[Supporter] Newlyweds New Desires Ch. 23 (Patreon)

Just 1 more chapter left!

Hey friends! As mentioned, I am jumping right into chapter 24 to close the main story out by the end of the month. Currently, I'm probably a little over halfway through it. I've set a goal to be done with the Insider version by the end of the week, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it bleeds into next week a bit.

Once the story ends, we will have an Epilogue followed by some Q&A, alternate chapters, etc. Basically, whatever you all ask for, I will try to accommodate. I know this is the story that brought a lot of you to my page, and I can't thank you enough for sticking around until the end. Hopefully, some of my other stories have caught your eye and you plan to stick around after ;)

There are tons of discussions and theories on the Discord page happening right now, so if you're not part of the family yet, now is the time.

https://discord.gg/qmZWFB7qUY

For those of you who read the Insider version, not much has changed. Some restructuring of the chapter to make it flow better, and I think I altered an outfit or two.

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Ashley was running through the hospital halls, the sound of her scrubs rubbing together the only thing she could hear as she raced toward the end of the hall. She spun into the room and came to a stop, Mrs. Johnson's soft blue eyes staring up at her.

"Hello, dear."

"I... I thought I was too late," Ashley said, trying to catch her breath as she walked closer to her favorite patient.

"I wasn't worried. I knew you'd find your way back." Mrs. Johnson sat up in the bed, placing the book she was reading on the nightstand. "It can be hard to find our way sometimes. Besides," she gave the same sly grin she always did before saying something she shouldn't. "Some of the best stories of my life happened when I lost my way."

Ashley sat on the corner of the bed, clutching the old woman's hand. It felt cooler than normal, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I hear you had quite the experience last night. Your first time with another woman?"

Ashley's face turned crimson. "Not my first time. I mean... Well, it was the first time I..." She giggled nervously. "I didn't expect her to taste so... sweet."

The laughter that came from Mrs. Johnson filled Ashley's heart with joy. Before she realized it, she threw her arms around the old woman's neck, her tears staining the thin hospital gown.

"I thought I'd lost you," Ashley whispered, trying to hold back tears. "I thought I'd lost you and I never got a chance to tell you how much you meant to me."

"I know, dear." Mrs. Johnson's frail hands clasped Ashley's back. "But I'm not the one you should be afraid of losing."

Ashley pulled back, looking Mrs. Johnson in the eye. The old woman's expression had shifted and Ashley knew they were done trading stories about sex.

"He gave up... I gave up."

Mrs. Johnson squeezed her hand tighter. "Did I ever tell you about the orgy I was a part of when Robert was out of the country for work?"

Ashley gasped. She couldn't help but giggle and swat Mrs. Johnson's arm. "You can't be serious."

"Oh very. Robert was so upset when he got back." Mrs. Johnson's eyes sparkled as she relived the moment. "He told me we were done. That he couldn't be married to someone who would just whore herself around when he was gone."

"That's terrible." Ashley's hand went to her mouth. The smile suddenly gone. "How did you fix it?"

"I brought another woman into our bedroom."

The lie was apparent by the smile on Mrs. Johnson's face and the two laughed so hard they were both crying when they stopped. "You're not serious."

"No. Well... not entirely. The other woman certainly seemed to take the sting out of it." She gave Ashley a wink. "But more importantly, I just never gave up. Even when I thought he had. Even when he served me divorce papers and I whored around town trying to forget about him. I never really gave up."

Ashley gave her a confused look. "He served you divorce papers?"

"He did," Mrs. Johnson said, like it was the most casual thing ever. "But he wasn't serious. He was hurt. He needed to see that I loved him more than I loved the orgies and the parties. He needed to see me fight for him even when he stopped fighting for himself."

Mrs. Johnson broke into a coughing fit, her hand covering her mouth. Before Ashley could help, she seemed to recover and carried on. "Sometimes saving someone means looking like the villain in their story. The very thing that saves them may also be the thing that makes them wish they died."

Ashley's brow furrowed. "So... You're saying I'm the bad guy here. That even though this started as Chris's fantasy it's my fault we are here?"

"I'm saying that love isn't always a straight line from broken to fixed." Mrs. Johnson patted her hand. "Sometimes the quickest way out of hell is driving through it."

"What if it's too late? What if we've already—"

"It's only too late when you stop choosing each other." Mrs. Johnson's grip weakened slightly, her hand growing colder.

Ashley's tears fell freely now. "I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye. I never meant those awful things I said."

