My husband has a devoted and ruthlessly competent director by his side. From their bright-eyed twenties to the cusp of their forties. She’s been the one riding shotgun with Carter as he conquered the corporate world, and she remains, to this day, unmarried. Me? I checked out years ago, focusing on our daughter’s education, turning a blind eye to it all. My friends are furious on my behalf. “Ava Chen acts like she’s the co-owner of the company, and you’re just letting it happen?” I just smile. “What’s there to be afraid of?” It’s just a low-cost management technique. There’s a term for it I stumbled upon online, brutally precise and perfect. It’s called the Devotion Trap. 1 While Carter was leading a team-building retreat on a yacht at sea, I had just finished a quiet dinner at home with our daughter. My best friend Chloe’s texts started lighting up my phone, a rapid-fire barrage. A dozen photos flooded in. Her call came immediately after, the dull thud of waves against the hull audible through the receiver. Her voice was laced with fire. “Audrey, why didn’t you come on this retreat?” “This Ava woman… she’s practically surgically attached to Carter!” Chloe’s husband is a partner at Carter’s firm; this retreat was a joint venture between their two companies. As for the photos… I’d already seen them on Ava’s Instagram feed. One, in particular, was designed to sting. On the deck, under an endless sky against an equally endless sea. Ava was poured into a vibrant yellow bikini, the kind of minimalist design that perfectly showcased the curves she’s so proud of. She was clinging to Carter’s arm, while his own hand rested possessively on the small of her back, their skin slick and touching. She held a champagne flute aloft, her smile dazzling and triumphant. In nearly every picture, she and Carter were positioned dead center, the gravitational pull of the whole group. Her posture screamed hostess, the lady of the manor. She hadn’t even bothered to create a private story or limit the audience. This way, the flood of fawning comments and congratulations could be seen by everyone. And, most importantly, by me. Beneath this photo, so brazen it was practically a declaration of war, she had selectively replied to a few comments like, 【Power couple!】 and 【You two are perfect together!】 with a transparently false modesty: “Omg, stop you guys! lol” “Audrey will see this and get the wrong idea! ;)” They were out there, tasting the salt on the sea breeze and sipping champagne. And here I was. Our housekeeper was on vacation. Which meant the small, thankless tasks fell to me. I was peeling an orange for my daughter, Talia, for her after-dinner snack. The zest sprayed, a sharp, acidic sting seeping into the cuticle of my thumb. At that exact moment, a notification from Ava popped up on my screen. 2 She had sent me two pictures. The first was the intimate one from the yacht. The second was a screenshot of her comment section. As if she wasn't absolutely certain I had already seen it, she feigned an explanation: 【Audrey, the wind was so crazy! Carter was just making sure I didn’t fall overboard. Don’t read too much into it! xoxo】 Just after I saw her message, one came through from Carter, offering the exact same excuse. I smiled and typed back: 【No problem. Just be safe out there.】 I popped a slice of orange into my mouth, my voice flat as I finally answered Chloe. “Until Talia is in college, I’m not getting involved in company business.” Chloe’s voice went shrill with indignation. “Not involved? She’s parading around like she’s the damn co-founder.” “I remember when she was your assistant. Your little assistant, Audrey.” “Now she’s one step away from climbing into your husband’s bed, and you’re just sitting there?” She just moved back to the States. She doesn’t know everything yet. For instance, that Ava and Carter’s… relationship… has been going on for more than a decade. A small laugh escaped my lips. Chloe sounded like she wanted to shake me. “You’re laughing? She has zero respect for you! Audrey Sloane!” She wasn’t wrong. The evolution of Ava’s attitude toward me was a perfect, visible parabola. It began with the reverent fear she had when she first joined the company as my assistant. Then, after I left on maternity leave and she took over my duties, it shifted to a cautious probing. Later, after she and Carter landed a few major deals together, it became a sense of being my equal. And finally, during the last months of my pregnancy, my father passed away, and Carter was given full operational control of the company. From that point on, her disregard for me was blatant, undisguised. The triumphant smirk of a victor. I wiped my hands, set the phone down on the kitchen island, and continued slicing an apple for Talia. “Chloe, tell me something,” I said, my voice calm. “For an employee who is fiercely loyal and exceptionally talented, what is the most effective, lowest-cost reward you can possibly give?” “A promotion? A raise? Stock options?” “None of the above,” I said softly. “It’s the illusion of intimacy. You make her feel special, chosen. In return, she will dedicate her entire being to you, and she’ll walk away thinking she got the better end of the deal.” The line went silent. I slowly wiped my hands, walked the plate of sliced apples to the study where Talia was doing her homework, and shut the door before continuing. “All of this,” I said, my voice dropping to a near whisper. “Happened with my permission.” “Because from a purely corporate management perspective, it’s the most efficient way to secure absolute loyalty.” “The only thing is… Carter has always been under the impression…” “That he’s the one pulling the strings.” 