The Billionaire's Blind Spot: Divorce and Destroy

I loathed complications. Even when it came to marriage, I opted for the most frictionless routea mutually beneficial arrangement.

Yet, three years in, my husband, Montgomery, decided to play knight in shining armor and escort his widowed secretary to visit her late husband's grave.

That night, I had a mountain of graveyard offerings delivered and dumped them right at his feet.

"Since you enjoy paying respects so much," I said, offering a sweet, empty smile, "you can handle my family's memorial estate tomorrow."

Montgomery blinked, caught off guard. "I have a business trip tomorrow. I'll have someone else handle it"

"No," I cut him off, my tone light but unyielding. "I want you to go."

It was a punishment. A warning. Divorce caused headaches, sure, but ripping apart a homewrecker drained even more energy.

Chapter 1

Montgomery stared at me, confusion pooling in his eyes.

I slammed my phone onto the marble table. "Today is our third anniversary. You asked me to meet you at the restaurant, and then you left me sitting there for two hours."

The glowing screen displayed the latest Instagram post from Ruby, his shiny new secretary.

"Paying respects to the love of my life. Today was incredibly hard, but I am so lucky to have the best boss in the world."

A sharp line split the photo down the middle. Half of it featured a teary-eyed selfie of Ruby, and the other half showcased Montgomery gripping the steering wheel.

I double-tapped the post. Liked.

"Oh, so that's why you're upset." Montgomery let out a helpless, almost fond chuckle. "I'm sorry, Blair. I didn't mean to keep you waiting. I honestly thought I texted you. I just gave Ruby a ride since her apartment sat right on my route. She doesn't have any family or friends around. I saw how much she struggled, and you know how desolate and unsafe cemeteries get after dark. I just stayed a little longer to keep her company."

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my waist in a practiced, intimate embrace. "Besides, we were at Travis's grave. What could possibly happen between us? You're overthinking this."

I nodded, keeping my expression perfectly neutral. "Right. You know your boundaries. You wouldn't cause unnecessary drama, would you?"

I chose Montgomery for a reason. He had premium genetics, read the room well, and above all, he was low-maintenance.

Montgomery ducked his head, pressing a gentle, reassuring kiss to my lips.

"But, darling," I murmured against his mouth, my smile never faltering. "You kept me waiting a very long time today. So, you will be visiting my family's graves tomorrow. Personally."

I had already visited the estate earlier. He missed it due to a business trip, and normally, I couldn't care less. But bad behavior required a little conditioning.

Montgomery stiffened, his jaw working as he desperately searched for an excuse.

Before he could argue, my phone buzzed on the table.

"Blair," a trembling, fragile voice breathed through the speaker. "It's Ruby. I am so sorry to bother you this late. I just wanted to explainthat post didn't mean anything. Montgomery was just being kind. He felt bad that I was all alone. Please don't give him a hard time. I'd hate to be the reason you two fight"

Montgomery frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to gauge my reaction.

I said nothing, letting the suffocating silence do the work for me.

The silence stretched, Ruby's breathing growing faint on the other end, until Montgomery finally leaned into the mic, his voice dropping to a warm, comforting register. "Ruby, it's fine. You didn't need to call Blair to explain. She isn't petty like that."

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the line at the sound of Montgomery's voice. Ruby stammered out a quick string of apologies before hastily ending the call.

Chapter 2

I kept my mouth shut, letting the cold air settle between us.

Montgomery buried his face in the crook of my neck, exhaling a heavy breath against my skin. "Alright, Blair. I messed up. I swear I'll keep my distance from her. Let it go."

The next day, Montgomery cleared his entire schedule. He drove up to my family's private memorial estate. Alone.

He spent the entire day tending to the headstones. When he came back with blistered hands and grass-stained knees, a cold wave of satisfaction washed over me.

He had never crossed a boundary like this before. It was a minor slip-up, a red flag easily smothered. He knew how to read the room. I didn't see the point in making a scene over a pathetic little misstep.

Until Margot's birthday dinner.

I had Thomas pull the town car up to Montgomery's corporate building to pick him up. Ruby curled into a tight ball on the curb, looking deathly pale and fragile.

Montgomery's posture snapped rigid. "Pull over!"

He shoved the door open before the car fully stopped. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Ruby screwed her eyes shut, gasping for air instead of answering.

Montgomery hauled her up by the waist, dragging her toward the backseat. "Hospital. Now."

I didn't flinch. Thomas kept his foot firmly on the brake.

"Put her in the trailing security SUV," I ordered, locking eyes with Montgomery. My voice dropped to a dead, even pitch. "You are her boss. Act like it."

Montgomery's jaw tightened into a hard line.

Ruby's trembling fingers curled into the fabric of his suit jacket. She looked up through wet lashes. "I'm fine, Montgomery. You and Blair have plans. I've been on my own for years. I can handle it"

A sharp whimper tore through her throat. She doubled over.

Montgomery shot me a lethal glare. "She's completely alone, Blair. She's in agony. Do you have a shred of humanity left in you?"

