The VP's Wife Strikes Back

Blair, you're sitting out on this year's executive retreat, Nadine said, sitting at the head of the conference table, casually filing her acrylic nails, her tone dripping with entitlement.

I dropped the stack of documents onto the table and turned to face her. Excuse me?

Spots for the Maldives trip are tight, and someone has to hold down the fort. She flashed a sickly sweet smile. "Your husband is the VP. Are you really going to make a fuss over a little vacation?"

Dead silence blanketed the conference room. Twenty people. Not a single one dared to breathe. I kept my gaze locked on her.

Five years. I single-handedly carried seventy percent of the entire department's revenue, yet my name was permanently blacklisted from the Employee of the Year and the equity incentive lists. I knew exactly what kind of dirty office politics was at play. I swallowed the disrespect.

"Fine," I said, giving a crisp nod. "I'll stay."

Nadine's nail file slipped. She clearly hadn't expected me to fold that fast.

I let a cold smile touch my lips. "But Nadine, are you sure you want to play it this way?"

Chapter 1

The conference room went dead silent for three heavy seconds. Nadine's plastic smile cracked. "Blair, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I pushed my chair back and stood up. "I'll take the shift."

I turned on my heel and walked out. A wave of hushed whispers immediately broke out behind me. I didn't bother looking back.

At the end of the corridor, the elevator dinged. I stepped inside. Right as the steel doors slid shut, I caught a glimpse of Nadine standing in the conference room doorway, her face pale and rigid.

I punched the button for the lobby. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Julian.

[Babe, don't be mad. Nadine is just doing what's best for the company.]

I stared at the glowing screen, my jaw clenching. I didn't type a single word back. Another text popped up.

[Babe, stop throwing a tantrum. You know how office politics work. I'll make it up to you when I get back from the retreat. How about I take you to that hot spring resort in the next state over this weekend?]

A weekend at a local hot spring. The company was flying everyone out to the Maldives on a twenty-eight-thousand-dollar per head budget. And my husband's grand compensation was a drive across the state line.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket. The elevator pinged, and I stepped out into the lobby.

The young receptionist caught my eye, biting her lip. "Blair are you really sitting this one out?"

"Yeah."

"But" She leaned over the front desk, dropping her voice to a whisper. "You're the only senior staff member staying behind."

I offered a tight, polite smile. "Someone has to hold down the fort."

She opened her mouth to say something else, then stopped. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Out of thirty-two employees, twenty-eight were packing their bags for the Maldives. The only ones left behind were me and three interns.

Three college interns who couldn't even figure out how to unjam the office printer. And me. A senior sales manager with five years of loyalty, pulling in thirty-two million dollars a year in pure revenue, left behind to play babysitter and answer phone calls.

I walked into the breakroom and poured myself a cup of ice water. My phone vibrated against the counter. Piper.

[Blair, are you out of your mind? Your husband is the VP. Just tell him to put his foot down and get you a ticket.]

I took a sip of my water, ignoring it. A second text popped up immediately.

[Then again, I guess it makes sense. Who cares about your sales numbers? Everyone knows you only get the good leads because your husband pulls strings for you.]

I stared at the screen for five long seconds, my fingernails digging into my palm. Pulled strings. My thirty-two million dollars in blood, sweat, and signed contracts because of my husband?

I slammed the phone face-down on the granite counter and gripped my cup. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky was a bruised, heavy gray. At exactly three o'clock, a notification pinged in the company-wide group chat.

[Attention team! Our Maldives executive retreat will take place from December 20th to the 26th. Please pack accordingly. The company has fully covered all travel arrangementsfirst-class flights and a five-star luxury resort.]

A flood of received messages and party emojis instantly cascaded down the screen. I didn't type a thing. Then, an admin sent a follow-up message.

[Staff remaining on-site for office coverage: Blair, Wyatt (Intern), Sydney (Intern), Miles (Intern).]

The chaotic chat went dead silent for a few seconds. Then, a single, snickering emoji popped up.

I didn't even need to look at the name to know who sent it. Piper. Nadine's little lapdog.

I swiped out of the app, locked my screen, and pulled up my client spreadsheet.

Chapter 2

The renewal contract for Apex Corporation was due next week. A twelve-million-dollar account. I had built this account from the ground up three years ago, leveraging my college alumni connection with their CEO, Victor. For three years, the renewal process had been flawless.

