When the CEO's Wife Seeks Power, Not Love

Everyone in the whole world knew not to mess with married men. But my husband was an exception. Not only was he handsome, tall and had a great physique, but me as his wife was also a pushover. He could do it right in front of me and it was fine.

I heard Mrs. Parkinston used to be a shrew. Even hiring a female secretary for President Parkinston would cause a huge uproar in the Parkinston Family.

"It's all because President Parkinston spoiled her. Now he's too lazy to indulge her anymore and look how obedient she is, like a maid."

My best friend, who came to visit, overheard these women talking about me. She was so angry she wanted to drag me into a divorce from Jason Parkinston.

I hurriedly stopped her. "First of all, he doesn't know I had him sterilized, so he can't have an illegitimate child to fight my son for the inheritance. Secondly, he's a womanizer; I'll have to take over the Parkinston Family's power. Finally, he's shortening his lifespan with his daily indulgence. I should be thanking him, why would I want a divorce?"

My best friend left, satisfied.

As soon as I got home, the person on the living room sofa made me freeze. Jason had his back to me. The woman straddling him was The woman seemed startled. She suddenly stopped and shrank into his arms.

Jason's broad chest enveloped her, gently patting her back. "It's alright, she wouldn't dare do anything."

The girl's eyes were misty, perhaps because of the affair, or perhaps because of fear. "I'm sorry I didn't know you had a wife."

"Really?" For the first time, I interrupted when Jason was cheating.

Not because I was heartbroken. Just surprised. Others might not knew I had a husband, but how could this girl not know?

She blinked her bright, sparkling eyes in the orphanage, saying she wanted to be a strong and upright person. I took her away. I contacted friends and sent her abroad to study. She grew up according to my plan.

She had been indignant when she heard about Jason's infidelity. She had even spat on Jason's picture. I didn't care who was on Jason's back. But right now, it was Lily Sheraton and I just couldnt accept it. Didn't she promise to be a strong and independent person?

"But I heard that your wife is a notorious shrew, I'm afraid..." Lily trembled, nestled in his arms.

Jason draped his coat over her shoulders. He stood up, separating us. "I'm the one who provoked this girl, come at me if you have a problem."

His gaze lingered on the girl behind him for a moment. I sighed. I turned and went into the bedroom.

Closing the door, I heard a gentle, coaxing voice outside, "Its okay, the 'shrew' reputation is in the past, she won't do anything to you now."

I leaned against the window, exhaling a smoke ring. He was right. It wasn't like this when I first got married.

In the past, if Jason dared to say a vulgar word to any woman, I'd make him kneel on a washboard. Even if he just hired a female secretary, I'd make a scene before the Parkinston Family.

His brothers laughed at him for marrying a tigress. He said that only by listening to his wife could he make money. These brothers were just jealous that he had a wife. He was willing to spoil me rotten, so I wasn't allowed to call myself a tigress.

Under my tutelage, his business grew bigger and bigger.

One day, he suddenly kicked the washboard aside. "Are you never going to stop?"

I suddenly realized that Jason was no longer the small business owner he used to be. He was now President Parkinston. He had his own authority. He no longer hid the lipstick mark on his neck.

He dismissed the special assistant I had carefully selected for him right in front of me. Replaced her with his favorite female secretary. Over the years, women had come and gone in his life.

Those brothers who called me a tigress patted him on the shoulder and laughed, saying, "That's what a man should be like!"

In the living room, the woman's voice was excessively loud. I never knew Lily was a girl who could show off and flaunt her abilities. I put on my earphones and said nothing.

After everything was over, Lily, wrapped in a towel, knocked on my door.

"Riley, I want to... explain something."

"Oh, no need."

I was about to leave when she hurriedly stopped me, "I used to really hate him! But..."

She paused. I stared at her.

She seemed to have made up her mind, taking a deep breath. "But one day I realized that what I had to risk half my life for, I could get by sleeping with him. And that's precisely what you can't give me. I did say I was upright and honorable, but my body is also a resource, why can't I use it?"

She looked at me after saying that, seemingly waiting for my answer. But I didn't. I just stared at her for a while. I Nodded. Then walked past her and left.

"Riley!"

Her voice came from behind, "Are you looking down on me and that's why you won't talk to me?"

"You're overthinking it." My tone was calm and indifferent.

Just like the first time I saw Jason bring a woman home. I calmly turned away. I chopped up the washboard he'd been kneeling on for five years and burned it. Then, while he was undergoing anesthesia for a gastroscopy, I ordered my men to damage his testicle as well.

Since I couldnt stop people from changing, at least I want to protect some things that remain unchanged. Like power. Or wealth. And my son's inheritance. But Jason went a bit too far this time.