A spike of irritation hit me.

Was the security detail not human enough to drive her? I had offered a perfectly logical solution. "Are you getting in the car or not?"

Montgomery didn't hesitate. He pulled Ruby flush against his chest, half-carrying her away from my open door.

"Drive," I told Thomas.

I stared straight ahead as their tangled silhouettes shrank in the rearview mirror, disappearing into the city traffic.

At the country club dinner, the mahogany chair beside me remained glaringly empty. The clinking of crystal glasses barely masked the whispers drifting from the adjacent tables.

"Skipping his own mother-in-law's birthday dinner? Trouble in paradise."

"You didn't hear? He hired some tragic young widow as his personal assistant. You know how those sob stories end"

I sliced my filet mignon with steady, rhythmic strokes. Beside me, Margot's posture turned to ice.

Evelyn leaned across the table, plastering on a strained, apologetic smile. "Montgomery is just buried in acquisitions right now, Margot. A last-minute emergency came up. I deeply apologize on his behalf."

Margot offered a terrifyingly polite smile. She didn't give a damn about attendance. She cared that her daughter was sitting alone.

Evelyn signaled a waiter to pour me another glass of champagne, leaning in close. "Blair, darling. Marriage is all about compromise and trust. Don't let those tacky rumors get to your head."

I gave Evelyn a tight, practiced smile.

Waiters cleared the dessert plates and poured the black coffee, yet Montgomery never walked through those doors.

As we stood to leave, Warren adjusted his cufflinks. He offered Evelyn a placid, businesslike smile. "I reviewed the proposal for the downtown commercial merger. There are too many loose ends. We're going to put that partnership on hold for now."

Evelyn's smile vanished.

Panic flashed in her eyes before she lunged forward, grabbing Margot's hand with desperate warmth. "Oh, let's not talk business tonight! It's your birthday!"

She gestured frantically toward the lounge area. "Please, stay for one more drink. I just remembered I won a stunning vintage Baccarat crystal decanter at Sotheby's last week. I bought it specifically for you. I almost forgot to hand it over!"

Evelyn dragged us back into our seats.

Chapter 3

Twenty minutes later, the security detail hauled Montgomery into the private dining room.

His jaw locked tight, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Evelyn snapped at him the second he walked in. "Have you lost your mind? Skipping your mother-in-law's birthday? The firm won't burn down in one night."

He forced a stiff, hollow smile, swallowing whatever pathetic excuse he had prepared.

Evelyn grabbed his arm, physically jerking him forward. She dragged him to Margot's side, hovering over him like a hawk until he delivered a groveling, highly public apology in front of the entire dining room.

When Montgomery finally straightened up, the glare he shot me was pure ice.

Down in the valet queue, I realized I left my clutch upstairs. I doubled back.

Just before I rounded the corner to the lounge, Evelyn's hushed voice drifted through the ajar door. She was speaking to her head housekeeper, Shirley.

"Men from his tax bracket are expected to have a wandering eye," Evelyn sneered. "Playing the devoted husband in public is more than enough respect for her family. Blair knows her place. A divorce would be a financial bloodbath. She wouldn't dare."

I grabbed my clutch and walked out, letting the heavy door click silently shut behind me.

The town car ride back to our penthouse was suffocatingly silent.

The second the front door clicked shut behind us, Montgomery let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh, rubbing his temples. "You didn't have to drag our parents into this, Blair. Do you have any idea what Ruby went through today? She had surgery. I never knew you could be this cold-blooded."

A sharp laugh ripped from my throat. "A routine endoscopy to snip a minor polyp counts as a life-threatening operation now?"

The girl had live-streamed her hospital bracelet on her Instagram stories. Montgomery had forced her to get checked out of pure paranoia.

"Ruby is a widow," he snapped, his voice tight. "She experienced unimaginable loss at such a young age. Can you stop targeting her?"

"A widow," I repeated, my tone dripping with pure venom. "She lost a husband, Montgomery. Her entire family wasn't wiped out in a plague."

He choked on his next words, his lips pressing into a thin, white line.

Arguing drained the life out of me. I simply lacked the patience to entertain his savior complex tonight.

His phone vibrated against the marble console. He snatched it up.

Ruby's voice leaked through the speaker, thick with tears and fragile desperation. "Montgomery I'm the only one in this hospital room. I'm having a panic attack. I just I just needed to hear your voice for a second."

The rigid anger in Montgomery's features melted instantly.

He grabbed his tailored coat off the rack, already heading for the door. "Don't panic. I'm coming right now."

I watched the heavy oak door click shut.

A dull throb started at the base of my skull.

A blinding headache spiked directly behind my eyes. My brain automatically started running the numbers.

Prenuptial clauses. Asset liquidation. Corporate stock valuations. The sheer PR nightmare of a scandal.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

I didn't love Montgomery. I married him because he was convenient, good for business, and easy on the eyes. He essentially served as a very expensive, aesthetic vase for my penthouse. I figured I could just leave him on a shelf and focus on my empire.

