My wife, Harper, had been complaining lately that the food at work was terrible.
Seriously, her office building’s catering had really gone downhill.
Feeling for her, I spent the entire morning meticulously preparing a special homemade lunch for her birthday.
Harper loved it, eating happily and even planting a quick kiss on my cheek.
But then, a new intern, someone Id never seen before, walked in on us.
He mumbled an “Excuse me,” but the look in his eyes was totally off, full of suspicion and judgment. I just shrugged it off.
Turns out, that new intern turned right around and plastered my face all over the internet.
What a disgusting creep! He has a pregnant wife, and hes still hitting on my wife at work?
His wife has been pregnant for months, keeping him home. Guess he was cooped up too long, huh? That desperate?
To Alexs wife, whoever you are in this photo: your husbands cheating on you! Dont you know? Come see this trash!
I stared at a casual photo of me, dug up from God knows where, now stamped with the label SCUMBAG.
I just laughed. Then, I flipped my phone open and dialed my wife.
Heard you have an intern husband now? Harper, youre fired.
Harper answered instantly.
She seemed busy; I could hear the crisp click-clack of a keyboard in the background.
Honey, whats up?
I didnt say a word, my eyes still scanning Leos SnapChat profile.
If the finance team hadn’t just sent me this guys social media, I would never have known someone like him even existed near me.
His entire profile reeked of gold-digging arrogance. Seriously, his lifes motto, plastered all over his feed, was Marry a rich woman.
It wasnt until Harper grew frantic, asking repeatedly what was wrong, that I finally spoke.
That intern we ran into in your office today, LeoI hear you hired him?
I didnt mention the photos directly. Instead, I just sent her a screenshot of Leos post.
He walked into your office without knocking at lunch, and before the workdays even over, hes posted me online, claiming I was hitting on you.
There was a silence on the other end, lasting a few seconds.
Harpers voice dropped, laced with suppressed fury.
Alex, dont worry. Ill handle it immediately.
How are you going to handle it?
I let out a soft chuckle, my hand unconsciously brushing over Harpers pregnancy photo on my phone. Just this morning, before I left, shed been complaining about the little one kicking her again.
Harper was five or six months pregnant.
Understanding her limited mobility, Id taken paternity leave to stay home and care for her.
Id told her to stop rushing back and forth to the office, to rest peacefully at home.
But she insisted there were urgent matters these past few days, demanding her presence at the company.
All because it was Harpers birthday, and I wanted her to taste my cooking firsthand.
And this is the gossip it stirred up.
And he claims youre his wife. Im curious, Harper, how are you going to explain that?
It sounded like something was slammed onto a desk.
Harper took a deep breath.
Alex, this young guy is clueless. He pulled something like this once before, and I already set him straight. I cant believe its happening again!
Dont worry. If he cant resolve this properly, Ill have him pack his things and get out immediately!
Harper promised me, her tone grave.
My lips curved slightly.
After all this, Harper still wanted to keep that intern?
I heard Harper gasp lightly on the phone, probably the little one acting up again.
Harper, I dont care if he slanders me, but he called our baby a bastard.
You know me, the one thing I absolutely cant stand is you being wronged, and theres no way Ill let our child be slandered without cause.
My voice went ice cold as I spoke.
I heard her stand up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly across the floor.
Alex, dont get angry, honey. Its not worth getting upset and hurting yourself. Where are you? Should I come over and be with you?
In all our years of marriage, Harper had cherished the opportunities Id given her, always humbling herself in front of me.
Even during her pregnancy, it was no different.
No need.
I cut her off coldly.
Hes just a new intern, young and prone to mistakes. You just need to make him understand that youre *my* wife, not someone anyone can just casually covet.
Harper agreed immediately.
Okay, Alex. I absolutely wont let anyone who messes with you and our baby get away with it.
Ill have finance settle his pay right now and tell that intern to leave.
Just leaving isnt enough
I glanced at our wedding photo hanging on the wall.
Harper, I want you to handle this cleanly. Get that intern to issue a public retraction, apologize to me across all platforms, and then fire him.
