Cold Showers – Jayda Wright tried to keep it together as the Board officially announced her as a Partner at one of the most reputable law firms in the United States, Saunders and Co. She could feel the pressure building behind her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall. Not here. Not now. This was everything she had worked for. From the moment she first stepped into Saunders and Co as a paralegal intern, she had been chasing this exact moment. She gave up nights out, weekends, relationships, and anything that could distract her. While others were building lives outside the office, Jayda was building a future inside it. At just 29, she had become the youngest Partner in the firm’s history, and the first woman to ever do it. The title came with weight, of course. More responsibility, higher expectations. But none of that scared her.
She had carried heavier things on her own before, and she knew she could handle this too. Her salary would increase, her benefits would double, and soon her name would be engraved on the door of her new office. Just thinking about it felt unreal. “Thank you so much, Mr. Tucker. I promise I won’t disappoint you,” she said, her voice steady despite everything she was feeling. Mr. Tucker, the firm’s president, gave her a small, approving nod. “You’ve earned this, Jayda. You rarely lose a case, and your results have done a lot for this firm’s reputation. This is a big step, and we’re all watching to see what you do with it. I trust you won’t let us down.” “You don’t need to worry,” she replied without hesitation. “I’ll work even harder than I have before.” She left the conference room and headed back to her office, her old office, technically, since she would be moving into the new one on Monday.
Dropping her bag onto the desk, Jayda reached inside, pulled out her iPhone, and quickly dialed her boyfriend, Zach. One call, then another, but he didn’t pick up. She frowned slightly, staring at the screen for a second before letting out a quiet breath. He was probably busy. Zach had always been just as work-driven as she was, so it wasn’t unusual. Still, she didn’t want to wait around. Fine. She would take things into her own hands. Grabbing her handbag and laptop bag, Jayda left the building and headed straight to her car. Before starting the engine, she called a restaurant and ordered enough food and dessert for two. If Zach wasn’t picking up, she’d just show up and surprise him. Tonight deserved to be celebrated. On the way to his place, she made a quick stop at her apartment. The moment she stepped inside, she slipped out of her business clothes, suddenly aware of how stiff and exhausting the day had been. She needed something that felt like her, not just the version of her that lived in courtrooms.
After a few minutes of searching, she found the dress. It hugged her in all the right places without trying too hard, and paired with a sleek set of heels. She grabbed a small purse, just enough for her phone, keycard, credit card, and some cash, then headed into the kitchen and picked up a bottle of red wine. Zach’s favorite. With everything ready, she stopped by the restaurant to pick up her order and then drove over to Zach’s apartment. It had been a while since she’d last been there, and as she pulled up, a quiet sense of guilt crept in. She knew she hadn’t been making enough time for him lately. Jayda let out a soft sigh, walked up to his door, and pressed the doorbell, waiting for him to open. He didn’t open the door. Jayda hesitated for a second, then slowly pressed the handle, and it gave way without resistance.
The door creaked open, and she stepped inside, only to freeze almost immediately. Clothes were scattered all over the hallway like they had been thrown off in a rush, and right there on the floor… a pair of lace panties that definitely weren’t hers. “Yeah, deeper—!” a woman’s voice rang out from the bedroom, and in that moment it felt like Jayda’s entire world caved in on itself. “Zach?” she called out, her voice tight as she forced herself to move forward. With every step closer to the bedroom, a sick, sinking feeling twisted deeper in her chest. Then she heard it clearly, the moans, the rhythm, and her heart seemed to stop altogether. Her hand shot out, and she pushed the door open. Zach was on top of a blonde woman, fucking her into the mattress like nothing else in the world mattered. Jayda stood there, frozen, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as the shock hit her all at once. The blonde turned her head slightly, noticed her, and instead of even trying to hide, she smirked. The sound of Zach’s body slamming against hers made Jayda’s stomach turn.
The bag of food slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud, and only then did Zach finally glance over. “What the hell is this?” Jayda managed to choke out, her voice shaking with disbelief. “Fuck,” he muttered, barely even slowing down as he kept thrusting into the blonde. “What the hell are you doing here? Finally done with all your work?” he added with sarcasm. “Maybe you could fucking stop for a second and explain what the hell is going on?!” she snapped, anger finally cutting through the shock. Instead, he sped up. For a brief second, his body went still as he came inside the blonde, like Jayda wasn’t even there watching. The humiliation hit her all at once, and she couldn’t believe she was actually standing there, forced to witness it. Zach pulled out like it was nothing. “We’re done. Honestly, I’m glad it turned out this way,” he said. Jayda stared at him, her chest tightening. “But why? Why would you do this to me?” Zach sat back on the bed, completely unbothered, and that’s when she noticed he hadn’t even used a condom. “Look,” he said, dragging a hand through his hair, “I’m fucking tired of you always being at work. You never have time for me.
I want to come home and actually see my woman there, have a proper meal waiting for me, not an empty apartment. You’re useless for that.” He jerked his head slightly toward the blonde. “Everly, on the other hand, is willing to give me a kid, which is exactly what we were just doing, and she can take care of everything I actually need.” Jayda had never felt humiliation hit this deep, like something inside her had just been dragged through the dirt. Without thinking, she bent down, grabbed the bag of food, and hurled it straight at him and his new bitch. “Fuck both of you!” she hissed, her voice shaking with fury as she turned and stormed out of the apartment.