On the drive home, Sandra and I didn't exchange a single word.

The silence clung to us, thick and unrelenting, until we passed a flower shop and she suddenly stirred.

"Randy, pull over. I need to go in."

I didn't ask why. Just eased the car to a stop by the curb and watched as Sandra, lips tightly pressed together, slipped out and walked into the shop.

She came back moments later, holding a wrapped bouquet. She offered them to me.

"Randy," she said, "you used to give me flowers all the time. This time, let me be the one to give them to you. The florist said they're called Black Knight. To me, you've always been like a knight—always protecting me."

She was good at this. Uncannily good. If I hadn't already seen past her act, I might have fallen for it again. I might have believed she truly loved me—might have believed that the last three years of playing the supporting role were worth something.

But this bouquet, this symbolic gesture, was just her way of apologizing—for another man.

I could see the guilt in her eyes. Still, I reached out and took the flowers. She let out a small breath of relief, as if something tight inside her had just uncoiled.

"You accepted them," she said quickly. "So you're not mad anymore, right?"

"About Brian," she added, voice laced with a mix of exasperation and coaxing, as though humoring a child. "It really was an accident. He's just a kid—I couldn't be too harsh with him, right?"

I didn't argue. Instead, I told her calmly, "It's not about Brian. And it's not about whether it was an accident. What bothers me is that someone intruded on our personal space. You let it happen once. What about next time? There's ambition in his eyes—you saw that, didn't you?"

She glanced away, dodging the blow. "Isn't it a good thing for young people to be ambitious?"

But then her voice softened, tried to thread its way back to me. "You're right. I didn't think it through today. I ignored your feelings. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

And then, with a practiced smile and a knowing wink, she said, "Randy, I swear, what happened today won't happen again."

I nodded.

That night, we went home together. It wasn't perfect, but we managed something close to peace.

A few days later, I returned from a business trip to rumors floating through the office like pollen on a breeze.

"Did you hear? Ms. Kinsey fast-tracked that intern, Brian. Made him a permanent staff early—and she assigned him under the executive assistant, of all people."

"No way. The assistant's been here since the previous director's days. What's she trying to pull?"

"What else could it be?" someone muttered, checking over their shoulder before leaning in. "These rich types, they get bored. Keep a few pretty boys around for fun."

The words landed like a thorn in my chest.

Another voice chimed in, "But isn't Ms. Kinsey close with Mr. Laurent? Would she really do something like that behind his back? She's not worried he'll find out?"

"You're too naive," came the reply. "These arranged marriages? They look good on the surface, but underneath, everyone's doing their own thing. They know how to keep it hidden."

The voices faded as I stood frozen, their words echoing long after they were gone.

The memory of Sandra's promise suddenly seemed laughable.

I drew a deep breath to steady myself, then turned stiffly and made my way to her office. I needed answers. But before I could reach the door, her assistant, Dennis Parker, hurried over, hesitating.

"Mr. Laurent…"

I assumed he had work for me and nodded. "Wait a moment."

But he didn't move.

"Ms. Kinsey said… she's busy," he finally said. "No one is allowed inside."

"No one?" I asked, pointing at myself. "That includes me?"

He gave a reluctant nod.

A soft laugh escaped me. It felt like a bitter wind passing through.

What was Sandra doing in there that her own husband wasn't allowed to see?

Despite the churn in my chest, I forced myself to nod and turn back toward my office. I kept my tone level as I asked, "Do you know what she's busy with?"

Dennis hesitated again. "No," he said slowly, "but I know Brian is in there."

Brian—again.

I trusted Dennis. He wasn't the type to lie.

And the rumors—they hadn't come out of nowhere.

I thought of the private dance studio. It wasn't hard to guess what kind of "busy" this was.

I had underestimated Brian. In just a few days, he'd once again gained access to Sandra's most private spaces.

After dismissing Dennis, I sat alone, thinking. Then I picked up my phone and dialed her number.

The ringtone looped several times before she finally answered.

"Randy? What is it?" Her voice was breathy, cheerful. "I was dancing—didn't hear the phone."

When she was stressed or upset, she liked to dance behind closed doors.

But this didn't sound like stress. It sounded like elation.

I asked, "Are you alone?"

A beat of silence. Then, "Of course I'm alone. You're out of town—who else would be here?"

She was lying. The certainty hit me immediately.

