The following morning, I arrived at Voss Corporation’s headquarters looking nothing like a woman recovering from illness. I had dressed myself as if I were stepping into war, not work.
A sharply tailored white suit clung to my frame, the kind of luxury fabric that cost more than what Raven earned in a year. My hair had been professionally styled, smooth and perfectly set, and my makeup was immaculate—carefully done to conceal the fatigue under my eyes and the hollowed exhaustion that still lingered beneath my skin. I looked composed, refined, untouchable. The perfect image of Mrs. Voss. The loyal, elegant wife everyone expected to see.
“Good morning, Mrs. Amara,” the receptionist greeted me brightly, her eyes widening slightly as I passed.
“Good morning,” I replied with a soft smile, gentle and controlled, the kind that revealed nothing at all.
Without wasting time, I made my way directly to the boardroom. As a major shareholder, I technically had my own office in the building, though I rarely ever used it. Today was different. Today, I intended to make use of every advantage I had.
It didn’t take long before I requested Raven be sent to me.
She arrived minutes later, hesitating at the doorway before stepping inside. There was something carefully calculated about her appearance—her skirt tight, her blouse adjusted to emphasize what she clearly thought mattered more than professionalism. It wasn’t work she was dressed for. It was attention.
“You called for me, Mrs. Amara?” she asked, her tone edged with barely disguised defiance.
“Yes, Raven,” I said without looking up from the papers I pretended to be reviewing. “Bring me coffee. A specific one. From the café at Fifth and Main.”
She blinked in disbelief. “Fifth and Main? That’s quite far. We have coffee here in the office.”
“I don’t drink machine coffee,” I replied calmly, finally lifting my gaze to meet hers. A faint smile curved my lips. “And since you’re supposedly the most dependable secretary here, I’m sure a simple errand won’t be a problem. Or should I call Nathaniel and ask him whether his secretary is incapable of basic tasks?”
Her expression tightened immediately. She understood the implication perfectly.
“Of course not,” she said after a pause, forcing the words through gritted teeth. “I’ll get it.”
That was only the beginning.
When she returned later, slightly breathless from the trip, I took a single sip before setting the cup down with a disappointed expression.
“It’s already cold,” I said lightly. “Go back and get another one. Run this time.”
For the next several hours, I kept her moving without pause. I made her reorganize entire filing systems repeatedly, first by color, then by date, then again by color because I claimed I had “changed my mind.” I sent her out to purchase a pen I already knew was out of stock. I even had her stand by the photocopier for nearly an hour, copying blank sheets just to “check the toner consistency.”
By midday, her polished appearance was gone. Her hair had loosened, her makeup smudged, and the confident facade she carried earlier was starting to fall apart.
She entered my office again carrying another cup of coffee, her hands trembling slightly from frustration.
“There,” she said sharply, placing it down with too much force. The liquid spilled over the rim, staining the clean surface of my desk.
“Oops,” she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I stared at the mess, then slowly lifted my eyes to her.
“You really think you can do that?” I asked quietly. “Do you forget your place so easily?”
Her lips curled.
“I’m a secretary you can’t simply fire,” she snapped back, leaning forward as if she owned the space. “You act like you’re untouchable, Amara, but you’re just a decorative wife. A trophy. I, on the other hand, am useful. Nathaniel depends on me. The company depends on me.”
She straightened, crossing her arms as though she had won something.
“I don’t usually interfere in other people’s relationships,” she added coldly, “but if someone insists on involving me… then I won’t step aside either.”
I stood slowly.
Without a word, I walked around the desk toward her. She didn’t move. If anything, she looked almost pleased with herself, as if she believed she was safe.
The sound came before she could react—my hand striking her cheek echoed sharply across the room.
She staggered back, shock spreading across her face as her hand flew instinctively to her skin.
“I don’t care how you try to justify yourself,” I said evenly, my voice low but cutting. “Or how you deceive yourself at night to feel better. Remember this clearly—I am his wife. And you are nothing more than a mistake he keeps around.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I simply turned and left, leaving her standing there frozen, humiliated in the silence.
Later that day, as I was preparing to leave the building, voices drifted from the emergency stairwell. They were sharp, panicked, and unmistakably familiar.
“She humiliated me! She embarrassed me in front of everyone!”
It was Raven.
I stopped just outside the door, pressing myself quietly against the wall.
“I can’t do this anymore, Nathaniel!” she cried out. “I won’t stay like this! I refuse to be your mistress! Either you marry me properly, or you’ll never see your child—I’m pregnant!”
The words hit the air like a shockwave.
My breath faltered for a second.
“Calm down,” Nathaniel’s voice followed, strained and tense. “Raven, please. This isn’t the place for this.”
“Then when?” she shouted back. “When will you finally get rid of her?”
“Just wait until the merger is done,” he said quickly, lowering his voice. “Two days. That’s all I need. Once the contracts are signed and everything is secured… we can handle her.”
My body went still.
“We’ll make it look like an accident,” he continued, almost calmly now, as if discussing routine paperwork. “A relapse, maybe complications from dengue… or even a car accident. It doesn’t matter. What matters is her shares. After that, she’s no longer a problem. And then we’ll be free—you, me, and the baby.”
For a moment, I almost laughed.
It was absurd. Almost laughable how easily they spoke about ending a life like it was nothing more than an inconvenience.
I straightened, smoothing my skirt as something cold settled over me.
So that was their plan.
I pushed the door open.
They separated instantly. Raven quickly wiped her face, while Nathaniel looked up at me too fast, his expression tightening in panic.
“Oh,” I said lightly, pretending surprise. “There you are. I was actually looking for you, Nathaniel.”
My gaze shifted between them, lingering briefly on Raven’s tear-stained face.
“Did I interrupt something?” I asked gently. “Raven looks upset. Did I overwork her today?”
Nathaniel swallowed hard.
“No,” he said quickly. “Nothing serious. She’s just… not feeling well. Hormones, maybe.”
He let out a forced laugh.
Then he stepped closer to me, softening his tone immediately.
“Actually, Amara,” he continued, “Raven wanted to apologize. About earlier. The coffee… everything.”
He turned toward her, his expression shifting into something colder.
“Isn’t that right, Raven?”
It wasn’t a question. It was a warning.
Raven looked at me with open resentment, her jaw tightening, but when she glanced at Nathaniel, something in her broke. She lowered her gaze.
“I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “It won’t happen again. I understand… you’re the wife.”
“Good,” I replied simply.
No reassurance. No warmth. Just acknowledgment.
Nathaniel exhaled like a man finally released from pressure. He stepped closer and slipped an arm around my waist, smiling again as if nothing had happened.
“See?” he said lightly. “Everything’s fine now. Actually… I was thinking, honey…”
He searched my face carefully.
“After the merger, what if we take a trip? Just the two of us. A proper honeymoon. We can try for a baby again.”
I looked at him for a long moment.
Then I smiled softly.
“Alright,” I said. “That sounds nice.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
I closed my eyes.
And in my mind, I began counting down the days until the moment he would realize I was already gone.