I dont want to see anything like this happen again.
Harper gravely promised me that she would handle all these issues.
Half an hour later, I got a call from Leo.
Alex, are you effing crazy?
You sick pervert, you disgusting lowlife! You actually want my wife to fire me? Just because your family has some stinking money?
Dont think I dont know whose husband you are. My wife works for your familys company, but shes not your slave! If you keep pushing my wife like this, dont blame me for unleashing a full-blown cyberbullying storm on you!
Putting you online this time was just a small lesson. Next time, watch out for the bastard in your wifes belly!
I waited for his furious rant to finish, then spoke coolly.
Dont you know phones have a call recording feature, Leo?
Leo, I let it slide before because you were an intern. But now, its different.
Youve baselessly insulted me and my child. I can absolutely have my lawyers pursue legal action against you.
Leo showed no fear; instead, he sneered.
Oh, Im so terrified, boo-hoo! You old men are so full of yourselves, arent you? My wife told me shed always protect me!
As for you, just wait for the online hate storm!
After hanging up, my chest heaved slightly.
It had been too many years since Id encountered such a shameless person.
I was about to call Harper to ask how things were being handled.
Then I saw Leos relentless barrage of messages light up the company WhatsApp group.
Leo posted one long message after another in the WhatsApp group.
He basically tried to explain that the online drama was all just a big misunderstanding.
He claimed that hed just broken up with his girlfriend that day, and shed been stolen away by a third party, which was why he posted those comments online.
As for that casual photo of you, Mr. Alex, I didnt know it was you. I thought it was just a random picture I downloaded from the internet
Im truly sorry for the distress this has caused you, Mr. Alex.
Reading further, Leos apology sounded incredibly sincere.
It felt completely disjointed.
There was no way to connect him to the raging, insulting man who had just called me.
With a lighthearted explanation, he had completely detached himself from the situation.
I took a deep breath.
Fine.
I didn’t plan on holding a grudge against a young guy; Id just consider it a minor inconvenience in life.
But the next day, I remembered Id taken off my watch and left it in Harpers office.
I had my driver take me to get it, only to discover that my key card access, my fingerprint, and facial recognition C all of them were suddenly canceled.
This was utterly ridiculous.
My own company, and I couldn’t even get inside.
I immediately grabbed my phone and called Harper.
Whats going on? Did you change the companys access settings?
Harper didnt answer.
Instead, there was a flurry of hurried noises.
And then, a soft, muffled groan.
It wasn’t until Harper let out a ragged sigh of relief that she snatched up the phone in a panic.
Alex, what did you just say? Ive been busy, I didnt hear you
But that strange sound had already put my guard up.
My blood ran cold.
That sound Harper just made? I knew it all too well.
It was the sound she made when she was in bed with me.
What are you doing?
My voice was icy.
Who else is with you right now?
Before Harper could answer, something clicked, and I directly opened the surveillance backend on my phone.
The next second, my world collapsed.
Sure enough, in her office, all the blinds were drawn.
In the sealed-off space, Harper was leaned back in her office chair, and another guy was massaging her shoulders.
I recognized the guy; it was Leo, the intern whod been yelling at me yesterday.
My hands clenched, my eyes burning.
Harper lied to me!
No wonder she was so decisive in business, yet so incredibly tolerant of an insignificant intern, time and time again.
They had been together all along
Harper stammered out an explanation.
Its nothing, honey. You misheard. Id been sitting for too long, so I just asked Leo to help me with a shoulder massage.
Was he *really* just helping you massage your shoulder? No other movements?
On the surveillance feed, Harper guiltily waved Leo away, and he reluctantly left the office.
No, really, nothing else. If I had time for that, Id be at a massage parlor, wouldnt I?
She tried to lighten the mood with a joking tone.
Alex, why are you calling at this hour? Is something wrong? Do you want me to come be with you?
I stared silently at Harper on the surveillance screen.
She was still the woman I knew, but somewhere along the line, shed rotted.