3 I never thought I would one day marry Carter Reed. It wasn't complicated. I simply didn't dare to dream it. In our teens, we attended the same elite prep school. But the financial gap between our families wasn't just a gap; it was a chasm. I can still remember the Reed family in their heyday. Their estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, was so vast you had to drive for eight minutes down a private road just to reach the front door. Their gardens were ten times the size of my entire property, complete with a sanctuary for iridescent blue peacocks. Politicians and titans of industry were constantly flowing in and out of their parties. My parents had to pull strings through three degrees of separation just to get an invitation to their annual gala. Carter was luminous, the sun around which our social circle orbited. I was just part of the background, another face in the crowd. But what rises must fall. The autumn of our junior year, a shift in federal policy triggered a massive investigation into his father’s industry. Overnight, the Reed family’s assets were frozen. His father was indicted. The friends and allies who had once flocked to their door scattered like birds. Not long after, Carter's mother, withered by depression, passed away. Just when he had become poison, when everyone was avoiding him like the plague, I did something. I sold the eighteenth-birthday gift my aunt had given me—a rare Birkin bag. It was enough to cover his first year of college tuition. Thirty thousand dollars. He was stunned. I just smiled and told him, “I applied to the same university as you. We’ll still be classmates.” The unspoken meaning was clear: I can help you. But teenage boys, especially fallen princes, have egos more fragile than glass. His eyes were red, his jaw tight. “I’ll pay you back,” he choked out. And he did. He worked his way through college, taking odd jobs, studying relentlessly, and somehow, still finding time to fall in love with me. The year we graduated, he handed me a check for the full thirty thousand, plus interest. But after paying me back, Carter Reed had nothing left. He knew he wanted to marry me. My parents, naturally, refused. Carter, however, was clever. The family fortune was gone, but the taste and sophistication of his upbringing remained. He knew fine wine, played a scratch game of golf, and carried himself with an effortless grace that charmed everyone. In the boardroom, he was sharp and decisive. He schmoozed and networked on my father’s behalf, landing several major clients for our family’s company at cocktail parties and on the golf course. Eventually, my father relented and allowed us to marry, but he never, ever relinquished control. Even as his health began to fail, and I was running most of the company, he kept Carter on a tight leash. He treated Carter like the most capable farmhand he’d ever hired, but a farmhand nonetheless. The turning point came when I got pregnant. 4 My father’s health was in steep decline, and my uncles were circling the Sloane family business like vultures. I was suffering from severe morning sickness, utterly drained of energy. Reluctantly, I began handing over control of core projects to Carter. His business acumen seemed innate. The projects he led delivered unprecedented profits, breaking every company record. But the more brilliant he became, the more my father worried. He needed a guarantee. An assurance that Carter could never truly usurp the Sloane foundation. And so, after our daughter Talia was born, Carter himself made the offer: our daughter would take my surname. She would be a Sloane. It was the exact condition my father had been waiting to demand in exchange for everything else. I still remember that day in the hospital. Carter was holding our newborn daughter, looking at me in my hospital bed. His eyes held a universe of humiliation, of raw ambition. The clear-eyed boy I’d known in school was gone. His face was pale as he spoke. “Audrey,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ve done this for you, for the Sloane family. Your father should be satisfied now.” I understood. A man stripped of the right to pass on his own name will always seek compensation in other areas. More money, for instance. And more women. I gave him the power. I allowed him to build his own inner circle, to cultivate his own loyalists. And Ava Chen was the first one he personally promoted from an assistant’s desk. This continued until my father passed away, when Talia was seven. The moment my father drew his last breath, a delicate balance was shattered forever. The era of Carter Reed had begun. Or rather, what he believed was his era. All these years, I’ve remained behind the scenes. The official story was that I was