"Those were just words, dear. You should be more sorry you didn't set me up with that cute orderly I kept asking about." She cupped Ashley's cheek with her hand, her thumb swiping away a tear. "I'm not the one you should be crying for. These tears aren't really about me."

Mrs. Johnson let go of Ashley's hand and laid down flat on the bed. "Our chats were the highlight of my time here."

"Wait, I'm not ready—"

"None of us are. That's what makes it so hard."

"I love you," Ashley sobbed as the older lady closed her eyes. "Thank you for... everything."

***

Ashley's eyes fluttered open, still half asleep as light from the curtains filtered into the room, causing her to turn over. Her arm draped around Chris and she pulled him closer. She just had the craziest dream and she couldn't wait to tell him. Her nails trailed over his hips and across his abs as he began to stir.

Ashley's eyes snapped open. The room coming into focus as she suddenly realized where she was, and who was next to her. Memories of last night flashed in her eyes. She'd fallen asleep at Clayton's. right after she and Katie...

"Someone woke up feeling friendly," Clayton whispered, turning his body toward her, making his cock graze her hand.

On instinct, her hand closed around it. The warmth and weight of it made Ashley's nipples harden. Before her mind could catch up, Clayton's lips were on her neck, his fingers dipping below the sheet to find her wet and ready.

"Wait," Ashley pleaded, though her hand never released his growing manhood. "I need to get home. Chris—"

"Is already on his way to the office and thinks you're still at work." His finger dipped between her folds, making her stomach clutch, her lips parting in a soft gasp. "We have all the time in the world."

"Clayton, I—"

"God, I love the way you say my name when you're aroused." He pulled his body closer to her. Her hand slowly stroking him. "Say it again." A second finger joined the first and Ashley's eyes fluttered closed, her walls clenching around his finger.

"Uhhhh, Clayton," she moaned as Mrs. Johnson's smiling face appeared behind her lids, and she released the hard rod in her hand.

She needed to get home. To talk to Chris and figure out what was next. But her body was already on fire, responding to every touch, every word Clayton gave it. Her juices coated his fingers, her hips lifting slightly to drive his digits deeper.

"He's going to be pretty busy today." He rolled Ashley onto her back, settling between her thighs. "Tom's flying in early. He's going to expect us at the office when he gets there at five." He pressed the head of his cock against her folds. Ashley could feel the heat of it pulsing against her clit and her body ached to have it.

It's only too late when you stop choosing each other.

Mrs. Johnson's words rattled in her brain as Clayton's cock threatened to pierce her.

“To... Tom is coming? Today?” Using every ounce of willpower, she tried to pull herself up on her forearms, but Clayton held her in place.

"Seems our timeline has been accelerated. I'm sure he'd love for you to be at our little get together." He looked down at Ashley with his usual cocky smile. "Is that what you want? To finally show Tom what he's been missing?"

Clayton's hips shifted and Ashley sucked in air as the tip of his spear spread her wide.

"Ahhh," Ashley moaned, reaching up and placing a hand on his chest. "I... I need to go."

Clayton's face contorted. "You need to stay here so I can fuck you before Tom is here to ruin it." He tried to drive his hips forward, but Ashley added a second hand to his chest, despite her pussy greedily trying to suck him deeper.

"Ohhhh," she forced her eyes open, refusing to give into the overwhelming sensation.

Clayton gave her a confused look.

"I should really go. I... I need to get ready for tonight."

His grip on her leg loosened but he didn't fully release her. He could have swatted her hand away, driven into her the way he knew she really wanted.

"You know how much I love an audience," she teased, sensing his hesitation. "It will be worth the wait."

The smug smile that occupied his face was gone, replaced by something that looked like hurt. Or maybe it was anger. Whatever it was, he rolled away. "Whatever. I need to let everyone know Tom is coming anyway."

The moment he was off her, she pushed herself up, not trusting herself to be naked next to him a second longer. She quickly grabbed her scrubs, her body leaking with desire.

"Come by the office around five," Clayton said, pulling his shirt over his head. "I want you there when Tom arrives. Show him what he's been missing."

Ashley nodded, unsure of what else to do before standing up and leaving the room. Her legs trembled as she walked down the hallway, wetness still coating her thighs, her body screaming to turn around and finish what they'd started.

But she didn't.

***

Clayton sat at the edge of the bed and grabbed his phone. The email could be short and sweet, just a few lines to let people know Tom was coming. He imagined Katie's reaction first. Seattle was still fresh, there was no doubt she'd be upset that she had to see Tom again in such a short turnaround. She'd left furious last night, and he couldn't imagine having Chris, Tom, and him in the same room as her would make it any better.