I pulled up the calendar on my screen. The exact dates for the contract signing fell right in the middle of the executive retreat. A dry laugh escaped my throat. Nadine really knew how to pick her moments.

By five-thirty, the floor had mostly cleared out. I was still at my desk.

Julian walked out of his corner office and stopped by my cubicle. "Hey babe, it's quitting time. Ride home together?"

I looked up, meeting his eyes. "You knew about the retreat?"

He paused, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "Yes."

"And you didn't say a damn word?"

He let out a long sigh. "Babe, Nadine is the Director of Sales. I might be the VP, but her department is her territory. I can't just step on her toes."

I kept my gaze locked on him. "Three years. I've been the top earner for three consecutive years."

"I know."

"Half of Nadine's reported numbers are stolen straight from my client portfolio."

"I I know that."

"You know?" I pushed my chair back and stood up, closing the distance between us. "You know she steals my commissions, and you keep your mouth shut."

"You know she deliberately sidelines me, and you keep your mouth shut. Now she's leaving me behind to play receptionist, and you're still keeping your mouth shut?"

"Blair"

"Julian, you are my husband."

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. I grabbed my purse from the desk. "I'll drive myself."

"Babe!"

I didn't stop walking. As the elevator doors slid shut, I caught a final glimpse of him standing frozen in the aisle, his jaw tight and shifting.

Helplessness. Right. I jammed my finger into the button for the underground garage.

The parking structure was suffocatingly quiet. I slid into the driver's seat and ignited the engine. My phone buzzed. Julian.

[Babe, please don't be mad. I'll explain everything when I get home.]

I ignored it. I pulled out of the garage and straight into gridlocked rush-hour traffic. Red light.

I stared out the windshield at the sea of glowing brake lights. Married to Julian for three years.

He was the golden-boy Vice President; I was just a mid-level manager. Everyone in the building thought I had hit the jackpot, marrying entirely out of my league. Including Nadine.

On my first day, she had looked me up and down and smirked. "Oh, so you're Julian's wife? Keep your head down and do a good job under my wing. Try not to embarrass your husband."

Back then, I was a fresh hire with a fat zero in sales. Today, I was sitting on thirty-two million dollars in generated revenue, and she still looked at me like I was a charity case. Green light. I slammed my foot on the gas.

Julian wasn't home yet when I unlocked the front door. I changed out of my work clothes and collapsed onto the living room sofa, letting the exhaustion wash over me. The doorbell shrilled.

I pulled myself up and swung the door open. My mother-in-law.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

She breezed past me into the foyer, wearing that familiar, thinly-veiled smile. "Julian mentioned you were throwing a bit of a mood."

"I'm not."

"All this fuss over some company retreat. You're basically just a glorified assistant down there anyway, what does it matter if you go or not?"

I stared at her. "Mom, I am a Senior Sales Manager. I don't run errands."

"Manager, assistant, whatever. You're still just punching a clock for someone else," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Stop obsessing over these pointless little career ambitions. Your real job is taking care of Julian and giving me a grandson."

I drew a slow, deliberate breath, forcing the tension down my throat. "I'm going to start dinner."

"Go on, go on."

I pivoted and walked into the kitchen. I pulled the refrigerator door open. It was empty.

I froze. It had been fully stocked yesterday. "Mom, where did all the groceries go?"

"Oh, I took all those organic vegetables and the imported seafood boxes out of your fridge." Her voice drifted in from the living room, thick with unyielding entitlement. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, and she can't stomach cheap food. It's not like you two cook anyway, you just order takeout."

My fingers dug into the edge of the refrigerator door, the cold metal biting into my skin. Three years.

In three years of marriage, this woman had never once looked at me as an equal. To her, I was nothing but a gold digger who had lucked into a marriage with her precious son.

I slammed the refrigerator door shut.

Chapter 3

My phone buzzed. An unknown number flashed on the screen. I accepted the call.

"Is this Ms. Blair?"

"Speaking."

"Hello, this is Elise, an executive headhunter. Zenith Group is looking for an East Coast Regional Director of Sales who will report directly to their CEO. The base salary is five hundred thousand, plus uncapped performance bonuses and stock options. Would you be open to a conversation?"

My grip on the phone tightened.

"Could I add your LinkedIn to send over the details?"

"Yes, please."

