He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Just as Roxanne threw the car into reverse, Christian lunged forward, planting his palms flat onto the vibrating hood of her vehicle. "You are not leaving me here!" he shouted through the windshield.

Roxanne pressed a hand against her throbbing forehead, the hum of the engine vibrating through the steering wheel. "What the hell is wrong with him?" she muttered. She rolled down the window and leaned out into the cold night air. "Stop acting like a child and get out of my way, Christian!"

"No! I am not moving. You can run me over if you want!" Christian yelled back, his weight leaning heavily against the grille. "I will stand here all night if that’s what it takes to make you understand. I am done with the open marriage. I want my wife back. I want you for myself."

Roxanne kicked her door open and marched straight up to the front of the car, the headlights casting long, harsh shadows of them onto the gravel. "Can you listen to yourself for one second?" she demanded. "This marriage is staying open. Period."

"No, it isn’t!"

"Yes, it bloody well is!" Roxanne shot back, her chest heaving with years of buried resentment. "Do you remember how many times I begged you to change your mind? Do you remember the bruises on my pride? The lipstick stains on your collars? The pregnant mistress? The naked photos of endless women on your phone? The list goes on and on, Christian! You forced this setup on me, and guess what? I like the open marriage now. So get out of my way!"

Christian stared at her, his face flushing dark as his chest rose and fell in ragged gasps. "Fine," he muttered, his posture suddenly slumping. "What do you want from me, Roxanne? You want an apology? I’m sorry. There. I said it."

Roxanne let out a sharp, bitter laugh, shaking her head at the sheer pathetic display. "No, Mr. Westbrook. It is far too late for an apology."

Christian’s eyes shifted, desperation creeping into his features. "Alright, fine. If you won’t close the marriage, then at least protect my career. Talk to your boyfriend. Tell Richard not to fire me."

Roxanne let out a long breath, a dangerous calm settling over her. "I am giving you exactly one warning to step aside. Because the second I get back behind that wheel, I will drive right through you if I have to."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and marched back to the driver’s seat. She climbed in, locked the door, and looked through the windshield. Christian was still there, his palms resting defiantly on the hood. Roxanne closed her eyes for a brief second, steadying her hand.

She kept her foot firmly on the brake, shifted the gear into neutral, and slammed her foot onto the gas pedal. The engine roared to life with a terrifying, aggressive rev.

Christian violently gasped and jumped backward into the shadows, clutching his chest in terror. Roxanne didn’t give him a second chance. She slammed the gear into drive and tore out of the courtyard, leaving a cloud of dust and the scent of burning rubber in her wake.

Christian’s breath came in ragged pants as he watched her taillights disappear past the villa gates. "I have to do something," he muttered to himself, his hands trembling as he began pacing the empty asphalt. "I have to fix this."

He paced back and forth, muttering under his breath, when the distinct sound of approaching footsteps broke the quiet of the parking lot. Christian snapped his head up, his eyes widening as a figure emerged from the dim corridor.

"I was already leaving," Christian snapped defensively, turning on his heel to head toward his own vehicle.

"If you keep playing your cards this stupidly, you are going to lose your wife forever," a smooth, calculated voice called out from the dark.

Christian froze. He slowly turned around, his brows furrowing into a tight scowl as he walked back toward the shadow. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to help you," the person replied, stepping just close enough for the faint amber glow of the courtyard lights to catch their silhouette. "I happen to possess something that will force Roxanne to do exactly what you want."

Christian’s brows lifted in genuine surprise. "Really? And why would you just hand that over to me?"

The person stepped closer, their voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "On one strict condition. If this entire plan goes south, you and I never met. We never had this conversation. Understood?"

Christian’s eyes narrowed as he studied their frame, taking in the expensive fabric of their clothes and the calculating expression on their face. "Before you start laying down rules and making demands, why don’t you show me exactly what you’re holding?"

The individual slowly pulled out a smartphone, tapped the screen, and turned it directly toward his face.

Christian’s face drained of color, turning a stark, ghostly white as a sickening mix of rage and jealousy flooded his veins. "You really betrayed me," he hissed under his breath, his eyes glued to the vivid display. "Now I see exactly how you landed that high-level directorship."

Before he could grab the device, the phone was pulled back so sharply that his vision blurred for a split second.

"You are entirely wrong," the person countered coldly, slipping the phone back into their pocket. "Richard would never hand over a billion-dollar sector of his company just because a woman slept with him. If he says she is brilliant, then she is. And that is exactly what should terrify you, Christian. He has taken a genuine interest in her mind."

Christian shook his head, a toxic grin pulling at his lips. "My wife is different, trust me. She charmed him with that body of hers. She’s completely ruined his focus and his logic with what’s between her legs."

"If physical attraction were enough to keep a man faithful, you wouldn’t have spent your marriage chasing other women," the person replied flatly.

"You’re not seriously trying to blame me for my own marriage, are you?" Christian scoffed, crossing his arms. "You can’t expect a man to stay with one single woman for six entire years. Even though, right now, I am willing to do whatever it takes to get her back under my thumb."

"Good," the person replied, a satisfied nod confirming the deal. "A full digital copy will be sent to your personal email tonight. Use it to force her to resign from Vance Enterprises and stay far away from this family."

With that, the figure turned to slip back into the dark corridor.

Christian nodded, but as he watched them walk away, a dark, opportunistic thought sparked in his mind. "Wait. That’s not all," he called out into the night. "I want something else."

The silhouette froze dead in its tracks.