raising our daughter, but in reality, I was watching. Observing. I watched Carter implement sweeping, ambitious reforms. I watched him elevate Ava, step by step, to the position of director. Ava, to her credit, was more than capable. She was a weapon forged and sharpened by Carter himself. Wherever he pointed, she struck, and she never missed. She secured key international contracts, she was a killer at the negotiation table, and a charmer at the dinner parties that followed. She was his right hand, his most trusted ally, his battlefield partner, and his most intimate confidante. Everyone in the company knew. Everyone except, supposedly, me. Audrey Sloane, the lady of the house. A porcelain doll kept on a shelf at home, untouched and ignored. Chloe’s phone call didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know. It just ripped away the polite, paper-thin veil of ignorance everyone pretended was there. For years, every unusual financial transaction, every anomalous personnel change within the company, has been delivered in an encrypted file to my private email account, once a week, like clockwork. I hung up the phone and glanced into the study at Talia’s focused silhouette. Her high school years were almost over. And that meant one thing. The era of Audrey Sloane was about to begin again. 5 Shortly after Talia’s graduation, the company held its 30th-anniversary gala. After so many years away from the corporate world, I was out of practice with these events. But for this one, I decided to make an appearance. The moment I stepped into the grand ballroom on Carter’s arm, I knew. Tonight was Ava’s coronation. I was wearing a bespoke champagne gold gown—elegant, but reserved. Ava, on the other hand, was in a midnight blue dress, the exact shade of Carter’s tie. They looked like a perfectly coordinated couple. “Carter, Mr. Henderson and the board are waiting for you,” she said, smoothly handing him a glass of whiskey, her presence so familiar she barely acknowledged mine. He gave my hand a light, placating squeeze, took the glass, and said hastily, “Why don’t you find a seat? I’ll be right back.” Then he was gone, swept away by Ava into the glittering heart of the party. I was left standing alone. Soon enough, the whispers started, rising around me like a tide, not even bothering to be discreet. “Is that his wife? She seems… so much less impressive than Director Chen.” “Shh! Keep your voice down. But seriously, look at Ava and Carter together. That’s a power couple.” “I heard she’s been a stay-at-home mom for ages. She knows about Carter and Ava but doesn't dare make a scene.” “Of course not. Ava helped build at least half of this empire over the last fifteen years. If I were a man, I’d choose Ava too.” I kept a serene smile fixed on my face, pretending I heard nothing. A few minutes later, a young woman with an “Intern” badge approached, her eyes shining with hero-worship as she made a beeline for Ava. Her path was momentarily blocked by another guest, and she had to step around, right in front of me. She scowled impatiently, her gaze landing on me with a dismissive frown. “Excuse me, ma’am.” Her tone was a blend of condescension and officiousness. “This area is reserved for the head table. To ensure Director Chen and our VIPs aren’t disturbed, it’s best if you don’t linger here.” As she finished, she flicked her chin pointedly in Ava’s direction, a clear, pathetic attempt to score points. Ava saw the whole exchange. The smile on her lips deepened, but she made no move to intervene. The people nearby were watching, waiting for the punchline to the joke that was my presence. Before I could speak, Carter’s executive assistant hurried over. His voice was low but firm. “Wendy, this is Mrs. Reed. Audrey Sloane.” 6 The intern’s face turned the color of ash. She bowed her head, stammering apologies. Carter glanced over, a look that was meant to reassure me that he was aware, that he was handling it. But if he hadn't spent the last decade deliberately erasing me from his public narrative, avoiding any mention of his marriage in interviews, and constantly magnifying Ava’s presence within the company, would I have been mistaken for a stranger at all? He walked directly to the head table, pulled out the chair to his right, and gestured for me to sit. It was only then that I saw the bizarre seating arrangement. Carter was at the head, with Ava and me flanking him on either side, a perfect, stable, and excruciatingly awkward triangle. He sat, unbuttoning his jacket with a practiced ease, and added awkwardly, “Don’t think anything of it. Ava always sits next to me to run interference with clients who drink too much.” Then came the toasts. As a company veteran, Ava was the first to speak. She raised her glass to the room, but her eyes were locked on Carter. “For more than a decade, I have poured my youth and my heart into this company. But the one person I have to thank, more than anyone, is Carter.” Her voice caught, thick with a deep, theatrical emotion. “Thank you for shielding me from the storms, and for giving me a sky to fly in. For all these years, this company has been my home, and Carter… you have been my family!” She hit those last words with pointed emphasis. Every eye in the room swiveled toward me, like a bank of spotlights. 