For three years, I was the only one allowed inside my husband, Matthew Carter's, secret room on the top floor.

Until that day—when I walked in and found his young assistant there.

"Matthew asked me to get things ready for his dinner party," she said, all confidence and no shame.

I smiled. It turned out this was what it felt like to have my privileges as his wife trampled on.

Fine. If the rules of the game had changed, then I would show everyone who the real player was. One by one, I dismantled the Carter family's most prized projects. That was when Matthew finally panicked.

He demanded, "Why? We're husband and wife!"

"Exactly," I said, tossing the divorce papers onto his desk. "And that's why betrayal comes with a steeper price, doesn't it?"

The moment I saw my husband's assistant, Sofia, pouring wine in our secret room, I knew it was time for him to learn what it felt like to lose everything.

My name was Elena Douglas, and I had been married to Matthew Carter for three years.

That afternoon, I went to pick up Matthew from his investment firm. After that, we'd head to his parents' fancy villa in Carrington for dinner.

Matthew's office was way up in the tallest skyscraper in the city, taking up the entire top floor. Past where his assistants worked was his office.

There was a space to meet people and deal with business matters—but the real highlight was his secret room.

That room meant the world to Matthew. He said it was his only spot to catch his breath in the busy, money-scented world of finance. I was the only one allowed in.

It was our little secret—one of the perks of being his wife.

Whenever I came to get him, I would hang out in that room until he was done with work. It had my favorite books, the art we had picked out together, and a liquor cabinet that only I had the code to.

However, that day, when I opened the office door, I noticed the door to the secret room was cracked open. I stopped for a second, then pushed the door wider. There was Sofia.

She had been Matthew's personal assistant for just two months, and there she was, standing by Matthew's liquor cabinet with a bottle of fancy 1982 Lafite. Next to her, on a small table, were two glasses, and one was already filled with wine.

She saw me and smiled like everything was perfect. "Elena, you're here. Matthew told me to wait for him."

She waved the wine bottle. "He wanted me to get the wine ready for the family dinner tonight. You know how picky his dad is about his red wine."

I watched her stand there — so comfortable and relaxed like she owned the place.

"Is that the wine for the family dinner?" I asked again.

"Yep." She put the wine bottle back on the shelf, her hands moving like she had done it a million times. "Matthew told me tonight's dinner is super important, so he wanted me to pick out just the right wine. You see..."

She paused for a moment, and her eyes held an emotion I could not quite read.

"I know a lot about red wine. When I was studying in Francoria, I learned everything about wine tasting."

She went on, "Matthew mentioned his dad's new favorite is wine from Bellevigne, so I chose this special one for tonight."

Her words stung like a bee. They hurt.

Matthew knew I did not know the first thing about red wine. On our first date, I even mixed up champagne and white wine. He just laughed and said it was okay, that he would pick the wine from now on and I should just enjoy it.

Now, he had someone else picking out our dinner wine? In the place that was supposed to be just ours?

"Is Matthew still in a meeting?" I kept my voice steady.

"He should be done with the board meeting soon," Sofia said, glancing at her Patek Philippe watch. "He wanted me to get everything set up so that you both could leave as soon as he was free."

She spoke like she was one of us. It felt too close for comfort.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep the anger contained.

Getting mad at Sofia would only make me look like I was overreacting, and I bet that was what she wanted.

I just looked at her, calm and clear. "You shouldn't be here. Please leave."

Sofia's smile did not look so perfect anymore. She definitely did not see that coming. A quick flash of annoyance flickered in her eyes, but she hid it with a professional smile.

"Sure thing, Elena." She put the wine glass down and walked to the door with grace. "I'll wait for Matthew outside."

Passing by me, she stopped for a second. "Oh, and this wine? It's the perfect match for tonight's dinner. Matthew's got great taste, you know."

Her voice had a teasing edge, like she was saying, 'I know your husband better than you do.'

The door shut softly behind her.

I was left alone in the secret room, staring at two wine glasses—one empty, the other filled with wine. She had obviously been expecting someone to join her for a drink.

I moved to the big window and looked down at the streets. Three years ago, when Matthew first brought me here, we had stood right at this spot. He hugged me from behind and promised, "This place is just for us."

However, another woman was here now, acting like she owned the place.

Ten minutes later, Matthew walked in.

He saw me by myself and frowned a little. "Where's Sofia? She was supposed to get the wine."

I faced him. "I told her to step out."

"Why?" He loosened his tie and headed for the liquor cabinet. "She was just helping out."

I said, keeping my voice steady, "Matthew, do you remember what this secret room means to us?"

He stopped for a second, then poured himself some whiskey like it was no big deal. "Sure, I remember. But this is work, Elena. Don't blow it out of proportion.

