My Wife Mocked Me in French, But I'm Her Boss

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At the dinner table, Julian, the exchange student my wife brought home, suddenly spoke in French.

Serena, you absolutely cannot tell Ethan about the pregnancy. Otherwise, he'll probably kill me.

My wife, Serena, cut a piece of steak for him and chuckled softly.

Don't worry, I won't tell him. If I start showing, I'll just make up an excuse to go on another business trip to France with you. We'll come back after the baby is born.

Julian grinned. "Perfect. Then I'll stay here for now and watch our baby grow."

Then Serena switched to English and turned to me. "Ethan, Julian just joined our company's import-export department. I'm planning to have him stay at our place for a while. He's been in France all this time and isn't familiar with the city. Since you're the head of the department, you should look out for him."

Julian raised his glass to me with a smirk. "Ethan, Serena said you're amazing at your job but don't speak any foreign languages. Let's conquer the market for Serena's company together."

No foreign languages? I had never told my wife that I actually spoke eight languages fluently.

Since they were being this blatant, I didn't see any reason to be polite.

If it weren't for the faint, mocking smirk on Julian's face, I would have doubted my own hearing.

I stared at him.

He hid his expression quickly.

Serena, thinking I was refusing to drink with him, glared at me.

"Ethan, where are your manners? Can't you see Julian is raising a toast to you?!"

I sneered.

"Just because he toasts me doesn't mean I have to drink."

"And bringing someone to live in my house without my permission? Do you even respect me as your husband?"

Julian immediately put on a pitiful face.

"Ethan, I know you mind me staying here, and you mind Serena taking such good care of me."

"But I just graduated and came back. My hometown is so far away, and I don't know anyone in this city."

"Please don't worry. Serena is just pitying me. Once I'm settled, I'll move out."

"Move out? Absolutely not!"

"You can stay here as long as you want."

Serena shielded him, turning to snap at me.

"Ethan, when did you get so petty?!"

"Every time your name comes up when I'm out with friends, I feel so embarrassed!"

I gripped my glass, staring at her coldly.

"Then tell me, what did you two just say in French?"

"We..."

A flash of guilt crossed Serena's eyes, but she quickly found an excuse.

"Julian is going to be in charge of our French clients. I was just practicing with him so he doesn't get rusty."

"Ethan, are you overthinking again? Julian was literally just praising you!"

Julian smiled.

"Yes, Ethan. I was saying how experienced you are and how much I need to learn from you."

Listening to their blatant lies, my eyes grew colder.

But I didn't expose them on the spot.

The price for betraying me shouldn't be paid so easily.

In the past, Serena had brought him home too. Back then, they were just acting a bit flirtatious.

If I didn't understand French, I would have never known they had already reached this disgusting stage.

Six years ago.

Serena was still struggling with her startup.

When the domestic market was tough, I was the one who secured multiple major international clients for her.

I was also the one who got her funding from the city's largest conglomerate, the Sterling Group.

Even though I spoke eight languages, I never spoke them in front of her.

And what she didn't know was...

The former chairman of the Sterling Group was my grandfather.

Before he passed away, his will stated that I could only take over the family empire after I turned thirty.

I was thirty-two now.

To help Serena with her business, I had delayed my return.

Sterling Group had invested heavily in Serena's company, holding a forty percent share.

So, although my official title was just the head of her import-export department...

In reality, Serena was working for me.

I forced myself to calm down.

I spoke quietly.

"Since it's just practice, please, go on."

Hearing this, Julian smiled at Serena.

"Serena, I told you Ethan isn't that petty."

Then, he switched right back to French.

"Serena, is he always this easy to fool?"

Serena glanced at me and smiled beautifully.

"Always."

"Before you graduated, when I brought you here for an internship, he threw a tantrum because we were close."

"But a few sweet words, and he was completely fine."

"Do you remember that time we booked a room at the hotel and bumped right into him?"

"I just told him we were booking it for a client, and he bought it instantly."

"At the end of the day, he simply can't live without me."

Julian looked at me with deep amusement, continuing in French.

"Serena, when we were rolling around in your bed at your place, I was so scared he'd suddenly come back."

"But based on what you're saying, even if he caught us, he'd probably just make up an excuse to believe us, right?"

"Most likely."

"When our baby grows up, I'm going to tell him bedtime stories about his clueless cuckold stepdad every single day."

They laughed together, looking at me like I was a clown.

They kept flirting in French for a long time.

I pretended not to understand a single word.

Eventually, they seemed to lose interest.

Serena switched to English.

"Julian, I'll take you to see the company this afternoon. You haven't been back in a while."

Then she told me.

"Ethan, go to the supermarket this afternoon and buy some high-end Western toiletries. Julian isn't used to the cheap stuff we have at home."

With that, the two of them walked out.

I calmly took my phone from under the table and stopped the recording.

Then, I dialed a number I hadn't called in a very long time.

"Robert, I'm ready to return to Sterling."

Hearing my voice, the person on the other end got incredibly excited.

