In Bed With Her Shithead Boss

Ava Chen was so thankful to be home. She couldn’t comprehend the kind of demon that had possessed her boss, Julian Knight, during their recent business trip. They had arrived home a day earlier than planned, but she was just glad to be away from him. To her surprise, he hadn’t insisted she return to the office with him, instead giving her the rest of the afternoon off.

He was being a real shithead. When he had dropped her off at her front door, she’d had a visceral urge to flip him the bird. But she stilled her hand at the last moment, just in case he glanced back in the rearview mirror. The man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head most of the time. Being devastatingly gorgeous hadn’t improved his disposition. If anything, it made him more of an ass.

She didn’t know what was going on. Julian seemed more irritable than usual, and for her part, he had been rubbing her the wrong way. Of the two years she had worked for him, these last two months were the worst. If he didn’t pay her so well… maybe she would tell him where to shove it. Ava gave a slight shake of her head. No, that wasn't entirely true. Julian Knight did look after his staff.

Picking up her suitcase, she headed to the front door of the three-bedroom townhouse she shared with her cousin, Chloe Hayes, and her fiancé, Ethan Price.

Ava checked her watch. Ethan wouldn’t be home for a few hours yet. She was going to surprise him with a romantic dinner. Chloe was rarely home at night, always out somewhere, partying with someone. Her cousin was a model—not a supermodel or anything, but she was gorgeous and knew how to make the most of it. Ava had never been interested in clothes or makeup, finding her solace in books instead.

They had both moved to the city for different reasons: Chloe to follow her modeling career, and for Ava, it had been a chance to work for a great company like Kingston Industries, under the great man himself, Julian Knight. The company had its fingers in so many pies, Ava was never bored. Even when Julian was being his most demanding, she loved her job.

Fishing for her keys, she juggled her briefcase, handbag, and suitcase. Once the key was in the lock, it turned easily. Ava pushed the door open. Stepping inside, she set her handbag and suitcase down at the bottom of the stairs before heading into the lounge room where she kept a desk, placing her briefcase on top.

Ava turned to make her way to the kitchen, pondering what to prepare for dinner. As she walked past the foot of the stairs, a sudden noise from upstairs caused her to halt in her tracks. Was there someone else in the house? Had she returned home to an intruder? Filled with panic, Ava took a step toward the front door, ready to flee.

However, at that moment, a thought struck her. Chloe. Unlike Ava and Ethan, Chloe didn't adhere to typical working hours. She often slept late and stayed out until the early hours. It wasn’t the first time Ava had found her slumped on the front steps when leaving for work in the morning. A wave of relief washed over her, but Ava wasn’t sure if she should call out. What if it wasn't her cousin?

Looking around for a weapon, just in case, Ava’s eyes landed on her late father’s baseball bat, which she had always kept near the front door for nights she was home alone. The familiar weight of the wood in her hand made her feel safer.

Picking it up, Ava tested its heft before placing her first foot on the stairs. Did any of them creak? She couldn’t remember. Taking a deep breath to steady her hammering heart, she took one step at a time, creeping silently upwards. When she reached the landing, she paused to listen.

“Please be Chloe, please be Chloe,” she whispered under her breath, “and not some masked man waiting to jump out at me.”

The hallway only went in one direction. There were four doors: three bedrooms and one shared bathroom. The only door ajar was the one to the bedroom she shared with Ethan. The rest were closed. But she would have to walk past the other doors to get to their room.

It was then she heard it—Chloe’s distinct giggle, followed by a very male groan. The relief was so immense, it almost made her knees weak. It wasn’t a burglar. Instead, it sounded like her cousin had brought someone home. She was about to turn away and leave them to their privacy when she heard the man’s voice. “God, yes.”

“No, it can’t be. He wouldn’t.” Ava’s words were a nearly silent whisper. He wouldn’t do this to her. He couldn’t.

“Chloe, you are so ******* hot.” Ethan’s voice, unmistakable and raw, came from the bedroom she shared with him.

Ava’s eyes widened in horror. He was ********** with Chloe. In their bedroom. In their bed. She moved silently down the hallway until she was standing just outside her bedroom door, praying that this was all some huge, terrible misunderstanding.

Bracing herself for what she might see, Ava lifted a trembling hand to the cool wood of the door. She pushed it open carefully. The sight that greeted her was like a physical blow, forcing her a step back.