Lying to me so casually, so naturally, just like that.
I used to believe her every time.
But who knew how many times she had deceived me?
I took a deep breath, trying my best to calm myself.
Why was my access to the company building canceled?
I suddenly remembered a conversation from a party a few days ago, when my friends were cautioning me.
These days, everyones afraid of women who only care about money. You really need to watch out for Harper.
We all know Harper is good to you, devoted, practically spoils you rotten.
But you cant ignore a womans vanity and ambition.
Especially after she found out your true identity as a top billionaire. Shes been under your thumb for so long, what woman would be happy with that?
And now shes pregnant, making you take paternity leave. You need to watch out, she might try to sideline you, take over.
Normally, I wouldve thought my friends worries were completely unnecessary.
But now, thinking it over, it was chilling.
If it wasnt to seize power, why would she, six months pregnant, still be so busy at the company?
If it wasnt out of guilt or some ulterior motive.
Why would Harper specifically delete my company access?
Harper paused, stunned.
What? How is that possible? I definitely didnt do that!
Maybe they accidentally deleted it? Give me half an hour, Ill find out what happened and get the staff to restore it as soon as possible.
I opened my mouth, wanting to say more, but in the end, it just came out as a faint “Hmm.”
Then I hung up.
Soon after, Harper called back with a seemingly perfect explanation.
Alex, I looked into it. It was the employees, when they were organizing attendance yesterday, they saw you hadnt been coming in lately because you were on paternity leave with me, so they took it upon themselves to delete your access.
I gave them a good scolding and had them restore it. From now on, you can come to the company anytime, just like before.
Harpers tone was so matter-of-fact, as if the company had long since become hers.
But shed forgotten, I was the legal representative of this company.
I was also the true power holder behind it.
If I hadn’t given her this company to manage, Harper, even if she struggled for ten years, would never have achieved what she has today.
Sir, where are you headed?
I was spaced out in the taxi, and the driver asked me for the third time.
I shook my head and handed the driver a thousand dollars.
Nowhere. Just stay here.
I looked up at the office building in the distance.
That entire afternoon, I sat anxiously in the taxi, watching the office buildings entrance.
Sure enough, I saw Harper emerge, her pregnant belly prominent, yet she was holding Leos hand.
My breath caught.
So, after that half-hearted apology, Harper hadn’t troubled him again; she hadn’t even mentioned firing him.
Back then, I couldnt understand why she was so lenient with an intern.
Now, the answer was right in front of me.
I eye-witnessed Harper stop, stand on her tiptoes, and press a kiss on Leos cheek.
Go back to the apartment and wait for me, sweetheart. Ill come find you tonight after Im done with work.
No way!
Leo whined, pouting stubbornly.
Is that old man bothering you again? Threatening you with the CEO position to make you sleep with him?
Harper, you might be scared of him, but Im not. Ill just report him and let his wife know what a scumbag he really is
Enough, Leo, stop causing me trouble.
Harper said this, but her voice was incredibly gentle.
Just like she was coaxing a lover.
Alex comes from a powerful family, and his parents cant control him.
I promise you, as soon as I gain full control of the company in the next two years, Ill cut ties with him completely, and well be a family of three, together
I almost laughed at the absurdity, instinctively reaching for a cigarette.
Then I remembered that ever since Harper got pregnant months ago, Id thrown out all my cigarettes to accommodate her.
No wonder Leo kept calling me names, accusing me of seducing his wife.
The root was here.
And she said a family of three…
The child wasnt even mine!
They exchanged a few more pleasantries. Harper hailed a taxi and thoughtfully opened the door for him.
Leo, take care of yourself. Ill be back with you tonight.
Leo reluctantly hugged her waist and kissed her on the lips.
They lingered for a long time before parting.
Harper, Ill wait for you, and take good care of our baby
After the taxi drove away, Harper smoothed her clothes, preparing to head home.
But when she turned around and saw me, her entire body went rigid as if shed seen a ghost, her face suddenly ashen.
Alex, you what are you doing here?
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