I saved her contact information. Lowering the phone, I stared out the window. The sky had already bled into a heavy, ink-black night.

I made a decision.

The next day, I badged into the office like normal. The atmosphere on the floor was immediately off. As I passed the breakroom, hushed voices drifted through the crack in the door.

"Did you hear? Blair isn't going on the retreat."

"She isn't 'not going'. Nadine banned her."

"Why?"

"Why do you think? Her husband is the VP. Nadine is terrified she'll steal the spotlight."

"Pfft. With her sales numbers? Steal what spotlight?"

"Wait, you don't know? Her numbers are actually"

The gossiping hit a dead stop. I pushed the door wide open and stepped inside. The two women lost all color in their faces, grabbed their mugs, and practically bolted. I calmly poured myself a cup of black coffee.

My phone vibrated against the counter. Nadine.

[Blair, my office. Now.]

I set my mug down and headed down the hall. Nadine was leaning back in her leather executive chair, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered across her face.

"Have a seat."

I sat.

"You don't have any issues with staying behind for the retreat, do you?"

"None."

She gave a satisfied nod. "Perfect. By the way, the Apex Corporation renewal is coming up next week. Have all the materials prepped and on my desk. I'll be handling the negotiations personally."

I kept my eyes locked on hers. "Apex is my account."

"It's the company's account," she corrected, her tone patronizing. "You are just the point of contact."

"Victor only deals with me."

"Victor deals with the contract." Her smile widened. "Blair, you've been here for five years. You should know the golden rule by now: clients belong to the corporation, not to you."

I let the silence stretch.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Just focus on covering the phones. I'll take care of Apex."

I pushed myself up from the chair. "Are you sure about this, Nadine?"

She arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Since you're so well aware that this single account makes up thirty-five percent of the company's total revenue, you'd better start praying you can actually close it without me." I pushed the glass door open and walked out, never once looking back.

Behind me, Nadine's infuriated voice echoed down the hall: "Blair, you'd better not try pulling any stunts!"

I kept walking. Back at my cubicle, I woke up my computer screen. I immediately pulled up the entire Apex Corporation dossier.

Three years of back-and-forth emails, three years of granular order histories, three years of private communication memos. I dragged and dropped every single file into an encrypted zip folder and forwarded it directly to my personal secure drive.

I checked the calendar. Five days until the executive retreat. I pulled out my phone and shot Victor a text.

[Victor, heads up on the renewal next week. The company might be swapping out your point of contact.]

A few minutes later, the reply came through.

[Swapping? For who?]

[Our Director of Sales, Nadine.]

[Who the hell is Nadine? Never heard of her.]

A genuine smile finally touched my lips.

[Are you free for a quick call to discuss the contract later?]

[Yeah, I'll ring you at seven tonight.]

I set my phone face-down on the desk. From the next cubicle over, Piper leaned her head around the partition.

"Hey Blair, were you just in Nadine's office?"

"Yeah."

"What did she want?"

"Nothing."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't be ungrateful. Nadine putting you in charge of the floor while we're gone is a compliment."

Chapter 4

I stopped typing, turned my head, and looked her dead in the eye, leaning slightly forward. "My personal annual revenue is thirty-two million dollars."

I watched her face instantly freeze and enunciated every single word. "That is exactly eight times your pathetic numbers. If I were you, I'd shut my mouth right now and focus on figuring out how to keep my job."

A harsh flush crept up her neck. "You who do you think you are! You're nothing without your husband pulling strings!"

I tuned her out and turned back to my screen. She spun back around in her chair, huffing loudly.

At lunch, Julian came by my desk. "Babe, want to grab some food?"

"No, I'm busy."

"With what?"

"Work," I said, grabbing my purse. "Eat by yourself."

"Blair"

I didn't stop, walking straight into the elevator.

Downstairs, I found a corner table at a nearby coffee shop. I pulled out my phone and checked the LinkedIn message from the headhunter. Her name was Elise, and the job description she sent over was highly detailed.

[Company: Zenith Group]

[Position: East Coast Regional Director of Sales]

[Compensation: $500K Base + Uncapped Commission]

[Benefits: Full Medical & Dental + 401k Match + Annual Executive Retreats]

Zenith Group. I knew them well. They were Apex Corporation's biggest competitor. I thought for a second before typing back.

[Elise, do you have time to talk specifics?]

