My Husband Flirted with His Secretary in French,but I Spoke Eight Languages

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1.

At the dinner table, the returnee student Craig Henson had brought home suddenly spoke up in French:

Craig, whatever you do, don't let anyone know I'm pregnant, or Vanessa Fox will probably kill me.

Craig set a piece of braised pork on her plate and gave a soft laugh.

Relax, I won't tell her. If you start showing, I'll find an excuse and go with you to France on a business trip.

"We'll come back once the baby's born."

Lucille Pruitt grinned.

"Perfect. Then I'll stay here for now and watch our little one grow."

Then Craig switched to English and said to me:

"Vanessa, Lucy just joined the foreign trade department at the company. I think I'll have her stay with us for a while."

"She's been in France all this time and doesn't know her way around here. As the head of the foreign trade department, you should look after her."

Lucille lifted her glass to me with a smile.

"Vanessa, Craig says your English is excellent. From now on we'll be opening up new markets for his company together. A toast to you!"

Excellent English?

I supposed that was fair. I'd never once mentioned to Craig that I spoke six languages.

Since they were being this brazen, there was no reason for me to hold back either.

1.

If it weren't for the faint trace of mockery in Lucille's smile, I'd have wondered whether I'd misheard.

I kept my eyes fixed on her.

She hid it well.

Craig assumed I simply didn't want to drink with her.

His face went cold.

"Vanessa, could you show a little courtesy? Can't you see Lucy's toasting you?"

I let out a scornful little laugh.

"She toasts me, so I have to drink?"

"And you brought someone home to live here without asking me. Isn't that taking me for granted a bit much?"

Lucille suddenly looked wounded.

"Vanessa, I know you mind me staying here, and mind that Craig takes such good care of me."

"But I just finished studying abroad, my hometown is so far from here, and I don't know a soul."

"Don't worry. Craig only feels sorry for me. Once I get used to the area, I'll move out on my own for sure."

"Move out, nonsense!"

"You can stay as long as you like."

Craig shielded her and turned to snap at me.

"Vanessa, when will you stop being so petty!"

"Every time your name comes up out there, you embarrass me!"

I gripped my glass and stared coldly at him.

"Then tell me. What did the two of you just say?"

"We..."

Guilt flickered in Craig's eyes, but he found an explanation at once.

"Lucy's going to be handling the company's French communications from now on, so of course I was just practicing with her a little. I didn't want her getting rusty."

"Vanessa, are you letting your imagination run wild again? And here Lucy was just praising you."

Lucille smiled.

"That's right, Vanessa. I was just saying how experienced you are. I have so much to learn from you."

Listening to the lies, my eyes were ice cold.

But I didn't expose them on the spot.

The price for betraying me shouldn't be that cheap.

Craig had brought her home before, back when there was only something vaguely suggestive between them.

If I didn't understand French, I'd never have known things had already gone this far.

Six years ago.

Craig was still grinding through the hard early days of building his company.

Business at home was strained, and it was my flawless English that landed him several major overseas clients.

I also brought in an investment from Whitfield Group, the biggest company in the city.

But English is an international language, so even though I'm fluent in six, English was the only one I ever used in front of Craig.

And what he knew even less was that

the former chairman of Whitfield Group was my grandfather.

The year he passed, he left instructions that I couldn't take over until after I turned thirty.

And now, I'm already thirty-two.

To help Craig, I'd stayed away all this time.

Whitfield's investment in Craig's company was enormous.

It held forty percent of the shares.

So while I was, in name, the head of the foreign trade department at Craig's company,

in reality,

Craig was actually working for me.

Right now, I forced myself to stay calm.

I spoke evenly:

"If it's just practice, then feel free to go on."

At that, Lucille smiled at Craig.

"Craig, see, I told you Vanessa isn't that small-minded."

Then she switched back to French.

"Craig, has she always been this easy to fool?"

Craig glanced at me and gave a slight smile.

"You have no idea."

"Before you even graduated, when I brought you back for your internship, she'd throw fits at me all the time just because we got close."

"And a couple of sweet words was all it took to smooth her over."

"Do you remember that one time we got a hotel room, and we ran right into her coming out?"

"I told her I was booking a room for a client, and she believed it just like that."

"When it comes down to it, she just can't live without me."

Lucille listened, watching me with great interest, and went on in French:

"Craig, that time we were in bed at your place, I kept worrying she'd suddenly come home."

"But the way you tell it, if she really did find out, would she just take any excuse and believe it?"

"Probably."

"Then when our kid's a little older, I'm going to tell them the story of how pathetic she is, every single day."

The two of them exchanged a smile, looking at me like I was a clown.

After that they went on flirting for a good while longer.

I pretended I couldn't understand a word.

Eventually, maybe they'd lost interest.

Craig switched to English.

"Lucy, why don't I take you to see the company this afternoon? It's been a while since I've been in."

Then he said to me:

"Vanessa, this afternoon go to the supermarket and pick up some Western everyday things. Lucy's not used to what we have at home."

Then the two of them left.

I quietly pulled up the phone I'd kept under the table and stopped the recording.

