A Man's Snack is His Downfall

Eve Stewart, Chase's aide-de-camp, texted me just as I reached home.She sent a screenshot of someone's Instagram Live status. It came from Chase's new secretary. The image showed a lunchbox packed with near-artistic precision, filled with enough nutrients to make a dietitian gasp.The caption read: [He's a dark, cold CEO… and a shiny knight who saved a hungry princess with gastric problems from eating instant mac 'n' cheese again!]I stared at the screen in confusion. How had the lunch I prepared for him ended up in Imogen John's hands?Eve followed up almost immediately. [Check his status.]I did, still baffled, and my blood started to boil.Chase Grimm never updated his social media. Yet there he was, sharing a photo of a cup of ridiculously spicy mac 'n' cheese, captioned: [I've missed this.]"Missed this, my ass." I had made him a proper lunch. Instead of eating it, he handed it to his pick-me secretary and chose instant mac 'n' cheese. What was that supposed to mean?Befo

Chase's annoyance flared. "Since when have I ever said I hated your meals? You're just making things up so you can stay mad.""Oh? So this means you like everything I've ever made for you?" I shot back as I pulled a lunchbox from my bag. I lifted the lid and slid it across the table. "Here's today's lunch."Chase slammed his fist down. "What is this? This isn't human food. It's…""Chicken feed. Yes," I said calmly."I assumed that's what you do with the meals I prepare for you. You feed them to your side chick." I cast a sideways glance at Imogen. "Your Highness, it is my great honor to present your premium, organic chicken feed. No need to thank me. Bon appétit."Imogen began to cry, her head bowed as she hid behind her boss.I continued, my tone sharp with mockery, "Is that all you can do, Princess? Cry? You expect to become the wife of a CEO with nothing but tears?"Men like yours enjoy playing the hero for fragile little girls, but they are not stupid enough to marry a usele

We had never had a fight this explosive in our marriage until today.Chase grabbed the large, ornate frame that held our wedding photo and smashed it against the wall while I watched. He plowed through priceless vases, chinaware, and other custom mementos we had commissioned during our honeymoon.He screamed, "I had no fucking idea how petty you actually were until today. Was any of this necessary? Did you really need to get the entire company, a public entity, by the way, to ostracize her over our private matter?"I've told you a thousand times. There is nothing between us. Why won't you stop hurling baseless, insulting accusations at her?"I surveyed the wreckage of his rage with the detachment of an outsider. "Nothing, you say? Nothing? If she truly had some kind of gastric condition, do you know the proper way to handle it?"You send her to a clinic. That's it. You did not need to give her the lunch I made for you. My effort is not a prop in your little courtship game."And t

I turned to Karoline, who looked thoroughly bemused. "I had some friends in the company teach her a brief lesson for trying to seduce someone else's husband. You would think that was fair. Except your son came rushing home in a rage. He started smashing everything in the house like a rabid gorilla."The best part? Everything he destroyed was a souvenir or memento from our marriage. Was that a coincidence, or was he desperate to send me a message?"You would not stay calm if you were in my shoes. That little fib I told earlier was enough to make you want to punch Dad. Now imagine your son doing something far worse. You cannot seriously tell me to forgive him for this."Karoline grimaced. Her face sagged, as though the weight of the revelation pressed down on every muscle.For reasons I still could not comprehend, Chase refused to agree to a divorce, even after I had, quite frankly, smashed something against his head. "Greta, please listen to me. I know I've made mistakes, but I swea

I made a point of stopping by the Grimm residence before returning to the villa. Some of my belongings were still in my old room.Chase was having lunch with his parents when I arrived. I saw them the moment I opened the door. All four of them were laughing merrily, like the happiest family in the world. Imogen had taken my seat and was telling a joke to my mother-in-law.Well, Imogen clearly fancied herself the mistress of the house.Everyone at the table froze when they noticed me. Imogen's and Karoline's smiles stiffened. Chase sprang to his feet, looking like a man caught hiding a stray cat in his bedroom.Paul alone showed no reaction. That came as no surprise. He was a shortsighted old man who stubbornly refused to wear his glasses. Half the time, he barely knew what he was looking at. I would not have been surprised if he struck up a conversation with a tree just because the trunk looked shapely from afar.When he finally realized it was me, he shot me a look filled with si