"Mr. Harrison! You're finally coming back? When will you arrive?"

"In a few days."

"First, help me investigate all of my wife's travel records in France over the past two years."

"Of course, Mr. Harrison. Since Sterling holds a massive share in her company, she's practically under our subsidiary. It will be incredibly easy to track her."

Very quickly, Robert sent me a file.

"Mr. Harrison, here are all the records of Serena's business trips to France."

I opened the document, my brows furrowing.

Even though I was prepared for it, their shameless behavior still disgusted me.

In the past six months alone, they had booked hotel rooms together more than a hundred times.

This meant they spent more than half of their time sleeping in the same bed.

On top of that, there were Serena's spending records on Julian.

Luxury watches, sports cars, designer clothes...

It all added up to over $200,000.

You had to realize, the net annual income of Serena's company was barely a million dollars.

"Mr. Harrison, do you want me to draft a divorce agreement?"

"With this evidence, we can make sure she leaves with absolutely nothing. And from Sterling's perspective, we can sue her for every dime she embezzled."

I closed the document and shook my head slowly, my eyes icy.

"No rush. Let's play with them first."

In the afternoon, I went to the store and then returned home.

Just as I finished cooking, I heard the front door open.

I quietly started the recording on my phone.

Serena and Julian walked in laughing, looking at an ultrasound report, chatting in French.

"Serena, our baby is so tiny right now. The doctor said he's only the size of a little bean."

Serena smiled gently.

"Then we will patiently wait for him to grow."

"Let's eat first. We can look at the report later."

But as soon as she sat down, Serena noticed a set of utensils was missing.

She frowned and looked at me in the kitchen.

"Ethan, there are three of us. Why did you only set two plates?"

"Get another fork for Julian!"

I replied calmly.

"I have no obligation to serve an outsider."

Hearing this, Serena slammed her fork onto the table.

"Ethan! I've told you a thousand times, Julian is not an outsider!"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Right. You two spend so much time together, you might as well be sharing a bed already."

Serena's face flushed with anger.

"Enough! When are you going to stop with this pathetic jealousy?!"

"Why can't you learn some tolerance and maturity from Julian?!"

I took off my apron and tossed it onto a chair.

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

Seeing my attitude, Serena bolted upright.

Just as she was about to scream at me, the medical report slipped from her hand.

It fluttered right onto the dining table.

The words "8 Weeks Pregnant" at the bottom of the page were clear as day.

And Serena had just spent the last six months on a business trip in France.

The baby obviously wasn't mine.

Serena quickly snatched the paper away.

Guilt flashed across her face, assuming I hadn't seen the name on the report.

"Ethan, don't get any crazy ideas. I just went to check on my severe cramps. This report belongs to another patient. I took it by mistake."

I sneered in my heart, keeping my face blank.

"Oh, really?"

"But how come I remember your period just came two weeks ago?"

She frowned.

"It's because of all the stress at the company lately! And because you keep picking fights with me!"

Seeing my cold expression, she snapped.

"What? You don't believe me? Julian can prove it!"

Julian quickly chimed in. "Ethan, Serena has never done anything to betray you. I can guarantee that!"

I let out a soft laugh.

"You?"

"Yes, me."

"Who the hell do you think you are to guarantee anything?"

Julian's face turned incredibly ugly.

Serena lost her mind completely. She picked up her fork and threw it right at my face.

"Ethan, don't you dare act so ungrateful!"

"Don't forget, every bite of food you eat and every drop of water you drink is paid for by my company!"

"Apologize to Julian right now, or you can kiss your monthly bonus goodbye!"

Behind her, Julian smirked triumphantly, though he put on a fake, polite voice.

"Serena, don't be mad. I won't hold it against Ethan."

I wiped a splash of soup from my forehead and smiled with pure disdain.

"I don't give a damn about your bonus."

Without giving her another glance, I walked into the guest room.

I unlocked my phone.

"Robert, get me a copy of Serena's medical records from the hospital today."

Within minutes, the file was sent to my Snapchat.

The report read:

*Serena Crawford.*

*Two months pregnant. Fetus is healthy.*

The next morning, I arrived at the office.

As soon as I walked into the breakroom, Julian approached me with a fake smile.

"Ethan, things got a little heated yesterday. I wanted to apologize."

"After all, we have to work together to grow Serena's company."

He poured a cup of piping hot coffee and handed it to me.

I frowned and reached out to take it.

But before my fingers could even touch the mug, Julian let go.

The scalding coffee spilled all over my shirt.

A burning pain instantly spread across my chest.

I stared at Julian coldly.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

Just then, Serena walked in.

Julian immediately looked completely wronged.

"Ethan, if you have an issue with me, you can just tell me. I'll change."

"But you shouldn't burn yourself just to frame me."

"I know you don't want me near Serena. I'll keep my distance from now on."

Hearing this, Serena exploded.

"Ethan! Throwing tantrums at home wasn't enough for you?!"

"Now you're coming to the office and bullying Julian? Do you want to get fired?!"

