You Thought I Was A Puppet

My oldest friend, a guy Id practically grown up with, had done nothing to earn his stripes, yet he was trying to leverage his relationship with my wife to climb the corporate ladder. I refused, point blank.

The consequences were swift and total. While I was gone on a year-long international venturethe kind of project that demands your entire focusmy wife, Seraphina, unilaterally promoted him to Executive Vice President, tripling his already generous salary.

When I finally returned, jet-lagged and ready to reclaim my seat, my former friend, Brock Aston, acted like the company was hishis arrogance fueled by the certainty of Sera's protection. Even the way he spoke to me was a calculated insult.

Dont think for a second that just because you founded this company, you can push me around, Brock sneered, his eyes hard and challenging. As long as Seras in my corner, I could demand the chair youre sitting in, and youd have to hand over the keys.

Before I could process the audacity, he reached for a glass of water on the conference table and splashed it straight into my face. The cold shock was a sudden, violent wake-up call. I didn't hesitate. I slapped himhard enough to snap his head backand fired him on the spot.

What happened next was a choreographed coup. When Sera heard the news, she didnt just object; she incited every employee in the room to hand in their termination notices.

Rhys Maxwell, her voice cut through the stillness, cold and resolute. Reinstate Brock immediately, or we all walk.

1

The cavernous boardroom of Apex Dynamics was eerily silent. Every single person was waiting for Seras next command. They were all her hires, recruited while I was gone, replacing my loyal, long-term employees who had been quietly phased out during my absence.

Brock, seeing his army assembled, let his mask of false camaraderie drop completely. He propped his expensive leather boots on the table, leaning back with a look of pure, unadulterated provocation aimed straight at me.

See that? he drawled. You want to fire me? Good luck with that. As long as Sera is here, youd need her permission just to take a piss.

He took a slow, deliberate breath, the self-satisfied smirk widening.

Lets be real. This company belongs to Sera now. Youre just the face, the rubber stampthe puppet. You have zero actual power.

He let out a short, harsh laugha sound full of cheap victory. Then he pulled a cigarette out and lodged it between his lips. A crony immediately leaped forward to light it for him. Brock inhaled deeply, blowing the plume of smoke directly toward my end of the table. The haze of smoke did nothing to soften his brazen posture.

Hows that feel? he asked, a venomous edge to his voice. You hate me right now, dont you? But what are you going to do? Nothing. Youll just have to choke on it. Ha!

The No Smoking sign discreetly mounted on the wall meant nothing to him. My silence only fed his ego.

Though, I gotta say, he mused, glancing at the nameplate on my desk. EVP still feels a little low. That chair youre in, Rhys? Thats the real prize.

The implication was clear: he intended to replace me. The audacity of this manthis incompetent, entitled leechwas staggering.

I dragged my eyes away from him, letting them fall onto the mountain of stacked resignation letters. Then I slowly scanned the faces of the employees lined up against me.

Youre really going to commit corporate suicide for him? I asked, my voice dangerously level. For him? This man is dead weight. Is he worth throwing away your careers?

I leaned back, a bitter, weary amusement rising in my chest. I genuinely couldnt fathom the depth of this misplaced loyaltyor idiocy.

Youre mistaken, Rhys, a voice cut in from the doorway. They arent doing this for him. Theyre doing this because of me.

Every head snapped toward the door. In unison, their hostility evaporated, replaced by a sickening, deferential respect as they chorused, Ms. Wells.

That honorific, Ms. Wells, was a direct strike. Apex Dynamics was my company, founded and built by me. Yet, they offered only cold disdain for me and utter reverence for her.

Thank you, all of you, Sera said, gliding into the room. She reveled in their acknowledgment, standing taller, her usual composure now tinged with a smug superiority.

When our eyes met, she offered me a cold, triumphant smile.

You see? If you insist on firing Brock, they walk. All of them. And when they walk, you wont be able to replace this many people overnight. The damage to the companys valuation? Think airplane crash fast.

2

Her threat was a sharp, cold jab. My hands clenched into fists beneath the table, the knuckles white with strain. I couldn't fathom her hostility. We were husband and wife.

Seraphina, I ground out, my voice trembling with suppressed fury. What the hell is wrong with you? Threatening meyour husbandover an outsider?

The sheer volume of my anger made my body shake. If I didn't still love some phantom version of her, I wouldn't have been this incandescently enraged. I knew the damagea collective walk-out would be catastrophic.

Outsider? Sera scoffed, crossing her arms. Hes my chosen family, Rhys. My little brother. I watched him grow up. You think Ill just stand by while you bully him?

