After His Secretaries Humiliated Me in My Swimsuit, I Snapped

On my thirtieth birthday, Noah booked an entire private island just to celebrate with me.

But the moment I appeared on the beach, Noah's secretary, Rosamond, yanked the shawl right off my shoulders.

And so, wearing only a swimsuit, I was exposed to everyone's eyes.

Haha, Mr. Fox was right, her breasts really do sag terriblythey're practically hanging down to her stomach!

"Oh my, that's really scary. If that's what happens, I wouldn't dare get married and have kids."

The other secretaries crowded in too, looking me up and down.

"Even a nightgown that conservative can't hide those sagging breasts. It's disgusting, they're almost as bad as my grandma's."

"I've heard it's not just the breasts that sag after childbirthyou can also leak urine when you cough or sneeze. I wonder if Mrs. Fox has that problem too?"

Noah appeared just in time and draped the shawl back over my shoulders.

"Don't listen to their nonsense. They're just young girls who talk without thinking. Don't take it to heart."

I fought hard to hold back the tears about to spill over, staring straight at Noah.

"That's it? One flimsy little line and it's settled? Why are they even here?"

"They're humiliating your wifeare you deaf?"

Noah shot them a warning look, then turned and tried to take my hand.

"All right, they're all young, never been married or had kids. They're just a little curious about you."

"Don't be angry. Why don't I go sit over there with you?"

I took a step back, opening up the distance between Noah and me.

"Weren't you supposed to be celebrating my birthday? Why are they here?"

A flicker of impatience crossed Noah's face, but he still explained to me good-naturedly.

"When they heard I'd booked a whole island, they kept begging to come along for a team-building trip."

"Don't read into it. They didn't mean anything by it."

As Noah spoke, the group of secretaries, with Rosamond at the front, watched me from not far off.

The provocation and malice in her eyes were completely undisguised.

I couldn't be bothered to keep listening to Noah smooth things over, and strode straight toward Rosamond.

"Smack!"

Amid the crowd's astonished stares, I landed the slap clean and decisive.

"Go on, why so quiet now? Weren't you having such a great time a minute ago?"

"Who gave you the right to pass judgment on other people's bodies? Aren't you a woman yourself?"

With that, I ignored Rosamond's reaction and let my gaze fall on each of the other secretaries in turn.

Caught under my stare, they all lowered their heads and didn't dare say another word.

Noah strode over and pulled Rosamond protectively to his side.

"Emily, that's a bit much."

"Even if they were wrong, you still shouldn't have hit her."

Seeing Noah shield her, Rosamond's eyes instantly went red.

"Mrs. Fox, I was only joking. Please don't be angry. It's all my fault."

"But it's still wrong of you to hit me. Even if I said the wrong thing, you shouldn't have"

Before Rosamond could finish, I slapped her hard across the face again, cutting her off.

"What did you mean by what you just said? Mr. Fox was right?"

"Who ever discussed my body with you?"

The instant I asked that question, Noah's expression changed.

Before Rosamond could speak, Noah rushed in.

"All right, Emily, you've hit her and you've cursed her out. Let's just drop it."

"It's your birthday today. Don't let a little thing like this ruin your mood."

Noah's reaction made my heart sink, and sink again.

For some questions, no answer is already the best answer.

I raised my hand and pointed at Rosamond, but my eyes stayed fixed on Noah's face.

"Fire her."

Noah froze, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes.

That reaction was answer enough.

I didn't spare them another glance, turned, and walked straight off the beach.

Back in my room, I took off the swimsuit and changed into my own clothes.

As I changed, I caught sight of my figure in the full-length mirror.

I'm thirty this year, and I have a four-year-old daughter with Noah.

I did have a child, but I was young when I gave birth and recovered quicklybesides, my postpartum recovery therapist and nutritionist were the very best.

My figure isn't perfect, but it's certainly not bad.

All these years, unless I said so myself, no one could ever tell I'd had a child.

Yet today, Noah let his secretaries openly tear my body apart.

Sometimes, isn't staying neutral its own kind of answer?

Once I was dressed, I called the driver directly.

"Send someone to pick me up and take me home."

After the yacht docked, the driver was waiting onshore.

"Ma'am, should we go pick up your daughter?"

Today was my thirtieth birthday. Noah had booked the whole island ahead of time, saying he wanted the two of us to have some time alone, so I'd dropped our daughter off at my parents' place beforehand.

If I went to get her now, my parents would worry.

