Our new intern was lounging in the boss’s chair like she owned it, announcing she was pregnant with his baby.
From now on, cross me and you’re fired!
That was it. I’d had enough. I snatched my phone and called my boss.
Can you please take your pregnant mistress home?! She’s about to tank the company!
But my boss, currently on an overseas business trip, sounded absolutely furious.
“Her being pregnant has nothing to do with me! What the hell are you talking about?!”
I’d just dropped Liam off at the airport and was looking forward to a huge meal when my phone buzzed. It was Mia, a colleague, her voice low and frantic.
“When are you coming back?”
I stuffed a pastry into my mouth. “Probably half an hour. What’s up?”
“Get back here now! Chloe’s claiming she’s pregnant with Liam’s baby!”
“And she’s already trying to call the shots!”
My jaw dropped so hard, the pastry in my hand clattered to the floor. “Chloe?”
The intern who just started yesterday?
I quickly got into my car. “Don’t panic, I’m on my way.”
Honestly, Liam was really good at keeping secrets. As his executive assistant, I didnt even know he had a girlfriend. I’d wondered how someone with Chloe’s thin resume got a foot in the door. Now, it all made perfect sense.
Still, Liam could’ve given me a heads-up.
Ten minutes later, I pulled into the company parking lot.
Instead of the usual diligent hustle, everyone was clustered in a tight huddle inside Liam’s conference office. They stood half-bent, listening intently. A womans sharp, carrying voice rang out. She was acting like she owned the place more than Liam did.
I hurried into the crowd. Chloe was half-reclining on the sofa, one hand protectively covering her stomach. When she saw me, her frown deepened.
“Just getting back now? Do you know the entire company has been waiting for you?”
“You certainly know how to make an entrance!”
I quickly lowered my head, plastering on a fake smile. “Traffic was a bit backed up.”
Before I could finish, she cut me off.
“You’re losing this month’s performance bonus.”
I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, but in the end, I meekly apologized.
The one who was practically bowing to me yesterday was now a completely different person. If I messed up and offended her, forget my bonus. I might even lose my job.
I could always find another job,but never with benefits this good. I really didn’t want to leave.
Seeing my submissive attitude, Chloe raised an eyebrow.
“Since everyone’s here, let me explain the new rules.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room, and my colleagues’ faces stiffened, looking uneasy. I was still confused when Mia tugged on my sleeve.
“Her rules are totally unreasonable,” she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.
“Listen up, everyone!” Chloe’s voice cut through the tension.
“I’m pregnant, and I’m carrying your boss’s precious baby.”
She unconsciously stroked her belly as she spoke.
“First, no more lunch breaks. No one is allowed to eat in the office.”
Another collective gasp. I couldn’t help but speak up. “Chloe, everyone works really hard. If we don’t eat…”
Before I could finish, a cup of scalding hot water splashed over me.
“Who the hell do you think you are, using my first name?”
“From now on, when you see me, you’ll call me Mrs. Miller!”
My face twisted into a grimace, every nerve screaming in agony, and my body involuntarily trembled. Chloe scoffed, pointing at me.
“You all saw that, right? This is what happens when you cross me.”
That scene terrified my colleagues so much they didn’t dare to even breathe.
“Second!” she declared, her voice rising, a haughty look on her face.
“All of you are here to serve me. If I tell you to go east, you don’t go west.”
“Third! All air conditioning units are to be turned off. The outdoor units give me a headache.”
This time, no one dared to object, including me. The spot where the hot water had scalded me was already visibly red and swollen.
“Did you all hear me?”
“If you can’t do it, then get out!”
She finished, glaring at me as a warning. My colleagues quickly nodded, respectfully acknowledging her words.
After dismissing everyone, she kept me back alone.
“I hear you’re my husband’s executive assistant?”
I offered a weak, forced smile. “I just help Liam organize documents and stuff he needs.”
But she clearly wasn’t buying my answer.
“Give me a shoulder massage first.”
I moved behind her. “Is this pressure alright for you?”
She lay back on the sofa, closing her eyes. “Actually, I’m not trying to be difficult, but my husband said…”
“If I don’t lay down the law for you folks now, I’ll never have any authority around here.”
“But I guess you wouldn’t dare to object, right? After all, you need this job to survive.”
“And, my demands aren’t even that excessive.”
She suddenly opened her eyes. “Are they excessive?”
I quickly shook my head, my face plastered with a smile. “Not at all, not at all.”
Watching her domineering behavior, I couldn’t help but question Liam’s taste. Was he getting old and desperate enough to settle for just anyone?
