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Instead of getting angry, I decided enough was enough. Action was needed. I was going to put an end to Trent and Simone’s relationship.
The plan fell into place perfectly, with little effort other than keeping Trent hard long enough for Simone to catch us in bed together. It took all my willpower not to laugh with glee when Simone entered the bedroom.
Trent was frantic to salvage the relationship, but thankfully, Simone was done.
There were moments in the two weeks leading to Simone’s resignation deadline where I worried I’d lose Trent. I heard him beg Simone late at night when he thought I was sleeping. Every promise to correct his fuck-up and plea for forgiveness was a knife to my jaded heart.
To combat his regret, I strategically put myself in his space, staying connected to his hip and limiting his alone time. If he had no time to communicate with Simone, he had little chance of winning her back.
It worked. Simone left California, and I was on Trent’s arm.
Although Trent’s grief was perceptible, I believed it was temporary. I would fill the void and be everything he needed.
How wrong I was.
Confessing my embezzlement operation infuriated Trent. I expected him to be horrified, but his anger was unexpected, accusing me of ruining everything.
“What do you mean, I’m ruining everything?”
He cursed under his breath, clutching the spreadsheet I’d printed off, showcasing my pilfered funds, in his fists. “Interpret it however you want. Did you honestly think you could run with this and not have it come back to you? You’re not even skimming the accounts, but pulling funds too massive to brush off as poor investments. You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re doing, Cynthia. If you don’t stop and cover your tracks, you risk being caught and facing serious jail time.”
“What? You think I’m too dumb to pull this off?” I asked, my pride bruised. “Would you be jumping all over Simone if she was doing this?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished I could retract them.
Trent sneered, “Simone has a moral compass, making her incapable of stealing from others. But if she were to do it, she’d be smarter and not take such stupid risks.”
“Right, Simone, the golden child who left you. Trent, open your eyes. I’m doing this for us, for the future we want to build.”
“Dont.” He shook his head fanatically, pointing a stiff finger in her face. “You did this to trap me. There’s no way I won’t be implicated if you get caught, since the whole firm speculates Simone left because we’re together now. You’ve put my career and reputation on the line. If you’re caught, the firm won’t believe I had no involvement. My livelihood could be ruined over your senselessness. I can’t believe you fucking did this to me.”
It hurt knowing Trent had no faith in my ability to make this scheme work. However, I refused to stop, becoming bolder in my moves. The faster I transferred the funds to an offshore account, the sooner the two of us could leave the firm and start our own company. Trent may not agree, but he’ll accept it in time, when this is long behind us.
Although Trent continued to reach out to Simone after she moved away, I could ignore it, deluding myself into believing it was words, and nothing more. Many men had weak moments, and Trent was no different. It was manageable with Simone states away.
However, ever since the moment Simone reappeared, shit has gone south. Trent isn’t bothering to hide his feelings or intentions at rekindling a romantic relationship with Simone. He’s slipping through my fingers each second Simone remains on the case, like pieces of sand unable to be contained in my palms.
Having drained my wine, I set the glass down before rising from my chair to fetch the bottle to refill my glass. I’m returning to the living room with the wine when the front door opens. Trent waltzes inside, dressed in sweats. He appears to be in a better mood than when we last spoke in my office.
With a smug smirk on his tan face, he breezes past me, snatching the wine bottle out of my hand. He takes a long swig from the bottle. It’s rather unbecoming of his refined nature, but I’m not going to point out his poor manners.
“Should you be drinking after a workout? Water seems a more sensible option.”
Trent takes another pull from the bottle, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “I wasn’t working out.”
I figured as much. Trent normally cycles in the mornings. “Then where were you?” I question heatedly. “I’ve been waiting over two hours for you to come home.”
“Well, I’m here,” he snips, spreading his arms wide. “You can stop your mothering.”
I purse my lips, straightening my shoulders. “Where were you, Trent?”
His only answer is a cheeky wink as he raises the bottle to his lips, turning to disappear into the master suite.
If he thinks he can ignore my questioning, he has another think coming. I stride after him, determined to get an answer. Once I put my mind to something, I rarely fail in achieving my desired outcome.
“Trent, we need to talk.”
“Regarding where I was exactly?” he asks, placing the bottle on the bathroom vanity. He reaches behind his neck to pull his sweatshirt over his head. “I went for a walk, trying to clear my head with the shit show you created, stealing funds.”
Chastised, I bite the inside of my cheek. Ever since the firm caught on to shady transactions occurring inside its walls, my pilfering operation has been a bigger hindrance in our relationship. I only need a little more time to accrue the money we need to leave this dull life behind.
