The CEO’s Fake Wife Exposed in Front of Everyone

6

After hearing her, Leander shot me a skeptical look and remarked, “What kind of solid proposal could she possibly come up with? Theia, you’re far too generous, but sometimes reality isn’t kind.”

Theia, clearly enjoying the moment, retorted, “You can’t dismiss her like that. Seren is more than capable. I genuinely want to see her proposal. Even if it’s not our top choice, it could serve as a valuable backup.”

Leander nodded eagerly, his tone dripping with insincerity as he turned to me. “Didn’t you catch what Theia said? Get a move on and present your proposal. Do we have to beg you?”

He smirked, "Just look at how gracious Theia is. She doesn’t even hold your past blunders against you. Having a colleague like her, or should I say, the boss’s wife, is a real blessing for you.”

I chuckled, the sound as cold as ice, and met Leander's gaze without moving an inch.

"You’ve already praised my proposal," I replied, my voice laced with quiet confidence. "You just didn’t know it was mine."

Leander's brow furrowed in confusion. "What’s that supposed to mean?" he shot back, the irritation growing in his tone.

I gestured toward the screen, my voice steady as I declared, “That’s my proposal. Yesterday, Theia asked for it, and when I refused, she took it for herself and presented it today without a second thought.”

In an instant, Theia’s eyes filled with tears. She feigned a pitiful sob, her voice quivering as she said, “Seren, I know I misjudged you about the ring last time, but fabricating stories isn’t fair! I poured my heart into this proposal last night. Everyone here can back me up on that. If you don’t believe me, just ask them.”

The colleagues nodded in unison, their expressions betraying nothing as they blatantly laid out their lies. One interjected, “Absolutely, we all witnessed it.”

Another added, “You clearly dropped the ball on this one. You’ve been coasting through work every day, and now you’re trying to pin it on someone else.”

A third voice piped up with a smirk, “You’re just hooked on winning after what happened last time, aren’t you?”

As the mocking persisted, the unmistakable voice of my husband, CEO Dorian Solstice, burst through the door, carrying an air of authority. “What’s happening here? Why is there such an uproar?”

7

I gave Dorian a subtle smile, an unspoken assurance that I could manage this situation on my own. Just as I prepared to speak, Leander dashed over, his voice a mix of urgency and indignation.

“President Solstice! I’m Leander Anderson, head of the planning department,” he exclaimed, hands waving in the thin air. “You won’t believe what’s happening here. Seren is accusing your wife, Theia, of stealing her proposal, but the truth is, it’s the other way around! She took it from Theia!”

Theia lingered to the side, her eyes shimmering with fabricated tears as she nodded with exaggerated solemnity.

“Absolutely, that’s what transpired,” she proclaimed, her voice trembling. “While I believe that misunderstandings among colleagues can be cleared up, plagiarism crosses a line that simply cannot be tolerated.”

“Plagiarism?” Dorian’s brow furrowed as he shot me a knowing glance, fully aware that this was nothing more than a baseless accusation. He had been by my side every step of the way while I crafted that proposal. I had not only the content to back me up but also a willing witness if the situation called for it.

Theia tossed her hair back. “Yes, that’s precisely it,” she declared as if her confidence could turn falsehoods into truth.

But Dorian remained focused on me, his gaze steady.

“Seren, is there any truth to this? Did you plagiarize?” He asked, his voice firm yet gentle, seeking the truth beneath the chaos.

Shaking my head, I cleared my name out of their baseless claims, “No, Mr. Solstice. This proposal is entirely my work, and the proof lies right there. My name is on the final slide. It seems someone was so eager to claim my work that they forgot to change the last image.”

Theia's expression twisted into a guise of false innocence as she quickly regained her composure.

“Is that really what you’re hanging your hat on?” She said, dripping with pretend concern. “The template was something you shared with me—the welcome slide at the beginning and the thank-you slide at the end were yours. But the content in between? That’s all mine. I have a whole chorus of colleagues ready to back me up. So tell me, what good does that single slide do for you? If you’re truly as capable as you claim, perhaps you should find your own witness.”

Dorian said with a knowing smirk, clearly amused by the situation. “I wonder if I’d be enough of a witness?”