7 I finally lifted my gaze, met Ava’s, and smiled sweetly as I spoke. “That was beautifully said, Ava. Carter and I have always thought of you as family, too.” I paused, my smile widening. “Just like Mochi.” Ava’s cheeks were flushed with triumph. “Mochi?” she asked, confused. “Who’s that? Which department is he in?” Carter’s assistant leaned in and whispered, just loud enough for the table to hear, “Mochi is the Ragdoll cat Mrs. Sloane and Mr. Reed have at home.” The color drained from Ava’s face in an instant. I arched an eyebrow, raised my glass, and gently clinked it against hers. “When we first found him, he was just a scrawny little thing, always rubbing against our legs, begging for food.” My voice was light, conversational. “Now his coat is all glossy, he’s put on some weight… and every now and then he gets bold and starts scratching the sofa, acting like he owns the place.” The air at the table froze. The guests who had been whispering just moments before now had a fascinating array of expressions, caught between the urge to laugh and the fear of doing so. Carter’s head snapped toward me, and his voice, for the first time, was cold as he whispered, “Audrey, do you really have to humiliate her in front of everyone?” I leaned in close, as if we were a loving couple sharing a secret, and murmured for his ears only. “You know, our daughter just graduated high school.” My voice was a silken thread of steel. “Or has the last decade of playing king made you forget whose name is actually on the deed to this company? Is it Reed? Or is it Sloane?” I had never spoken to him like this. Not once. He was stunned by my bluntness. To give our daughter a harmonious home, to preserve her idealized image of her father, and to make Carter believe my retreat into domestic life was genuine so he would work his heart out for the company… for all those reasons, I had never once punctured the fantasy he had so carefully constructed for himself over the past decade. Now, I had given it a single, gentle poke. Carter froze, his face turning a dark, mottled red. “What… What are you trying to say?” “Nothing at all, darling, don’t be so tense!” I raised my voice, a bright, cheerful sound for all to hear. “I just wanted to take this opportunity to announce that, starting next week, I will be formally returning to the company.” I smiled at the stunned faces around the table. “I trust I’ll have all of your support.” 8 The moment the words left my mouth, the entire ballroom fell silent. Ava was completely rigid, as if someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water in her face. A week later, I arrived at the company headquarters. My new title was Vice President. It sounded powerful, but it was largely a figurehead role, overseeing corporate culture, employee wellness, and some auditing functions. My father’s old guard treated me with the utmost respect. Carter’s people maintained a polite, professional distance. Everything was perfectly cordial. But I wasn't interested in a slow, simmering peace. So, I created a pretext. Our daughter would soon be leaving for college abroad, and I wanted her to have a few final months of complete, uninterrupted family time. It was a reason Carter couldn’t refuse. We started commuting together. I rode in his car in the morning and waited for him to finish in the evening so we could drive home together. If he worked late, I had my assistant order dinner, and I would sit quietly on the sofa in his office, reading through documents while he finished. Ava no longer had a single opening to slip through. Years ago, when Ava was first making a name for herself, she had a brief moment of media stardom. I would often see clips from her interviews on social media, especially when she was asked about marriage. “I’d rather be the queen of my own life than be someone’s wife.” “Using your womb as a bargaining chip is the most pathetic thing a woman can do.” “My sense of security comes from the number of zeros in my bank account, not a man’s promise.” … Those soundbites were edited into slick, viral videos. Her "golden quotes" amassed hundreds of thousands of likes and fawning comments from her followers. 【She’s my spirit animal! This is how a real woman should live! Ava is my icon! ❤️100k+】 【A true alpha female. Her mindset is everything! ❤️82k+】 【Ava is stunning! No wonder Carter is always praising her in interviews. Who wouldn’t be obsessed? ❤️100k+】 【Don’t say that, he has a wife, lol. But I heard she’s a total recluse now. ❤️20k+】 【Sounds like the marriage is just for show. The queen is about to be dethroned! ❤️60k+】 For a while, Ava was the name on everyone’s lips. Her interview quotes were treated as gospel by countless women striving for genuine independence. She was given a title by her online followers: "The Textbook Alpha Female." But lately, in the break rooms and hallways, I would often catch a glimpse of this so-called Alpha Female’s face, twisted ever so slightly by jealousy and resentment. It seemed the queen was losing her composure. A few days later, a portfolio of the company’s most difficult, dead-end projects landed on my desk. Carter’s intention