All morning, I was treated like her personal assistant, running errands and catering to her every whim. She looked at the coffee I’d made with disdain, then casually tossed the cup aside.
“How on earth did you even get this job?”
“I asked for it warm, don’t you understand?”
But at that moment, I wasn’t in the mood to listen to her. Because that cup of coffee, and wouldn’t you know it, landed right on Liam’s desk. On it lay a stack of contracts he’d already signed.
My face fell. “Mrs. Miller, those contracts are due in two days.”
Even with my quick reflexes, large coffee stains marred the documents. Chloe glanced at me, her tone utterly devoid of emotion.
“It’s just a little dirty, who cares? Nowhere near as precious as the baby growing inside me.”
She suddenly snapped at me. “From now on, you’re going to dedicate yourself fully to serving me, got it?”
“You can’t even play the part of a decent assistant!”
I swallowed my rising anger, my voice still trembling slightly. “Mrs. Miller, this contract is really important.”
“What if I take it to get cleaned up right now?”
Luckily, she nodded her approval. But the moment my fingers grazed the doorknob, she called out to me again.
“Get two women in here to give me a foot massage.”
I bit my lip. “Okay.”
Stepping out, I immediately noticed the difference. It was hot, stiflingly hot!
Colleagues who should have been engrossed in their work were all performing the same action: fanning themselves with whatever they could find. I stood frozen, then looked back at the central AC unit. It wasn’t just off; even the power cords had been removed. Everyone was groaning, their eyes pleading with me.
Just as I was about to speak, Chloe emerged, holding her stomach.
“Everyone, stop that!”
Her sharp gaze swept over us. “I told you not to turn on the AC because the outdoor unit is too noisy.”
“And what do you do?! Create a racket out there collectively!”
“Are you intentionally trying to get on my nerves?!”
Instantly, everyone dropped what they were holding. Their faces flushed with embarrassment, they all shook their heads, mumbling apologies.
“But you’ve already made me angry!”
Chloe shot me a resentful look. “How did you even become an executive assistant? You have zero management skills.”
I was about to respond when she pointed a finger, picking out random colleagues as if selecting sacrificial lambs.
“You three, stand up.”
“Start doing two hundred squats!”
“What?”
The selected colleagues looked a flicker of annoyance on their faces, but still spoke cautiously.
“Mrs. Miller, we…”
“Three hundred!”
Seeing Chloe kept upping the ante, they didn’t dare to speak again. They immediately started their squats.
She clapped her hands, then turned her gaze to me. “They’re being punished because they were fanning themselves too vigorously, making too much noise.”
I followed her gaze. Those colleagues were drenched in sweat, huffing and puffing, clearly in agony.
“Now, you need to do five hundred squats!”
I pointed at myself, incredulous. “Me?”
She curled her lip in disdain. “Who told you not to manage these people properly? You bear the greatest responsibility.”
Suddenly, her face darkened. “Still not doing it?”
I didn’t dare hesitate, immediately crossing my arms over my head and squatting down.
She slowly addressed the other colleagues. “Hot? Is it really that hot?”
“Why can’t I feel the heat?”
Hearing that, I wanted to curse her entire family lineage to hell. Of course, she didn’t feel hot! She was chilling in his office with the AC blasting and wrapped in Liam’s silk throw blanket. How could she possibly feel hot?
But these thoughts, I only dared to entertain in my head.
Chloe pulled out a chair from the side and settled down. “The baby in my belly, our CEO’s precious heir, is hungry!”
Her fingertips tapped an impatient rhythm on the armrest. “What should I eat?”
“Hmm, I want a matcha latte from that artisan coffee shop across town. And truffle fries from The Diner on Elm Street.”
She patted my shoulder. “You’re working so hard, Harper.”
“It’s just that my baby wants to eat…”
With that, she slowly re-entered the office. The moment she left, my colleagues collectively exhaled in relief. But the next second, she pulled the door open again, poking her head out.
“Get me two women to massage my legs.”
“No, wait, make it four. My feet need attention too.”
With a bang, she slammed the door shut.
All my colleagues looked at me, their faces crumpled. “Harper… what do we do now?”
One of the colleagues doing squats burst into tears. “I have a contract; the client needs it this afternoon!”
“What do we do?”
Gasping for breath, I checked the time. Liam was on a plane right now, so calling him was out of the question.
“Everyone, just hang in there a little longer. Liam’s plane lands at 4 PM.”
“I’ll explain the situation to him.”
After all, I was the biggest victim here!
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