But then, the real headache started.

A few days later, a group of mutual friends threw a welcome-back dinner for Collins at a private club downtown.

I reached for the brass handle of the VIP suite. A sliver of light bled through the cracked door.

The hushed, eager voices of our inner circle spilled out into the hallway.

"I can't believe Blair is putting up with this. Montgomery and that little widow are the office punchline."

"What's she gonna do? Divorce is a logistical nightmare," Collins laughed, the sound sharp and grating. "Besides, Montgomery swore Blair is completely obsessed with him. She's not going anywhere."

My hand went rigid on the cold brass.

Obsessed? I was pulling eighty-hour weeks running my own company. I didn't have the time or the interest to micromanage his corporate roster.

"Well, he only locked Blair down because she had the exact same profile as his dead ex," another voice chimed in. "Who knew he'd find a secretary who looks like an absolute carbon copy of Daphne? Working late nights together in the office? The guy never stood a chance."

All the sound vanished from the hallway.

The air rushed out of my lungs.

I never gave a damn about Montgomery's romantic history. But realizing I was nothing more than a convenient, breathing placeholder?

A wave of pure nausea washed over me.

Chapter 4

Someone in the suite shot a sleazy look across the table.

"Blair is a robot. Completely rigid. Then you look at the widow. Sweet, fragile, total victim energy. No wonder Montgomery is losing his mind over her. Honestly, Blair brought this on herself."

A wave of crude laughter spilled into the hallway.

"Is Montgomery showing up tonight?"

"Are you kidding?" someone scoffed loudly. "He's at the OB-GYN clinic with the widow right now!"

My brow furrowed.

Just three days ago, Montgomery had sent me a highly calculated text.

"Out of town for a week. We need some space to cool off. We will talk when I get back."

"Montgomery works fast," another voice chuckled. "He's definitely setting her up in a secret penthouse."

I pushed the heavy door wide open, pasted a flawless smile across my face, and stepped into the suite.

"Really? Let me see."

A dead silence swallowed the room. The guy holding his phone went entirely rigid, his hand hovering in mid-air. He scrambled to backtrack, offering a pathetic, stammering apology.

"Blair! God, sorry. We were just talking trash. Don't take it seriously"

I snatched the phone from his grip.

The screen displayed a candid photo shot from across a waiting room. Ruby stood there, clutching a glossy sonogram printout. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as her thumb gently traced the blurry ultrasound image.

Pregnancy meant undeniable proof. A devastating public scandal. An illegitimate heir. A bloody war over corporate assets.

A throbbing ache started at my temples.

This was a mess. A toxic, sprawling mess that would drain my time and resources. Far worse than a simple divorce.

I tapped a contact on my screen and lifted my phone to my ear.

Nolan," I ordered, my voice lethally calm. "Draft the divorce papers. Expedite them."

I turned on my heel and walked straight out of the club.

I dialed another number as I strode toward the elevator.

"Dylan. You want an exclusive scoop? Bring your lenses to Memorial Hospital. Now."

If a tumor threatens the host, you do not treat the symptoms. You cut it out entirely.

Rocco stood by the sleek black SUV, yanking the door open the second I approached.

Dylan already had his crew assembled in the parking lot. He hoisted a heavy telephoto lens over his shoulder. Avery stood next to him, adjusting the settings on her mirrorless camera. She caught my eye and flashed a quick thumbs-up.

I led the pack. We marched straight into the exclusive waiting lounge of the private maternity clinic.

Our footsteps thundered against the linoleum. Receptionists and elite clients snapped their heads around to stare.

The empty waiting area made my targets ridiculously easy to spot.

Ruby tilted her head, a shy, rosy flush creeping up her neck. She clung tightly to Montgomery's bicep, leaning in to whisper something intimately against his ear.

Dylan and Avery did not hesitate. They raised their lenses.

A blinding barrage of camera flashes erupted in the quiet hallway.

Ruby and Montgomery flinched. They whipped their heads toward the chaotic clicking of the shutters.

The blood instantly left their faces.

Ruby snatched her hands back as if touching an open flame, stumbling away from Montgomery.

Montgomery locked eyes with me. Shock twisted his features.

"Blair, what the hell is this?"

I didn't even look at him. I simply flicked my wrist.

Rocco lunged forward. He clamped his hands onto Ruby's shoulders, locking her in place.

"Blair, have you lost your mind?!" Montgomery roared, his face darkening with fury. "Get off her! All of you, back the hell off!"

Not a single person moved.

Ruby trembled. Her face turned ghost-white, her lips quivering as she stared at me. "Blair what are you doing"

I swung my arm, slapping her twice across the face with a loud, vicious crack.

The sharp cracks echoed down the corridor, cutting off whatever excuse she tried to make.

"You blow up my husband's phone in the middle of the night, and now you're carrying his bastard. And you have the nerve to ask what I'm doing?"

Chapter 5