I Stopped Fighting For My Husband and He Panicked Chapter 01

After a year of corporate drudgery, I finally realized I didn’t love Tristan Hayes anymore.

So when my coworkers started chanting for Ivy Vance and Tristan to share a shot of tequila at the company’s celebration party, I didn’t make a scene like I used to.

Hell, I even joined in and yelled, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Tristan’s expression turned icy, but I didn’t notice. I was too busy working the open bar, looking for opportunities to mingle with senior executives and make sure I got my foot in the door before the next round of promotions.

After the party, Tristan, who’d been giving me the cold shoulder for six months, cornered me on a quiet street. His dark eyes held a trace of hurt as he asked, “Vivian, why didn’t you get jealous back there?”

……

I yawned, barely able to keep my eyes open. “Tristan, can you stop keeping me from going home? I’ve been working overtime for a month straight, and I have an early meeting tomorrow. I’m too exhausted to deal with this right now.”

His brows furrowed. When he noticed the dark circles under my eyes, his tone softened.

“I’ll drive you home.”

I nodded without hesitation.

The restaurant was more than twenty miles from my apartment. An Uber at this hour would cost me well over a hundred bucks. Paying that much just to get home from work would practically mean paying my employer for the privilege of working there.

I had just pulled out my phone to cancel the Uber I’d already booked when a startled voice rang out behind us.

“Tristan? Vivian? What are you two doing?”

Ivy.

Every head turned in our direction.

It was the middle of the night. We’d both been drinking. A gorgeous female employee and her male boss were standing alone on a street corner, talking in hushed tones.

Anyone who saw us would jump to conclusions.

Especially considering the rumors about me that had been circulating around the office.

God, I could already picture the office group chats lighting up the next morning. My coworkers would have a field day with this.

And with annual performance reviews and promotions coming up, the last thing I needed was to hand my competitors ammunition they could use against me.

I shot Tristan a warning glare before turning around with a bright, perfectly rehearsed smile. Then I walked over to Ivy like we were old friends.

“Ivy! Isn’t your birthday coming up? Mr. Hayes wanted to get you a gift and asked me to help him pick something out. I guess the surprise is ruined now that you’ve caught us.”

I smiled sweetly before turning to Tristan.

“Although, if you ask me, the birthday girl should have the final say. Don’t you think, Mr. Hayes?”

His expression grew even colder. His lips pressed into a tight line, and anyone could tell he was furious.

I was terrified he’d let the alcohol get the better of him and say something he shouldn’t, so I frantically signaled for him to play along.

After a long, tense silence, Tristan finally gave a reluctant nod.

Just then, my Uber pulled up. I hurriedly nudged Ivy toward him and winked.

“I’ll leave you two to it!”

Then I scrambled into my ride.

Only when the car pulled away did I finally let out a long, relieved breath.

Six months earlier, Tristan had practically forced me into a job at his company. It was my first time ever working a real job.

There’d been no interview, no internship, no probationary period. I’d gone straight onto the payroll as a full-time employee.

I hadn’t known the first thing about office life. On my first day, I’d shown up wearing a Versace coat and Chanel heels, with a Hermès bag dangling from my arm.

By lunchtime, the company’s internal gossip chats had already branded me some senior executive’s mistress.

I’d cried as I went to Tristan, begging him to tell everyone we were married.

Instead, he’d looked at me coldly and said, “Vivian Harrington, do you finally understand how hard it is for Ivy to survive in the workplace as a woman?”

I didn’t.

I’d never understood why, whenever Ivy had a hard time at work, my husband had to spend the entire night comforting her.

Tristan and I had gotten into a terrible fight. I’d stormed out of his office with tears burning in my eyes.

Before long, a new rumor had spread through the company.

Apparently, I was a big-breasted bimbo who’d tried to seduce Tristan to get ahead, only to be thrown out of his office.