[Absolutely. When are you free?]

[Tomorrow evening?]

[Perfect. I'll send you the location.]

I set the phone down and took a sip of my coffee, watching the midday crowd hustle past the window. Five years. I had bled for this company for five years.

I climbed from a junior rep to a Senior Sales Manager, taking my portfolio from zero to thirty-two million dollars. Yet to Nadine, I would only ever be Julian's wife. To my mother-in-law, I was just the gold-digging daughter-in-law. To my coworkers, I was the nepotism hire sleeping her way to the top.

A soft laugh escaped my throat. Maybe it was finally time to prove a point.

The second I stepped back onto the floor that afternoon, Nadine summoned me to the conference room.

"Hand over all the Apex Corporation files to me."

I stared at her.

"By the end of the day," she added sharply.

"The contract isn't due to be signed until next week."

"I need to prepare in advance."

"Prepare what, exactly?"

Her face darkened. "Blair, I am your superior. When I tell you to hand something over, you hand it over."

"Understood," I said, giving a crisp nod.

I turned and walked back to my cubicle. Piper leaned over the partition, shooting me a gloating look. "What happened? Did you get chewed out?"

I shut her out without a second glance. Waking up my computer, I gathered all the publicly available brochures, standard templates, and generic company profiles for Apex, zipped them into a folder, and emailed them to Nadine. Then, I opened a different, hidden directory.

All the core trade secrets I had built over the last three years were right here. The client's personal preferences, the hidden decision-making chains, and even the birthdays of key executives' wives. This was my personal moat, and that idiot wasn't getting her hands on a single punctuation mark.

My phone vibrated. Victor.

[Blair, seven o'clock tonight. Don't forget to pick up.]

[Will do, Victor.]

I checked the time. Four o'clock. Three hours left.

At exactly five-thirty, I clocked out. Julian was still locked in his office. I didn't bother looking for him; I just walked out. When I got home, I changed my clothes and started prepping dinner.

At exactly seven o'clock, my phone rang.

"Blair, listen. About your company swapping out my point of contact I've been giving it some thought."

"Go ahead, Victor."

"We've worked together for three years, and it's always been seamless. Swapping in someone new" He paused for a beat. "I don't trust it."

"What are you saying, Victor?"

"If you're not at that company anymore, then we can talk about the contract elsewhere."

I gripped the phone tightly, letting the silence stretch for a few loaded seconds.

Chapter 5

"I understand, Victor."

"Blair, you're a highly capable professional. Don't let them walk all over you."

"Thank you, Victor."

I hung up the phone and stepped over to the window. A twelve-million-dollar account. Victor only recognized my authority.

Not because I was Julian's wife. Because I was Blair.

The doorbell rang. I walked over and swung the door open. Julian.

"Why didn't you wait for me at the office?"

"I had things to do."

He breezed past me into the apartment. Spotting the dinner on the dining table, his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thank God you cooked. I'm starving."

He pulled out a chair and immediately started digging in. I sat directly across from him, just watching him.

"Julian."

"Yeah?" he mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"If I left the company, would you support me?"

His fork stopped dead in mid-air. "What does that mean? Leave the company?"

"Jumping ship."

He dropped his fork onto his plate with a sharp clatter. "Blair, what the hell are you talking about? Jumping ship where?"

"I have an offer. Half a million base salary."

He froze. "Half a million?"

"Yes."

"Which company?"

"Zenith Group."

All the color instantly drained from his face. "Zenith? They're Apex Corporation's biggest competitor! If you go there, what happens to the Apex contract?"

I kept my gaze locked on him. "Julian, that is my business."

"It's the company's business!" He shot up from his chair. "Blair, do you have any idea how critical that Apex account is?"

"I do."

"And you're still going to jump ship?"

"Yes."

He let out a harsh, frustrated breath. "Can you stop acting like a little girl throwing a tantrum? This is a twelve-million-dollar enterprise account! I'll go communicate with Nadine, and I'll figure out a way to make it up to you about the retreat"

"Save it," I said, cutting him off sharply. "My mind is made up."

"Blair!"

I stood up and walked into the bedroom.

The second the door clicked shut behind me, I heard the loud crash of him slamming something against the table in the living room.

It didn't matter anymore.

The next morning, I swiped into the office right on time. Before I even had the chance to sit down, Nadine summoned me to her office.