was obvious. If I was busy, Ava would have a chance to be alone with him. By giving me impossible tasks, he hoped to watch me fail and retreat back home in frustration. But this was just the beginning for me. 9 One of the projects required a face-to-face meeting in another city. I had to lead a team to Chicago for a few days. When I went to Carter’s office to get the travel authorization signed, Ava was there. He looked up, his usually warm expression tinged with a manufactured concern. “This project… are you sure you can handle it alone?” Before I could answer, Ava let out a soft, condescending laugh. She was leaning against his desk, her tone dripping with fake sympathy. “Audrey, why are you working yourself so hard? It’s not like Carter can’t support you.” She had seen me in my prime, back when I was a shark in the corporate world. But she had been on top for so long she’d started to believe her own hype—that after all these years at home, I was now just a woman who needed her husband’s money to survive. I didn’t even look at her. I just smiled faintly. “Oh, Carter can certainly support a lot of people. I just prefer to support myself.” I paused, my words deliberate and clear. “As you’ve said yourself, Director Chen, a meal you’ve earned yourself always tastes better than one you have to beg for, doesn’t it?” Ava was speechless. Seeing her fail to score a point, Carter sighed and signed the form. That evening, after dinner, Talia linked her arm through mine and whispered, “Mom, how long will you be gone?” “Three days.” She let out a breath of relief. “Oh, good. I was worried you’d be gone for three months… You wouldn’t have been back for my college move-in day.” I smiled and gently tapped her nose. “I wouldn’t miss that for the world. In fact, for your first day of college, I’m getting you a very special gift.” “What is it?” I ruffled her hair. “You’ll see.” 10 To facilitate communication with the client, I booked a room at the Four Seasons, where their executive team was also staying. I chose to tackle this project first because I had a history with the person in charge. The negotiations went even more smoothly than I had anticipated. I was still on the flight back when the congratulatory texts from the office sycophants started rolling in. Back at the office, I submitted my expense report to the finance department, including the receipt for my hotel stay, which came to twelve thousand dollars. Shortly after, Leo, a new hire in finance, knocked on my office door for the second time that day. He looked deeply uncomfortable. “Ms. Sloane,” he stammered. “There’s… there’s a new policy. It was just implemented. To control costs, all executive travel lodging is now capped at three thousand dollars per night.” I looked at the receipt in his hand, which he was holding like it was radioactive. I understood immediately. This was a probe. A little test from Ava. I didn’t say anything. I just gave a slight nod. Seeing that I wasn’t angry, Leo became even more nervous. He lowered his voice. “Director Chen said that company policy applies to everyone, no exceptions. She hopes you’ll understand.” “Don’t worry, Leo. I understand perfectly.” I finally spoke, my voice calm and even. I pulled a stack of cash from my purse and pushed it, along with the receipt, across the desk toward him. “File the report according to policy. I’ll cover the difference myself.” I looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry you were put in this position.” Leo stared, dumbfounded. He clearly hadn't expected his terrifying mission to be resolved so easily. I picked up my coffee, blew gently on the surface, and kept my gaze soft. “When you’re young in the corporate world, you often have to do things you don’t want to. I get it.” “You can go report back now.” When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with gratitude. “Th-thank you, Ms. Sloane.” He practically fled my office, his gratitude seeming entirely genuine. Ava wanted to use a new rule to trip me up. But in the finance department, under the director, there’s a manager, and under the manager, there are supervisors. And yet, this petty task was pushed down the line until it landed on an intern. I had assumed that after more than a decade, Ava would have cultivated a loyal team. Apparently, I was wrong. The key departments were not as solid as she thought. Four thousand dollars of my own money to buy this piece of intel and a disarmingly weak first move? It was a bargain. 11 I thought Ava might try something more creative for her next move. But it seemed she was so pleased with her little expense report tactic that she decided to make it her new hobby. Then I realized why. It wasn't that she lacked imagination. As the CFO, this was her domain. These were the rules she knew best, the weapons she was most comfortable with. She was dancing in her comfort zone, poking me with these petty annoyances. To date, I had successfully closed three major deals. I had taken three business trips. Between upfront costs and covering the overages on my expense reports, I was out of pocket nearly a hundred thousand dollars. That was enough. It was time to return the favor.
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