Matthew continued after taking a sip, "She's good with wine. And she's my assistant. It's normal for her to take care of this stuff."

"Normal?" I stepped closer to Matthew. "Remember how we always picked out the wine for family dinners together? Even when I didn't know much about wine, you'd teach me and let me help. Now, you've got your assistant doing it and you say that's normal?"

Matthew looked a bit annoyed. "Elena, you're overthinking it."

I stared at him, the man who had once said I was 'the only one'.

"Matthew, this place is not only your private space; it's ours too," I said slowly, making sure he heard every word. "I don't want to see anyone else here."

Finally, Matthew met my gaze, irritation flashing across his face.

"Fine, if it bothers you, I'll keep it in mind from now on," he said with a shrug.

He sounded like he was trying to calm down a fussy child.

"It's not about whether you keep it in mind, Matthew. It's about boundaries. About respect," I told him.

"I get it," he said, glancing at his watch. "We should head out. My parents hate waiting."

I watched him walk away, feeling a piece of my heart break off quietly.

The drive back to Carrington should have just taken an hour, but it felt like forever.

Matthew tried to chat a few times, but I shut down each attempt with short answers.

At dinner, we acted like the perfect couple in front of his parents. I smiled, toasted, praised his mom's new hairstyle, and talked about the recent art shows with his dad.

Matthew's mom, Juliet Gordon, was sharp. She seemed to sense that something was off and glanced at me with concern from time to time.

"Elena, have you gotten thinner lately?" she asked kindly.

"Maybe I've just been busy with the gallery," I answered with a smile.

"Be sure to look after yourself," she said, gripping my hand. "Matthew works himself ragged, and you shouldn't follow his example."

Her palm was warm, and a wave of sadness washed over me.

By the time we got back to our Eastminster Heights apartment, it was already 10:00 pm.

Matthew headed straight for the shower, while I sat at the vanity to take off my makeup.

He emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, his hair still wet. He stood behind me, watching me in the mirror.

When he spoke, his voice was much gentler. "Elena, we need to talk."

I kept dabbing on my eye cream, silent.

He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. It was his way of showing he cared.

"Still upset about this afternoon?" he asked, sounding tired. "Sofia is just my assistant. That's all."

"Matthew, it's not about who she is," I replied, keeping my voice even. "It's about boundaries. About trust."

I faced him. "Your secret room is our space, just like this home. When you let others in, it's like you're saying I'm not special anymore."

Matthew gazed into my eyes, his fingers lightly touching my cheek.

"You'll always be special, Elena. I promise, nothing like this will happen again," he said seriously.

With that, he kissed my forehead. "That secret room will always be just ours."

"Okay," I said, pushing him away gently. "I'm tired and want to go to bed early."

That night, we lay in bed with our backs to each other, an invisible wall between us.

The pretense of peace did not last a week.

My best friend, Sarah, called.

She whispered over the phone, "Elena, there's something you need to know."

"What's up?" I asked, setting aside the catalog I was holding.

"Yesterday at the Wexley Club, I spotted Matthew having lunch with his assistant."

My heart missed a beat.

Sarah sounded unsure. "I did a little digging... Elena, did you know Matthew got Sofia into the Wexley Club?"

The Wexley Club.

That was one of Hudson City's oldest and most exclusive clubs. One would need a longtime member's recommendation, and they were really picky about who got in.

Matthew was a member, and we sometimes ate there. However, for him to recommend someone new—especially a woman—was a big deal at the club.

Sarah went on, "And that's not all. I heard he let her use his special membership perks, like bringing friends. She's already put up a bunch of photos on Instagram."

My hand holding the phone started to shake. In our world, those perks meant a lot.

"People are talking, saying Matthew's been 'extra nice' to his new assistant. Some are even guessing..." Sarah stopped for a second. "...if you two are having problems."

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "Thanks for letting me know, Sarah."

Sarah's voice was full of worry. "Elena, are you alright?"

"I'm okay," I replied, "I'll deal with it."

After I ended the call, I sat in my office, looking at the water lily painting on the wall. The lilies just floated there, all peaceful on top, but underneath, the roots were a mess.

It was kind of like my marriage right then.

'Matthew, what in the world are you up to? She's just an assistant who's barely been here two months, and you're already giving her privileges to show off? Did you forget what you promised last week? Or maybe your word just isn't worth much?' I wondered.

I grabbed the phone and called Dad's top lawyer.

I said, "Robert, I need a favor. Book every event and VIP room at the Wexley Club for the entirety of next month. Put it under our family foundation's name. Tell them it's for the big charity gala we're planning."

