Chapter 1

I dropped by my husband's office. I'd just quietly taken a seat in the cafeteria when a male secretary stopped me.

"What makes you think you can sit here?" he snapped, looking none too friendly. "This is the boss's seat. Move it."

I looked up at him but didn't move.

Thinking I hadn't heard him, he raised his voice even more. "Are you deaf? I said move!"

The whole dining hall fell silent, and every head in the room turned my way.

I set down my fork and slowly turned to him. "What makes you think I don't deserve this seat?"

"Because I'm his wife."

The secretary froze for a second, then let out a loud laugh, winking at his coworkers. "Mr. Linwood's wife? Come on, I've seen her before—"

A clear, sharp cough came from the doorway.

Everyone shot to their feet.

My husband, Andrew Linwood, strode into the dining hall, sharply dressed in his suit. He went straight to my side, and sat down. He picked up some food for me without looking up. "No one attending to you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Oh, they attended. Quite enthusiastically, actually."

Only then did Andrew finally look up at the male secretary.

His gaze was utterly blank.

The man went white. Then red. Then white again. And his legs were visibly trembling.

I picked up my cup of tea and took a gentle sip.

That should've been the end of it.

But I only learned later—He knew exactly who I was. That wasn't why he did it.

I decided to drop by my husband's company on a whim.

No call ahead.

I simply took a quiet seat in the staff dining hall.

Just as I picked up my fork, a young man who looked like a secretary walked over.

He stood in my way, speaking with obvious arrogance.

"What makes you think you can sit here?"

"This is the boss's seat. Move it."

I looked up at him but didn't move.

Thinking I hadn't heard him, he raised his voice even more.

"Are you deaf? I said move!"

His shrill voice cut through the usual cafeteria din.

The room fell dead silent at once.

Dozens of eyes fixed on me like spotlights.

Some were curious, some looked sympathetic, but most were just hungry for drama.

I set my chopsticks down.

Chopsticks clinked against the porcelain plate.

I turned to him slowly, my eyes calm.

"What makes you think I don't deserve this seat?" I said.

I looked him dead in the eye, speaking each word clearly. "Because I'm his wife."

The secretary froze for a second.

He then burst out laughing as if he'd just heard the funniest joke ever.

He turned to the onlooking colleagues, making faces and speaking in an exaggerated tone.

"Mr. Linwood's wife? Come on, I've seen her before—"

But he never got to finish.

But then a soft yet authoritative cough came from behind him.

"Ahem."

All the staff in uniforms stood up instantly and bowed respectfully.

"Hello, Mr. Linwood." they greeted in unison.

My husband, Andrew, walked into the cafeteria.

Dressed in a well-fitted black suit, he stood tall and handsome.

He didn't spare anyone a glance.

He walked straight over to me, pulled out a chair, and sat down like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then he used serving chopsticks to put a portion of my favorite sweet and sour pork onto my plate.

He never looked up the whole time, acting as if no one else was around.

Andrew asked me softly, "No one attending to you?"

I smiled and shook my head, then picked up my chopsticks and took a bite of the pork.

"Oh, they attended. Quite enthusiastically, actually." I added.

Andrew paused mid-chew.

Only then did he slowly raise his eyes. His deep gaze fell on the male secretary for the first time.

There was no emotion in his gaze.

No anger, no question.

Just a lifeless coldness.

The male secretary's face drained of color rapidly, flushing red first, then turning pale, and finally ashen.

His legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

I picked up my teacup and took a gentle sip.

The tea was perfectly warm.

That should've been the end of it.

It was just some employee who didn’t know any better, causing a bit of a mess.

But it wasn't until later that I realized the truth.

He didn't stop me because he didn't know who I was.

He knew me all along. He not only knew who I was, but also expected my arrival today.

He did it all just to put me in my place in front of the whole company.

To embarrass me, to make me back down.

To curry favor with someone else.