lapel.
“And who is this?” Henderson asked, stepping to the side and looking directly at me with a warm, respectful smile. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your wife formally.”
David froze. I saw the panic in his eyes. He was ashamed. He didn’t want the CEO to know he was married to a “simple housewife.” He wanted to appear unencumbered, a man married only to his career.
Or perhaps, he just didn’t think I was trophy enough.
“Oh, uh,” David stammered, his laugh nervous and high-pitched. “No, no, Mr. Henderson. This isn’t my wife.”
I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. Don’t do it, David, I thought. Don’t you dare.
“This is Maya,” David said, waving a dismissive hand at me. “She’s… the nanny. For my kids. I just brought her along to help hold the coats and purses. You know how chaotic these events get.”
The silence that followed was deafening, at least to me.
Als je wilt doorgaan, klik op de knop onder de advertentie 
Lees verder door hieronder op de knop (VOLGENDE 》) te klikken !
