Chapter 4Not Your Son, Mr. Kevin

A woman's intuition is rarely wrong.

Even though I'd only met Bella once, I knew she had her sights set on Kevin. I thought my little display of dominance would be enough to put her in her place.

I was wrong. The necklace from the auction—the one that was supposed to be mine—was around her neck the very next day.

Michael, Kevin's chief of staff, sent me a photo and a screenshot.

In the photo, a diamond crescent moon necklace rested against Bella's pale skin, making her look even more delicate and lovely. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she was smiling. She must have cried all night and received a little "gift" as a consolation prize.

The screenshot was of her social media post:

[ The boss says girls have to be strong, even when they're upset! Wiping away the tears. Yes, sir, Mr. President! ]

Followed by a series of cute, flexing-bicep emojis and a picture of the necklace in its box.

My blood ran cold.

I have to admit, it was hard to swallow. It felt like finding a dead mosquito squashed on a pristine white handkerchief. It was a strange, unsettling feeling. For a moment, I wanted to jump into my yellow Ferrari, redline it to her office, and slap her across the face. But then I looked at my own hands and thought, why am I even giving this cheap little tramp the time of day?

I called my personal shopper at Hermès.

Her voice was practically vibrating with excitement. "Don't you worry, Mrs. King," she promised. "I'll move heaven and earth if I have to, but I'll get you everything you need. It will all be delivered today!"

And so, that afternoon, before the end of the workday, every single female executive assistant and senior administrator at King Corp—forty-six women in total, everyone except Bella—received a generous gift from the CEO's wife: a twelve-thousand-dollar Hermès necklace.

It wasn't as expensive as the two-hundred-thousand-dollar auction piece, but the sheer volume of it made a statement.

Michael, ever the smooth operator, instructed each recipient to post a picture on their social media with the caption:

[ The boss's wife says every girl deserves the best! Flexing my muscles. Yes, ma'am, Mrs. King! ]

The women were more than happy to oblige. The executive assistants and senior admins were the gossip hub of the entire company. A gift from the CEO's wife? They were ecstatic to post. Some of the savvier ones even added their own little flair: [Mrs. King really knows how to play the game!]

Individually, these assistants might not have had much influence, but their collective reach was terrifying. Within half an hour, the entire company knew that the boss's wife had gifted them all Hermès necklaces. As for why… the rumor mills were working overtime.

Bella's face was ashen. She looked utterly humiliated. With red-rimmed eyes, she fled to the bathroom and took off the diamond necklace. Two colleagues who came in to touch up their makeup saw her and snickered. Mortified, Bella kept her head down and hurried out, the sound of their laughter chasing her down the hall. Her cheeks burning, she put the necklace back in its box and returned it, untouched, to Kevin.