The CEO's Hidden Wife

Lena couldn't remember the last time she felt so utterly alone.

The drive back to her apartment felt like an eternity. The streets outside were bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, but the world around her seemed distant, like it was happening in another life altogether. The silence in the car felt oppressive, each second stretching longer than the one before. She stared out the window, lost in her thoughts, but none of them made sense. The confrontation with Dominic had shattered her, and now, she was left with nothing but the echoes of his words in her mind.

No more pretending. We're done.

Those words kept replaying over and over, a constant reminder of the gulf that had opened between them. She had tried to explain herself, tried to make him understand, but nothing seemed to matter. No matter how much she wanted to fix things, to rebuild the trust they had once had, it felt like the damage was irreparable.

When she arrived home, she stepped into the quiet solitude of her apartment, the emptiness of it settling around her like a heavy fog. She tossed her purse on the table and sank onto the couch, staring at the wall in front of her. There was a dull ache in her chest, a constant pressure that she couldn't shake. She had spent so long hiding behind the walls she had built around herself, pretending that everything was fine. But now, it felt as if all of it had come crashing down.

She picked up her phone, staring at the screen for a moment. The thought of reaching out to Dominic was tempting—she could explain everything, apologize, beg for his forgiveness. But a part of her knew that he wouldn't listen. Not now. Not after what had happened. The trust he had once placed in her had been shattered beyond repair.

With a sigh, Lena put her phone down, pushing the thought aside. She wasn't ready to deal with him again, not yet. She needed space. Time to think. To reflect on everything that had led to this moment.

The truth was, she had always known this marriage would be difficult. When her family had arranged the deal with Dominic, she had accepted it with the same cold logic that had guided her life up until that point. It was business. Nothing more. And yet, somewhere along the way, she had let herself care. She had let herself feel things for Dominic that she hadn't expected. Things that were now tangled in a mess of guilt, betrayal, and regret.

As the evening stretched on, Lena found herself pacing around the apartment, unable to sit still. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, her emotions in turmoil. She had never allowed herself to be vulnerable, never allowed anyone to get too close. But Dominic had cracked that wall, and now, in the wake of his anger, she was left with the ruins of something that had never been fully real.

The next morning came too quickly, and the weight of the previous day's events hung heavily over her. She didn't know what to expect when she walked into the office. Would Dominic ignore her completely? Would he confront her again, this time with more force? She wasn't sure she was ready for either.

When she arrived at West Enterprises, she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The atmosphere in the office felt different, as if the tension between her and Dominic had permeated the entire building. She could feel the eyes of her colleagues on her as she walked past their desks, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The only thing that mattered now was the conversation she would have to face with Dominic, whenever he decided to speak to her again.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that she was called into his office.

The moment she stepped inside, Dominic didn't look up from the papers in front of him. He hadn't changed since yesterday—his posture stiff, his jaw set in that familiar line of tension. There was a coldness to him now, an impenetrable wall that she knew she couldn't get past.

Lena stood in the doorway, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She didn't know what to say. How could she explain herself? How could she make him see that she hadn't meant to hurt him? That she had never intended for things to get this far?

After a long pause, Dominic finally spoke without looking at her.

"Sit down."

Lena slowly crossed the room and took a seat in the chair across from his desk. The silence between them felt unbearable, each second stretching longer than the last. She could feel the weight of his gaze, even though he refused to look at her. He was angry, yes. But there was something else too. A distance. A quiet resolve that told her he had already made up his mind.

"I've been thinking," Dominic said, his voice low and controlled. "About everything. About what you did. And what this marriage means."

Lena's heart raced as she waited for him to continue. She wanted to interrupt, to tell him everything she had been holding back, but she forced herself to stay silent. This was his moment to speak, and she needed to hear him out.

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore," he continued, his words cutting through the air like ice. "The way you've handled things—keeping so many secrets from me—it's not something I can easily forgive."

Lena's stomach twisted in knots. She had known this would happen. She had known the moment she had chosen to hide her true identity that this could be the result. But hearing the words come from him made it feel so much more real. So much more final.

"I don't want to keep living in a marriage that's built on lies," Dominic added, finally meeting her gaze. "I don't want to keep pretending that everything is okay. I need space. I need to figure out what this marriage even means now."

Lena nodded, her throat tight with emotion. She understood. It wasn't just about the secrets anymore. It was about everything that had been shattered between them—the trust, the connection, the fragile hope she had held onto.

"I understand," she said softly. "I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you."

Dominic's gaze softened for a brief moment, but his resolve remained unbroken.

"We'll see how things go," he replied quietly, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk. "For now, just... let's take some time apart."

With that, Lena stood up and left his office, the weight of his words still hanging heavily in the air. She didn't know what the future held for them. All she knew was that the distance between them had never felt more real, and she wasn't sure if they would ever find their way back to each other.