At that thought, I shook my head at the driver.

"Just take me home."

I hadn't been home long when Noah came back too.

Seeing me sitting on the sofa, he walked over and crouched down in front of me.

"Everything today was my fault. Don't be angry anymore, okay?"

"I made a reservation at a restaurant. We"

Before Noah could finish, I cut him off.

"You've discussed my body with other women?"

Noah's eyes flickered for a moment.

A beat later, I heard his low voice.

"Those secretaries are all young girls. I probably overheard them talking about marriage and kids in the office and just went along with them for a few words."

"But how could I ever look down on you?"

I said nothing. I just stared straight at him.

Seven years dating, five years married, twelve whole years side by side, day and night.

But in that instant, I felt like I didn't even recognize him anymore.

I took a deep breath.

"Fire Rosamond."

Noah's troubled expression was exactly the same as the one on the island.

"Rosamond is good at her job. In her two years at the company, she's never made a single mistake at work."

"Emily, don't put me in a hard spot, okay?"

Noah's voice was clearly gentle, but every word chilled me to the bone.

Seeing that I didn't speak, Noah's voice softened even more.

He laid his hand over the back of mine.

"If you really can't stand her, then I'll do my best to keep her out of your sight from now on, okay?"

"We've been together all these years. Don't you still trust me?"

Looking at Noah's familiar face, my nose stung sharply.

Four years ago, when I gave birth to our daughter, I had an amniotic fluid embolism and barely survivedI nearly died on the operating table.

When I woke up in the hospital bed, Noah had held my hand just like this, his eyes red from crying.

"Emily, no more childrenlet's never have another child, okay? I can't take that kind of risk again."

"As long as you're alive and well, as long as we're together, I don't need anything else."

I believe his tears and his fear back then were real.

I believe his love back then was real too.

Yet now, in just four short years, he's forgotten how afraid he was, and even lets an outsider treat the harm childbirth did to my body as a joke to chat about.

How ridiculous. How ironic.

I forced back the sob rising in my throat.

"Let's go to bed. I'm a little tired."

When I woke up the next day, there was no one beside me.

Noah must have gone to work.

Remembering that my daughter was still at my parents' place, I got up, washed up, and had the driver take me to their house.

Mom looked a little surprised.

"Why are you here to pick up the little one so soon? Did you two get back early today?"

"Have you eaten breakfast yet? We're just about to have some."

My daughter rushed straight into my arms.

"Mommy, you came to get me? Did you have a happy birthday yesterday?"

"Where's Daddy? Why didn't he come to pick me up with you? Lisa misses Daddy."

Looking at my daughter's adorable little face, the sadness in my heart eased a little.

"Daddy went to work. Mommy came to have breakfast with you, Lisa."

After breakfast, worried my parents would notice something was off, I took Lisa home.

But the moment I pushed open the door, I saw someone I loathed sitting on the sofa.

Seeing me come in, Rosamond shot to her feet.

"Mrs. Fox, I've come to apologize to you."

Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she'd been crying.

Noah sat down beside her and spoke up on her behalf.

"When I got to the office this morning, Rosamond was already like this."

"She said she hadn't slept all night, that she felt terrible about it, and she wanted to apologize to you in person."

Rosamond hurried to add her piece.

"Mrs. Fox, please don't blame Mr. Fox. I was the one who insisted on coming."

"I said the wrong thing yesterday, so it's only fair that you hit me. As long as it makes you feel better, you can do anything you want to me."

I couldn't be bothered to say another word to her, so I raised my hand and pointed at the door.

"Get out. Disappear from my sight."

Rosamond froze, as if she hadn't expected me to show her no mercy at all.

She sniffled, tears looking ready to spill the next second.

Noah couldn't sit still either, and he shot to his feet.

"I already explained everything to you last night. Rosamond came today in all sincerity to apologize, and she even brought Lisa some snacks."

"Even if she was wrong yesterday, is there really any need to be this overbearing?"

"Emily, it's time you did something about your temperament. It really puts a lot of pressure on people."

Noah was frowning, looking at me the way you'd look at a crazy, unreasonable woman.

Seeing that impatient look in his eyes, my heart felt like it was being clenched in a giant hand, until I could barely breathe.

We'd met freshman year of college, back when I was running for a department head position in the student council.

I'd stood up on that stage, taking the mockery of everyone in the audience.

It was all the usualthat I was too young, that I was a freshman who didn't know the rules.

An ordinary freshman might have been scared to tears by a scene like that, but I only smiled softly.