Then there was Chris. Clayton's lips curved into a smirk. The man was all but down and out. Between his lame attempt at getting Clayton to confess and Katie turning on him, he wouldn't be surprised if Chris no-showed today and skipped town completely.

Either way, Chris was a non-factor now. Ashley had made her choice, showed up at Clayton's door instead of crawling back to her husband. That said everything that needed saying.

But Katie... Katie was just a pawn, really. A way to keep Tom at bay while he groomed Ashley. The thought of her made his cock throb, still hard from their encounter just minutes ago.

Something wasn't sitting right.

She'd come over last night, completely unexpected and basically thrown herself at him. In the moment, he'd thought it was because things with Chris were falling apart, that she'd realized Clayton was the better man. But then, this morning she'd denied him. She'd never denied him, not really. Even early on when he was still feeling her out, she would always cave to his advances.

So, if she wasn't here for that, why was she here?

He allowed the thought to bounce around in his head while he typed out the quick email letting staff know they could leave at 4pm today, but all executives were to stay after and help bring Tom up to speed on the latest changes in BitGuardian and how those changes could impact the Larkin expansion into Europe.

Clayton stood and rolled his shoulders, the hairs on his arm sticking up as a thought came to mind. He never heard the front door close. The house was quiet, the door heavy. He would have heard it. He stepped over his discarded pants, careful not to make too much noise as he stepped into the hallway.

His mouth fell open. At the end of the hallway Ashley sat crouched in front of the office door. Her hair had fallen, covering most of her face.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She jerked upright so fast she nearly lost her balance, one hand flying to her chest. "Jesus, Clayton! You scared me."

He walked toward her slowly, watching the way her eyes darted to the door handle, then back to him. "I asked what you're doing."

"I dropped my hair tie." She held up her hand, a black elastic band wrapped around two fingers. "I didn't want to go home with sex hair. There's already so much going on. I wouldn't be able to stand the speculation."

Clayton stopped a few feet away, his gaze moving from her face to the door, then back. The gap under his office door was maybe half an inch. His heart pounded in his ears. Something was off.

"You're acting... strange. Want to tell me what's really going on?"

His gaze held hers. If she was hiding something he'd find it.

After several seconds that seemed to stretch for an eternity, Ashley's lip began to tremble, her eyes filling with tears. "I just..." She took a deep breath trying to compose herself. "I had a patient die last night. Someone I was close to." She pulled her hair back, putting it in the hair tie. "I can't take any more questions. I just needed..."

"Me." Clayton said, taking a step toward her and cupping her cheek. "You should have told me. We could have—"

She brought her hand to his. "You gave me everything I needed last night." She smiled, squeezing his hand. "I need to go."

Clayton released her hand and took a step back, watching as she descended the stairs and disappeared toward the front door. He heard it open, then close. Then, the sound of her car starting in the driveway.

He turned back to his office door, studying the gap beneath it. Then he crouched down, running his finger along the threshold where she'd been kneeling. There was nothing there. No marks, no debris. Just the faint smell of her perfume still lingering in the air. Maybe he was just being paranoid, and all the threats from his father were finally getting to him. But something wasn't adding up.

***

Chris walked into the conference room like a robot. He hadn't had a good night's sleep since before the Seattle trip. His eyes were bloodshot, and the hair on his face was at least three days overgrown now.

He'd forgotten why he came in there. He wasn't even sure why he was still coming to the office. He told himself it was because he was continuing to dig for a way out of this mess, but that was a lie. He hadn't done anything that felt meaningful to save himself since his failed attempt at Clayton's house. He just wanted it all to be over, for this nightmare to come to an end.

He checked his phone. His brief conversation with Agent Holbrook hadn't gone as planned, nothing seemed to be. He had several missed calls from Ashley, but she was honestly the last person he wanted to talk to right now. He had failed her. Not only was he unable to keep her safe, but he managed to miss all the signs that she'd fallen for another man.

The conference room door slammed shut, breaking his concentration as Katie stormed into the room.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Her voice was ice over molten rage.

"Katie?" Chris glanced at her through bloodshot eyes and she couldn't help but wince at the sight of him. "I already told you. I didn't—"

"Save it." She crossed the room with surprising speed, crowding Chris as he stood at the end of the large oak table farther from the door. "You know, after Seattle I thought maybe I believed you, that you really didn't pawn me off to Tom. That it was just some big misunderstanding."

"That's what I've been trying—"

She raised her hand to silence him. "I just want to know how long you'd been planning to do it. How long had I been a pawn in whatever fucked up game you're playing? Jesus, Chris, I thought you were my friend."

