He pulled his foot away like he stepped on shit. The back of my hand was already swollen, bruised purple. I pushed myself up, shaking with fury.

But then, a wave of nausea hit me. I doubled over, dry-heaving.

I grabbed a napkin and wiped my face again and again, but it didn’t help. The fire inside me only burned hotter.

“You’re gonna pay for this!” I growled through clenched teeth.

I looked him in the eye and enunciated, “I’m Irenee’s husband! I’m the real owner of the McCulloch Corporation!”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I thought maybe the little secretary would finally back off. But instead, he looked at me with a mocking smirk, full of contempt.

“You’re lying without even bothering to make it convincing. You came in here to fool us without even doing your homework? Our CEO has never been married—how the hell could she have a husband?”

Just then, a couple of employees in line for coffee chimed in.

“Right? I’ve never heard of her being married either. This guy’s got guts, coming in here spouting nonsense like that.”

“We were just talking about how Secretary Oliver is the CEO’s favorite person in the company, and now this guy’s claiming to be her husband? Secretary Oliver, he’s basically calling you the third party!”

That last comment made Oliver’s expression darken. He snapped. “How dare you slander our CEO like this?” he barked. “Someone get in here and beat the hell out of him!”

Back when Irenee and I got married, she was just an average woman.

She didn’t want people saying she married into money, so we just had a private wedding ceremony. For years, we hid our marriage from the world.

I supported her while she built McCulloch from the ground up. I wanted her to feel confident—never like she owed her success to me or it was beneath mine.

When she finally made it, I told her we should go public.

But she said it still wasn’t time, and that even then, she wasn’t on my level. She asked me to wait a little longer—she wanted to prove herself first, to match me in status before we made anything public.

I agreed. I gave her my full support. I helped her grow the company even more.

I thought she was working to stand tall on her own.

Now I see—it just made hiding her affair that much easier.

I opened my mouth to speak again, but I didn’t get the chance. A group of security guards came rushing in, surrounding me in seconds.

Their posture told me everything: they weren’t here to talk.

I knew if I didn’t make things clear, I’d really get beaten up.

In a cold, steady voice, I said, “I am Wesley Broderick. I’m the richest man in Washington! And I am Irenee’s husband! If you don’t believe me, go get her right now. Let’s settle this right now, right here!”

Something about the way I said it made them pause. The guards looked at each other, hesitant.

But the arrogant secretary lost it. He turned and kicked one of the guards hard. “You actually believe this crap? I’ve never once heard the CEO mention a husband!”

Then, he threatened them. “If you don’t beat the crap out of him now, I’ll make sure you’re all fired!”

The guards’ expressions changed immediately. They looked at me like I was already dead meat.

“You picked the wrong guy to mess with,” one of them muttered as they moved in. “That’s on you.”

“Hey—” I tried to speak, but a fist slammed into my jaw before the words were out.

Then another. And another.

I tried to fight back with everything I had, but two hands couldn’t beat eight.

Soon, I was on the floor, getting stomped and punched from every direction.

All I could do was curl up and shield my head as best I could.

A strong hand grabbed my chin, forcing my face up. “Let this be a lesson,” said the guy they called the secretary. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before running your mouth.”

I didn’t know how long the beating lasted.

All I knew was that my body felt broken—like every bone inside me had been shattered.

Eventually, they stopped.

I glared at him, my eyes filled with loathe. “You’ll regret this,” I said, voice hoarse. “You’ll regret what you did today.”

He let out a cruel, dismissive snort. “Regret? For laying a hand on trash like you?” He sneered. “Let me tell you something—there’s nobody in Washington who could make me regret anything.”

He turned away and snapped at the guards. “Get him out of the building. And don’t ever let him set foot in here again.”

No matter how I struggled, they dragged me out like dead weight.

They threw my battered body onto the ground like trash.

And all around me, strangers stared at me with their eyes full of judgement.

I lay there, fractured and fucking humiliated!

“I heard he just pretended to be the CEO’s husband and got chewed out by Secretary Oliver.”

“Hilarious. Trying to fake being the CEO’s husband in front of her personal secretary? Who doesn’t know about the relationship between the CEO and her secretary? Like he’d ever tolerate that.”

So it was out in the open now—Irenee was keeping another man. And I, her actual husband, had been the last to know.

I didn’t give a damn about what they thought. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

“I’m outside the building. Come down and get me. I’m here to make some things clear.”

Not long after, a middle-aged man came rushing downstairs. The moment he saw me, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

“President Broderick! What happened to you?! You look… like hell! I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”

I waved him off and forced myself to speak through the pain. “The injuries can wait. I’ve got a mess to clean up first.”

Then I fixed my eyes coldly on him.

“Director Barnes, got something you haven’t told me? When exactly did that bastard called Secretary Oliver get into the company?”

The mention of that name made Drew’s expression freeze. Then his face turned awkward.

“President Broderick, President McCulloch personally recruited Haynes to be the secretary two years ago. She really favored him,” he explained.

“I’ve also heard some rumors about their relationship, but I’m in R&D—I only caught wind of it and didn’t pay it much attention. Thought it was just gossip,” he added.

