While My Husband Cheated, I Married His Powerful Brother

Xiomara’s car idled at a red light.

She stared at the dashboard. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The buildings outside blurred and her mind was still churning.

Veyra. At Bordeaux 101. On the second floor. With a VIP card.

She had been driving for five minutes. The pieces had been clicking together in her head.

She picked up her phone and called Caspian.

He answered on the first ring. "Where are you now?"

"On my way, I am almost there." She took a breath. "I know why Veyra was there."

Caspian’s voice sharpened. "Why?"

Her voice was smooth. Cold.

"Her husband. The bodyguard." She spat the words. "He works for someone important. Someone with a VIP card. He probably got her in through the back door."

Caspian was quiet for a moment.

"You think she crashed the event?"

"I know she did." Xiomara’s voice was bitter. "She’s not there on her own. She’s a tag-along. A plus-one."

"Plus-one to who?"

"Whoever her husband works for. Some rich executive who doesn’t know she’s using his VIP access to make herself look important."

Caspian’s silence stretched.

Xiomara pressed on. "She probably spent an hour getting dressed and practicing her smile and also trying to look like she belongs." She laughed. "She’s probably standing in a corner, pretending to be part of something she doesn’t understand."

Caspian let out a breath.

"You’re right," he said. "She’s always been like that. Trying to be something she’s not."

Xiomara smiled. A small, victorious smile.

"Exactly."

"She made me feel like I was the villain," Caspian said. "Like I was the one who did something wrong."

Xiomara’s voice was smooth. "Because she’s good at that. Playing the victim. Making everyone feel sorry for her."

Caspian’s voice turned hard.

"I almost believed her."

"You’re a good man, Caspian. You see the best in people." She paused. "She takes advantage of that."

He snorted. "She’s pathetic. All those years, pretending she was above it all. And now she’s crashing parties to feel important."

Xiomara smiled wider.

"Vain," she said. "Obsessed with appearances. She’s not as virtuous as she pretends to be."

Caspian’s grip tightened on the phone.

"She probably enjoyed it. Lying to me. Making me chase after her." His voice dropped. "She was toying with me."

Xiomara said nothing.

"These past few weeks," he continued. "She was probably laughing behind my back. Making me look like a fool."

"You think she was unfaithful?" Xiomara asked.

Caspian paused. His voice was low. Rage simmered underneath.

"I don’t know. But I wouldn’t put it past her."

She let the silence hold for a moment.

"She’s been cuckolding you," Xiomara said. "Using you and then divorcing you. And now she’s using someone else."

Caspian said nothing.

His breathing was heavy.

"She’s not the person she pretends to be," Xiomara said. "She never was."

Caspian finally spoke. His voice was cold.

"I’m going to make her pay for this."

Xiomara smiled into the phone.

"I’ll help you," she said.

She hung up.

*

*

Xiomara gripped the steering wheel. Her knuckles were white. Xiomara’s jaw tightened.

Old scores. New grievances. All of them. She will settle every single one with that thought, she pressed the gas.

*

*

Across the city, Veyra sat across from Dr. Harrison.

The private dining room was quiet. The walls were paneled in dark wood. A single lamp cast warm light across the table. The city glittered far below through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Dr. Harrison had been watching her since she sat down. His eyes were kind. Curious.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine."

She touched her face. Her cheeks were flushed. Her pulse was still fast.

"I ran into someone I didn’t want to see," she said. "That’s all."

Dr. Harrison did not press.

He reached into his briefcase. He pulled out a tablet. The screen glowed.

"Let’s move on to better things." He set the tablet between them. "I’ve narrowed the field to five candidates."

Veyra leaned forward.

The screen showed five profiles. Photos. Company names. Brief descriptions.

She scanned the list.

Xavier Lala. Solstice Pharmaceuticals.

She paused.

Caspian Thorne. Eclipse Bio.

Her finger hovered over his name.

"Why is he here?" she asked.

Dr. Harrison looked at her. "His company has a strong track record. Financially stable. Good manufacturing capacity."

"He’s a liar."

"I know."

"And a cheat."

"I know."

Veyra looked at him. "Then why is he on the list?"

Dr. Harrison leaned back. He folded his hands.

"Because I need to be objective. The five candidates are the most qualified. Regardless of personal history."

"Even if they’re morally bankrupt?"

"Even then." He paused. "Business is not about morality, Mrs. Thorne. It’s about results."

She stared at him.

"The choice is ultimately yours," he said. "I’m here to advise. Not to decide."

She looked back at the tablet.

"What do you think?" she asked. "About the other candidates?"

Dr. Harrison tapped the screen. A photo appeared. A woman. Sharp features, cropped hair and expensive suit.

"Serena Vance," he said. "Brilliant. Ruthless. Runs a clean operation."

Veyra studied her face. "She looks capable."

"She is. But there’s a catch."

"What?"

"She prefers female partners. Doesn’t trust men in leadership." Dr. Harrison’s expression flickered. "She would want you in the boardroom. Not just in the lab."

Veyra blinked. "You mean she would—"

"Want to work with you directly. Not just your formula."

She nodded slowly. "I see."

Dr. Harrison scrolled to the next photo.

"Marcus Webb," he said. "Capable. Upright. But too rigid. He doesn’t bend."

"Bend?"

"He’s unwilling to adapt to changing circumstances. The industry moves fast. He moves slow." He paused. "It’s a liability."

Veyra nodded again. "So not him."

"Not him."

He scrolled again. Caspian’s photo appeared.

"Pristine track record," Dr. Harrison said. "Good leadership. Solid corporate management."

Veyra said nothing.

"By the numbers, he’s the strongest candidate."

"He’s not."

"I know." Dr. Harrison set down the tablet. "But I wanted you to see it. To understand why I had to put him on the shortlist."

Veyra looked at Caspian’s face. The smile. The confident posture. The empty eyes.

"Are you recommending him?" she asked.

Dr. Harrison was quiet for a moment.

"I’m recommending that you consider him," he said. "Alongside the others. Objectively."

"That’s not what I asked."

He sighed. "Mrs. Thorne, I have two reasons for recommending him."

She waited.

"One: He’s suitable. His company is solid. His resources are substantial. He could bring SN1818 to market faster than anyone else."

"And the second?"

He paused. "I have a personal motive."

Veyra’s brow furrowed.

"A personal motive?"