Traded To My Husband's CEO Boss

YVONNE'S P.O.V.

'How to give myself an orgasm.'

My finger hovered on the search icon, I blinked at my screen, then checked behind me to make sure that my nosy colleagues weren't peeping into my phone.

I bit down on my lip, hesitated, and gave up, tossing my phone back into my purse.

A frustrated sigh heaved out from my lips, I shouldn't be ashamed of trying to figure out how to satisfy my own needs, but when you're a grown woman and you've never experienced an orgasm in your life, you'd feel humiliated about it.

I had tried using my fingers twice, but it didn't feel right; at this point, it's not just the thrill; it's more about experiencing that sensation women are always raving about.

I buried my face into my palm, propping my elbows on my desk.

A loud thud had me raising my head. "Have this sorted out before the end of today." Regional manager Edgar Baxter requested.

I glanced at my watch and back at him in disbelief. "It's forty minutes to closing, how am I supposed to get all this done?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes like I was putting on a tantrum. "Are you saying you're incompetent Mrs Baxter?"

One of my nosy colleagues whistled, I could hear their murmurs and mockery.

"No." I gritted out, taking the papers he'd given me, and began to work.

Edgar lingered, then added with a smug smile, "I knew you'd be able to handle this; you're the only reliable person here."

I huffed in exasperation as he left. I still wonder how it is he made it to the Regional Manager position; oh, I don't need to wonder; it was all my effort. I did his job and mine, and when he got the promotion he gloated to the entire company that it was because he was zealous.

Zealous my ass.

Edgar wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, he can't do anything right. Not at work, not in bed, hell not even in a conversation.

And that is the story of my life.

Maybe our five years of marriage would have been tolerable if he could make me cum once, just once. And on top of being such a dead weight in bed, he has me cleaning after his mess all the dammed time.

"Breathe Yvonne". I murmured to myself.

"I cannot believe her husband would treat her like that," Lucinda 'whispered' from her corner, loud enough for the entire SilverThorn group to hear.

I pressed my pen harder into the paper, it punctured a hole.

"I honestly don't know how they survived living together. I would have stabbed him in the chest if I was Yvonne." another of my nosy coworkers, Daisy, added.

I shook my head with a bitter laugh.

Five years ago, something happened, something that had my father's life hanging on a thread. I was his way out, his offer to Edgar's father. I became Mrs Baxter not out of love, not out of choice, but for sacrifice.

After our marriage, I had hoped that Edgar would give me a little respect and reverence as his wife, till the days turned into months and months into five years. I've realized that he's too much of a narcissist, too full of himself to care about anyone else.

"Bye Yvonne. Don't stay here all night." Lucinda snarked as she walked out of the office we shared. Daisy followed behind her, giving me a pitying smile.

I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the piles of paper spread in front of me. I couldn't care less about Lucinda and Daisy. It was nothing compared to putting up with Edgar condescending.

≈

I checked my watch to see that two hours had passed since Edgar gave me his work to handle. Just a little more, I wrote the report he was supposed to present in the next meeting and finished up the logistics.

Done

I pushed back in my chair with a sigh, taking in the Seattle night skyline, then I grabbed my coat, and made my way out; it was time to go back to my pain-in-the-ass husband. Since Edgar had undoubtedly left.

Minutes later, I came home to find Edgar sprawled on the couch, his legs on the coffee table.

"You're back," he said without looking at me, grabbing the last slice of pizza. An empty can of soda, a pack of sushi, and a box of pizza littered the living room.

"SCORE! " he cheered at the TV

I fisted my hands and walked past him into the kitchen, where I was met with a sink full of dirty dishes. A headache began throbbing in my head, how hard would it be to load the dishwasher?

My shoulders slumped with my tired sigh as I washed them but it wasn't just the dishes, the whole house was a mess

Dirty socks on the rug, a hallway lined with his shoes, and his dammed clothes still on the bed. I blinked, Edgar had come back home nearly three hours before me.

My eyes stung; I pressed the heel of my palm into them, keeping the tears away.

I did the laundry, kept his shoes, and took out the trash. Vacuumed the hallway and tidied the bedroom. Fixed the sheets. Folded his damn clothes.

All Again.

Then I entered the bathroom, ready for a long hot shower to wash my sufferings away, when something caught my eye in the bathroom trash can. My chest squeezed so tightly that my heart could have shrunk.

Because right there was a disposed condom-used.

My throat closed and the tears I've been fighting back since the office, heck, since all my life, rushed out like a broken dam. I clenched my jaw in anger.

I suspected Edgar was unfaithful, but that has been an assumption, as horrible as our sex was, we still had it occasionally.