Then I placed a call to a number I hadn't dialed in a long time.

"Nathan Whitney, I'm coming back to Whitfield."

2.

The moment I said it, the person on the other end could barely contain himself.

"Miss, you're finally willing to come back? When will you arrive?"

"It'll be a few days yet."

"First, I need you to pull every one of my husband Craig Henson's itineraries from his business trips to France."

"Rest assured, Miss. Whitfield holds a large stake in his companyit's practically your subsidiary. Checking his itinerary is easy enough."

Within minutes, Nathan sent me a document.

"Miss, these are Craig's records from every trip to France over the past two years."

I opened it and read, my brow tightening.

I'd expected the worst, but the depth of what he and Lucille had been carrying on still caught me off guard.

In the last six months alone, they'd booked hotel rooms over a hundred times.

Which meant they'd spent more than half of that time sleeping together.

There were also Craig's spending records on Lucille.

Designer bags, expensive jewelry, and more.

Altogether it came to over two million.

And keep in mind, Craig's company brought in less than ten million a year in total revenue.

"Miss, shall I draft a divorce agreement?"

"In a case like his, you could demand he walk away with nothing, and from Whitfield's position, we could make him compensate for every loss."

I closed the document.

Slowly I shook my head, my gaze cold.

"No rush. Let's play with them for a while first."

That afternoon I went to the supermarket.

Then home.

I had just finished cooking when I heard the door open.

Right on cue, I started the recording.

Craig and Lucille walked in laughing, looking at some medical report and chatting in French.

"Craig, our baby is so tiny right now. The doctor says it's only the size of a soybean."

Craig smiled tenderly.

"Then we'll just wait patiently for it to grow."

"Let's eat first. We can look at it slowly later."

They had just sat down when Craig noticed a pair of chopsticks was missing.

He frowned and looked toward me in the kitchen.

"Vanessa, there are three of us. Why did you only set out two pairs of chopsticks?"

"Go get another pair for Lucy!"

I said flatly,

"I'm under no obligation to wait on outsiders."

At that, Craig slapped his chopsticks down on the table.

"Vanessa, how many times have I told youLucy is not an outsider!"

I gave a cold laugh.

"True enough. You two are glued together every day. For all I know you're already man and wife."

That only made Craig angrier.

"Enough! When are you going to rein in this jealousy of yours?!"

"When are you going to learn something from Lucylearn what it means to be tolerant!"

I pulled off my apron and threw it onto a chair.

"Sorry. I can't learn it, and I don't want to."

At that, Craig shot to his feet.

He was about to speak when the report slipped out of his hand.

It drifted down and landed right on the dining table.

At the bottom, the words "eight weeks pregnant" were plain to see.

Craig snatched it back at once.

Guilt flashed across his face, thinking I hadn't seen the patient's name.

"Vanessa, don't read into it. Lucy went in earlier because she wasn't feeling well. That report belongs to someone elseI picked up the wrong one."

I laughed coldly inside, and said mildly,

"Oh, is that so?"

Seeing my expression stay cold, he snapped,

"What, you don't believe me?!"

Lucille quickly cut in. "Vanessa, Craig has never once betrayed you. I can vouch for that!"

I let out a faint laugh.

"You?"

"Yes, me."

"And who do you think you are?"

At that, Lucille's face turned ugly.

Craig lost his temper on the spot, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and hurled them at me.

"Vanessa, don't push your luck!"

"Don't forgeteverything you eat and drink comes from my company!"

"Apologize to Lucy, or you can forget about this month's bonus!"

Behind him, Lucille wore a smug little smile, though her words said,

"Craig, don't be angry. I won't hold it against Vanessa."

I wiped away the splash of broth on my temple and gave a scornful smile.

"I don't want it anyway."

With that, I ignored his cursing and walked into the second bedroom.

I opened my phone.

"Nathan, back up a copy of Lucy's hospital examination records from today."

In just a few minutes, he sent it over.

The report read:

Lucille Pruitt.

Two months pregnant. Fetus healthy.

3.

The next morning, I got to the office early.

I'd barely stepped into the break room when Lucille came over, all smiles.

Vanessa, things got a little tense last night. Let me pour you a cup as a peace offering.

After all, from now on we'll both be working hard for Craig's company.

Smiling, she lifted the cup toward me.

Just then a coworker passed by.

Lucy knows how it's done. First day and already toasting her boss.

Vanessa, your junior's offering it to you. Be a shame not to drink up.

I frowned and reached to take it.

But before my hand touched the cup, Lucille let go.

Scalding coffee poured straight down the front of my blouse.

The burn spread across my skin.

I looked at her, cold.

You did that on purpose?

That was the moment Craig walked in.

Lucille put on a wounded face.

Vanessa, if you have a problem with me, just tell me and I'll fix it.

But you shouldn't hurt yourself just to make trouble for me.

I know you don't want me near Craig. Fine, from now on I'll keep my distance.

Hearing that, Craig flew into a rage.

Vanessa, it isn't enough giving me those looks at home?!

Now you come to the office and pick on Lucy too? Do you even want to keep your job?!

I looked at him.

