My Husband's Mistress is Our Son's Teacher - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Ryan never expected that even using James as leverage wouldn't be enough to control me.
After their near-physical altercation, Ryan and Ethan maintained a thin veneer of professionalism at work. But everyone could feel the tension simmering beneath the surface - it was only a matter of time before it exploded.
Ryan wasn't one to wait around. He made a half-hearted attempt at reconciliation with Ethan. "Come on, man," he said, clapping Ethan on the shoulder, "We've been friends since college. You're really going to let some woman come between us?"
That was classic Ryan - picking up and dropping relationships like last season's fashion (or, let's be honest, like a sociopath). Through sheer persistence, he managed to paper over their rift - at least superficially. Meanwhile, he was quietly restructuring the company behind the scenes, methodically cutting Ethan out of key decisions.
Then came his attempt to buy my silence. "Five million? Fine, take it," Ryan spat, his voice dripping with condescension. "But keep Ethan out of this. Don't fool yourself into thinking what you two have is special - you're both just using each other. Remember who's writing this check. If you team up with him against me, neither of us will have the cash flow to make this work. You'll end up with nothing."
I played the perfect pawn, nodding eagerly. "Of course. The money's all I care about." Then, just to twist the knife: "But are you sure sweet little Annie won't mind you giving me such a generous parting gift?"
Ryan's mask slipped for a second, his voice turning razor sharp. "It's my damn money. What business is it of hers?"
I knew when to retreat.
My sources told me Ryan and Annie's relationship was crumbling under the strain. His temper was shorter than ever, and he'd started taking his frustrations out on her. When you're under that kind of pressure - with five million and two prime properties on the line - even small disagreements become nuclear.
Annie had already mentally spent that money, seeing it as her rightful inheritance. Ryan, of course, wouldn't let anyone - least of all his mistress - tell him how to handle his finances.
Still, Annie knew how to play her cards. With some strategic flattery and bedroom eyes, she temporarily got Ryan back in line.
Soon after, with my lawyer's help, we finalized the divorce. The paperwork included an ironclad NDA - my silence about Ryan's affair and other dirty secrets in exchange for my payout.
The moment the funds cleared, I packed my bags and never looked back.
That's when Ethan made his move - pulling his investment and launching a competing firm. The timing couldn't have been worse for Ryan. Between the divorce settlement and Ethan's withdrawal, the company's financial house of cards collapsed. Loans dried up. Vendors started demanding payment. Employees jumped ship.
Ryan tried to fight back, but Ethan had covered all his bases. Every legal maneuver was blocked.
Desperate, Ryan tried reaching me. Too bad I'd already sold the properties he gave me and changed my number. By then I was sipping cocktails on a beach halfway around the world.
His last hope? Annie Jo. Her family had money - not Ryan-level wealth, but enough to potentially bail him out.
But Annie never signed up to be a bankrupt businessman's sugar mama. The shock stripped away her carefully cultivated sweet girl persona. Their fights turned vicious, leaving their relationship in ruins.
The beauty that once captivated Ryan now irritated him like a persistent itch. And Annie? She'd traded her youth and reputation for a fortune that vanished overnight.
They destroyed each other without any help from me.
Annie's school fired her when the scandal broke. She couldn't leave Ryan even if she wanted to - she was pregnant. That baby was supposed to be her golden ticket into the Harris family. Too bad there wasn't much of a family left by then.
Trapped by her own choices, she clung to the wreckage of Ryan's empire.
Then James, blaming Annie for destroying our family, pushed her down the stairs. She lost the baby. The Jo family wasn't about to let that slide - the legal battle would drag on for years.
Ethan found me on that beach, handing me a fresh coconut with a smirk. "So, Ms. Shaw," he said, sunlight glinting off his glasses, "Now that you've burned everything down, care to let me take you to dinner?"
I arched an eyebrow. "I figured you'd hate me for ruining your friendship with Ryan."
Ethan shrugged. "That friendship was already on life support. This just sped up the inevitable."
"Aren't you worried about my... manipulative tendencies?" I teased.
He adjusted his glasses, his smile turning wolfish. "If you were some wide-eyed innocent, I'd be disappointed. I like you exactly as you are." Leaning closer, he added, "But since you cost me a best friend, the least you can do is become my wife to make it up to me."
I removed my sunglasses, stood up, and plucked the coconut from his hands. With practiced ease, I slipped a hotel keycard into his palm.
(The End)