Fair play

"Mrs. Gray, I think it'll be better if I inform him you are around."

"It's okay Bill. I'm his wife. I'm sure he won't mind," Catherine told James' personal

assistant with a smile on her face.

James was her husband and she was here to surprise him.

"It's just that ..." Bill hesitated looking towards the door to James' office, his fingers

hovering over his keyboard.

"It's fine," Catherine cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. "I want it to be a

surprise. He won't mind."

Before the PA could protest further, Catherine was already heading down the familiar

hall, her low heels moving softly against the tiled floor. She kept her head high,

telling herself that James would appreciate the effort, that perhaps today would be

the day they rekindled something.

Catherine's heart has been racing with excitement since she came into the towering

glass building that housed James' empire. She clutched the carefully packed basket

in her hands, the weight of the warm, freshly cooked meal heavy but comforting.

Today was James' birthday. She had spent the entire morning preparing his favorite

dishes, wanting to surprise him with a personal touch-something to remind him of

the bond they used to share before their relationship grew so distant.

It was the arrival of that woman that changed the dynamics in their marriage. Even

though he was not so besotted with her because of the circumstances of their

marriage, they were good to each other.

James was good to her the first two years of their marriage. However, in the third

year, the love of his life returned to the country and things fell apart. He started

maltreating her yet has not brought up the issue of divorce. So she felt there was still

hope for them.

She wanted to try and get the spark back into their marriage. She didn't want her

effort in these six years to be wasted. She wanted her husband back and she was

determined to do all in her power to make her marriage work. And that is why she

came here today.

She arrived at his office door, tapped lightly once, then paused for only a heartbeat

before turning the handle and stepping inside.

Her world shattered in an instant.

There, on the edge of James' desk, sat his secretary-legs wrapped around his

waist, their clothes in disarray, and their bodies tangled together in a compromising,

intimate position. The room smelled of betrayal, and the soft sounds of their secret

moment came to an abrupt halt as the door swung open.

Catherine's body went numb. She dropped the basket of food, and it hit the floor with

a loud clatter that echoed through the room. The wrapped gifts fell out, rolling and

spilling across the perfect carpet. For a second, no one moved. Her heart was

pounding in her chest, what she saw unfolding before her like some sort of

grotesque dream.

James pulled away from his secretary, adjusting his shirt with the casual air of

someone merely interrupted during a business meeting, not caught in an act of

complete and utter betrayal. Someone caught in the act of infidelity.

"Catherine," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt the sting of tears threatening to spill

over. She hadn't come here for this. She had come to surprise him, to share a

moment that had meaning, to try and rebuild what they had lost.

"I-I made lunch," she stammered, her voice shaking.

"Did I tell you that I'm hungry?" He spat.

"It's your birthday, James. I just wanted to surprise you."

James' expression hardened into one of pure disdain. "You're pathetic," he spat,

stepping toward her with menacing authority. "Don't you dare walk into my office

without permission again."

Catherine felt the heat of his anger before his hand connected with her cheek. The

slap was sharp, quick, but the emotional pain that followed was far worse. She

stumbled back, her hand flying to her face in shock.

"James-how could you?" she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks as she

stared at the man she had once loved so deeply. "I thought-"

"You thought what? That some pathetic homemade meal would fix anything?" he

sneered, stepping over the spilled contents of the basket as though they were

garbage. He picked up the neatly wrapped gift she had brought, examined it for a

brief moment, then hurled it across the room. It crashed against the wall, the sound

of breaking glass echoing in the space.

"I don't need your gifts," he said harshly. "And I certainly don't need you waltzing in

here, ruining my day with your ridiculous, sentimental nonsense."

His words cut deeper than the slap, and Catherine stood there, humiliated, her chest

aching with heartbreak. She had known their marriage was strained, but this? This

was a new level of cruelty. She had thought he might still care, that deep down, there

might be something left to save. But standing here, in his office, with his secretary

adjusting her skirt and avoiding eye contact, she realized just how far gone he was.

"You disgust me," James added coldly. "If you ever come into my office without an

appointment again, there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

Catherine could barely breathe through the pain. She nodded, her voice lost

somewhere deep within the crushing weight of the moment.

James didn't even look at her again as he returned to his desk, dismissing her as if

she were nothing. As if the last few years of their marriage had meant nothing.

With trembling hands, Catherine bent down to collect the scattered remains of her

ruined surprise. The food she had cooked with such love, the gift she had chosen

with care- it all seemed so pointless now. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped

her as she clutched the broken pieces in her hands.

With one final, shattered glance at James, Catherine turned and left the office, her

heart heavy with regret and shame from the embarrassment she had just received.

As she made her way, she could feel the pitiful look, and some mocking glances sent

her way by some of James' staff. These were the people smiling at her and greeting

her with courtesy when she walked past just a few minutes ago. She walked faster

ignoring their glares.

Catherine barely registered anything else as she rushed out of James' office, tears

blurring her vision. She had no idea how she made it to the elevator. Her legs moved

on autopilot, carrying her away from the humiliation, the pain, and the suffocating

sense of betrayal. Each step she took felt heavier than the last, and the walls of the

elevator seemed to close in on her as she descended.

The sharp sting of James' words played over and over in her mind, each one cutting

deeper than the last.

Pathetic.

You disgust me.

Pathetic is the word she has come to use in describing herself. Her step mother has

never failed to remind her how pathetic and useless she was. She thought marriage

with James will help her get back to herself after leaving their home but it seems she

is still useless to everyone.

She didn't even finish college because her step-mother convinced her father that

there wasn't enough money to train both her and her step-sister. And her father had

agreed.

Even though she was practically sold to James, since she was used to pay for her

father's debt, she still loved him. She believed that at least, she now has the role of a

wife and mother so she doesn't feel useless anymore.

However, her husband has once more proven that she is still useless with all that

played out in front of his employees. She bit down on her lip, choking back a sob.

How did it come to this? How had her life become such a miserable shadow of the

dreams she once had?

The elevator dinged, signaling her arrival in the parking garage, but Catherine barely

noticed. Her eyes were still misted with tears, and as she stepped out, she didn't see

the person walking toward her until it was too late.