But he was cheating. That's where I drew the line.

I didn't know how long I stood there staring at it, with tears of anger and betrayal streaming down my face, but after a while, something snapped. I did what I should have done years ago, I walked out

"Buy some snacks on your way back" Edgar hollered as I slammed the door, not even bothered where his wife was headed at this late hour.

I didn't know where I was going, only that I couldn't stay another second in that house. Tears blurred my vision, the cold air made my fingers numb. I wiped my eyes, my shoulders shook with my sobs.

"Stupid me for staying. Stupid me for not choosing my peace and happiness. Stupid me for believing he could give me the bare minimum of loyalty."

I kept cursing and crying until I bumped into a solid wall.

Warm hands reached out to steady me before I fell. Not a wall, a body. A strong warm body.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, looked up, and stopped breathing.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a voice that chased the spring cold away.

Words evaded me, his navy eyes bore into mine like they could see my soul. He was handsome in a way that was unfair. Sharp, lethal face, stubble that added to his rugged masculinity, and a scent of spice and something expensive.

I opened my mouth, but only a broken sob came out. My lips quivered. More tears welled in my eyes.

Stupid me to cry in front of him. He didn't let me go, though; he held me tighter, and when he pulled me into a hug, he patted my back like we'd known for years. My heart couldn't resist.

I broke, to a hundred tiny pieces. Everything hurt, my life hurt. He felt warm and big and safe.

The weight of five miserable years crushed me in the chest. I let myself collapse into the arms of the man who felt like the closest thing to home I've had in a long, long time.

CLAYTON'S P.O.V.

She didn't recognize me.

And I didn't know if I should be relieved or upset about it. It had been years, so long have I ached to have her in my arms again, but alas, I was nothing more than a stranger to her.

We've both changed; the years and life had taken a toll on us, but one thing was certain: my feelings for her never did.

Seeing Yvonne so broken, crying in the fúcking cold, made me want to strangle the bastard she, unfortunately, tethered herself to.

A long breath heaved out from me as I dragged a hand over my face. If only I had stayed...

I knew without a doubt that Edgar was the one who caused her pain last night. I could still feel Yvonne's hot tears soaking my shirt, her body shaking in mine as I held her. Pain, guilt, and plenty of other ugly feelings slithered across my spine and stabbed me right in that beating organ. It was too late to hold her, I should have done so sooner. I never should have left.

"Fuck" I muttered, sinking further into the leather chair.

The years had changed everything, but they changed nothing. She was married. Fucking married to a man who wasn't me, yet my reaction to her had been so overwhelming just like the first time we met. Just like those years ago, she had leaned into me and trusted me.

I wanted to take her back to my house. I wanted to soothe her, but once her tears subsided, Yvonne insisted I drop her off at her best friend's.

"You know," Thane drawled, his brooding gray eyes as assertive as usual, "I thought you came here to catch up. But it seems like you would rather brood all day. Is this because of the sudden decision to step out of the shadows and take over your company or something more...personal?"

I lifted one shoulder in a shrug, my eyes trained on the skyline behind him. "Just some though times. Who else would understand that better than you do?"

Thane and I had schooled together in London, and as only sons of wealthy families who would one day take over our companies in Seattle, we developed some kind of bond, only that I stayed in London longer than I should have.

Long enough for her to marry Edgar fúcking Baxter.

I shook my head, trying to organize my train of thought. "Forget about it," I said to Thane. "I came here for a reason- for you to fill me up on everything that happened in the Seattle business world while I was away. What changed? What's new?"

Thane didn't answer. He kept studying me, for any other person, his stare would be unnerving, but not me.

A smug smile curled on his lips "I know that look,"

I raised a brow. "What look?"

His half smile widened. "It's a woman, isn't it?"

I rubbed my fingers on my temple. Trust Thane Renihardt to see through a person like glass. With a long exhale, I agreed to his assessment. "And let's you are right. So what?"

His eyes crinkled with amusement, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. "Clayton Voss. I had never seen you with a woman in all our years at Oxford. Who is she?"

He wasn't wrong. While we were at university, I'd had random flings, women whose names and faces I barely remember; I could never hold on to a serious relationship because all those women-they weren't her.

Even after she married Edgar, even after she wed someone else- Yvonne still stays at the center of my heart.

"Don't you have to take your wife to her ultrasound or something?" I deflected, steering the conversation in his direction instead.

Warmth I didn't know my friend capable of showing so openly flickered in his eyes

I was happy for him, at least he got to be with the woman he loves

We can't all be that lucky

Thane tilted his head slightly to the side and threw my question back with his question. "Are things that bad between you and her?"