"I am. We are. It wasn't like that." His hands started to shake. He needed to sit down before he collapsed.

"Was the promotion even real? Did I actually earn that or was it just another way to keep me under your thumb?"

He reached out, grabbing the desk. "Of course you earned it. You're the best—"

"Don't you dare." Her voice dropped as tears of anger welled in her eyes. "Don't you fucking dare patronize me right now. Not after all the shit you've done to get us here." She seemed to be growing taller now. "How long has this been going on? This thing with Clayton and Tom. And Ashley. Christ, what kind of sick fuck—"

Chris shot up straight. His eyes grew darker. "What about Ashley?"

"Don't do that," Katie steamed. "I told you. I'm not in the mood to be patro—"

"What about Ashley?" Chris demanded, his voice suddenly growing more stern.

Katie gave him a confused look. She studied his face, the way he went from apologetic to defensive. It wasn't something that could be faked.

"I know all about it." Her tone wasn't as harsh now, as she tried to read Chris's reaction. "About her and Clayton. You use her like you used me."

"No!" Chris slammed his hands down on the table. "It's not like that. I don't use her. We..." He took a breath, pulling out a chair so he could sit before his legs gave out. "I... have this... fantasy." He put his face in his hands, then looked up. "Wait... how do you know about Clayton and Ashley?"

The words died in her throat as she looked over Chris. He didn't look like the same guy. The confidence she had grown to admire was all but gone. He was a shell of himself. His eyes were puffy and swollen, and she was pretty sure the strange odor in the room wasn't coming from the vent.

"Wait... did you guys split up?" She took a seat across from Chris. Her hand lifted halfway across the table, fingers outstretched. Then stopped as Chris's convenient absence in Seattle made her second guess herself.

Chris chewed on the inside of his cheek. He couldn't handle any more lies. Everything had started falling apart the moment the lies started. He told himself he trusted Katie, yet he didn't clue her into Clayton and the FBI. Had he just told her the truth, she could have protected herself from Tom. He was tired, so tired of all of it.

"It started almost a year ago." He let out a long breath, the admission already feeling like a weight lifted from his shoulders. "I think the term is a hotwife. Anyway, Clayton and Ashley started... It started with the three of us. It was fun at first, exciting. She looked so alive, so free."

Katie sat back in her chair, her jaw dropping. This wasn't the story she'd expected at all.

"As things... progressed, they started seeing each other without me. The whole thing felt so fucked up, but in the moment... it was the most exciting thing in the world." He shook his head, disgusted with himself as his erection started to grow just from the thought of it. "But then..." He lifted his head, his glossy eyes focused on Katie's. "The cars that were following us... it was the FBI."

"FBI? What?" Her voice came out too loud in the empty conference room and Chris's hand shot up, finger pressed to his lips. His eyes darted to the door, then back to her.

Katie leaned forward, her voice dropping. "What the fuck, Chris?"

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know who I could trust. And then when I knew I could trust you, I didn't want to incriminate you and this whole thing had gone to shit." His words tumbled out faster now, pressure releasing. "I'm sorry, Katie. Jesus, it's all so fucked. I saw Holbrook in the restaurant and I thought Tom was under control so I..."

Chris's breathing grew rapid, shallow. His hands went to his hair, gripping like he was trying to hold his skull together as he rocked back and forth. "Then when I came out you were gone and I panicked and..." The words were coming faster and faster, his hands shaking as he gripped his hair so tight Katie worried he would pull it out.

Katie moved around the table before she'd decided to. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she felt him shake against her. Questions crowded her throat, about Ashley, about Clayton, about what the hell Chris had gotten them all into. But the trembling in his frame, the way he clutched at her like a drowning man, told her everything she needed to know about whether he was lying.

Chris's breathing gradually slowed against Katie's shoulder. As she held him and felt his breathing grow shallower, she thought about the last few months at the office, Seattle. All the strange occurrences that she couldn't explain. If what Chris was saying was true, and she'd already convinced herself it was, it would explain so much about the way Clayton had been acting.

"The FBI," she said quietly once his shaking had subsided and he started to sit up straight. "Tell me everything."

"They approached me a few months ago," he said, swiping away the tears from his eyes. "Said that Clayton and Tom were moving money around through shell accounts and using insider trading knowledge they believed was obtained through BitGuardian."

"Jesus, Chris."

