
A Deal with Betrayal
Chapter 3
I looked at Aaron. I couldn't believe that he just gaslighted me.
In that case, he really wasn't the pure, kind-hearted, and multi-talented Aaron Tomlinson that I used to know anymore.
Who told him that I didn't deserve his love just because I loved money?
It was true that I loved money, but I had all the means to earn it by myself. My parents hadn't invested tons of money into my education for more than 20 years for nothing.
I'd worked so hard for years. It couldn't possibly be for covering up my partner's dirty, filthy undoing, could it?
The next morning, everyone looked at me weirdly at the company. My assistant, Megan Walters, pulled me aside and said, "Ms. Sanders, I think it's best if you don't hurry into your office for now."
I could kind of guess what happened. So, instead of heeding her advice, I marched toward my office in a haste.
When I reached the entrance, I saw that Aaron was cuddling Rachel in his lap while feeding her a steaming plate of spaghetti.
Aaron was even patiently twirling the pasta onto a second fork while waiting for her next bite.
I felt tears welling in my eyes. I couldn't breathe. I recalled the last time he blew up at me when I ate a muffin in his office.
He'd berated and humiliated me in front of all my other colleagues for it. He even gave me the cold shoulder for three whole months without ever speaking to me.
I just learned that Aaron wouldn't mind anyone else eating in his office if he loved her.
When Rachel caught sight of me, she grinned triumphantly at me before kissing Aaron on the cheek.
I recalled the times when she would go after every crush I had. Then, she would break up with them once she'd had her fun. When I finally tore her a new one, she simply said, "My parents often compared me to you, saying that you were so smart and I was such a failure.
"So, I'm just proving to them that whatever you put your effort into getting, I can just easily snatch it away from you whenever I want! And it's not like I want anything that you want, anyway. I can't even be bothered with them after I'm done ruining your fun."
It was bad enough in the past, but Aaron was someone I'd invested too much of my time and effort in. I just couldn't bear to see Rachel destroying him before my very eyes.
I rushed into the office, grabbed the plate of spaghetti, and threw it directly into the trash.
Rachel immediately made it as if she was going to grab it back, but she purposely put her hand under the falling noodles so that the steaming hot sauce would scald her hand. Then, she screamed in pain.
Aaron immediately pulled her away and ran her hand under running tap water. He kept talking to her in a gentle voice, trying to calm her down.
"How could you be so dumb to try and stop the spaghetti with your bare hands?"
Rachel turned to Aaron with her watery eyes and said, "B-But you made me that spaghetti yourself…"
Aaron then brought Rachel to me and said sternly, "Katrina Sanders, apologize to your cousin."
I chuckled. "She was the one who wanted to stop it. And she only did that because she's trying to get your sympathy.
"Aaron Tomlinson, as your wife of many years, let me give you some advice. She's only playing with you. She doesn't care about the consequences, but if anyone else were to find out about you two, you're the one getting destroyed."
Rachel just stared at me like I was an idiot.
However, when Aaron looked at her, she gave him a shy, innocent look.
Then, Aaron glared at me and said, "Even if that was true, it would be with my consent. It's hard for me to find someone who is so emotionally and sexually compatible with me.
"It's like, I am compatible with you in terms of business. We can start a company together and build it up together, but it's simply impossible for us to get physically close. I can't even touch you. So, how would you ever understand what I'm feeling now?"
As soon as Aaron was done talking, Rachel suddenly laughed disdainfully.
It was only then that I realized Rachel had pressed the intercom button the whole time. This button had been previously installed so that Aaron could summon whoever he needed into his office for quick meetings.
The intercom was like a company-wide megaphone. Anyone would be able to hear what was going on inside the office if it was pressed.
In other words, the entire office heard our exchange as well.
Rachel was just having her fun. Of course, she wouldn't care about any consequences.
I looked at Aaron, but he didn't seem to mind. He just spoke again, pressing on the button, saying, "Whoever leaks out the conversation earlier will have their year-end bonus revoked."
Rachel then started drawing circles on Aaron's abdomen.
"My hand still hurts. How are you going to compensate me?"
Aaron continued blowing on her hand, which showed absolutely no signs of redness or swelling, and asked fondly, "Well, what is it that you want, love?"
Rachel's eyes glinted. "I want you right here. I'm not as smart as Katrina, so I've never been able to have such a big and luxurious office. It's going to be so thrilling and exciting here!"
She then turned to me and said, "Kat, you don't mind, do you? You only love money, after all, and you're getting old. I'm sure you won't be able to be sexually satisfied like this anyway."
Aaron just looked at me with a conflicted expression on his face.
I held the highest rank in this company, and I was his wife. He knew that he still had to show me some respect.
However, Rachel then slid her hand inside his pants and moaned, "Ronnie, give it to me…"
Aaron couldn't hold back anymore and hugged Rachel tightly.
Rachel just gloated at me and grinned. "Kat, do you want to take a photo to commemorate or something? Or would you like to close the door for us?"
I stared at Aaron, who was hurriedly feeling Rachel up. At that moment, I felt my heart shattering into a million tiny fragments.
Aaron knew that the whole company was looking and listening in, but yet he still decided to humiliate me and crush my dignity like this.
He truly never cared about me at all.
I chose the latter. I went out of the room and quietly closed the door behind me.
I turned around and saw that Aaron's assistant, Carson Flint, was arriving with some of our partners and investors who were helping us get listed tomorrow.
I should have reminded Aaron about it, but since he didn't care, who was I to interfere?
I had known for a long time that Carson was a business spy sent by one of our rivals. I was planning to fire him today and save Aaron the headache afterward. But now, I couldn't care less about it.
At this point, Carson could film whatever he wanted. I bet he would try to ruin the company before it gets listed tomorrow.
I went back to my office and sold off all my shares. Then, I bought a plane ticket for myself.
Looking at the white clouds passing by outside my window, I felt a burden lifted from my shoulders.
Finally, I was leaving.