Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 28: Drunken King

King rolled off Nan and sat up on the side of the bed. This wasn’t working anymore. The spark was gone. All he could think about was that infuriating woman in his office today. Laying here with Nan felt like sleeping with his sister.

If what Teela had insinuated was true, he’d done her wrong all these years. She didn’t seem frigid today. She seemed warm and willing, at least for a second before she remembered she was mad at him.

He’d like to discover what would happen if he opened himself to her. Would their bodies be in sync?

Nan sat up next to him. "What’s wrong?"

King sighed. "Nan, I think we’re done."

"Alright. Want to grab a shower together before we go?"

"No, I mean for good." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"You’re dumping me while you still carry my scent and juices on you? Just like that?"

King nodded.

"Why? Is it because of your wife? We can be discreet. Nothing has to change."

"I’ve changed." King found his clothes and headed to the shower.

This was the right decision. King wasn’t overly romantic. In fact, besides the same passing affection he had for his employees, he didn’t love Nan. It was one of the reasons he considered her safe. She was good enough in bed to satisfy him and an amicable company, but if push came to shove, he wouldn’t even identify her as a friend.

She was much more efficient as a secretary. He would hate to lose her, but Teela was right. If King wanted to rebuild his relationship with his wife, he couldn’t flaunt his mistress, or ex-mistress now, in her face.

When King exited the bathroom, Nan was still sitting on the side of the bed, wiping tears from her cheek.

Nan asked, "What happens now?"

"I’ll talk to Daniel. We’ll find another position for you."

"That’s it? I get demoted after all these years of being by your side?"

"What do you want?"

"I think I want to go home for a while. I want a compensation package and a house in my hometown."

King nodded. "Work up the terms and submit it for my signature."

He put on his jacket and left without looking back. He had a seedling of an idea about how to get Teela back, and he had no intention of leaving her out in the cold for a month.

The Trigger was a trendy bar downtown. On a busy night, maybe a hundred people could squeeze in, but when I arrived, there were only about ten people hanging out.

It was easy to spot King, who was slouched over the bar with a glass of caramel-colored liquor in his hand.

I knew I was going to regret this. I knew it when I took the call. I knew it when I called a car and made apologies to my friends. Seeing King in person, I still knew it.

"King, let’s go. I’ve got a car waiting."

"Teela! You’re here." King wrapped me in a hug with a lazy smile.

He pulled back. "You’ll take me home?"

"Can’t I take you to a hotel? It’s closer than the estate." Not to mention I never wanted to go to the estate again.

"Home."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

King kissed me, slow and sweet at first, as I froze in shock. But with time, I loosened up, curious about where this would lead. Besides, it felt good. Something was melting inside me under a heat that was building deep down. The kiss deepened. King’s tongue teased my lips until I opened wider.

For a man who was too drunk to take a care home, King was doing a terrific job of controlling the kiss. I moaned into his mouth, and he pulled me tighter, oblivious to the bartender standing on the other side of the bar watching us.

I was breathless by the time King pulled back. "Let’s go home, Teela. I want you back in my bed. Not like before. Not like strangers avoiding each other in the dark. I want to hold you, to make you into my woman, not for babies but because we belong to each other."

There was I a time those words would have meant the world to me, but now, the fear of suffocating under the control of the Heavenly family outweighed the thought of intimacy with King.

I put my hands against King’s chest and gently pushed. "Um, that was, wow."

King smiled. "It looks like we have chemistry."

"Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. Not anymore."

King’s expression went from smiling to stormy in a heartbeat. "Why?"

"Because we’re divorcing."

"I won’t agree."

"This isn’t a dictatorship, King, I don’t need your agreement."

King bit back his next comment. "I don’t want to talk about this tonight. Let’s go."

I helped King from the barstool and out to the car. He poured into the car and slumped in the seat. I gave the driver the address to the Ritz Carlton.

"No," King overruled me. He gave the driver the address to the Heavenly estate.

"King, no."

"Do it," King said as he pulled me in close to his side. "You’re coming home with me tonight, Teela. That’s final."

"King, no. You promised me a month."

"I’m taking it back. The longer you are gone, the more certain I am that you belong at home with me. Not to mention all the headaches you’ve caused lately. I can’t expect Joshua to deal with Anya’s antics if I don’t do the same with you."

Fear threatened to choke me. "No, stop! I won’t go."

King cut off my words with a kiss. I fought back, but he was stronger than me. I countered by biting his lip.

King jerked back and sucked his lip in his mouth. "You bloodied my lip."

"I won’t be forced, King. Stop the car. Let me out."

"It’s the middle of the night. I’m not letting you out."

"Hey, lady, are you okay?" The driver asked.

"Yes, she is."

"No, I’m not. I’m being kidnapped."

The driver pulled over to the shoulder. "I’m calling the cops."

"Damn it." King withdrew his phone. "Bring the car."

As soon as the car rolled to a stop, King threw open the door and pulled me out. I fought against him. I knew my choices would be limited if I got out of the car.

"Please, King. I promise. I’ll be good. Let me go. Keep your promise."

King’s car pulled up beside us. He all but threw me into the backseat. Min exited the car long enough to pay off the driver before returning to drive us off in the dark.

I wasn’t going back. I refused. I struck out. My nails left a red streak across King’s cheek before he cursed and tied my wrists together with the necktie he pulled from his jacket pocket. He called out for Min’s tie and used it to secure my ankles together as well.

"Shut up before I gag you," King threatened, his breathing coming out heavily but not as heavily as mine.

If he gagged me, I might suffocate. I went quiet as I considered a new plan. Once again, I regretted the lack of taekwondo lessons, although, with Min’s background, it would take a heck of a lot of lessons on my part to match his skill in mixed martial arts.

I was terrified to go back. It was like being sentenced to prison without committing a crime.

"Can I at least call my friends so they won’t worry?"

King made a call. "Bea, Teela is coming home with me. She’s safe."

He hung up.

"That isn’t good enough. She doesn’t trust you. She won’t believe you."

"It’s more than she deserves."

"King, your mom won’t let me back in the house."

"I’ll take care of Mom."

"Please don’t do this to me. I don’t want to go. I can’t go back there. I can’t face the reflection room again. I’ll go crazy."

"Quiet or I’ll follow through with my threat."

For the rest of the ride, we rode in silence. I struggled against my bindings as they bit into my flesh to no avail. King sat staring out into the darkness as if I didn’t exist.

I wondered if I could throw myself out the car door and survive. But then what? At best, by the time I managed to untie myself, Min would have turned the car around to retrieve my damaged body. At worst, I’d land on my head and die.

In this case, the best course of action was no action, for the moment. If I escaped the Heavenly family’s control once, I could do it again. I could do anything given enough patience.

But then the estate came into view, and my resolve melted. I shrank back in the seat and squeezed my eyes shut. If it was a choice between going into that alley with Sammy and facing that house, at this moment, I was more willing to risk the alley and Sammy.

This was going to happen, and I could stop it.