Page 1 of The Plan
Prologue
New Year’sResolutions
1. Spend less time working
2. Visit Aunt Addy
3. Date nights
I pick up the piece of paper that flutters to the floor as I attempt to clear my desk for the night. Sitting back in my chair, I stare down at the words I wrote only a few weeks ago.
I glance at the time on my computer screen to see it’s almost 8pm on Valentine’s night, and here I am still in my office with mountains of work to do. I guess that explains how well number one on the list is going. Actually, it pretty much answers all three. I think in the last six weeks I’ve spent more time in the office than ever, so eventhinkingabout planning a trip to see Aunt Addy hasn’t happened. And as for date nights, code forattempt to sort out my shitty marriage—I just didn’t want to write that down—that’s the reason I’m finishing upearlyfor the night. My assistant poked her head in just under an hour ago to say she was leaving and I placed a takeaway order so I could surprise my husband and make some kind of effort. It is Valentine’s day, after all.
I go down to the ground floor of the office block we work in to collect my delivery before heading straight up to the top floor to my husband’s office.
We’re both lawyers for his family’s company. I’m pretty sure it should excite me; after all, it’s what I spent years studying for. Here I am, a high-flying lawyer for a renowned company in the middle of the city, married to the boss, living in a gorgeous penthouse apartment only five minutes from here.
I fucking hate it. All of it.
It hasn’t always been this way. At the beginning, I thought I was living the high life: hefty pay checks, designer clothes, meals at any swanky restaurant I wanted, and a husband every woman in the office wanted a piece of. That all soon wore thin once I was promoted—not because I married the boss though, I’d like to add. I started working longer hours and all the benefits I enjoyed before were pushed aside to spend more hours in the office. It’s pretty shit. Then Edward’s dad retired, leaving him in charge, and our marriage took even more of a backseat.
“Good evening, Addison.”
“Evening,” I say when I see Greg, one of the security guards in reception. “Shouldn’t Mr. Boss Man be taking you out for some slap up meal?”
“You’d think, right?” I reply as I wave my takeaway bag at him.
“Enjoy,” he says with a wink as I head back towards the lift.
I sail straight to the top. The building must be practically empty seeing as it’s Valentine’s day so my journey isn’t interrupted by anyone wanting to join me.
There’s no one to be seen as I walk down the corridor past the giant offices. It looks like the rest of the management has some kind of work life balance.
The glass wall that allows everyone to see into Edward’s office has been darkened but I don’t think anything of it. I shove the handle down and fling the door wide open.
“Surprise,” I announce happily, but my mood changes when I see the reason for the blacked out windows.
My husband’s behind his desk like I expected, but rather than going through case notes he’s currently balls deep inside my PA, who’s bent over his desk.
He sees me, his eyes widen in shock, and he stops moving as he stares at me. It’s clear she has no idea I’ve just interrupted because, without opening her eyes, she moans, “Eddie, keep going…so close.”
Eddie? Who the fuck does she think she is? My husband hates the name Eddie.
I stand there staring at the scene in front of me for a few more seconds as something inside me explodes. I want to say it’s devastation, anger even, but I’m pretty sure it’s the tingling of freedom.
I drop the bag of takeout on the floor and, with one last look at my cheating prick of a husband, I make my way out of the Chapman-Webb offices with every intention to never walk through the front door again.
