Borrowed Husband: Loving Her in His Shadow

Chapter​ ​1:​ ​In​ ​a​ ​Tight​ ​Spot 

 

Noah​'​s​ ​face​ ​turned​ ​pale​ ​when​ ​he​ ​was​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​police​ ​at​ ​the​ ​station.​ ​Today,​ ​he​ ​caused​ ​an​ ​unforgivable​ ​incident​ ​when​ ​he​ ​punched​ ​a​ ​customer​ ​who​ ​was​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​harass​ ​the​ ​ ​salesperson​ ​girl​ ​who​ ​was​ ​with​ ​him.​ ​But​ ​what​ ​could​ ​he​ ​do​ ​when​ ​"​the​ ​customer​ ​is​ ​always​ ​right​"​ ​is​ ​still​ ​an​ ​immortal​ ​phrase​ ​in​ ​business,​ ​especially​ ​in​ ​sales​ ​with​ ​a​ ​turnover​ ​of​ ​over​ ​ten​ ​digits? 

"​What​ ​are​ ​we​ ​going​ ​to​ ​do,​ ​Mr.​ ​Noah?​ ​Mr.​ ​Thomas​ ​is​ ​really​ ​going​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​big​ ​deal​ ​out​ ​of​ ​this.​" 

"​I...​ ​I​'​ll​ ​pay​ ​the​ ​fine,​ ​sir.​" 

"​Hey,​ ​that​'​s​ ​not​ ​okay...​ ​this​ ​is​ ​clearly​ ​a​ ​matter​ ​of​ ​life​ ​and​ ​death.​ ​You​ ​police​ ​officers​ ​have​ ​to​ ​get​ ​him​ ​into​ ​jail,​ ​you​ ​know?​" 

It​ ​seems​ ​this​ ​middle-aged,​ ​womanizing​ ​man​ ​won​'​t​ ​give​ ​up.​ ​Under​ ​his​ ​sparse​ ​hair,​ ​there​'​s​ ​a​ ​long,​ ​clear​ ​crack,​ ​not​ ​to​ ​mention​ ​his​ ​face​ ​is​ ​swollen,​ ​red,​ ​and​ ​almost​ ​entirely​ ​bruised.​ ​To​ ​be​ ​honest,​ ​Noah​ ​really​ ​went​ ​overboard. 

And​ ​this​ ​is​ ​what​ ​left​ ​the​ ​young​ ​man,​ ​who​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​our​ ​hero​ ​today,​ ​speechless.​ ​All​ ​he​ ​could​ ​do​ ​was​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​his​ ​white​ ​knight,​ ​James,​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​his​ ​rescue.​ ​James​ ​was​ ​the​ ​department​ ​head​ ​who​ ​was​ ​also​ ​a​ ​friend​ ​and,​ ​to​ ​some​ ​extent,​ ​understood​ ​him.​ ​and​ ​after​ ​working​ ​together​ ​through​ ​thick​ ​and​ ​thin​ ​for​ ​many​ ​years,​ ​James​ ​would​ ​never​ ​abandon​ ​him​ ​in​ ​times​ ​of​ ​trouble 

And​ ​James​ ​really​ ​did​ ​come...​ ​When​ ​he​ ​appeared​ ​at​ ​the​ ​police​ ​station,​ ​everyone​ ​stood​ ​up​ ​to​ ​honor​ ​the​ ​handsome​ ​young​ ​man​ ​who​ ​was​ ​well-known​ ​in​ ​society.​ ​His​ ​influence​ ​among​ ​the​ ​police,​ ​inherited​ ​from​ ​his​ ​father​'​s​ ​generation,​ ​allowed​ ​him​ ​to​ ​thrive​ ​in​ ​high​ ​society.​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​he​ ​was​ ​the​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​department,​ ​he​ ​was​ ​the​ ​only​ ​one​ ​who​ ​could​ ​completely​ ​control​ ​the​ ​company.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​a​ ​man​ ​who​ ​was​ ​perfect​ ​in​ ​every​ ​way. 

...including​ ​marrying​ ​and​ ​living​ ​happily​ ​with​ ​"​Claire,​"​ ​the​ ​beautiful​ ​daughter​ ​of​ ​the​ ​city​'​s​ ​real​ ​estate​ ​business​ ​owner,​ ​who​ ​was​ ​also​ ​Noah​'​s​ ​classmate... 

"​Oh,​ ​Mr.​ ​Noah,​ ​you​ ​came​ ​yourself?​ ​Please,​ ​come​ ​in.​" 

"​I​ ​must​ ​apologize​ ​to​ ​you,​ ​Mr.​ ​Thomas.​ ​We​ ​will​ ​take​ ​care​ ​of​ ​everything.​" 

"​Good,​ ​Mr.​ ​James.​ ​I​ ​want​ ​your​ ​company​ ​to​ ​fire​ ​this​ ​goose​ ​tomorrow.​" 

This​ ​statement​ ​made​ ​Noah​'​s​ ​heart​ ​skip​ ​a​ ​beat.​ ​He​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​get​ ​up​ ​and​ ​punch​ ​this​ ​snake-tongued​ ​man​ ​in​ ​the​ ​face​ ​again,​ ​but​ ​at​ ​this​ ​moment,​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​patient.​ ​It​ ​wasn​'​t​ ​that​ ​he​ ​was​ ​afraid​ ​of​ ​losing​ ​his​ ​job,​ ​but​ ​rather​ ​that​ ​he​ ​was​ ​afraid​ ​of​ ​having​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​this​ ​company. 