There, in the middle of her bed, was Ethan, lying flat on his back with a very naked Chloe **********. Chloe had her hands threaded through his chest hair as she lifted and lowered her body on his shaft. From this angle, she could see Ethan’s **** pushing in and out of her cousin’s body. It was like watching a **** movie, except this was her life. Ava had never even seen a **** film, let alone witnessed a live performance of betrayal.

Ethan gripped Chloe’s waist with one hand and her ass with the other, guiding her movements.

“Oh, yes, fuck me harder!” Chloe cried out.

Ava lifted a hand to cover her mouth, a choked sob trapped in her throat. As she watched, Dan’s grip tightened on Chloe’s butt, spreading her cheeks wider.

She had never seen Chloe naked before. Not that it mattered, when her cousin was currently ********** with her fiancé.

Ava couldn’t fathom how Chloe could do this to her. They had both grown up watching Chloe’s father, Uncle Peter, cheat repeatedly on his wife, Vivian, creating a toxic environment in the home she had shared with them after her own parents died in a plane crash ten years ago, when Ava had been just thirteen. She had thought, if anyone understood the sanctity of faithfulness, it would be Chloe, after they had watched her mother suffer every time her cheating father was caught.

This had to be a dream. A nightmare. Ava pinched her arm, hard. The sharp sting that registered in her brain confirmed the horrifying reality. This was no nightmare.

It didn't make sense. Ethan had always claimed to hate Chloe. He’d called her a slut, criticized her choice of clothing, and disparaged her as shallow and incapable of holding a real conversation.

Now, standing here witnessing them together, was it all a lie? Was he secretly jealous of the men in Chloe’s life? Was that why?

One thing she was sure of: Ethan’s mum, Paula, would never accept Chloe as a suitable wife for her son.

So what was she to do now? She had no clue. How does one manage a scenario like this? It was like a scene from a B-grade movie.

She couldn’t pretend this had never happened. She didn’t want him. Not now. Not after this. The very thought of taking him back made her feel unclean.

How long had this been going on? They had been living together for the past five months, ever since Ethan moved in with her and Chloe to save up for a house after they got married.

“Chloe, you are so goddamn tight,” Ethan groaned, arching his back.

“Is my ***** better than Ava’s?” Chloe asked, her voice breathy as she pumped harder.

Did she know? Did she know Ava was standing here, witnessing this? Was that why she had asked the question? Ava bit into her hand to stop from crying out. She had given her virginity to this man, and he was cheating on her, letting her cousin mock her in their own bed. He had known how she would feel if she ever found out.

She wasn’t supposed to be home until tomorrow. She had wanted to surprise him. The surprise, it turned out, was on her. She wanted to vomit. A cold sweat beaded on her skin. This was… horrible. What did she do?

Ava started to lift her other hand, gripping the doorframe to keep herself upright, believing her legs might give out. But as her hand came up, she felt the solid weight in her other hand, remembering she was still holding her father’s old baseball bat. Although she felt an overwhelming urge to use it on them, she couldn’t. Even with the searing pain coursing through her, she couldn’t physically harm anyone. It just wasn't in her.

So, what now? Should she just leave? Go to a motel? She was never going to sleep in that bed again. She would burn it first. There was no way to unsee this. No way to turn back the clock. She had to deal with it.

Taking her hand away from her face, Ava straightened her spine, letting the raw hurt and a surge of cold anger drive her to do what needed to be done.

“While you two finish up,” she said, her voice eerily calm, “should I start cooking dinner?”

“Fuck me.” Ethan’s head shot up from the pillow as he shoved Chloe off his body. Ava could see the sheer horror etched on his face when he saw her standing in the doorway. He had been caught with his pants down—or rather, off, as the case was. Chloe scrambled across the bed, pulling a blanket over her naked body. Her face was a mask of shock, a genuine, impossible-to-fake expression that told Ava her cousin hadn’t known she was there either.

“No thanks. Looks like Chloe has taken care of that for you,” Ava said, surprised at how calm she sounded. Inside, all she wanted to do was scream and shout and throw things. But what would that accomplish? She would still have a broken relationship.

“Ava! What are you doing home today?” Ethan’s **** was wet and lying limp against his thigh. Apparently, having his fiancé walk in on him wasn’t much of a turn-on.