"That's not even the worst part." He glanced around the room, suddenly hyper aware of the electronics surrounding them. He walked to the other side of the table close enough to Katie he could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair. "They sent the money to my account. I thought it was all part of becoming part owner. I didn't think anything about it. But now I'm the fall guy."

Katie reached out and gripped his arm, her eyes wide with horror.

"Oh my God. What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure there's anything left I can do." The words came out bitter. "I need evidence, indisputable facts that will show just how guilty Clayton and Tom are, but everything I've tried..." He trailed off and Katie saw the panic in his eyes.

"So wait... Seattle then. What really happened?"

Chris nodded, he knew she was going to ask that. In fact, he was glad she did. Hopefully now she would see he really was trying to help her.

For the next twenty minutes he told her everything. About Agent Holbrook, about Tom, even about Ashley and Clayton. Just saying it all out loud to another human made it feel like he was no longer drowning. Katie listened to every last word. She nodded when appropriate, interpreted when things got too intense, and at one point looked like she was ready to march to Clayton's house herself and take justice into her own hands. He wished he would have told her sooner, he should have trusted her. Maybe then they could have come up with a plan together. One that would have actually worked.

"So what happens now?" she asked when he had finished. "How do we fix this?"

"There's nothing left to fix. They've won." He was unusually calm when he said it. It honestly felt like a relief to some degree. Like he could finally stop trying to play a game he never wanted to be a part of.

"You don't mean that. There has to be something."

Their phones buzzed in unison and Chris's stomach dropped as they shared a panicked look with one another. He pulled his out first, buried in his pocket and wrapped around wet tissue paper to prevent anyone from being able to hear what he was saying.

As he read the email on his screen, his hand began to shake, his grip on the phone growing tighter and nearly crushing his phone. "Tom will be here today at five."

Katie was quiet for a moment, as she processed what that would mean for her. Her mind racing through implications and consequences. Chris needed to know about Ashley. Needed to understand what his wife had done last night. But looking at him now, barely holding himself together, facing federal charges, his entire life imploding. She couldn't be the one to shatter what little remained. That conversation needed to happen between Chris and Ashley. Not here. Not from her.

Chris's gaze found hers. Her eyes were sharper, harder. "Listen to me. You can't go to that meeting today. you have to skip it."

She squeezed his hand again, then released it. "Chris, we can't let them win."

He looked at her, confused. "What do you mean we?"

"Clayton and Tom, they take people like us and they use us." Her hands balled into a fist her voice raising. "They manipulate situations and people all so they can have their laughs and piles of cash while they watch us barely scraping by with our lives."

"Katie—"

"I can help. I can be there, I can—"

"No." The word came out harder than he intended and he quickly looked through the conference window to ensure no one had heard him. "No, Katie. You've been through enough. I've put you through enough. I can't let you get hurt."

"But I want to help. After everything you just told me, I can't just—"

"Katie, listen to me. Please." He took a breath, tears beginning to well in his eyes again. "I've put you through so much already. I've put Ashley..." He paused, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "I've ruined my marriage because of this. Everyone around me is falling victim to something I've started. I can't let you sacrifice anymore for me."

"But I—"

"Listen to me," he stood up, his voice growing firmer. "I'm still your boss. If you come to that meeting this afternoon your employment here will be terminated."

Katie's eyes flashed with defiance. She stood to meet him. "You can't just—"

"I can." Chris took a step toward her, putting his hand on her arm. "What happened to you in Seattle... that's on me. I should have warned you. I should have protected you." His voice cracked slightly. "I'm not making that mistake again."

"Chris, this isn't fair. You're facing federal charges, your marriage is falling apart, and you're going in there alone—"

"Maybe that's what I deserve." He managed a hollow smile. "But you? You don't deserve any more of this. You got your promotion. Take it. Build your career somewhere far away from this mess." His hand went to her shoulder. "Please, Katie. Let me do this one thing right."

She searched his face, looking for anything that may give her an opening. "You're a stupid man, Chris."

He gave a weak laugh. "So I've been told."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure. But if Tom is going to be here then something is going down. All I can do is let Agent Holbrook know and pray for a miracle."

Katie studied him a moment longer, then nodded slowly. She grabbed her bag from the chair, slinging it over her shoulder. At the door, she paused.

"Chris? Whatever happens... Good luck." She looked back at him. "You don't deserve any of what's happening to you."

"That's the thing. I'm starting to realize it's exactly what I deserve."

She gave him a worried look as the door closed behind her.

***

Ashley stood in front of her closet in nothing but her underwear. The house was too quiet as she looked at the two dresses laid out on the bed. In the past she would have teased Chris with the selection, watched him squirm and grow hard as she talked about the advantages of each one.