She leaned forward, her expression hardening. All he got was a promotion. Why do you need to fire him and publicly humiliate me?

Humiliate her? The irony was blinding. She was handing me charges of phantom crimes.

What exactly has Brock Aston accomplished for this company that warrants an instant promotion and three times the salary? I demanded, laying out the facts. As I recall, he hasnt just failed to deliverhes personally bungled three major client pitches, costing us millions in projected revenue.

I should have let him go the second he proved to be a liability. The fact that I kept him on was a testament to my past loyalty, not my business sense. But to demand that I ignore his failure and reward him? They had both lost their minds.

Facing my concrete accusations, Brocks swagger slowly deflated. He turned quickly to Sera, his face a mask of wounded innocence.

Sera, see? Hes impossible, he whined. He blames me for his own failed projects. He purposefully sends me after dead-end clients just to make sure I dont succeed! Hes trying to sabotage me!

His fabricated distress was the cue for the chorus of employees.

Hes a nightmare of a boss! one yelled. He deliberately kneecaps his employees to keep them down! Its pathetic!

Yeah! If we have to work for a self-serving tyrant like you, well stick together and fight for a little justice for Brock!

We stand against the corporate aristocracy!

Suddenly, the room was a cacophony of insults, a coordinated defense of Brock. I watched them all, these unfamiliar faces. They were all hersa replacement guard brought in while I was focused on the bottom line overseas. The realization chilled me to the bone. She wasnt just unfaithful; she was staging a total takeover.

I thought back to her past. The struggling intern Id found years ago, the one who barely knew how to draft a memo, whod saved my life when Id had a near-fatal cardiac event. Id mentored her, taught her the business, elevated her, and ultimately fallen in love with her. Now, her ambition had consumed her.

But I had faced down far greater threats than a handful of disgruntled payroll fillers. I picked up one of the resignation letters, a dismissive smile curling my lips. I tossed it onto the table in front of Sera.

Trying to spook me? I scoffed. I dont scare easily. If you all want to quit and walk out, be my guest. The door is right there.

The entire room froze. My refusal to play their gamemy willingness to call their bluffthrew them into a tailspin. Seraphinas face instantly darkened, and the air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

Are you serious? she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

3

One hundred percent, I affirmed. Isnt this what you wanted? You came here to bully me into promoting him. I dont respond to threats. Anyone who wants to leave, go. The world wont stop spinning without you.

Brock, panicked, started to stammer, looking desperately at Sera. S-Sera, what about?

Relax, she interrupted, her eyes never leaving mine. As long as Im here, he cant touch you.

She stood up, her high heels clicking as she rounded the table, stopping right in front of my chair. She placed a hand on my shoulder, a gesture that felt sickeningly intimate and menacing all at once.

I was hoping I wouldnt have to do this, Rhys, she purred, her breath sweet against my ear. I wanted to keep you around as a figurehead, my puppet CEO, because, after all, you did give me a start. I was trying to be gracious. But you wont play ball. You insisted on tearing up the contract.

I looked up at her, my eyes chips of ice. What are you talking about?

She squeezed my shoulder, a light, mocking tap. The company is mine, Rhys. Im the one calling the shots. I used to be the one you called to fetch your coffee, but now Ive acquired the shareholders. I am Apex Dynamics. I decide who gets promoted, and who sits in this chair. Do you understand?

Brock bolted to his feet, ecstatic. Sera Seraphina! Is it true?

She turned to him, her expression softening into pure adoration. She nodded. Brock let out a whoop, grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed hera long, vulgar embrace right in front of me. The other employees merely looked away, relieved for their own futures.

Rage, pure and undiluted, consumed me. In the year I was gone, Seraphina hadnt just betrayed our marriage; she had stolen my empire.

Ha ha ha! Are you mad, you pathetic joke? Brock yelled, breaking the kiss to look at me. Good! Im not scared to tell you, Ive been sleeping with Seraphina the entire time! All 365 days you were gone, we were in your bed, drunk and satisfied. What are you going to do about it, you spineless bastard?

The employees snickered. They all believed Sera. They believed I was already defeated.

I kept my face deliberately calm, but internally, the ocean had been whipped into a monstrous, churning storm. I had truly underestimated her. My good wife had orchestrated this entire thing, and given this fool his false sense of power.

They all thought I was a finished man. I swept up the pile of resignation letters, scattering them to the floor at my feet. I stared at the pair of them, my fists clenched hard enough to draw blood.

