The mirror in the master bedroom was framed in gold leaf, an antique David had insisted on buying to match the “prestige” of his position as Vice President of Sales. In its reflection, I adjusted the strap of my white silk dress.It was simple. Minimalist. But the silk was heavy, Italian, and cost more than David’s first car. I’d bought it with the dividend check from my private investment portfolio—a portfolio David knew nothing about.“Are you wearing that?”David emerged from the walk-in closet, struggling with his cufflinks. He looked at me with a familiar mix of boredom and irritation.“It’s elegant, David,” I said, smoothing the fabric over my hips.“It’s plain,” he corrected, turning back to admire his own tuxedo. “Tonight is the Apex Innovations Annual Gala, Maya. It’s not a church picnic. There will be investors there. The Board of Directors. People who matter.”
He emphasized “matter” as if to clarify I didn’t fall into that category.“I’ll stay in the background,” I promised, picking up my clutch. “I’m just here to support you.”“Good,” David grunted. “Because rumor has it the new owner—the ‘Ghost Chairman’ who bought the company out of bankruptcy six months ago—might actually show up tonight. I need to make a good impression. If I play my cards right, Henderson might tap me for the Senior VP role.”I hid a smile behind my hand. “I hope you impress them, honey.”David didn’t see the irony. He didn’t know that the “Ghost Chairman” who had saved his company, who had authorized his bonus last month, and who held the power to fire him with a single signature, was standing right in front of him.He thought I was just Maya. The quiet girl he married out of college. The “housewife” who managed the budget while he managed the world. He had no idea that while he was playing office politics, I’d been building an empire in the shadows, using my grandmother’s inheritance to acquire distressed tech companies.
