Smoke and Darkness

Realization
Daphne's POV

Greg storms in like a wild animal, his face twisted in rage. “You bitch! Why the hell did you fire the board?!”

Surprised, I take a step back away from Ethan. It's ridiculous. I'm acting like I was caught in an embrace with my lover.

Although, if you look at it, that was exactly what we were doing. Ethan, on the other hand, doesn't move an inch. He raises an eyebrow at me that lets me know he knows exactly what I am thinking.

“Answer me, you stupid bitch!” Greg yells, annoyed that we were ignoring him. Although, to be fair, we were.

The words hang in the air like poison, and I can feel my heartbeat quicken. A part of me wants to retreat, the part that has been used to years of him beating me down, but I stand my ground.

My chest heaves, and I fight the urge to look anywhere but into his furious eyes.

Before I open my mouth to respond, Ethan cuts in.

“I know you are American, but do you not know simple etiquette? How could you just barge into her office like that?” He snaps in that superior tone of his that makes Greg seem like a spoilt child.

I don't know if I should be happy or pissed off, he is defending me, especially after what we were just talking about.

But looking at my so-called husband's face, I'm inclined to choose the former. He is obviously not taking it well.

His fists are clenched, his face red like he could burst at any moment. It's so ridiculous, it's almost laughable.

“She is my wife!” He grits out.

“And she is my client. I don't see how your point has any bearing on a matter of simple courtesy. In fact, it's all the more reason you should accord her the necessary regard.

“This is a place of business. Mr Smith and you should treat it as such or need I remind you of that?” Ethan responds in that suave, superior tone of his.

Greg storms toward him, the veins on his neck popping. “It's none of your business. Now leave or else-”

“Or else what?” Ethan smirks down at him. The air is charged with so much tension, you could cut it with a knife.

“Tell him to leave, Daphne.” My husband says without taking an eye off Ethan.” Like he knows I will obey like a good little puppet, a good little wife.

I sigh. This could get bad fast. “Ethan, thank you. I'll have a word with my husband now.” He whips his head so fat that I'm afraid he got whiplash.

Worry and a hint of hurt swim in his eyes. Hurt that I did not choose him.

“Are you sure?” He questions in a low intimate tone but there is a tick in his jaw and clench of his fists that belies his frustration.

I smile up at him with teary eyes. “I'm sure. I'll be fine.”

He presses his lips into a thin line but doesn't say anything. I watch his back until he leaves the room.

Greg notices this and it clearly pisses him off.

“Before I go into what a little white you are, would you clear to explain why you fired the whole dam board?” He roars.

His anger is understandable. Although he resigned, he was still sure he could control the company through the board and the fact that they are no longer there means he has zero power.

He must be feeling so franctic right now.

“I’ll tell you why I did it,” I say, my voice as steady as I can make it.

“Because they’re all incompetent. They don’t deserve a place in this company. They never did.”

He lets out a humorless laugh, the sound making my blood run cold. “Incompetent?” His voice is laced with venom.

“You think you’re any better than them? You’re nothing, Daphne. You’re nothing without me, without the board. You’re nothing without them.”

The air feels thick. I want to shout back, to slap him, to tell him how much I hate everything about him.

But I know how quickly that will escalate into something that I won't walk away from, unscathed.

Besides, I'm not ready to show all my cards yet.

I decide to take the high road instead.

Instead, I take a slow breath. “It’s my company, Greg. Not yours. You had your chance. We agreed you would let me do this for the benefit of-”

“Don't give me that crap you dumb bitch! I've barely left for twenty four hours and you do something like this.”

I try to placate him. “If you'll just let me explain. I-”

“Shut up! You planned this didn't you?” He queries with suspicion. There is a paranoid look in his eyes.

He glares at me, his eyes narrowed into slits. “You think barging your way back in gives you power?” He spits the words like they’re poison.

I can feel the anger bubbling up inside me, but I stay quiet, letting him rage.

“You’re nothing without me,” he repeats, his voice colder, more dangerous. He takes a step toward me, his eyes flashing with a dangerous gleam.

Forcing my gaze to meet his, he clutches my jaw in his hand and presses. Hard.

“Make sure you never forget this. You don't make decisions like this without me, ever. Is that understood?”

His words slice through me, and for a moment, I’m paralyzed, the weight of them sinking in like a thousand daggers to my chest.

But then something inside me snaps. I’m not the same woman who let him push me around.

I look up, meeting his glare head-on. “You want to fight me for this? You want to tear me down again, Greg? You won’t win.”

I will crush him even if it's the last thing I do.

He’s quiet for a moment, watching me with a calculating look, his expression a mix of anger and disbelief. But then, he scoffs, a smug smile creeping across his face.

“We’ll see about that,” he mutters under his breath before storming out of the room.

The door slams behind him with a finality that echoes through my bones.

I stand there for a moment, the silence deafening. Then, with a shaky exhale, I collapse back into the chair, my head spinning.

It’s not just the anger from Greg or the tension with Ethan. It’s everything. The weight of the decisions I’ve made. The people I’ve lost. The people I’m trying to save.

No more hiding. No more pretending.

It’s time to take control.