The empire I built from nothing is not something you can just seize, I said, my voice quiet but carrying the force of a threat. I am still the registered CEO. I have not signed any stock transfer agreements. So tell me, how exactly did my company become yours?

Seraphina didnt flinch. She simply laughed, long and cold. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned back into Brocks embrace, regarding me with a patronizing smile.

I knew youd ask that, she said. And I have a little surprise for you.

She clapped her hands. Gentlemen, please come in.

The door opened again, and a group of menthe companys shareholderswalked in. Every single one of them bypassed me and directed their attention to Seraphina.

What what is the meaning of this? A cold, awful certainty solidified in my gut.

Ill answer that for you, Brock chirped, kissing Seras cheek. They are here to help Seraphina take back Apex Dynamicsand kick you out.

4

Sera rewarded Brocks declaration with a deep, lingering kiss. You are truly mine, darling. Your confidence is getting so strong, just like mine.

Brock glared at me, his face alight with avarice. When you fully take over, let me have the CEO chair, okay? Ive never played the part of the big-shot boss before.

The thought of that buffoon sitting in my chair was ludicrous. He was barely qualified to stock the water cooler.

Sera stood tall, surveying the shareholders. She wanted a public declaration, to maximize my humiliation.

Gentlemen, in front of Rhys, please state your allegiance, she commanded. I wouldnt want rumors spreading that Im some kind of backstabbing traitor.

Instantly, the shareholders replied in a booming, unified voice: We stand with Ms. Wells!

The sound was like a volley of bullets. These were men who had been with me for decades, who I had worked with to build this company from a tiny start-up into a publicly traded empire. We weren't just partners; we were brothers. Id been gone for only a year, and Seraphina had bought their loyalty and orchestrated a total betrayal. The blow was physically painful.

Why? I demanded, the word raw. I want to know why.

They didnt look away. Their answers were chillingly clinical.

Ms. Wells offered us a better deal, one stated, shrugging. We are capitalists, Rhys. We go where the return is greatest.

I actually laughed. Better deal? I had always taken the smaller cut, ensuring they were rewarded generously for every major deal. Id prioritized their financial security over my own. And this was the thanks I got.

Brock, emboldened by the shareholders affirmation, was positively glowing.

Hear that, Rhys Maxwell? Youre finished! Not only do the employees disrespect you, but the shareholders dont respect you either. Youre a failure in life! You worked yourself to death, and now we reap the rewards.

He gestured dismissively toward my chair. What are you waiting for? Get out of that seat. You dont deserve it. Its mine now.

I completely ignored Brock. My focus remained entirely on Sera and the men who had betrayed me. I was surrounded, cornered, and entirely alone.

Sera stepped closer, her tone dripping with false pity. Look at your situation. If youd just done what I asked and promoted Brock, none of this would be happening. I made you CEO, Rhys. I can just as easily turn you into a nobody.

My fists tightened, then loosened, then tightened again. Brock, too impatient to wait, motioned for the security team he thought he commanded.

Rhys Maxwell, two options, he spat. Walk out with what little dignity you have left, or be dragged out like a dog. Pick one.

I was Rhys Maxwell. I chose neither.

Foolish, I said, a slow, predatory smile spreading across my face. Without my signature on a transfer of stock, none of you have a damn thing. You cant take what isnt yours.

Oh, really? Seras smile was the most confident Id ever seen it. She pulled a thick Manila envelope from her briefcase. Then take a look at this.

She slapped the document onto the table. You did sign it. Last month, when I flew out to see you. I used my pining wife actmy Honey Trapto confuse you while you were tired and emotional. I disguised this as a standard project proposal and had you sign where the critical signature lines were. How about that, Rhys? Did the student surpass the teacher?

As the blood drained from my face, Brock leaned in, a cruel whisper of a confession. I went with her that night. And after you left, I came back in. Turns out my shot was stronger than yours. Seraphinas carrying my baby, you loser.

The finality of the betrayal was a physical blow. Without conscious thought, I swung my fist, connecting solidly with Brocks jaw.

You slimy bastard!

You hit me?! Guards, take him! Strip him naked and throw him onto the street! Let the world see how the great Rhys Maxwell became a stray dog!

He screamed the orders, but the security guards remained utterly still. This infuriated Sera.

What are you waiting for? Are you deaf? she shrieked. I told you, seize Rhys Maxwell

SLAP!

My open palm met her face with a thunderous crack, the sound echoing in the silent boardroom.

You got it backwards, Seraphina, I said, my voice a low, terrifying growl. Im the one who elevated you from nothing, and Im the one who can send you right back to being a penniless intern.

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