I looked at her.

"He let go on purpose to burn me."

But she wouldn't listen to a single word.

"Shut up! Julian would never do something so childish!"

"Get back to your desk! If I catch you targeting him again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

As we turned to leave, Julian spoke in French again.

"Serena, Ethan seems to hate me so much. Maybe I should just go back to France?"

Serena replied in French.

"Fine. If you don't want to stay here, I'll go back with you. I'll book our tickets for tomorrow afternoon."

"But what about Ethan? You two are married..."

"I stopped loving him a long time ago. If it weren't for his work capabilities, I would have divorced him ages ago."

I felt a deep sense of disappointment.

At this exact moment, the last lingering feeling I had for Serena completely vanished.

I sent a text to Robert.

"Inform Serena that there will be a shareholder meeting tomorrow."

"Have the legal team prepare all the evidence. I want her to realize just how incredibly foolish she is."

Since I was planning to lay all my cards on the table, it was time to separate our assets.

In the afternoon, I left the office early and went home to pack my things.

I took our wedding photo off the wall and threw it straight into the trash can.

When Serena came home with Julian after work, she saw my packed suitcases and the empty spot on the wall. Her brow furrowed.

She screamed at me while I was cooking.

"Ethan, what the hell are you doing?!"

I turned around, my voice completely calm.

"Serena, starting tomorrow, we are completely over."

"You can be with him."

"But the price you have to pay... you might not be able to afford it."

Serena let out a loud sneer.

"So you put on this entire dramatic show just to say that?"

"Who do you think you are? The CEO of Sterling Group?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You're just throwing a tantrum because you don't want Julian staying here."

"But don't worry, you won't have to see him for long anyway."

"Our major shareholder, Sterling Group, just assigned us a one-year project in France. I already bought tickets for tomorrow afternoon. Julian speaks great French, so he's coming with me."

"Keep crying and being jealous all you want. We don't care."

"Now, hurry up and finish cooking. We're hungry."

With that, she casually walked over to the sofa and started whispering in French with Julian again.

When I brought the food out, I heard Julian ask.

"Serena, once our baby is born, are you going to have to make one with Ethan too?"

"If you do, our baby will have to share your love with someone else."

"He'll get bullied, won't he?"

Serena scoffed.

"Him?"

"I would never have his baby."

"When I get back from France, I'll tell him I want us to live a childfree life."

"You've been so patient and put up with so much these past two days. I'll reward you tonight."

"Serena, you're the best."

"But wait, is it safe to do that while you're pregnant?"

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

Just then, Serena saw me putting the dishes on the table. Her eyes glared at the food.

"Ethan, I told you I hate chicken! Are you deaf?!"

She glanced at the empty kitchen.

"And why did you only make one dish? What are Julian and I supposed to eat?!"

I replied flatly, "I already told you. I am not cooking for you anymore."

"If you're hungry, figure it out yourselves."

Serena slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"Ethan, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

I completely ignored her and sat down to eat my own food.

Serena tried to march over and yell at me, but Julian held her back, comforting her in French.

"Serena, don't get angry. Be careful of our baby."

Serena forced her anger down, but she still glared at me coldly.

"Ethan, why did you leave the office early without permission today?"

"You broke company policy. Your bonus for this month is officially docked."

"Also, I need you to translate all the import-export documents tonight. I need them first thing tomorrow morning."

"Consider it making up for your unauthorized absence today."

In the past, Serena had told me I could come and go as I pleased.

Now, she was using it as a weapon.

Translating those files would take all night. She was clearly trying to keep me busy and get me out of the way.

But I couldn't be bothered to argue.

Because tomorrow, everything would come to an end.

"Fine," I said slowly.

I stood up, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out the door.

Julian's worried voice echoed behind me.

"Serena, is Ethan running away from home?"

Serena's mocking voice followed right after.

"He's just throwing a pathetic fit. Trust me, he will deliver those translated files to me on time tomorrow morning."

"Though, I won't even need them."

Then, she switched to French.

"Now that he's gone, let's order some takeout. And then... I'll give you your reward."

My footsteps paused for a second. With a cold smile, I walked out of the building.

I didn't go back that night.

The next morning, I walked straight into the main boardroom of the Sterling Group.

Robert stood behind me with a team of elite lawyers.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Serena.

"Ethan! Where the hell are you?! Where are the translated documents?!"

I ignored the call.

When she tried calling again, I blocked her number.

A text message popped up on my Snapchat.

"Ethan, how dare you ignore my calls! I'm going to fire you the second my meeting is over!"

A few minutes later, the heavy boardroom doors opened.

Serena walked in, smiling and nodding politely to the board members. But the moment her eyes landed on me sitting in the chairman's seat, her face twisted in rage.

"Ethan? I was wondering where you went. Why are you here?"

"Is this a place you belong?"

I looked at her and spoke in flawless French.

"I'm just here to listen to the 'important project' Sterling Group supposedly assigned you in France."

"Are you going there to have Julian's baby?"