Chapter 1
All I did was leave an orange on the CEO, Samuel Foster's desk, and now my coworkers were spreading scandalous rumors about me.
"She knows Mr. Foster's got a wife, but she's still trying to hit on him? No shame at all!"
"With a body like yours, do you really think Mr. Foster would ever be interested in you?"
"Don't think being all sweet and helpful will make Mr. Foster fall for you!"
Something in me snapped. "Honey!" I called out before I could stop myself.
The next second, Samuel's voice came from his office. "What's wrong?"
*****
Samuel and I were in an arranged marriage.
Our families had been close for generations, so after college, our parents naturally arranged for us to get married.
After tying the knot, I refused to be a stay-at-home wife, so I secretly snuck into Foster Holdings to work.
To avoid any gossip, Samuel and I set three ground rules.
At work, we had to pretend we didn't know each other, no affectionate gestures, and no one could know about our relationship.
Every morning, Samuel's driver would drop me off at a subway station one stop away from the office, and I'd ride the subway the rest of the way to work.
In the evening, I'd wait for the driver at that same subway stop to pick me up.
This arrangement lasted for a whole year without raising any suspicion.
Then, just before Christmas, my mother sent over a basket of oranges from her garden.
She told me to bring a couple to Samuel.
I tossed one into my bag and forgot about it until I reached the office.
The floor was still mostly empty, so I slipped into Samuel's office and left the orange on his desk.
By lunchtime, the office was buzzing with gossip about me.
Apparently, someone had caught me putting the orange on Samuel's desk.
They were spreading wild rumors about me like it was their favorite sport.
"Don't be fooled by how Julia acts all innocent—she's got some serious ambition!"
"Forget promotions or raises. She's aiming straight for Mr. Foster's bed!"
"She knows Mr. Foster's got a wife, but she's still trying to hit on him? No shame at all!"
"With a body like yours, do you really think Mr. Foster would ever be interested in you?"
"Don't think being all sweet and helpful will make Mr. Foster fall for you!"
Something in me snapped. "Honey!" I called out before I could stop myself.
The next second, Samuel's voice came from his office. "What's wrong?"
Everyone went dead silent, totally freaked out by what I'd just done.
Then Samuel's voice came from the office again. "Are you saying the deal with Mr. Carter is off? Why?"
It turned out that Samuel was talking to his assistant.
Seeing this, the ones spreading rumors all breathed a sigh of relief.
"See? Told you it was impossible," one of them muttered.
"Julia, you'd better behave yourself. Don't bite off more than you can chew," another warned.
"Year-end performance reviews are coming up. Don't try anything sneaky," someone warned.
I paid them no mind, quietly scheming how to get even without anyone catching on.
That evening, I slid into the car beside Samuel, my expression stormy.
"What's wrong? You look upset. Did something happen?" Samuel asked.
I thought about it for a second, but decided not to tell him. "It's nothing. Just a long day at work."
Samuel always wore a cold, stern expression at work.
But when we were alone together, he was like a clingy puppy.
He tilted his head and rested it on my shoulder.
"I'm exhausted. I need my honey's kisses and hugs to recharge."
My mood was still shadowed by the office whispers, leaving little room for affection. Instead of indulging him, I simply reached up and brushed my fingers along his cheek.
"Did you eat the orange I left for you?" I asked, keeping my tone even.
"I did. A bit tart, though," he said.
His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me closer until his face was just inches from mine.
Had the driver not been sitting right ahead of us, he would have closed the distance without a second thought.
"Hold off till we're home!" I kept my voice down, nervous that the driver might catch what I was saying.
"You'd better stick to your promise. No sneaking off to sleep while I'm in the shower," Samuel grumbled.
Samuel was way thicker-skinned than I was. He never held back from flirting with me right in front of the driver.
But it bothered me!
If the driver ever got in a bad mood and blabbed about us, how would I survive at the office?
I just wanted to be another face in the crowd, quietly getting paid and keeping my head down.