"Blair, Victor from Apex Corporation just called me."

"Oh?"

"He said he's only discussing the contract with you, not me." Her face pulled into a tight, bloodless mask. "Did you say something to him?"

"I didn't say a word."

"You'd better not have." She glared at me, her eyes narrowing. "Blair, I am going to say this one more time. Clients belong to the company, not to you personally."

"I'm aware."

"Good." She waved her hand dismissively toward the door. "Get out."

I turned on my heel and walked out. The second I sat back at my cubicle, Piper leaned her head over the partition. "Blair, did you piss Nadine off? She looked ready to murder someone."

"Nope."

"You'd better watch your back." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Nadine is not someone you want to mess with."

I tuned her out and pulled up a spreadsheet.

At noon, I skipped the company cafeteria and went out to grab lunch alone. As soon as I hit the lobby, my phone rang. My mother-in-law.

"Hello?"

"Blair, come to the house for dinner tonight. Your father-in-law has something to discuss with you."

"About what?"

"You'll know when you get here," she said, hanging up the phone.

I stared at the dead screen, letting out a slow breath.

At six o'clock, I pulled into my in-laws' driveway. Julian was already there.

"You're here. Have a seat," my father-in-law said, his tone rigidly polite.

I sat down on the sofa. My mother-in-law carried a serving dish out of the kitchen, shooting me a cold, sideways glance without saying a single word.

"Blair, I hear you're looking to jump ship," my father-in-law started.

I shot a look at Julian. He immediately averted his eyes, staring hard at the coffee table.

"I'm considering it," I said flatly.

"Why?"

"A better opportunity."

Chapter 6

"What kind of opportunity could possibly beat staying here?" My mother-in-law cut in, waving her fork. "Your husband is the Vice President. It's not like you're ever going to be shortchanged."

I kept my eyes on her. "Mom, my professional capabilities have nothing to do with my husband."

"Capabilities?" She let out a sharp, mocking scoff. "If it wasn't for Julian, do you really think a company like that would have ever hired you?"

I didn't say a word. When I was hired, Julian wasn't even in the picture. We didn't meet until my second year on the job. But I wasn't going to waste my breath explaining that to her.

"Blair, let me just be objective here," my father-in-law finally chimed in, setting down his glass. "This whole jumping ship idea can't you just put it on hold?"

"Why?"

"The Apex Corporation contract is critical. If you leave right now, it's going to severely impact the company."

I stared right at him. "Dad, I built the Apex account from the ground up."

"It is the company's account," he corrected smoothly.

A dry laugh escaped my throat. "Is it?"

My mother-in-law slammed her hand against the dining table. "Blair, watch your tone!"

"Mom, I'm just stating facts."

"You"

"Alright, enough," my father-in-law said, waving his hand, cutting her off. "Blair, listen to me. I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"Think about it. The executives and the core team are going on this retreat. If you, a junior manager, insist on tagging along, how is that going to look?"

"You should just take the initiative and send out a company-wide email voluntarily giving up your spot. Consider it a way of supporting Julian's career."

Supporting Julian's career. My career was just a disposable stepping stone for his.

"I understand, Dad," I said, pushing my chair back and standing up. "I'm leaving."

"You haven't even eaten!" my mother-in-law snapped.

"I lost my appetite."

I grabbed my purse and walked straight out the front door. Julian chased me out into the driveway.

"Babe!"

I didn't stop.

"Blair! Can you stop acting like this? My parents are just looking out for you!"

I spun around. "Julian, when have they ever looked out for me?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Your mother calls me a glorified assistant, and your father wants me to publicly humiliate myself with an email stepping down from the retreat." I glared at him. "That's looking out for me?"

"They that's just how they talk. Don't take it so personally."

"Don't take it personally?" I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Julian, I have been part of this family for three years. When have you ever stood up for me?"

Dead silence.

"Forget it," I said, turning around and heading for my car.

"Blair! What exactly do you want?!" he yelled across the yard.

I stopped. I looked back at him, standing there under the harsh porch light.

"What do I want?" I kept my voice dead level. "I want a fair playing field. I want some damn respect."

"And I want to make sure every single one of you understands that I am Blair. I am not just someone's wife. I am not just someone's daughter-in-law. And I am certainly not just someone's subordinate."

He stood frozen on the driveway.

"Since you can't give me that, Julian, I'll get it myself."