"Since when is running for a position about age instead of ability?"

"Besides throwing your weight around as upperclassmen to bully people, what else can you actually do?"

Noah told me about it later.

That was the moment he fell in love with me at first sightmy confident spirit had shone in his eyes.

Now, twelve years had passed.

That confident spirit had become overbearing.

Those shining strengths of mine put a lot of pressure on him.

Seeing that the mood had soured, Rosamond turned her attention to my daughter.

She opened the pastries she'd brought, picked out a piece, and held it out to her.

"You must be Lisa? I saw you at the office last time. You're so adorable."

"Auntie bought these pastries just for you. Try one and see if you like it."

My first instinct was to refuse outright.

But seeing the eager look on my daughter's face, I couldn't quite bring myself to stop her.

She was only four. I didn't want the conflicts between adults to touch her.

Seeing that I didn't stop her, my daughter happily took the pastry.

After a big bite, she squeezed her eyes shut in delight.

"Thank you, Auntie. It's delicious."

Once she'd already eaten two pieces, I finally spoke up.

"All right, Lisa, you've already had breakfast. Eating more will just upset your stomach."

"Let's put the pastries"

But before I could finish, my daughter clutched her neck and collapsed onto the carpet.

I jumped in fright and quickly pulled her into my arms.

I thought at first she'd choked, but a large patch of red spots was spreading across her soft little neck before my very eyes, and her breathing had turned rapid.

My heart lurched. I looked up and roared at Rosamond.

"What did you feed her?!"

Rosamond's face went pale, and she took an involuntary step back after I yelled at her.

"Mango... a pastry with mango filling."

"The mangoes in it are all fresh, they definitely couldn't..."

I didn't have time to keep listening. I scooped up my daughter and rushed outside.

"Driver! Driver!"

The driver sped the whole way, getting my daughter and me to the nearest hospital in under ten minutes.

But by the time we arrived, my daughter could barely breathe, her whole face flushed red.

The doctor realized what had happened and wheeled her straight into the emergency room.

The instant the emergency room lights came on, my knees buckled, and I had to grab the handrail in the hospital corridor just to stay on my feet.

Before the lingering fear could pass, Noah hurried in with Rosamond.

Rosamond walked up to me, crying.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Fox, I didn't know..."

I glared at Rosamond with pure venom, wishing I could tear her apart alive.

The sight of my daughter's flushed face just moments ago had made me completely lose my reason.

I couldn't stand another word from her, so I strode forward and slapped her hard across the face.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I will never let you get away with it!"

Noah quickly stepped forward and shielded Rosamond behind him.

"Emily, calm down!"

"Rosamond didn't know Lisa was allergic to mangoes. She didn't do it on purpose. She was just trying to be kind, buying Lisa a dessert today."

The hatred in my heart was almost overwhelming.

"She didn't do it on purpose? She didn't know?"

"Last time I brought Lisa to your office, when someone gave her fruit, I said it right thenLisa is allergic to mangoes."

At this point, I pointed straight at Rosamond.

"That time, she was right there! Standing right behind you!"

A flash of panic crossed Rosamond's eyes, and she hurriedly waved her hand in denial.

"I didn't know, I didn't hear it."

"If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have brought this dessert today."

Rosamond's reaction said it all.

I couldn't hold back any longer and raised my hand high.

But this time, Noah caught my wrist.

His voice carried an angry edge.

"That's enough, Emily! Stop making a scene!"

"Rosamond said she didn't know, so why do you keep harping on it?"

Noah made no effort to hide his impatience, as if I were the one being unreasonable.

In that moment, a deep sense of helplessness closed in around me.

The instant I opened my mouth, tears fell in heavy drops.

"Lisa is lying in the emergency room right now, her life hanging in the balance. You are her biological father!"

"But here you are, protecting the very person who did this to your daughter."

"Noah, can you tell me what on earth you're doing?"

Noah forcefully flung my wrist away.

"I'm Lisa's father. Do you think I'd want anything to happen to her?"

"But you don't have to blow it up like this. Nobody wants something like this to happen, and Rosamond didn't do it on purpose."

"You don't get to use our daughter as an excuse to vent your resentment against Rosamond. That's low!"

In that moment, the last string in my heart finally snapped for good.

I had no expectations left of Noah at all.

I stared at Noah for a long while, then finally wiped the tears from my face.

The next second, I heard my own strained voice.

"Noah."

"Let's get a divorce."