My husband’s secretary sl3pped me in front of twenty employees for accidentally drinking from his coffee cup.

Then she screamed, “How dare you touch my husband’s things?” She had no idea I was his real wife—or that I owned 64% of the company.

The sound of the slap echoed through the executive dining room, bringing nearly every conversation to an abrupt stop.

I stood beside the table, holding a white porcelain coffee cup, while a sharp sting spread across my cheek.

Celeste Price, the CEO’s secretary, stood directly in front of me, glaring as though I’d committed an unforgivable offense.

“Who do you think you are?” she shouted. “That’s my husband’s cup!”

I stared at her.

“I’m sorry. I picked it up by mistake. The cups look identical.”

She gave a contemptuous laugh.

“Women like you always have an excuse! You think you can touch whatever you want?”

I was still trying to understand why she had called Julian her husband when the dining room doors opened.

Julian Bennett walked inside.

My husband.

The man I’d been married to for seven years.

His eyes moved from the cup in my hand to the red mark on my cheek, then to Celeste standing inches away from me.

For one brief moment, his expression changed.

He looked frightened.

“Maya?”

Celeste immediately turned toward him.

“Darling, thank goodness you’re here! This new employee drank from your personal cup. I was just making sure she understood how inappropriate that was.”

I waited for Julian to correct her.

Surely he would explain that I was his wife.

Surely he would ask why his secretary had raised her hand against another employee.

But instead, he adjusted his tie and spoke in a cold voice.

“Celeste, return to your office.”

Then he looked directly at me.

“And you. Come with me. Now.”

The dining room fell completely silent.

Celeste smiled.

She thought he’d chosen her.

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