The Return of the Neglected Wife

The city skyline loomed over me like a promise of possibility and chaos. After the whirlwind that was the trip, I was more than ready to dive into work. My office offered a perfect refuge—sleek, modern, and buzzing with efficiency. It was a testament to everything I'd rebuilt.

Today, my schedule was packed: back-to-back meetings, pitches, and a partnership proposal that would ensure my company remained at the forefront of innovation. There was no room to dwell on Nixus or his maddening antics, and I preferred it that way.

But the moment I walked into the conference room for a break, my assistant caught up with me, her face pinched with worry.

"Ms. Brown, there's someone in your office," she whispered nervously.

I frowned. "Who?"

"She wouldn't give her name, but she insisted she needed to speak with you."

The annoyance was immediate. Who wouldn't give their name? I could already sense trouble brewing, and when I pushed the door to my office open, the air practically crackled with tension.

Selene.

She sat perched on the edge of my desk, looking as flawless as ever, her legs crossed elegantly and her perfectly coiffed hair cascading down her shoulders like she'd just stepped out of a magazine spread. Her confidence filled the room, but it was her smirk that set my nerves on edge.

"Malia," she said sweetly, her voice laced with venom, "we need to talk."

I shut the door behind me, making sure to keep my expression neutral. If Selene wanted a reaction, she wouldn't get one—not from me.

"I don't recall us having an appointment," I said coolly, stepping around her to place my bag on the side table. "I'm very busy today."

"This won't take long," she replied, standing gracefully and turning to face me. "It's about Nixus."

Of course, it was. I sighed inwardly but refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. "What about him?"

She tilted her head, her smile sharp enough to cut. "I think it's time you stopped playing these little games and stayed out of his life. Nixus and I are meant to be together, and whatever… unresolved issues you have with him are getting in the way."

I arched an eyebrow, my pulse steady despite the provocation. "Unresolved issues?"

Selene took a step closer, her designer heels clicking against the polished floor. "You've been trying to make him jealous, flaunting your little boyfriend and playing the victim. It's pathetic, really. Nixus and I have a bond you can't possibly understand, and he'll always come back to me. So why don't you save yourself the embarrassment and let him go?"

Her words hung in the air, heavy with the kind of arrogance only someone like Selene could muster. I met her gaze evenly, my hands clasped loosely in front of me.

"Are you finished?" I asked, my tone calm but firm.

Her smile faltered slightly, the cracks in her confidence starting to show. "Excuse me?"

"I asked if you were finished," I repeated, stepping closer. "Because if you think I'm going to let you waltz into my office and dictate how I live my life, you're sorely mistaken."

Selene's expression hardened, but I didn't give her a chance to retort.

"You seem to have misunderstood something very important," I continued, my voice steady and deliberate. "Nixus isn't your man. He's still my husband."

Her eyes widened, and for the first time, I saw genuine shock flicker across her face.

"Yes," I said, pressing the point home. "Our divorce was never finalized. Legally, Nixus and I are still very much married. So if anyone is interfering in this situation, it's you."

Selene's perfect façade cracked further, her lips parting in disbelief before she quickly masked it with anger. "That doesn't mean anything," she snapped. "He loves me, not you. He always has. You're just clinging to a technicality."

I tilted my head, letting a slow smile creep across my face. "Perhaps. But isn't it interesting that the man you're so certain belongs to you hasn't taken the time to end things with me? It makes one wonder who he's truly thinking about."

Her face flushed red, a mix of fury and humiliation. I could see the gears turning in her mind, desperate to regain the upper hand, but I wasn't about to give her that chance.

"You see, Selene," I said, my tone dropping to a razor's edge, "I've spent enough of my life letting people walk all over me. You might have been his 'white moonlight' once, but I don't think you understand who I've become. I don't play games, and I don't take kindly to threats—no matter how subtly they're delivered."

"You—"

"Are we done here?" I interrupted, stepping back toward the door and opening it wide.

Selene stared at me, her jaw tight and her eyes blazing with indignation. But she didn't say another word. Instead, she grabbed her purse and brushed past me, her heels clicking furiously as she exited my office.

I closed the door behind her, exhaling slowly as the adrenaline coursing through my veins began to subside. I wasn't sure what Selene had hoped to accomplish, but if she thought she could intimidate me into backing down, she had clearly underestimated me.

As I returned to my desk, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Selene might have been a thorn in my side, but she was also a reminder of just how far I'd come. The old me might have crumbled under her words, might have let her walk away with the last word.

But the woman I was now? She didn't bow to anyone.

Later that evening, as I prepared to leave the office, my phone buzzed with a text from Julian.

Julian: Dinner tonight? I found a new place I think you'll love.

A small smile tugged at my lips, the weight of the day easing slightly.

Me: Sounds perfect. Pick me up at seven?

As I slipped my phone into my bag, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass door. Confident. Composed. Unshakable.

Let Selene plot and scheme. Let Nixus stew in his regrets. I wasn't going to let either of them dictate my life anymore.

But just as I stepped out of the office, the elevator doors opened, and there stood Nixus, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.