"Oh, God. You won't let this drop will you?" I groaned

The side of his lips curled upwards. "It's only fair you tell me. You have no other friends here"

I leaned forward slightly "How far were you willing to go to get your wife back?"

His shoulders grew taut, eyes gleaming with a possessiveness I knew all too well.

"I was willing to do anything," Thane said without hesitation. " It didn't matter what I had to do. How long did I have to wait? How many boundaries I crossed or how much I invaded her space-so long as she was mine again."

My frustrations only tipped over. Thane was... chivalrous? Relentless? Whatever it was, it wasn't as fucked up as mine Who is still holding onto a very much married woman who doesn't even remember me

Yvonne had looked straight through me like I was a stranger, and it fucking hurt.

"Forget this" I muttered. "Just give me the latest updates."

Thane didn't push further. He filled me in on everything I had missed. Market changes, rivalries, mergers, and new faces in the industry. When we finished, I stood up and shook Thane's hand.

"Hey, Thane," I called just as I reached the door.

"Yes?"

"If, let's say, by the time you realized your wife was the one for you, she had already married someone else, what would you have done?"

"Then that someone else would have had to lose, and I wouldn't have felt sorry about it. " A ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. "She's my axis, Clayton. My balance. Without her, I'm lost."

I mulled over his words for five short seconds, then with a departing nod, I left Thane's Company complex and slid into the driver's seat of my car.

Was this what love did to people, consumed them, gnawed and ate on their souls till all the lines blurred and there wasn't one who was willing to cross?

I reached into my pocket, stroking the cold metal there that had kept me connected with her even though we were oceans apart.

There and then, something snapped inside me, fell into place, and locked tight. I wouldn't let Yvonne shed another tear for her useless husband. If not for anything, but because I saw her first,

Because I loved her first,

Because she's his, when she was always meant to be mine.

YVONNE'S P.O.V

The Expresso sharpened my senses, making me feel more energetic and ready to start the day.

Sasha's blazer fitted my body as if it were mine- the perks of having a best friend just your size.

I sipped my coffee as my heels clicked against the marble floor of the SliverThorn group, though my insides were a chaotic tangle of restless nerves as I tried to ignore the stares from Lucinda and Daisy.

Edgar hadn't called or texted, not that I was expecting anyway.

After I had cried in the hands of that stranger, he dropped me off at Sasha's apartment. I barely managed any sleep, and no, it wasn't because I was still crying over Edgar's betrayal. It was him- the stranger with the navy eyes that bore into my soul. The way he held me strongly like an anchor, letting me ruin his expensive shirt with my tears.

Something about him made me feel...safe. I know he was a stranger, and thus, I should have been cautious, but he emitted a familiarity I couldn't place my head on.

I wished I had collected his number or something, to thank him for last night, to hear his deep soothing voice again... anything. It's just sad that I may never see him again.

The regional manager hollered as he stepped into the office.

"This is going to be fun" Lucinda whispered.

Daisy snorted out a laugh. "Here comes the storm."

Every muscle in my body locked rigid. I tightened my eyes shut and took in a deep breath. Hopefully, Edgar would have some decency and keep things quiet till we close from work.

"And where are you coming from Mrs Baxter?" he bellowed, coming to stand at my side.

My stomach dropped, so much for hope. "Sasha's" I answered quietly.

Edgar fumed beside me, his nose flaring. I brought the paper cup to my lips in an act of nonchalance, but my heart was racing faster than a jackrabbit.

"You think I'm going to buy that lie?" He thundered. "Did you really leave home late at night just to go to your best friends, or did you spend the night with someone else?" Edgar's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lucinda whistled, Daisy covered her laugh with a cough.

Anger flared in my veins at Edgar's insinuation. He was the one who cheated and now he's trying to spin things around. I placed the paper cup down. "Get lost" I gritted out, fisting my hands tight.

Edgar released a humorless laugh. "You dare say that to your manager and husband? Do you know that I can make your life miserable both at work and home?"

I arched a brow at him. "Isn't that what you've been doing for five years?"

Edgar drew his head back, stunned by my retort, but his eyes quickly hardened. He knocked over the paper cup, spilling coffee on my desk.

"What is wrong with you?" I snapped.

Edgar laughed again, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he jabbed a finger into my shoulder. "You want to know what is wrong with me?" his raised voice drowned out the murmurs of the two gossips in the office.

I swatted his finger away, forcing in a breath, "Not here, Edgar. You're the manager, you can't be seen quarreling." I tried to reason with him, but somehow, that only infuriated Edgar the more.