The red dress clung to her like a second skin, leaving very little to the imagination. She would have to wear nothing underneath it, didn't want to have any lines. She could hear Chris's phantom groan as she said the words, feel his eyes on her in the mirror as she shimmied seductively to get it around her hips.

Then there was the black one. That one was shorter, much, much shorter. It barely went to the middle of her thigh, making it impossible to bend over without giving anyone behind her a show. She would demonstrate this, of course, for her husband as he sat slack-jawed on the bed. He wouldn't even let her get it on. He would dive for her, burying his face between her cheeks as she giggled.

A tear ran down her cheek as she reached for the black one. She missed her husband, she missed their banter and the way he melted into her as she ran her fingers through his hair. Last night was a mistake. A stupid mistake made by a stupid girl who couldn't handle the loss of the people she loved.

She needed to call him. To tell him about last night before he heard it somewhere else. Clayton would find a way to weaponize it, he always did. If she could just explain herself, maybe he would understand.

The phone rang twice before he answered.

"Hey," he said flatly.

"I... I didn't think you'd answer."

"You didn't want me to?"

"That's not what I meant. I just... I needed to tell you something." She sat on the edge of the bed, the black dress bunched in her other hand.

"Are you okay?" He sounded panicked.

"I'm fine. I just..." She fought back tears. She knew he wasn't going to take it well. "I... I went to see Clayton last night."

The other end of the line was silent. Ashley glanced at her screen, ensuring they hadn't been disconnected. After a full minute she was the one to break the silence. "Chris? Did you hear me? I said I—"

"I heard you." There was more silence and Ashley opened her mouth to respond before he continued. "Seems I was right all along. You just can't stay away."

"It's not like that. I just—"

"Wait... Are you just now getting home? Did you stay the night?"

Ashley's voice cracked. It felt like a weight had been dropped on her chest and she suddenly couldn't breathe. "Chris, please. Mrs. Johnson died last night and I couldn't process it so—"

"So you turned to him. Not to your husband."

His words were a knife through the heart and she dropped the dress to the floor as she tried to control her sobs. "Chris, please. I don't want to fight."

"No? Then what do you want? Why did you call?"

"I needed to tell you," she wiped away her tears. "Tom's flying in. Today. There's a meeting and—"

"I know. Clayton sent an email. I'm handling it."

She chewed on her bottom lip. "He... he wants me to come."

"Ashley you..." For a moment, he sounded scared, then he caught himself. "I'd tell you not to come, but it's pretty obvious where your loyalties lie."

"Chris."

"I have to go." The line went dead.

Ashley collapsed onto the bed and broke into tears. The same bed where they had made love a thousand times, where they had whispered dreams into the dark and made promises neither could keep. On the nightstand, their wedding photo stared back at her, two strangers smiling, unaware of everything waiting to tear them apart. His pillow still carried his scent. She pressed her face into it, desperate, greedy, taking him in one last time like breath before drowning.

---

Chris stared at his phone long after it went dark. The office was empty, but the silence only amplified the voices in his head. Ashley's moans were the loudest, followed closely by Clayton's mocking laughter and his own pathetic justification. They should have never been in McDuffs that night. He didn't even want to go, but Ashley had talked him into it. That one decision had completely changed the trajectory of his life.

He’s probably back home now with that redhead imagining she’s you.

That single sentence had ignited something in him, in both of them that could now ruin his life. Ashley was on fire that night, and Chris... he played into it. Pretending to be Clayton, planting the seed that would corrupt them both.

She'd stayed at Clayton's house last night. She told Chris she was going to work, then when things got hard she went to Clayton. She didn't ask for permission, or tell Chris she was going. There was no other way for him to rationalize away that she'd chosen Clayton.

He checked his phone. Clayton and Tom would be here any minute. His stomach dropped, so would Ashley. He tried to tell himself that it would all work out. But the truth was he wasn't sure he believed that. They were out of options.

The sound of car doors shutting broke Chris from his reverie. His heart thudded in his ears as he watched the shadows of Clayton and Tom move toward the entrance. He stood from his desk, his legs like Jell-O as he tried to prepare himself for the confrontation.

Clayton came into view first. His smile unusually brighter than normal. He wore a white t-shirt and jeans, unusually casual, even by his standards. "Chris, so good to see you," his voice was thick with false sincerity as he closed the gap between them. "Come tell Tom hello. He's very excited to get this underway."