The disappointment curled inside me, spreading like ink in water.

I ended the call after a few polite sentences and left early for the evening's business meeting.

And there, I saw Sandra and Brian.

I was seated at the head of the room when she barged in with that air of indignant entitlement, snapping at the doorman.

"I have an invitation. Can't I bring one guest with me?"

I'd made it clear from the start—no unrelated parties allowed. The doorman was simply following orders.

As for Sandra, maybe she'd been riding on my coattails for so long she forgot her own weight.

A cold smile tugged at my lips as I stood and walked over.

The moment she saw me, her expression changed—surprise, then an awkward, eager smile.

"Randy! You're back? When did you return? Why didn't you tell me ahead of time?"

My gaze flicked meaningfully to Brian, and I replied as casually as one might remark on the weather, "I thought you were busy."

Sandra's face stiffened instantly.

"Randy…" she started, but all eyes in the room had already turned toward us.

Seeing this, Brian stepped forward, his face flushed with shame, trying to shield her from the growing attention.

"Mr. Laurent, it's all my fault. I just wanted to gain a little insight, so I begged Ms. Kinsey to bring me here. If you're going to blame someone, blame me. Please don't hold it against her."

His voice was sincere, and his head was lowered in apology. In that moment, he neatly drew a line between us—me on one side, Sandra on the other.

Well then.

"If you know you were wrong," I said without hesitation, "what are you still doing here? Or do you want Ms. Kinsey to keep standing here and be embarrassed because of you?"

Brian's face flushed a deeper red. He turned to Sandra with humiliated eyes.

I had no interest in being part of a spectacle, so I turned and left.

But Sandra's calls came one after another.

I finally answered.

Her voice was sharp with irritation. "Randy, what's the meaning of this? You're back, and this is how you treat me?"

"You gave me a nice surprise first," I replied dryly and hung up.

She never showed up at the business conference after that.

I assumed she left with Brian.

So devoted. How touching.

I laughed to myself without a sound.

The next morning, Dennis came to me with news: Brian had turned in his resignation letter—eyes red, apparently on the verge of tears.

He'd even made a point to say goodbye to Sandra.

He told her he was grateful for her recognition, but he didn't want to come between her and her husband, so he was giving up his future—regretfully, of course.

Cheap tactic. But for someone like Sandra, a privileged girl with ordinary dreams, it worked.

She flew into a rage and rejected his resignation.

Then, as if to spite me, she made a show of promoting him to her personal assistant.

That night, she came home and brought it up.

"Randy, I want Brian to move into the house…"

I paused what I was doing.

She rushed to explain. "I don't mean anything by it! It's just that his place is too far. As a personal assistant, it's inconvenient."

Everyone knew "personal assistant" was a front. And yet she clung to it like gospel.

I let out a low laugh and said with a tinge of sarcasm, "You don't seriously think 'personal' means literally, do you?"

Her face flushed, then drained of color, then flushed again. Her voice shook with fury. "How can you see people in such a filthy light? Before I came back, Brian warned me again and again not to get upset with you! Why must you always think the worst of people? Are you that incapable of decency, Randy? You've got less grace than a common man!"

Her words came fast, breathless, escalating without her even realizing how unhinged she sounded.

I closed the file in my hands and looked up at her.

"If you want him to move in, let him. Just make sure you're clear on what you're choosing."

Beyond affection, our marriage was a network of tangled interests. The rest was up to her.

The next night, Brian came in behind her, just as expected.

He bowed the moment he saw me, voice trembling with practiced regret. "Mr. Laurent, I was wrong about the conference. I truly understand that now. Please don't hold it against me. I promise to follow all the rules from now on. No more overstepping."

If he hadn't put on that same pitiful expression again, maybe I would've believed him.

But now...

Looking at Sandra's strained, pained expression beside him, my voice turned cold. "I hope you can really stay true to yourself."

Then I turned to him. "And Brian, I hope you truly understand your place, and stop coveting what was never yours."

With that, I left them standing there and returned to my room.

But Sandra didn't stay away for long.

Not even an hour passed before she slipped into my bed, dressed in sheer lingerie, her voice coaxing and sweet.

"Randy, everything I've done—it's all for work. You don't have to say things that sound so serious and scary."

She leaned in to kiss me.

But the bedroom door flew open, crashing against the wall.

And Brian's voice came through, cautious and quiet.