Ava lifted an eyebrow at him. “That’s what you’re worried about? Might be an idea to cover up.”

She watched Ethan with narrowed eyes. She had loved this man, but the person she saw now was repellent to her. It no longer mattered that he was conventionally attractive. To her, he was ugly. No one should cheat on someone they claimed to love. Even if someone had held a gun to her head, she would have refused. It was a shame Ethan hadn’t felt the same. As far as she could see, Chloe hadn’t needed to force him. Hearing them together had made that painfully clear.

Ava put the bat down, resting it against the wall near the door. Just in case. She told herself she wouldn’t use it, but who knew? Crimes of passion had to come from somewhere—normal, everyday people committing a crime in the heat of the moment. It was safer if she put it down. She then crossed her arms over her chest, looking back to see Ethan had gotten off the bed and was pulling on his work pants.

She flicked her eyes to Chloe. The bitch now had a smug look on her face. It had replaced the look of shock. Why?

Blood roared in her ears as she came to terms with the total annihilation of her personal life. She never wanted to see him again, but there was a complication: she and Ethan both worked for Kingston Industries. She had applied first; Ethan hadn’t joined the company until a year later.

Ava decided then and there she would not be leaving her job. It was the one concrete thing she could hang onto, and she was keeping it. It wasn’t as if they worked directly together.

Ethan took a step toward her, reaching out his hand. “Baby…”

Ava took a sharp step back. “Don’t you dare touch me.” Not only could she not stomach it, but who knew where that hand had been?

The venom in Ava’s voice brought him up short. He glanced at Chloe before his eyes returned to Ava’s face. She knew she must be pale. Who wouldn’t be?

“You have to believe me. This was a one-time thing. It will never happen again. It meant nothing,” Ethan pleaded.

Ava watched him, and she saw it. The tell. When Ethan lied, his right eyebrow would twitch upwards. Before today, the lies had been small, insignificant things. Had she noticed it when he had talked about Chloe in the past? She wasn’t sure. Sometimes the subconscious mind could even fool itself.

“You know what, Ethan? It doesn’t matter,” Ava said, angling her chin up as her nails dug into her palms. “This one time was all it took.”

“What… No, Ava, baby, please, I love you.” He tried to take her in his arms again.

Ava moved quickly, snatching up the bat. She swung it so the end pressed firmly against his chest, pushing him back and holding him at bay. “Don’t even think about it.”

Ethan looked down at the bat, raising his hands to shoulder level. “Please, she seduced me. You know what a slut she is. I was missing you.”

They both heard the gasp from the bed.

Before Laura could speak, Chloe’s voice cut in. “He’s lying, Ava. This has been going on for months. Soon after he moved in.”

“Shut up, you dumb bitch!” Ethan spun around to yell at her, before turning back to Ava. “She’s lying.”

Ava shrugged, a gesture of finality. “It doesn’t matter. It only took the one time, Ethan.” She nudged him with the baseball bat. “And don’t call Chloe a dumb bitch. I may never forgive her for this, but you were the one in a relationship, not her.” She saw Chloe sliding off the bed, scrambling for her clothes while still clutching the sheet to her *******. “If you think she’s a slut, what does that make you?” Ava knew she wouldn’t feel clean even after ten showers. This was going to take time.

She couldn’t deal with any more of this right now. She needed to leave before they were both dressed. She needed to think, to process. Turning on her heel, she ran down the stairs, quickly grabbing her suitcase and handbag. She was about to leave through the front door when she remembered her briefcase.

“You stupid slut, why did you have to say anything?” Ethan’s angry voice boomed from upstairs.

Ava rushed to her desk, picked up the briefcase, and stood at the front door, ready to leave. She knew that once she walked through it, she wasn’t coming back. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than here.

Following Ethan’s insult came Chloe’s high-pitched squeal. “I’m not a slut, Ethan!”

“You and your big mouth. You wanted this to happen, didn’t you?” he accused.

Ava could hear the tears in Chloe’s voice. “You didn’t mind my mouth when it was sucking your ****.”

“Shh!” Ethan was worried she was overhearing their argument. “You set me up, didn’t you? You knew she was coming home.”

“Ethan, I didn’t know!” Chloe cried.

If she stayed any longer, they would both get dressed and come down here, and she didn’t want another confrontation.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Ava stepped through the front door, ignoring Ethan calling her name from inside the house as she closed the door on her old life.