Part 1Her Sweetheart Beaten, Our Marriage Over

My CEO wife watched with cold indifference as I was humiliated for three years. But even a cornered rabbit will bite, and I’m no rabbit.

“I’ll beat the hell out of your precious childhood sweetheart every time I see him.”

The night I asked for a divorce, she got drunk and kissed me.

* * *

I was dreaming. A back-alley brawl, a brick raised high in my hand. Suddenly, a searing pain exploded across my face.

My eyes snapped open to a startling scene. I was in a conference room, easily over a thousand square feet, filled with more than a dozen people in sharp business suits.

They were all staring at me with amusement.

Standing before me was a man with slicked-back hair and a smug face, shaking out his hand. Unless I was mistaken, he had just slapped me.

Before I could process it, he spoke. “Cole, sleeping in a meeting is one thing, but snoring? Evelyn is speaking. Are you trying to provide background music?”

“You son of a…”

I was about to let him have it when a flood of memories that weren't mine slammed into my brain.

My name is Cole Evans, husband to Evelyn Stone, the CEO of Stone Industries.

We’ve been married for three years, but I’ve never even touched her. I hold a meaningless position at the company, a punching bag for anyone who feels like taking a swing.

The man who hit me is Miles, the company’s Vice President and Evelyn’s childhood friend.

I touched my cheek. The texture of the skin felt different. The stinging pain, however, was very real.

At the head of the table, Evelyn glanced at me, a flicker of a frown on her perfect face, before her eyes returned to the documents in her hand.

She was undeniably beautiful. Paired with that icy demeanor, she was the quintessential ice queen. It was no wonder the original Cole had endured three years of misery just to be near her.

“Continue,” she said calmly, her voice even.

It was as if me getting slapped was of no consequence to her at all.

Miles smirked, poking a finger into my chest. “Next time, don't even bother showing up to embarrass yourself…”

His words were cut off by a sharp cry of pain.

I had caught his jabbing finger and bent it back. Hard.

Everyone in the room froze. The looks of amusement vanished, replaced by something else, something uncertain.

Miles doubled over, his face turning a dark shade of purple. “Let go! You son of a bitch, let go of me!”

His yelling only made me squeeze harder. I watched the sweat bead on his forehead as I spoke, my voice low and steady. “Mr. Miles, did no one ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself when you talk?”

At that moment, Evelyn looked up again, her voice laced with a clear warning. “Cole!”

I glanced at her, then applied more pressure. Miles dropped to his knees with a pained gasp. A collective intake of breath echoed through the room.

Then I let go. As Miles scrambled to get up, I kicked his shin, sweeping his legs out from under him.