He found me and said solemnly, "I've thought about it. You'll hand over your Vice President's power to Lily."

My hand, which was processing documents, paused. "Her? A recent college graduate?"

"I know she lacks experience, so you stay by her side to guide her. Teach her what she doesn't know and if she makes a mistake, you won't cause any trouble."

I closed the folder. Now I understood a little. What was it that Lily meant by "risking half her life" to get? Indeed, this power I hold, I might actually get by sleeping with Jason. And that method worked for Lily too.

It wouldn't work for Jason and me, an old married couple. My only bargaining chip was our past relationship. So I started to cry. But I couldn't cry.

Then I started to recall the year I was fifteen, when my stepfather kicked me out of the house and the umbrella he held for me.

I recalled the day my mother died, when I had a relapse of depression and he took care of me, helping me wash and change.

I recalled the night my stepfather wouldn't give me food and he hid a scalding hot roasted sweet potato in his chest. His skin blistered from the burn, just so I could have a bite of something hot.

My tears fell onto the table. He was stunned.

I quickly wiped my eyes. "Jason, how did things come to this?"

"What do you mean?" Jason stood up, somewhat surprised.

I wiped my eyes more frequently, but my tone remained stubborn, "I thought we still had some old feelings for each other. As long as I didn't make a scene, I could at least stay with you until were turning grey. Now it seems I overestimated myself."

He stood there stunned for a moment. He stepped forward and wiped away my tears.

"Pretend I didn't say anything," he said.

My power was preserved. But my joy didn't last long.

On the third day, he stormed into my office.

Grabbing my hand, his eyes red, "Lily ran away in a huff. Riley, just pity me and give her your position!"

Lily ran away from home. She wouldn't answer the phone, wouldn't reply to texts and her location was inaccurate. This kind of childish tactic was common. But it usually worked quite well for young girls.

Sure enough, Jason was completely distraught. He directly removed me from my position as Vice President. This time, crying was useless. Because Lily cried even harder.

I crossed my legs and exhaled a smoke ring. But she didn't know yet. Jason's agreement didn't mean the Parkinston Family agreed. Jasons father, Joseph, made a phone call to Jason.

That night, thirty or forty members of the Parkinston Family held an immediate meeting.

"If you dare let that woman run the Parkinston Corporation, we dare to make sure she dies a horrible death!"

Jason was confused, but the Parkinston Corporation wasn't. They knew how, under my strict discipline, Jason had transformed from a good-for-nothing playboy into President Parkinston.

They also saw how, after Jason's true nature was revealed, I exercised his power and managed the Parkinston Corporation perfectly.

Under his fathers unquestionable decision, Jason knelt on the ground, his fists clenched so tightly they trembled. He looked at me kneeling beside him.

He gritted her teeth and forced out a low, menacing whisper, "Bitch!"

Even after so many years of a dead heart, hearing those words still caused a moment of daze. If I, as a teenager, had known that Jason would say such things about me in the future, I certainly wouldn't have believed it.

I stood up and walked outside. It was snowing outside. I passed a roasted sweet potato stall.

Someone called out behind me, "Riley!"

I stopped. I saw Jason gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry..."

I didn't turn around. I continued walking. No matter how much Jason liked Lily, she had no power to stand against the entire Parkinston Corporation. Therefore, I sat firmly in the CEO's seat. But Lily wasn't one to let things go easily.

Just because I left work a little late, Lily intercepted me. She pressed a handkerchief stained with medicine to my mouth and nose. Several men dragged me into a car.

In a daze, I could see Lily driving while on the phone. "Okay, ten minutes to Heaven on Earth. Tell those men to get ready."

Hanging up, she glanced at me in the rearview mirror, "Riley, weren't you bullying me because of the Parkinston Family? If they knew you were a promiscuous slut, would they still protect you? Including your son studying abroad, maybe

She suddenly laughed. Maybe he's not even your biological son.

I didn't even have the strength to hold my phone, lying like a dead fish in the back seat. I watched helplessly as the navigation got closer and closer to Heaven on Earth.

My last lifeline was the emergency call. My emergency contact wasn't Jason. He probably didn't have time for me. I pressed the emergency call button and completely passed out.

In a daze, I heard Lily scream, "Who are you? Who gave you permission to stop my car?!"

"You dare hit me!"

When I opened my eyes again, I was already lying in the Parkinston Family home. My emergency contacts were Jasons father and mother.

I walked out of the room, feeling weak. Downstairs, almost all the Parkinston Family members were there.

Lily was thrown in front of Joseph, along with a dashcam recording. "You dared to do this to Kelly? You don't want to live anymore!"

