Chapter 52 Chapter 52
Amelia
I sat at my desk in my office, staring at the files spread out in front of me. These were the documents Maxwell had instructed his PA to drop on my table earlier that morning. Today was my fourth official day at work, and already, I felt exhausted. It was barely noon, yet my head was pounding.
The truth was, I hadn’t returned because I wanted to. I had no choice.
I was completely broke.
Every single cent I had in my account was gone—I had transferred all of it to Declan. Now, I had nothing left, not enough to survive.
Asking Maxwell for money was not an option. I would rather suffer in silence than give him that satisfaction. At least here, I would earn a salary. And not just any salary, his staff were paid ridiculously well. Honestly, his secretary earned more in a month than some CEOs make in a year.
That alone was enough to keep me seated in this office. Not that I worked myself to death. I still made sure to frustrate Maxwell whenever I could. I deliberately handled only half of the tasks assigned to me, leaving the rest unfinished so he or his precious secretary would have to pick up the slack. It was petty, but it was my small way of taking back control.
My phone suddenly beeped, pulling me out of my thoughts.It was a message from Adrian. “A beautiful gift for a beautiful and smart woman like you.” A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it.
Almost immediately, there was a knock on my office door.“Come in,” I said.
The door opened, and one of the office staff walked in, holding a large bouquet of flowers and two neatly wrapped boxes. He walked over and placed them gently on my desk.
“Someone asked me to deliver these to you,” he said politely.
“Thank you,” I replied, and he left without another word.
I picked up the bouquet first, breathing in the soft, sweet scent. They were beautiful, fresh, colorful, and carefully arranged. My smile widened slightly as I set them down and turned my attention to the boxes.
I opened the first box and found it filled with muffins, neatly arranged and still warm. The soft smell made my stomach rumble. I moved to the second box, and the moment I lifted the lid, my breath caught.
Inside was a Louis Vuitton bag, the latest edition.For a few seconds, I just stared at it. My fingers hovered over the smooth leather.
Then I slowly picked it up and admired it, turning it slightly from side to side.
I quickly took my phone and messaged Adrian. “I love the gift so much, thank you.” I smiled sheepishly as I sent the message.
I had met Adrian at the shopping mall just a day after Camilla moved into the house. He had been kind, attentive, and easy to talk to. At first, I thought he was simply a nice distraction, but the more I spoke to him, the more I realized he was one of the few men who could actually measure up to Maxwell.
That realization alone had caught my attention. Everything changed when he invited me to his bike race.
That invitation made me focus on him completely. We exchanged numbers soon after and started talking regularly. Out of curiosity, I searched his name online and discovered he was Maxwell’s biggest rival. The irony wasn’t lost on me. What better way to get under your husband’s skin than to spend time with his number one opponent?
I genuinely enjoyed Adrian’s company. Even after the race, at the party after he had beaten Maxwell, he remained a perfect gentleman.
Calm, respectful, and attentive. I never told him about the complicated situation between Maxwell and me. I kept that part of my life locked away.
My phone buzzed again. Adrian had replied with a love emoji. I was still smiling when the door to my office suddenly opened.
Maxwell walked in, he moved with that same commanding presence, as if the room automatically belonged to him the moment he entered. His eyes immediately went to my desk, to the flowers, the muffins, and the bag. I saw his jaw tighten, the muscles in his face hardening.
“What do you want, sir?” I asked calmly, switching to a professional tone as our eyes met.
“This is an office, not your living room,” he said coldly. “Why are all these things spread across your desk? What if I was walking in with a client?”
His voice was sharp, controlled but I could hear the anger underneath it.
“There’s no rule or policy that says I can’t receive gifts at my workplace, is there?” I asked calmly.His jaw tightened immediately. “I will pack everything up right away, sir,” I added, deliberately using the obedient employee tone.
I bent slightly, about to gather the flowers and boxes, when he suddenly grabbed them out of my hands. Before I could react, he threw the bouquet to the floor and stepped on it, crushing the petals beneath his shoe.
I stared at him in shock, my heart pounding.He picked up the bag next, his eyes dark. “I’m going to burn this,” he said coldly. “I am your husband, and I am the only one allowed to buy you gifts. Tell your boyfriend to stop sending them, or I will keep destroying whatever he gives you.”
Anger rushed through me. “You sleep with Camilla and other women, and I don’t make a fuss about it,” I shot back. A few mornings ago, when Camilla didn’t come home, I had seen another woman leaving the house very early. His expression didn’t change, so I continued, my voice rising.
“Your mistress walks around flashing your card and showing off the gifts you buy her, and I have never complained. I never interfered. So why can’t I do the same thing? Why can’t I live my life, fuck whoever I want and receive gifts too?”
“Because you are my wife,” he snapped. “And I didn’t buy Camilla anything. She bought those things herself. And about the woman—”
I raised my hand sharply, cutting him off. “I don’t care what you do with your cock or your money,” I said firmly. “It’s none of my business anymore. Just leave me alone and let me live in peace.”
With that, I turned and stormed out of the office, my hands shaking with anger, leaving him standing there in silence.
He thought he had the monopoly on sleeping around while I sat there, playing the docile, submissive wife. That wasn’t going to happen anymore. From now on, it was going to be aura for aura, no compromises.
That evening, I returned home and found Camilla lounging in the living room with her obnoxious friends. The moment they saw me come in, they started throwing their usual jabs, calling me names. I didn’t bother replying. As long as none of them dared to confront me directly, it was fine.
I headed straight to my room, shutting the door behind me, and froze the moment I stepped inside. My jaw dropped.
Boxes were stacked across my bed, more than twenty of them, each one from top designer brands. Beside my pillow sat a massive bouquet of my favorite flowers, perfectly arranged and fragrant. I approached the bed, my eyes scanning the gifts until one note caught my attention.
“I am the only one allowed to buy you gifts.”
I picked it up slowly, a mix of amusement and fury bubbling inside me.
Author's note: Hmmmmm🤭🤭