Chapter 2
I hadn't even said anything yet.
Nora froze for a second when she saw the screen, then her face turned bright red.
She probably hadn't expected me to see those posts. Maybe I was a bit too blunt, and it caught Nora off guard.
Nora said, "Mrs. Goodman, I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. I never said Mr. Goodman and I were a couple. It's just people online making wild guesses."
Her voice was on the verge of tears.
I shot back, "Oh? So now you're not calling him 'my CEO' anymore?
"You never said you two were a couple, but you never set the record straight either.
"You just posted some flirty captions and mysterious photos, and let the shippers run wild in the comments.
"Honestly, if I didn't know he was my husband, even I'd be rooting for you two."
I kept my expression frosty.
I continued, "I'm not asking you to delete the posts. That's your choice.
"Just clear things up online."
Nora's face went ghostly pale as she frantically searched for her phone.
She said, "Mrs. Goodman, I'll explain everything.
"I'll do it right now."
I dropped my final words.
I said, "I don't ever want to see you pull this kind of gross stunt again."
Just as I picked up my bag and was about to leave, Nora reached out and grabbed me with both hands.
She pleaded, "Mrs. Goodman, please don't tell Mr. Goodman.
"This is my first job, and I'm scared the company will fire me."
Nora looked at me with those big, pitiful eyes, her eyes red and swollen from crying, but it only made her look more pure and innocent.
I said, "I never wanted this kind of nasty drama to even taint his sight."
I pulled my hand free and turned to leave.
Nora was left there, quietly sobbing to herself.
Downstairs, I ran into my bestie, Ruth.
She was the only heir to the Harrison family, and she'd been getting some real-world experience at the Goodman Group lately.
Ruth said, "I heard your husband personally hired a new assistant recently."
I looked up at her.
I asked, "What do you mean?"
"Rumor has it that the girl didn't even pass the interview at first, but Leo personally stepped in and hired her," Ruth said.
My heart sank. Leo had never done something like this before.
Leo and I were classmates in high school.
Ever since I came back from studying abroad, everyone in our circle had started calling me Leo's unattainable dream girl.
They said Leo had a thing for me back in school.
They claimed he'd been holding out for me all these years.
So when my dad encouraged me to spend time with Leo after I came back, I didn't object.
Leo had always been cool and reserved, never one to wear his heart on his sleeve.
That night, when he proposed, the room was getting darker, and I could barely make out his expression.
But the moment I said yes, he gently pulled me into his arms.
His eyes were tinged with red, and I saw tear tracks on his face.
In that moment, I chose to believe in his love.
But now, it felt like I wasn't the only one he was being so gentle with anymore.
"Don't let Nora's posts get to you," Leo said as soon as he walked in.
That was the first thing he said to me when he got home today.
He added, "She's just sharing bits of her life online. Why are you so hung up on it?
"Come on, she's just a fresh grad. She's not that calculating."
Turns out that Nora didn't want me to tell Leo, so that she could be the one to tell him herself.
This wasn't the first time someone tried to get close to Leo since we got married.
Plenty of girls had a crush on him, and even more were just after his status and wealth.
But Leo always shut them down without hesitation.
"Did you even bother to check her account?" I shot back, not hiding my annoyance.
Seeing I was still fuming, Leo wrapped his arms around me.
He said, "Nora already told me. She said you saw some comments online; people were making it sound like there was something between her and me.
"I never thought you'd get so jealous over them and actually go all the way to the office over it."
"Don't let me catch her doing this again," I said, my tone icy.
I chose to believe Leo.
Leo said, "Nora will take care of it. Besides, she's just someone who works for me.
"Alright, let's stop worrying about other people and just focus on us."
Leo slowly pulled me into his arms, holding me tighter until there was no space left between us, then leaned down and kissed me.