Tom extended his hand and, on reflex, Chris took it. His grip was slow and distracted, his gaze flicking over Tom’s outfit: a crisp white dress shirt, a purple-striped tie, khakis, and polished black shoes. The contrast between them couldn’t have been sharper.

“Tom was just getting me up to speed on the European expansion,” Clayton said, his eyes darkening as his smile widened. “But you’re already well aware of those plans.”

Chris nodded, forcing himself to shake Tom's hand. His grip was stronger than Clayton's, like he was trying to prove his was the alpha in the room.

"Tom." Chris tried to keep his voice calm, despite his stomach flipping so much he felt like he may be sick at any moment.

"Always a pleasure," Tom's smile was a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Where's that beautiful wife of yours? I heard she and Katie would both be joining us."

Chris released his grip of Tom's hand, balling it into a fist. "I sent Katie home for the day. She won't be here."

"You what?" Clayton's smile faltered for just a second. It was a small victory, but Chris couldn't help but grin. "I gave specific instructions too—"

The lobby doors opened behind them. All three men paused, the tension thick in the air as Ashley walked into the room.

Chris's breath caught as he took in his wife. The black dress she wore was devastatingly sexy. It was short enough that every step gave him a glimpse of the muscle in her thighs tightening and releasing. Her heels added to the illusion, forcing her hips to sway just a little more, making him remember how those legs felt wrapped around him. The halter clasp at her neck left her shoulders bare and her breasts seconds from slipping free.

Their eyes met briefly and he could see the pain and desperation behind them. He wanted to run to her, to hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

Clayton moved toward her first, his hand sliding across the swell of her ass as he kissed her cheek. Chris felt a stab of jealousy as Ashley looked away, her lips curving into a smile as her gaze found Tom's hungry glare.

"You look just as delicious as ever," Tom said smugly as Clayton stepped away and he pulled Ashley toward him.

"You remember Tom, I'm sure," Clayton said to Ashley, although his eyes never left Chris. "The two of you seem to have gotten to know each other quite well."

Tom's face lit up. He stepped forward, arm sliding around Ashley's shoulders as he kissed her cheek. His lips lingered, then started moving toward her mouth—

"What's the game, Clayton?" Chris heard his own voice crack. "Why is my wife here?"

Clayton's smile widened. "As I mentioned, Tom thinks he has a strong chance at leading the European expansion. He has a... social gathering next week with the board, and we can't let him alone. We were thinking someone as... persuasive as Ashley may be the perfect candidate."

"A date?" Chris's hands balled into fists. "You honestly think I'd let Ashley go with him? Alone?"

"Well, Katie would have gone as well, but it seems you've ruined that." Clayton's gaze went back to Ashley. "Those two really do get along quite well. You should have seen them last night."

The floor tilted beneath Chris's feet. "Last night? What are you..."

"Oh." Clayton's eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "You don't know." He glanced at Tom, at Ashley, then back to Chris with theatrical concern. "I would have thought she told you. I thought you two told each other everything."

Chris's pulse hammered in his ears. He turned to Ashley, searching her face. "Ashley, what the hell is he talking about?"

She looked to the floor, tears already welling in her eyes.

"Chris, I tried to—"

"Don't worry," Clayton interrupted, pulling out his phone. "I have pictures."

Clayton swiped through his screen, savoring the moment before turning it toward Chris. The image punched all the air from Chris's lungs.

Time stopped.

Ashley was lying on her back, face flushed, hair matted to her forehead. Naked. Completely exposed. Her pussy red and swollen, white cream leaking from between her folds, coating her thighs.

His legs wobbled, his knees buckling under him as he saw Katie's smiling face in the frame, also covered in the same white gloss as Ashley.

Chris's brain couldn't process it. He couldn't look away, the phone started to shake in Clayton's hand, or maybe it was Chris that was shaking, the entire building collapsing around him. His legs went liquid beneath him, knees buckling as the image seared itself into his retinas. He'd never be able to unsee this.

He looked at Clayton. Then at Ashley. She was covering her face with both hands, shoulders trembling.

"I tried to tell you," she choked out. "I..."

Something snapped inside Chris's chest. All the fear, all the shame, all the months of being manipulated and used and fucked with erupted.

"You son of a bitch!"

He launched himself at Clayton. His fist connected with that smug face before Clayton could react. Cartilage crunched under his knuckles. Blood exploded from Clayton's nose as he staggered backward. Chris followed, getting another solid hit to his jaw before Tom's arms locked around him from behind.

"Get the fuck off me!" Chris thrashed, trying to break free. His vision had narrowed to Clayton's bleeding face. "Let me go!"

