The Revenge of the Mute Wife by Melanie Paulson

A little while earlier...

After dinner, Roger took his beloved home, mindful that she shouldn't exert herself in her current condition. Once alone, he turned on his phone and was shocked by the number of messages and missed calls from Fabian. Confused, he opened one message, and panic set in. He quickly headed back to the office. The message read: [Your father is here. Come back quickly.]

This was a bad sign. His father hadn't been to the office since handing him the presidency unless something serious was happening.

Upon arrival, Roger noticed the employees avoided eye contact, which annoyed him. However, he couldn't react-it was likely his father's doing. He strode to his office and found his father making Fabian work while reviewing the day's tasks. "Well, well... finally gracing us with your presence," his father remarked sarcastically as Roger walked in.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Roger frowned but quickly thought of an excuse to calm his father. "Sorry, Dad. I was delayed because I was taking Mom home."

"Oh? And why did you have to do that instead of her designated driver?" his father asked, glancing back at the documents.

"She wasn't feeling well, so I offered to take her."

"Hm... you know, you should've taken her to jail instead," he said nonchalantly.

"What...? Wait, how do you...?"

"Remember, I'm your father. I'm informed of everything my family does," he said, looking up. "And yes, I wouldn't have minded her going to jail. Maybe then she'd learn some humility." "How can you say that? She's my mother and...".

"She's also my wife, and she could use some lessons in humility. Just like you need lessons in honesty. She's been home for three hours. So tell me, where... or rather, who were you with?" "With a business associate."

"Really? And what's this associate's name?"

"Why are you asking that?" Roger started to get nervous, then noticed Fabian trying

to catch his attention.

Fabian made a cutthroat gesture to Roger.

Roger's father glanced at Fabian, who quickly returned to look busy. "I think your friend already told you."

"Uh... I mean, I got a stain."

"With a perfect lipstick mark?" his father asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um..."

"Do you know how humiliating it is to hear my friends ask why MY SON is parading around with a floozy instead of with his wife?"

"Don't you dare insult Sophia!" Roger snapped.

"I call it as I see it. She's a woman involved with a married man."

"You wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation if you'd let me choose my wife."

"You had free choice, but I wasn't going to let you abandon Deborah after sleeping with her."

"SHE DRUGGED ME AND GOT INTO MY BED!"

"I find that hard to believe, son. Deborah isn't that type of woman."

"Think what you want. I don't care," Roger fumed. His father always supported Deborah, not him. "I love Sophia. If it weren't for that mute, I'd be happily married to her." "And I'm grateful you're not, or you'd have bankrupted the company."

""That's bullshit."

"Stop whining. Remember, we made a pact with Deborah's family."

"Tch... I know, but they gave me their disabled daughter."