"Everything?" Robert sounded shocked. "Elena, that's going to cost a pretty penny."

"Don't worry about the money. And get a news release out. I want everyone to talk about it," I told him.

"Okay, I'm on it."

Robert worked fast. By the next day, the Hudson City Times' social page had the scoop. The Douglas family foundation had taken over the Wexley Club for a whole month to get ready for their big charity gala.

It was all anyone in high society could talk about. The Douglas family had made a splash in Hudson City's social scene once again.

Just like that, Sofia's 'precious' membership was worthless.

Sarah filled me in later. Sofia had planned to bring her friends to the club for her birthday bash. However, with every spot booked, she had to switch to a regular restaurant at the last minute.

All her fancy social plans, all those 'privileges' she wanted to flaunt, were gone.

I was going to make sure everyone saw who really had the power—who was really Matthew's wife.

That evening, Matthew came home with a storm cloud hanging over his head. He tossed his briefcase onto the couch with a thud, yanked at his tie, poured a big glass of whiskey, and gulped down most of it in one go.

He said, his voice heavy with anger, "Elena, why did you have to reserve the whole Wexley Club? Did you really have to do that?"

I looked up at him, my eyes steady. "Did I have to? What about you, giving club privileges to an assistant who's barely been here two months?"

He was livid. "Sofia's a great worker. I'm just helping her grow!"

"Helping her grow with your own special perks? In your secret room? Bringing her along to all these private places?"

Matthew's anger faded to an icy silence. "Elena, are you questioning me?"

"I'm just keeping what's mine safe."

"Safe?" He laughed bitterly. "Or is it the control you're after?"

At that moment, for the first time ever, I saw a stranger in him.

"If keeping my marriage safe is controlling, then call me a control freak," I said, each word deliberate.

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I was left alone in the silence of the room.

The next few days were a silent battle.

Matthew would head out before dawn and would not come back until after dark. Even though we were in the same house, it felt like we were worlds apart.

Then came another day to pick up Matthew from work. His secretary said he was in his private room. I pushed the door open, and there it was again, the scene I dreaded.

Matthew was on the couch with Sofia right beside him, both of them looking at a laptop. Her hand was on his arm, too close for comfort.

They both looked up when the door opened. Sofia quickly pulled her hand back, but she did not look the least bit flustered.

Matthew's eyebrows knitted together when he saw me. "Elena? What brings you here so early?"

"I'm here to pick you up from work. Seems like I've come at a bad time," I replied.

Matthew got to his feet. "We were just talking about work."

That was when Sofia chimed in, "Mrs. Carter, you've got it all wrong. I was just going over the project's data analysis with Matthew."

She sounded respectful, but her eyes held a quiet challenge.

"Really?" I stepped into the room. "Then please, carry on. Don't let me interrupt."

The room was filled with an awkward silence. Matthew cleared his throat. "Sofia, that's enough for today."

"Okay." She gathered her things slowly and deliberately. "What about tomorrow's meeting—"

"Tomorrow," Matthew cut her off.

Once Sofia was gone, it was just the two of us left in the room.

"Elena..."

I stopped him. "No need to explain. We should get going. Your mother is waiting for us."

…

A week later, it was time for the Carters' regular family dinner once more.

Juliet's voice held a touch of concern when she called me. "Elena, you have to come tonight. It's been too long since we've all been together."

I promised I would.

Dinner was as elegant as ever. Juliet did her best to keep the conversation going, while Matthew's father, Adrian, talked business with him.

I quietly sliced my steak, chiming in there and then.

However, the tension hung heavy in the air.

After we had eaten, we all sat in the dining room with our coffee, making small talk.

That was when Matthew's phone rang.

He checked the screen, and his face flickered with something unreadable, but he still answered the call anyway.

"What?" His voice was soft, but I could tell he was totally shocked. "What did you just say?

He suddenly got louder. "No way! How could that be?"

Everyone stared at him.

"Douglas? Are you sure?" He looked more and more upset.

He ended the call, then got a bunch of texts. His hands shook a little as he read them.

Juliet asked, really worried, "Matthew, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Matthew slowly looked up, staring right at me. His eyes were full of shock, anger, and a bit of disbelief.

"Our big project in Bricklyn… The main investor just backed out," he said with a rough voice.

Adrian scrunched his eyebrows. "What? Why?"

Matthew went on, getting louder, "And that hotel deal in Granton City—someone else swooped in and took it."

He took a deep breath, like he was trying to calm the storm inside. "The Douglas family did all of this."

The room went super quiet as everyone looked at me.

Matthew's voice shook. "Elena, please tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't do this."

I looked back at him, totally calm, and an icy smile spread across my face.

"Yes, it's true. I did it."