Clayton pushed himself upright, hand pressed to his face. Blood streamed between his fingers. When he pulled his hand away, his nose sat crooked. He actually laughed.

"Fuck, that hurt." He probed his nose gingerly, wincing. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Chris fought against Tom's grip, his feet sliding on the polished floor. "Ashley, you can't go with them. He doesn't want you to just be a date for Tom. He wants to use you. To pass you off to the board for leverage. You're nothing but a piece of meat to them—"

"Don't be so crass." Clayton wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "Ashley will enjoy herself." His eyes went cold, calculating. That look Chris had seen a hundred times before someone got destroyed. "But since we seem to be sharing each other's secrets..." He tilted his head, smile turning vicious. "Did you ever tell this beautiful wife of yours how you became a partner to begin with? After all, thirty-three percent is a hell of a stake."

Chris went completely still. Ice flooded his veins. "Don't."

"Oh..." Clayton's smile grew. "So she doesn't know? That's rich."

"What's he talking about, Chris?" Ashley's voice was small, uncertain.

"Clayton, I swear to God—"

"Weren't you ever curious why Chris caved so quickly on his no-sex rule?" Clayton addressed Ashley directly now, ignoring Chris's struggles as he pinched his still bleeding nose. "Why one night he was adamant that we weren't going to have sex then the very next day he was the one broaching the subject?"

Chris renewed his fight against Tom's grip, desperation making him wild. "Stop. God damn it, Clayton!"

"He came to me shortly after that night I... found you after your backyard barbecue" Clayton dabbed at his nose with his sleeve. "Told me that if I gave him a thirty-three percent stake, then you were all mine. Free to fuck as long as you were willing." His smile was a blade. "And as we all know, you were more than willing."

The blood drained from Ashley's face so fast she swayed on her heels. She looked from Clayton to Chris, searching his expression for the denial that didn't come. Her hand went to her stomach like she'd been punched.

"No." Her voice shook. "Chris, he's lying. Say he's lying."

Chris stopped fighting. Tom's grip loosened slightly, but Chris barely noticed. All he could see was the devastation spreading across Ashley's face. He knew there was no coming back from this.

"It wasn't like that." Tears blurred his vision. "I knew it was going to happen anyway. I thought—"

"You sold me?"

The words tore through him like a grenade. Chris wrenched free from Tom's arms and stumbled toward her like a drunk, hands outstretched, fingers grasping at nothing.

"No. No, Ashley, please—" His voice cracked into something that wasn't quite words anymore. "I knew it was going to happen anyway. I thought—I thought if I could just—"

He couldn't finish. Couldn't make the logic that had seemed so reasonable in Clayton's office translate into anything that didn't sound like exactly what it was.

"Ashley, I lo—"

"Don't." She stepped back. "Don't touch me. Don't say my name. Just... don't." Her whole body trembled. "If you were anyone else, I would spit in your face and forget you existed. But you..." Her voice cracked. "You were supposed to love me. I thought we were in this together. And you... sold me like some whore."

"Please." Chris dropped to his knees in front of her. The cold floor bit through his pants. "Please, I—"

"All this time. I thought we were doing this because we loved each other. Trusted each other." She wouldn't look at him. "I thought we were a team."

"We were. We are—"

"No." She shook her head slowly. "You gave me to Clayton as a way to get ahead. You used me for your own blind ambition."

"Ashley, please. It wasn't—" He choked on his own tears. Ashley's face blurred as tears stung his skin.

"And then..." She let out a bitter laugh. "Then you made me feel like shit for enjoying myself. Like I was the bad guy." Her hands were shaking. "Like I was the one who couldn't control myself. Like I was the one breaking us."

"I never meant—"

She walked past him. Chris twisted on his knees, watching as she moved to stand between Clayton and Tom. Clayton's hand found her waist again. Tom's arm draped across her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Chris's voice broke.

"Leaving." She still wouldn't look at him. "Tom needs a date."

"You can't." Chris pushed himself to his feet, legs unsteady. "Ashley, they're going to—"

"To what?" Now she did look at him. Her eyes were red, but her voice was steel. "Treat me like a whore? Sell me to the highest bidder?" She paused, and the next words came out quiet. "You've already done that, remember?"

They turned toward the door. Tom's hand slid lower on Ashley's back. Clayton was still bleeding, still smiling.

"Don't!" Chris lunged forward, but his legs wouldn't work right. He fell, caught himself on his hands. "Ashley, please! Don't do this!"

The lobby doors opened. Closed. The sound echoed through the empty space.