After My Husband Gave My CEO Position to His Mistress

The Spencer Group's annual gala was always a spectacle, but tonight it felt different. The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel glittered with chandeliers and the polished smiles of New York's tech elite. I stood beside Caspian, my hand resting protectively over my five-month pregnant belly, feeling the gentle flutter of our child beneath my fingertips.

"Ready for our big announcement?" Caspian whispered, his breath warm against my ear. His hand squeezed mine, and for a moment, I felt that familiar surge of pride in what we'd built together over ten years.

"More than ready," I replied, smiling up at him. "The Stardust chip is going to revolutionize everything."

The room hushed as Caspian approached the podium. I took my place beside him, my navy gown stretching comfortably over my growing bump. This was supposed to be our moment—the culmination of months of secret development, the crowning achievement of our partnership.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," Caspian began, his voice carrying effortlessly across the room. "The Spencer Group stands at the threshold of a new era."

I smiled, ready to step forward when he introduced me to present our innovation. But something in his eyes made my stomach tighten.

"In light of recent developments," he continued, "I'm announcing a restructuring of our leadership team."

The room tilted slightly. I blinked, certain I'd misheard.

"Bella Spencer will be stepping down as CEO effective immediately."

The words hit me like ice water. I stood frozen as whispers erupted around us. Caspian's hand had dropped from mine, his expression unreadable.

"This decision comes after careful consideration of... health reasons."

Health reasons? My hand instinctively moved to my belly. Our child.

"Taking her place as CEO will be my true partner in every sense of the word—Jazmine Torres."

The crowd parted as she emerged from the shadows, resplendent in a crimson gown that clung to her curves. Jazmine's dark eyes found mine across the stage, her lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Caspian and I have been working on this transition for months," she said, sliding her arm through his. "I'm honored to lead Spencer Group into its next chapter."

Security guards materialized at my elbows. Not to protect me—to escort me out.

---

"You can't just erase me," I hissed, pacing the small conference room where they'd cornered me minutes after the announcement. "Ten years, Caspian. Ten years I gave you."

Caspian leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His lawyer—a shark in an expensive suit—sat at the table, documents spread before him like weapons.

"The papers are straightforward, Mrs. Spencer," the lawyer said, not meeting my eyes.

I stared down at the documents. Divorce papers. Non-disclosure agreements. Severance packages that amounted to pocket change compared to what I'd earned for the company.

"Health reasons?" I repeated, my voice shaking with rage. "You're painting me as unstable because I'm pregnant?"

"It's convenient timing," Caspian replied, finally looking at me. "No one questions a pregnant woman's emotional state."

I saw it then—the calculation in his eyes. This wasn't impulsive. This was planned, orchestrated months ago when Jazmine reappeared in his life.

"Sign the papers, Bella," he said softly. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

My hand trembled as I picked up the pen. The metal felt impossibly heavy. I thought of our child, of the life we'd planned, of the empire we'd built together—now being handed to a woman who'd done nothing to earn it.

I signed my name with a flourish, refusing to let tears fall in front of them.

---

Two days later, I sat in a sterile doctor's office, staring at the receptionist's apologetic face.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Spencer, but your card has been declined."

I tried another. Then another.

"They're all showing as frozen accounts," she said gently.

Frozen. Of course they were frozen. Caspian had made sure I couldn't even pay for my own prenatal care.

Back in our temporary Seattle apartment, I sat cross-legged on the floor with Ben, Anahi, and Jett—my loyal team who'd walked out the moment they heard what happened.

"He's trying to starve us out," Ben said, his usual optimism tempered by anger.

I nodded, wiping away a stray tear that had finally escaped. Then I reached into my purse and pulled out a small drive.

"He thinks he's won," I said, my voice steadying as I held up the drive containing the schematics for our next-generation technology—the project I'd kept hidden even from Caspian. "He has no idea what we're capable of."

"Luminary Tech," Anahi said softly, reading the label on the drive.

I nodded, a new resolve hardening within me. "We aren't just going to survive; we are going to bury them."

The drive gleamed in my palm like a promise—or a weapon. And for the first time since that night at the gala, I smiled.