At that, he looked at me in surprise. “Don’t tell me they really…”

I nodded.

Drew’s face fell. He immediately lowered his head in guilt. “President Broderick, I—”

I didn’t let him finish. I knew what kind of guy he was—only cared about research and development, stayed out of all the other crap. I couldn’t blame him. After all, Irenee was my wife. If anyone should’ve seen it coming, it was me.

“Take me upstairs. I’ll handle the rest.”

With Drew leading the way, I made it back into the building and up to the top floor without a hitch.

But just as we reached the CEO’s office, we ran into Haynes. The moment he saw me, his face twisted with anger.

“You shameless bastard! How the hell did you get up here? Didn’t I give strict orders that you’re banned here?”

Then he caught sight of the director beside me and snapped, “You brought him up here? He offended me, and you still dared let him in? You trying to get yourself fired, Director Barnes?”

I gave him a mocking look. “You think you can fire Drew? This company runs on his research. Eighty percent of our R&D depends on him. If he leaves, the whole operation collapses. You really didn’t know that?”

For a second, Haynes’s face showed a flicker of guilt, but then he snapped back with fury.

“And who gave you the right to speak? Besides, it’s no big deal. Fire one, hire another. As long as there’s money, there’s always talent ready to step in. You think leaning on that director gives you any leverage over me?”

He warned me, “I’m telling you now—even with him backing you up, the CEO won’t touch me.”

“One word from me and she’ll have him thrown out on the spot,” he boasted.

His arrogant gaze swept over Drew. “I’m getting you fired. Pack your shit and get lost.”

Drew might be the quiet type, always buried in his work, but even he looked ready to explode. His face flushed red with anger.

“I was brought into this company by President Broderick himself. If he tells me to leave, I’ll go. No need for you to act like you’re in charge.”

Haynes sneered at him. “President Broderick? You mean that guy standing next to you?”

He scoffed. “You dumb R&D guy! You believe whatever people tell you? He’s a liar! He was just downstairs claiming he was the CEO’s husband!”

Drew shot him a mocking look.

“Of course, he’s President McCulloch’s husband. As for you? I don’t even know what the hell you are.”

Haynes’s face darkened at the insult. His temper flared instantly.

“Security! Throw them out of the building! Right now!”

Another pack of guards surrounded us, ready to act. Just as things were about to turn violent again, I spoke coldly.

“Call Irenee out here. Let her clear this up once and for all.”

Seeing they wouldn’t dare call the CEO, I pulled out my phone and called her myself. It rang a few times—but then she hung up.

Haynes’s smirk deepened, his tone full of disdain.

“Still pretending? President McCulloch’s in a meeting. You think she has time to answer a call from some random nobody like you?”

Fine. I texted her instead.

[I’m standing outside your office. Come out and see me. Now.]

The guards were just about to move when a sharp voice rang out.

“Stop!”

A slim figure rushed in.

It was Irenee.

The moment Haynes saw her, he instantly changed face. He stuck himself to her like glue, voice dripping with false sweetness.

“President McCulloch, you must’ve heard the commotion, right? That guy—he insulted me! He accused me of being a third party!”

“And then he had the nerve to claim he’s your husband. Ridiculous, isn’t it? You’re not married, right?”

“He even tried to hit me in the lobby. I had no choice but to have the security teach him a lesson and throw him out. I didn’t expect he’d drag Director Barnes up here to complain to you!”

“President, you’ve gotta stand up for me and teach him a lesson.”

“Oh, and Director Barnes—he’s a traitor working here! He’s mocking me right to my face. Fire him! People like him don’t belong in the company!”

He kept running his mouth, but Irenee just stood there, obviously feeling more and more chilled the longer he talked.

She finally turned her head and saw just how close Haynes had pressed himself against her. It was way too intimate and unprofessional. Her face changed. She shoved him away hard.

Caught off guard, he stumbled and nearly fell.

His eyes went red with grievance. When he spoke again, his voice cracked.

“I-Irenee… why’d you push me?” he asked.

His lips parted in disbelief, then he added, “You feel bad for his injured face, don’t you? So now that you’ve got me, he’s the new guy? You’re standing up for him now?”

As he spoke, he even started crying in a pitiful and exaggerated manner, making me sick to my stomach.

Irenee was stunned by what he said. And then, without warning, she slapped him across the face.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Shut up!”

Haynes held his red cheek, stunned, eyes filled with disbelief.

He stood there frozen for a second, then tried to win her over again, acting wounded.

“I just acted rashly for a moment, that’s all. I know I’m the only one you love. I was just speaking without thinking, I misunderstood you. But still, you shouldn’t have hit me,” he replied.

“I won’t hold today’s incident against you, but tonight you have to make it up to me properly,” he added.

The moment he said that, Irenee looked like her head was spinning. She snapped, “Say another word and I’ll have you thrown out right now!”

Seeing she wasn’t bluffing, Haynes finally backed down, sulking in silence.

I turned to Irenee, my voice like ice. “Tell him who I am.”