"No, no, I..."

Lily had never seen the Parkinston Family's authority before. Seeing so many people looking down at her, tears streamed down her face.

"No. Let me go! Please!"

The bodyguards lifted her up, one on each side.

She looked up and saw me. "Riley, save me! Please!"

As countless times before, she thought of me when she was in danger. But she had overlooked the reason for this danger. I turned my head away.

"Riley!" She had never cried so bitterly.

Until the door opened.

Jason kicked away Joseph's men. "Dude, if you want to harm her, you'll have to deal with me first."

"Jason." I looked down at him. "Do you know what she did to me?"

Jason looked at me too. "I'm sorry, but she's pregnant."

I froze.

"Its mine."

I was shocked.

Jason's medical report was still in my drawer. Every time, his medical report would go through me first. My people would change the reproductive system section to normal before sending it to him. The original I received last time still showed testicle damage.

Lily avoided my scrutinizing gaze. I understood.

Before I could speak, Joseph and the others called a halt to the meeting.

"We need to discuss this matter carefully."

Actually, they didn't need to hide and discuss this. My people all knew what they're talking about. And I didnt even need to listen; I understood their concerns. In the Parkinston Family, I was an outsider and they had a monopoly on power; they had reservations.

They looked down on Lily before because she threatened my stability. But now Lily was pregnant. She could check and balance me.

If it was a boy and I became disobedient one day, they could easily have Lily and her son replaced me. Having multiple leverages against me was always good.

"Riley, we've thought about it and the child is innocent. You have so much power; you can't handle it all. Let's give some to Lily.

Lily's eyes lit up. I smiled and shook my head.

What? Joseph frowned. You're the Parkinston Family's daughter-in-law; don't you even listen to us?!

No, what I mean is, if we're going to give, it should all go to Lily.

Now, even Lily couldn't understand me.

"I see Jason really likes her, so I can't neglect her. The Vice President, let Lily take full charge from now on. Ill step back.

The Parkinston Familys eyes lit up. I turned around and met Jasons gaze. His eyes were complicated.

He stepped forward and tightly grasped my hand. Youve been wronged.

What was I wronged about? You were the ones whos about to raise an illegitimate child, werent you?

I suppressed my emotions. I lowered my eyes, hiding the blush at the corners of my eyes.

I told you, this way, maybe I can still be with you until old age. He gripped my hand even tighter.

The year my mother died, he was afraid Id jump into the river; he didnt even hold me this tightly.

Lily got what she wanted. But I forgot, this girl had a huge appetite. Before Jason could say anything to me, she suddenly clutched her stomach and fell down.

We've both had children; how could I not see through her act? But I still nudged Jason towards her.

Lily was taken to the hospital with great fanfare. It was clear the Parkinston Family valued this "new bloodline" highly. Everyone was there.

I sat in the corridor waiting. Jason came in.

His first words were to me, "Riley, Lily wants a formal status."

I was stunned.

"I know this isn't fair to you, but she's pregnant now, a time when she feels insecure. That's why she wants security."

He solemnly took my hand. "Don't worry, we're just having a fake divorce. After she gives birth, we'll remarry."

A lie. I was not a little girl anymore. But never intended to have this marriage anyway. Retreating to the background was just a pretext to lull the Parkinston Family into a false sense of security.

What I truly want was to take all that I've accumulated over the years and fly far away. Left a bastard child for the Parkinston Family.

Jason and I got our divorce certificate this morning. Lily and he held their wedding this afternoon.

I was among the guest list. The Parkinston Family was initially worried I wouldn't attend. But I readily agreed.

This was the second time I've seen Jason this drunk. The first time was at our wedding.

He was like this was when he married me, arm in arm with his brothers, repeating over and over, "I love her, I really love her. I finally married her, brother, do you know how happy I am?

I was sitting opposite him. The flower pinned to my chest said "bridesmaid."

"Riley." He swayed, took my hand and placed it on his face.

Burning hot, he said, "I'm drunk, Riley. Could you give me a bowl of hangover soup?"

My brother handed him a whole packaged bottle.

He pushed me away. "She has to cook it herself."

He came home drunk every day during a crucial period of his career. My excellent soup-making skills were all thank to him.

I got up. I poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. "Jason, from now on, take care of yourself."

He held the glass blankly. His eyes were blurry as he watched me walk away.

My brother nudged him. "Hey, shouldn't you go after her? After all, she's your ex-wife."

He laughed. "What ex-wife? Isn't she my wife?"

I stood at the door and turned back. He took a sip of water, his eyes filled with confusion. I slowly closed the door.

I clutched a plane ticket for an hour later. And evidence of his infertility.