I got into my car and drove off. He didn't chase after me.

Back at the apartment, I flipped open my laptop. A message from Elise, the headhunter, was waiting for me.

[Blair, are we still on for tomorrow evening?]

I stared at the glowing screen for three seconds before typing back.

[We're on.]

[Perfect. I'll send the location over.]

I shut the laptop, listening to the sharp click of the latch. Outside the window, the city lights bled into the pitch-black night.

I was done. No matter what it took, I was walking away from all of this.

Day four. The atmosphere in the office was thick with anticipation. The flight for the executive retreat was tomorrow.

Every single person on the floor was buzzing about the Maldives. Everyone except me.

During the morning stand-up meeting, Nadine made a point to single me out.

Chapter 7

"Blair, you're in charge of the coverage schedule while we're away on the retreat."

I gave a brief nod. "Understood."

"Any problems with that?" Nadine arched an eyebrow.

"None."

After the meeting adjourned, Piper sidled up to my desk. "Blair, are you seriously covering the entire floor by yourself?"

"Not by myself. I have the three interns."

She let out a mocking giggle. "Interns? You might as well be alone."

I kept my eyes pinned to the monitor.

Settling back into my chair, I opened my inbox. A new email sat at the top. It was from Victor at Apex Corporation.

[Blair, I want to sign next week's contract directly with you, bypassing your current company entirely. Do you have a minute?]

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before typing back.

[Victor, are you free for a quick call?]

My phone rang less than two minutes later.

"Blair, here's the deal. I've thought it over. I'm more than happy to give you the Apex account, but I'm not giving it to your current employer."

I gripped the phone, feeling the sudden, heavy thud of my heartbeat against my ribs. "What are you saying, Victor?"

"If you jump ship to another firm, the contract goes with you."

I let the silence stretch for a moment. "Victor, if we do that, my current company"

"That sounds like a them problem, not a you problem." He paused. "Blair, I've been in this business a long time. I don't invest in logos; I invest in people. You deliver. I trust you."

"Thank you, Victor."

"Think about it. No rush."

I hung up the phone and just stared blankly at my monitor. A twelve-million-dollar account. All it took was one word from me, and the whole thing was mine to take. I drew a long, steady breath.

At noon, Julian showed up at my cubicle. "Babe, want to grab lunch?"

I glanced up at him. "You took the afternoon off?"

"Yeah. We need to talk."

I pushed my chair back and followed him into the elevator. We walked to a restaurant down the block, and he ordered for both of us.

"Blair, about yesterday I'm sorry."

"You don't need to say anything."

"I just"

"Julian," I cut him off smoothly. "Let me ask you one question."

"What?"

"If I jump ship, will you support me?"

He hesitated, his eyes shifting away. "Blair, the Apex account"

"I asked if you support me. I didn't ask about the damn account."

He looked at me, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he struggled for words. "Blair, can't you just think this through? I told you I'd talk to Nadine for you"

"I don't need you to talk to her."

"Blair!"

"Julian, it's been three years." I kept my eyes dead locked on his. "I've been married to you for three years. For three years, your mother called me a gold digger trying to drain your family dry, and you didn't even dare to let out a squeak. Nadine pocketed my million-dollar commissions, and you pretended you didn't see a thing."

"Now the entire executive team is jetting off to an island resort, leaving me behind in the office like a low-level assistant, and all you can do is keep your damn mouth shut."

"I"

"You want me to think this through?" I stood up, pushing my chair back with a harsh scrape against the floor. "I've been thinking for three years."

I grabbed my purse and walked out.

"Blair!"

I didn't look back.

I clocked back in at exactly two o'clock. Nadine immediately summoned me to her office.

"Blair, regarding the Apex Corporation deal. What exactly did you say to Victor?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She let out a sharp, cold scoff. "Then why did he flat-out refuse to negotiate with me? Why is he insisting on talking to you?"

I met her furious gaze head-on. "Maybe Victor just prefers dealing with competence."

All the color drained from her face. She slammed her palms flat on her desk. "Blair, I am warning you. Do not pull any stunts with me."

"Nadine, I haven't done a thing."

"You'd better not have." She glared at me, her eyes narrowed into slits. "While we are on the retreat, you will stay here and cover the phones like you were told. I will personally handle the Apex account the second I get back."

"Understood," I said, giving a crisp nod.

Chapter 8