"No Yvonne! We are having this conversation right here, right now!"

With one swipe, he pushed away the papers off my desk, sending them flying. My annoyance boiled over.

"I swear to God if you don't leave right now..."

"You will do what?" he barked. "Walk away? call the security on me?" Edgar laughed when I only stared at him. "You love your father too much to choose yourself."

Edgar's words pierced through my chest and into my heart, making my eyes burn. He smirked, knowing that he was right. I wouldn't be able to do anything to Edgar, I couldn't even leave his cheating, gaslighting self.

I stared down at my shoes, mortification, pain, and helplessness burning my eyes. The floor became blurry.

I blinked back the tears. I would not cry here, I would not give Edgar that satisfaction. I wouldn't cry so Lucinda and Daisy wouldn't get anything to mock me with, but most of all, I couldn't cry now because there was no stranger with deep blue eyes to hold me and whisper to me that I'd be okay.

"You better start..."

"What is going on here?" A deep, commanding voice filled the office;

Edgar stiffened "Mr....Mr Voss." He stuttered.

"That's him," Lucinda whispered dreamily to Daisy. "The CEO we've been expecting for weeks. He's finally back after so long. He is so-"

"Fucking hot," Daisy supplied; I could hear the reverence in her voice.

I heard the clicking of the man's shoe as he rounded towards my cubicle.

"Mr. Voss." Edgar greeted, his voice tight "This is a personal-"

"Are you alright?"

A shudder ripped through me. I know that voice, he's...

Slowly, I raised my face, taking his pristine shoes first, tailored pants, strong build, and then.....Navy eyes.

Him.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Mr Voss?" I whispered.

He tilted his head slightly to the side, his deep blue eyes absorbing me, taking me in. The shudder rippled through me the second time.

I didn't know how long I stared at him with my heart racing and my mouth agape, but it was long enough for Edgar to speak up.

"Mr Voss. This is a personal..."

"No. This is disruptive," he deadpanned. That voice that spoke softly to me turned as hard as steel with Edgar.

"This is a professional setting. You don't deal with personal issues here." He took a step forward, making Edgar flinch.

I watched them, transfixed at how one man carried a deep air of authority.

"And never-" Mr Voss' voice dropped to something low and dangerous. "-ever raise your voice to one of my employees again."

Edgar's face flamed red. "I didn't mean-"

He held one hand up, silencing Edgar. He reached down to pick up one of the papers Edgar pushed off my desk.

The entire office was silent as he read the reports I worked on yesterday. Without a word, Mr. Voss took the rest of the documents on my desk to read; his hand brushing mine in the process.

Such a small, almost unnoticeable graze, but my breathing hitched. I felt his touch in every wire of my brain, in every nerve ending in my body, and with the way he paused, I think he felt it too.

"You did all this?" he asked, his voice doing strange things to my insides.

I hesitated, then nodded once.

Mr Voss's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes sparked.

"Call the previous acting CEO and have him meet me in my office." He said to his assistant whom I hadn't even noticed

Then without another word, he turned to leave.

The office seemed to stretch time for a moment as he walked out, leaving us in confused silence. Edgar didn't waste any more time; he returned to his office with his ears red-a sign that he was pissed.

I sank into my seat. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears. The stranger from last night is Mr Voss. The CEO of SilverThorn group, and I had cried like a child in his arms.

Christ.

My cheeks heated. Did he recognize me as the lady from last night? I wasn't sure I wanted him to.

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, ten minutes later, uniformed men stormed into the company premises.

"The cops are here" Daisy muttered, peeking out her window.

The sharp clack of boots echoed through the hallway. Everyone in the different offices that lined the floor turned. Four uniformed officers stepped into ours.

"Edgar Baxter?" the lead officer called.

Edgar stood abruptly, his face turning pale. "What is the meaning of-"

"You're under arrest for financial crimes related to the SilverThorn group."

Stunned silence.

What?

Edgar froze; it wasn't until the handcuff snapped that he regained his voice.

"Yvonne! You did this to me, didn't you?!" Edgar shouted as the cops escorted him out. My fingers shook, what just happened? Financial crimes?

I turned towards the doorway, only to find him. Mr Voss. He stood there, arms folded, and while everyone else watched Edgar being dragged out, he watched...me.

The side of his lips twitched into something akin to a smile, my heart fluttered in my chest. The world narrowed to his deep blue eyes, eyes that told me he remembered last night.

Trapped in a world where I had learned to fade into the background and act invisible, he made me feel seen-My husband's Boss. My CEO.

I didn't know if the way he stared at me was a good sign or if I should run and hide, but one thing was certain, I was about to find out.