She let go on purpose. She scalded me.

He wouldn't hear a word of it.

Don't you slander an innocent person. Lucy would never do something like that!

Get back to your desk. If I catch you going after her again, don't blame me for being harsh with you!

I'd just turned away when I heard Lucille switch to French.

Craig, Vanessa really seems to have it in for me. Maybe I should just go back to France?

Craig answered her in French.

All right. If you don't want to stay here, I'll go back with you. I'll book tomorrow's tickets in a bit.

But what about Vanessa? You two are husband and wife, after all

I stopped loving her a long time ago. If it weren't for her English, I'd have divorced her already.

The disappointment ran all the way down.

In that moment, the last thread of feeling I had for Craig was gone.

I sent Nathan a message.

Notify Craig. Shareholders' meeting tomorrow.

Have legal get the evidence ready and be there with me. I want him to see exactly how foolish he's been.

4.

Since I was ready to lay it all on the table, the assets Craig and I shared needed to be split clean.

That afternoon, I left the office and went straight home to pack.

The wedding photos on the wall came down too, dumped in the trash.

He came back with Lucille just as the workday ended.

The sight of my packed suitcase and the bare walls pulled his brows together.

He rounded on me while I was cooking.

"Vanessa, what the hell are you doing?"

I turned around, calm.

"Craig, starting tomorrow, there's nothing between us anymore."

"You can be with her."

"But the price might be more than you can pay."

He gave a short, scornful laugh.

"So this whole show, this was all just to say those two lines?"

"Who do you think you are, the head of Whitfield?"

"Don't think I can't see it. You're doing all this to spite Lucy, because you don't want her living here."

"Well, don't worry. You won't have to look at her much longer."

"Whitfield, the major shareholder, handed down another assignment. A year-long posting to France. I already booked the flight for tomorrow afternoon. Lucy's French is good, so she'll be the one coming with me."

"You love your jealous little fits, don't you? Plenty of time to enjoy them now."

"Hurry up and cook. We're hungry."

With that, he sauntered back to the couch and picked the flirting back up with Lucille, in French again.

I'd just brought the food out when I heard Lucille say,

"Craig, once our baby's born, are you going to have one with Vanessa too?"

"Because then our child would have to share his daddy with someone else's kid, wouldn't he?"

"He wouldn't get pushed around, would he?"

Craig let out a cold snort.

"Her?"

"I will never have a child with her."

"When I get back from France this time, I'm bringing up the child-free thing with her."

"You've had a rough couple of days. Let me make it up to you tonight."

"Craig, you're so good to me."

"Though I heard you're not supposed to sleep together when you're pregnant"

"It's fine. We'll be gentle."

That was when Craig noticed me come out, his eyes going to the food in my hands.

"Vanessa, I told you I don't like stir-fried chicken. Are you deaf?"

He glanced at the empty cutting board and the range hood already switched off.

"Why'd you only make one dish today? What are Lucy and I supposed to eat?"

I said flatly, "I already told you last time. I'm not cooking for you anymore."

"If you two want to eat, figure it out yourselves."

Craig shot to his feet.

"Vanessa, what exactly do you think you're doing?"

I ignored him and kept eating.

He started toward me to shout, but Lucille caught his arm and soothed him in French.

"Craig, don't be angry. Don't frighten our baby."

Craig forced the temper down, then turned it on me another way.

"Vanessa, why did you leave the office this afternoon without permission?"

"You violated company discipline. Your bonus this month is cut."

"And the company's trade documents. Go translate the foreign-language sections into English right now. I need them tomorrow."

"Consider it making up for the afternoon you skipped."

Once, Craig had told me I could come and go from the office as I pleased.

Now he was using it against me.

The documents couldn't possibly be finished in one night. He was doing it to get me out of the way.

But I couldn't be bothered to argue.

Tomorrow, all of it would be over anyway.

"Fine."

I rose slowly, took my suitcase, and walked out.

Lucille's worried voice trailed after me.

"Craig, Vanessa's not going to run away from home, is she?"

His sneer followed too.

"She's just putting on an act. Relax, first thing tomorrow she'll hand me those translations right on time."

"Not that I have any use for them."

Then he switched to French of his own accord.

"All right, she's gone. Let me order some takeout, and then I'll reward you."

My step caught for a beat, and I left, my eyes cold.

I didn't go back that night.

Early the next morning, I walked into the conference room for the shareholders' meeting.

Nathan stood behind me with the legal team.

That was when Craig called.

"Vanessa, where are you? Where are the documents I told you to translate?"

I didn't pick up.

When he called again, I blocked him outright.

Then a message came through.

"Vanessa, if you have the nerve not to answer my calls, I'll fire you the second this meeting's over!"

A moment later, the conference room door opened.

Craig nodded and smiled at the room, right up until he saw me sitting at the head of the table, and the anger came up all at once.

"Vanessa, no wonder I couldn't find you. So this is where you ran off to!"

"And why are you even here? Is this any place for you to be?"

I looked at him and spoke in French.

"To hear what assignment Whitfield's given you, of course."

"Or is it to go there and watch Lucy have her baby?"