Chapter 1

I had always been happy with my arranged marriage to Andrew Lane. He was a respectable man who knew how to keep his distance from other women.

When I saw him cutting a piece of steak for his female assistant during a dinner gathering, I said nothing.

But that night, I went home and had ten pounds of steak delivered straight to him. "Cut it. You seemed pretty good at it."

A man who couldn't respect boundaries was worth keeping if he could learn his lesson. If he couldn't, I had no problem replacing him. I had zero tolerance for that kind of thing in a marriage.

*****

When I walked into the private dining room, an unfamiliar young woman was placing a piece of roast beef onto Andrew's plate. She didn't even use the serving utensils.

I smiled and greeted the managers at the table before turning my attention to the woman who hadn't bothered to get up.

The sales manager sitting beside her gave her a subtle nudge. "That's Mrs. Lane."

The woman finally stood and greeted me with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lane. I'm Emily Shaw, the new executive secretary. It's my first time meeting you. I look forward to working with you."

I lowered my eyes with a faint smile and didn't respond. I simply took the nearest seat.

As usual, I made small talk with everyone at the table while quietly watching Andrew and Emily across from me.

I watched as Andrew casually ate the piece of roast beef Emily had placed on his plate.

Then Emily pointed at her steak and stared at it helplessly. Her eyes drifted toward Andrew, silently asking for help.

Andrew frowned slightly. He took her plate from her and neatly cut the steak into bite-sized pieces before placing it back before Emily.

My eyes narrowed. I lowered my head and took out my phone, sending a message to Mary back home. [Buy ten pounds of steak and cook it.]

The moment I sent the message, Emily, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke. "Mrs. Lane, I'm so jealous of you. You were lucky enough to marry a successful man like Mr. Lane.

"All you have to do is stay home and be a good wife. Unlike us working girls, we have to work ourselves to the bone to make a living."

I looked up, my gaze settling with amusement on her young, pretty face. "So you're the new girl. You obviously haven't learned your place yet."

Emily froze. She clearly hadn't expected me to call her out so bluntly. A moment later, she put on a frightened and aggrieved expression. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lane. I didn't mean to offend you.

"I'm a little outspoken sometimes. I hope you won't take it personally."

She looked over my handbag and Chanel suit. "It's just that you seem to spend quite freely and always dress so elegantly. I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Mr. Lane.

"After all, he worked incredibly hard to build Lane Corporation into what it is today."

I couldn't help but laugh, resting my chin on my hand, saying nothing.

However, everyone else at the table was panicked. The product director immediately snapped at Emily, "What are you talking about? Do you really think Mrs. Lane is just a housewife?

"At the company, who wouldn't show her the respect she deserves?"

Emily looked lost, as if she still didn't get it.

The sales manager beside her quietly reminded her, "Mrs. and Mr. Lane are from two powerful families. Mrs. Lane is also the sole heir to Newman Group. What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and apologize to Mrs. Lane."

Emily's face went pale. She bit her lip, her big eyes quickly filling with tears as she turned to Andrew for help.

Andrew met my half-smiling gaze, shook his head helplessly, and said, "Apologize to Mrs. Lane. And watch what you say from now on.

"You need to know where you are and who you're talking to. If you don't understand, ask. If you don't know, learn."

Emily looked at me, her voice small and pitiful. "Mrs. Lane, I'm sorry."

I stood up without even looking at her and smiled at everyone. "I still have something to take care of. Please, carry on without me. We'll get together again another time."