...because​ ​working​ ​at​ ​the​ ​company​ ​allows​ ​him​ ​to​ ​see​ ​Claire,​ ​his​ ​one​ ​and​ ​only​ ​love​ ​who​ ​gives​ ​him​ ​the​ ​strength​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​fighting​ ​every​ ​day... 

"​Let​'​s​ ​just​ ​say​ ​I​'​ll​ ​handle​ ​it​ ​according​ ​to​ ​the​ ​company​'​s​ ​methods,​ ​okay?​ ​I​ ​guarantee​ ​Mr.​ ​Thomas​ ​will​ ​be​ ​satisfied.​" 

"​If​ ​it​ ​were​ ​you,​ ​James,​ ​speaking​ ​to​ ​yourself,​ ​I​ ​wouldn​'​t​ ​worry.​ ​I​'​ll​ ​take​ ​my​ ​leave​ ​first...​ ​Ouch,​ ​that​ ​stings...​"​ ​The​ ​middle-aged​ ​man​ ​was​ ​so​ ​animated​ ​that​ ​it​ ​affected​ ​his​ ​multiple​ ​wounds,​ ​unlike​ ​Noah,​ ​who​ ​was​ ​completely​ ​unscathed.​ ​Having​ ​excellent​ ​physical​ ​strength​ ​helped​ ​him​ ​many​ ​times.​ ​but​ ​sometimes​ ​it​ ​has​ ​negative​ ​effects​ ​as​ ​well. 

After​ ​the​ ​chaos​ ​at​ ​the​ ​police​ ​station​ ​subsided,​ ​evening​ ​fell.​ ​James​ ​took​ ​Noah​ ​to​ ​a​ ​pub​ ​famous​ ​for​ ​its​ ​service​ ​girls​ ​who​ ​were​ ​known​ ​for​ ​their​ ​extremely​ ​hot​ ​and​ ​satisfying​ ​performances.​ ​However,​ ​Noah​ ​was​ ​not​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mood​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​himself​ ​with​ ​his​ ​young​ ​boss. 

“​Why​ ​did​ ​you​ ​bring​ ​me​ ​here,​ ​Mr.​ ​James?​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​I​ ​caused​ ​this​ ​much​ ​trouble.​” 

"​Hey,​ ​hey,​ ​don​'​t​ ​do​ ​that...​ ​work​ ​time​ ​is​ ​work​ ​time,​ ​personal​ ​time​ ​is​ ​personal​ ​time,​ ​don​'​t​ ​mix​ ​them​ ​up.​" 

"​And​ ​won​'​t​ ​Ms.​ ​Claire​ ​be​ ​waiting​ ​anxiously?​" 

“​Oh,​ ​that​ ​person?​ ​I​ ​think​ ​I​ ​fell​ ​asleep​ ​watching​ ​the​ ​series.​” 

It​ ​seems​ ​this​ ​boss​ ​of​ ​his​ ​isn​'​t​ ​very​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​his​ ​wife.​ ​Every​ ​time​ ​he​ ​talks​ ​about​ ​Claire,​ ​he​ ​has​ ​a​ ​faraway​ ​look​ ​in​ ​his​ ​eyes​ ​and​ ​answers​ ​in​ ​monosyllables​ ​or​ ​with​ ​perfunctory​ ​replies. 

Sometimes​ ​Noah​ ​misses​ ​Claire​ ​so​ ​much​ ​and​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​know​ ​what​ ​she​'​s​ ​been​ ​up​ ​to​ ​after​ ​not​ ​seeing​ ​her​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while.​ ​But​ ​he​'​s​ ​too​ ​embarrassed​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​James,​ ​her​ ​husband. 

Visiting​ ​as​ ​a​ ​friend​ ​to​ ​please​ ​the​ ​boss​ ​might​ ​give​ ​him​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​about​ ​her​ ​without​ ​making​ ​him​ ​suspect...​ ​that​ ​he​ ​still​ ​thinks​ ​of​ ​his​ ​old​ ​friend​ ​in​ ​other​ ​ways. 

James​ ​enjoyed​ ​himself​ ​with​ ​alcohol​ ​and​ ​women​ ​tonight.​ ​He​ ​drank​ ​glass​ ​after​ ​glass​ ​like​ ​water,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​sitting​ ​on​ ​either​ ​side​ ​made​ ​Noah​ ​look​ ​like​ ​a​ ​clown.​ ​Soon,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​effects​ ​of​ ​the​ ​alcohol​ ​seeped​ ​into​ ​his​ ​bloodstream,​ ​the​ ​young​ ​master​'​s​ ​hands​ ​began​ ​to​ ​handle​ ​the​ ​dresses​ ​of​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​sitting​ ​with​ ​him. 

...and​ ​the​ ​girl​ ​sitting​ ​pressed​ ​against​ ​him​ ​began​ ​the​ ​main​ ​event​ ​of​ ​the​ ​evening.​ ​She​ ​unbuckled​ ​her​ ​belt​ ​while​ ​passionately​ ​kissing​ ​her​ ​boss...