Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 133: Finding a New Kind of Balance

By early evening, I was the proud owner of a cell phone. Alec sported a two-week supply of prescription pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. He also had a set of crutches and a basic wheelchair that left Alec in charge or rolling himself around and lifting himself in and out of the chair.

It must have been hard on Eugene to give his son a basic chair when he’d been talking about giving Alec a top-of-the-line electric chair with a lift feature, voice activation, and dozens of other bells and whistles that a short-term user would never need.

As a bonus, my pantry was full of fresh fruit and vegetables. While the grill heated, a pair of T-bone steaks rested in a seasoning rub.

"Here." I held out two ears of corn. "Help me shuck these, please, while I season the carrots and put the potatoes on the grill."

Alec took the corn and a bowl for the husks. "I could do this in the kitchen."

"Okay. The foil is in the drawer by the stove. I set out the butter and seasoning for the potatoes and carrots. If you can’t find what you need, let me know."

This was hard. I could have shucked the corn and prepped it in the time it took to have this conversation. It was part of my strategy, though, to help Alec feel less like an invalid.

Dinner went well. Alec ate a full meal and drank a glass of cranberry tea. After dinner, I washed dishes while Alec dried from his wheelchair. Afterward, I set out his pills and let him choose which ones to take.

Alec joined me in my office. He stretched out on the couch. I propped his foot up on some pillows. I brought my laptop over. I sat on the floor next to him.

"Music?"

"What you played my first night here was nice," Alec said.

"Thanks. It was some of my favorites."

"You have good taste, but I already knew that."

I smiled. "Because I picked you?"

"Well, yes, but also because you picked this cabin, the way you dress even when you are dressed down." Alec ran a hand over my head. "Teela, you rock a sweatshirt and jeans as well as you do an evening gown."

"Stop it. You’ll make me blush." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Okay, I’ll stop. What are you working on tonight?"

"I’m taking control of my life, beginning with emails."

My newest emails included one from Estelle. It was a brief thank-you note and a reminder that I had people I could depend on.

The next email was an invitation to the grand opening of Together Forever, the sister club to The Well Water. Good for Ben. He was growing his empire.

"We should go," Alec said.

"Maybe. It’s not for two weeks."

I wasn’t sure I was ready return to the city. And Alec might still be struggling with mobility, not that it should be a deciding factor, but it was a factor.

"I’d like it if you would go with me."

"And if I’m ready, I wouldn’t want to go with anyone but you. So, next topic. In what order should I read these?"

"Mm. Read mine, Teela. You should read mine. Is that selfish of me?"

"Not at all. Okay, a quick search here. Wow, Alec, almost two hundred results."

"Sorry. It was the only contract I allowed myself. You have no idea how hard it was to locate you and then not rush up here immediately."

"I’m sorry Alec."

"Don’t be. You did what you needed to cope with your loss."

"Okay, let’s do this."

I clicked on the oldest email.

Teela, where are you? I’m worried.

Teela, I’m going crazy here. Talk to me.

"Teela, the bed is so empty without you here.

Message after message was filled with Alec’s pain, his feelings of betrayal, his unending concern and love. I read them one after another, reliving the pain of the moment they were written as I tried to suppress the guilt for putting him through all of that.

My own pain from the time when the emails were written was forgotten under the guilt over what I had put him through.

"Keep reading, Teela. You’ll feel better soon. I promise."

And he was right. Over time, the conversations turned from trying to talk me into emailing him back and turned to sharing his life with me.

Teela, I hope all is well with you. Today, I hired a new doctor for our Alzheimer’s patients. His name is Albright. He’s a funny little guy. He smells like black licorice and snorts when he laughs, which he does often. I’m not sure if it was because of nerves or some condition. I’d worry about my decision if his education and references were so stellar. I miss you. Talk soon.

Dozens of emails were just as innocuous on the surface but told me so much about Alec. In some ways, I learned more about Alec through the emails than I might have while living with him, considering how busy our lives were most days.

Teela, baby. Full disclosure. My detectives have located you. I could be on your doorstep tonight, but I won’t. I’m still holding out hope that you will return to me of your own volition. I love you, baby. No matter how long it takes, I’ll always be waiting.

I put the laptop to the side and turned to my man. Such a beautiful man, inside and out. I was so lucky.

"I love you," I said against his lips.

"Then I’m forgiven for being a jerk?"

I nibbled at his lower lip. "Don’t let it happen again."

"And if I do?"

"If you do, I’ll still love you, and I’ll try harder not to push your buttons."

"I have some buttons you can push anytime you want."

So I did. I pushed his buttons while on my knees, and later—much, much later—I pushed more buttons from the comfort of our bed.

"You know," I mumbled from my place curled up in Alec’s arms, "I could probably be convinced to get married if the right guy asked me right now."

"You sure you don’t want to wait for the whole event?"

"The whole event?"

"You know, the candlelight dinner, red roses, getting down on one knee thing."

"Please, don’t go down on one knee. I’m not sure I could get you back to your feet."

Alec patted the side of my head. "Hush."

"I’m sorry. That was mean. Not as mean as this though—this from the man who tossed a billion-dollar ring at me in a cave as a down payment on a marriage."

"A billion-dollars my ass."

Alec tickle attacked me until I was out of breath and trapped beneath him. "Marry me, Teela. Massive wedding to please Dad and Estelle or we elope to the nearest wedding chapel. For that matter, we can say our vows right here and right now. Just the two of us."

I giggled. "Okay, I draw the line at naked postcoital marriage vows."

Alec chuckled and rolled onto his back. "Yeah, not my first choice either."

I snuggled against hm.

Alec said "So, what’s your answer?"

"Mm?" My sleep-fogged brain was shutting down.

"Will. You. Marry. Me?"

"Mm. Yes."

And that was my first thought when I woke up to find the ruby ring on my finger and Alec’s side of the bed empty.

I had officially agreed to marry Alec, and the proof was on my finger. I was getting married, only I hoped not too soon. I wanted to wrap up unfinished business. I wanted Stiff by my side at the altar, if possible. If he could ever forgive me.

I put on clothes and went looking for my fiancée. This next part would be hard.

I found him on the porch nursing a cup of coffee, his face full of regret.

"Ready to back out already?" I asked as I sat on his lap.

"No way." He flashed his ring at me. "This is never coming off."

"Then why the glum face?"

"I received a call from the office. I need to go in."

Perhaps what I had foretold as hard wasn’t going to be so hard. Alec’s work might buy me the reprieve I planned to ask Alec to give me.

"Everything okay?"

"Remember how I told you we go through an annual audit? It’s that time again and the auditors have requested a face-to-face interview."

"So you need to go back to the city."

"That’s the size of it. I don’t want to leave you, but I have obligations."

I understand. When are you leaving?"

"I thought I’d fly out with Doctor Mark today."

I kissed him. "Sounds like a plan. I’ll help you pack."

"Can’t I leave my stuff here? I’ll be back in a few days at most."

"Sure, but Alec, do you think you could give me two weeks? I’ll come to you in two weeks. We can go to Ben’s grand opening together."

"Why two weeks?"