Stole My Snacks, Lost His Pride

I glared at him, disgust rising. "Who do you think you are?"Scanning the office, I declared, "This institute is mine, registered under my name, and your boss is my wife."Jake froze for a split second, then burst into laughter. "Yeah, sure. You're decent-looking, but a delivery drone claiming Monica as your wife? Delusional much?" he scoffed. "If you're her husband, then I'm the president."He kicked the flowers away and sauntered closer, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Get real. Take a good look at yourself."His words hung in the air, igniting a chorus of snide whispers from behind me. The barbs stung like needles, each dripping with mockery.Then, a swirl of fabric caught my eye. It was the unmistakable silhouette of Monica.She strode in and demanded, "What's the commotion? Breakthroughs to discuss?"Clad in a sleek beige pantsuit, she clutched a thick folder of documents. Her eyes locked on mine, and for a heartbeat, her composure faltered.Her pupils contracted, and her

The rubberneckers, thrilled at the invitation to pile on, swarmed me in a frenzy.A fistful of my hair got ripped out in the scuffle, my shirt hanging in tatters.Adrenaline surged, but lab life had sapped my strength. I couldn't shake them off.I was pinned face-first to the cold floor, my arms wrenched behind my back. They whooped with glee, capturing my humiliation with their phones."Busted the sidepiece. First time jumping into the fray.""Blast it to his flower gig and viral accounts. Expose this arrogant prick to the world."Humiliation burned my cheeks, but resistance was futile.As they hauled me toward the exit, a trio of familiar faces entered."Monica, when is my start date here? You promised today," one of them asked.Their eyes met mine, and panic flashed across their features. They shuffled backward instinctively."This loser was punching way above. Watch me toss him out!" Jake yanked me upright. "He spouts off that Monica is his wife. Luckily, I am around, or

The room froze in shock, though Monica feigned composure amid the chaos.But when police officers followed, faces drained of color across the board."You called them?" Jake yanked my collar, only to be booted aside by a bodyguard.Supported to my feet, I spat out the debris."Officer, these intruders assaulted company personnel!" Jake wailed, scrambling up. "This delivery guy caused trouble here and brought his men to hit me. Check my bruises. Everyone saw it."The lead officer eyed me, then the culprits. "Your side?"My protectors produced fresh clothes for me. "Hi, here are our credentials."I was an elite national researcher, and round-the-clock security was standard, though I'd ditched them for this personal visit."Officer, my wife is guilty of bigamy, orchestrating this mob to batter and degrade me," I explained.Monica lunged at me, but my guards quickly restrained her.The officers verified my credentials before swarming me with handshakes. "Mr. Rossi, your reputation

Facing the ironclad proof, Monica ran out of excuses.While waiting at the precinct, I sent an aide to handle a pressing task.I needed to see her one last time and ended things with her.I pushed open the interrogation room door, and there she was, slumped in the metal chair.Her eyes were red and puffy as she looked up."You're here," she sniffed, reaching out as if expecting an embrace.I sneered, my feet planted like roots."I messed up. Please forgive me, honey," she whimpered, biting her lip.Her face, once so familiar, now felt like a mask of deceit.I scoffed, "Couldn't stand a few months of loneliness, huh?""No, it's not like that." She strained against the cuffs, collapsing back when they held firm. "Jake was behind it all. At an investor gala, he got me drunk and took advantage of me. I don't even like him. I just couldn't shake him off. You're the only one I've ever loved."Her voice dripped with desperation as she continued, "Please, talk to the officers and ge

The paternity test was conducted under strict watch to prevent tampering.I paid extra for the results to be rushed in 36 hours.During that tense wait, Monica refused to sleep, tormenting the guards with incessant demands to see me.Her family camped outside my villa, clutching the child and proclaiming it my heir.The child's cries pierced the night. Through my window, I caught Mary pinching her arm to provoke wails.Though I knew the child wasn't mine, my stomach churned at the abuse. I recorded the scene and sent it to the police.Officers swooped in, detaining the Bowmans and delivering a bombshell.It was Monica who had initiated the affair with Jake. Their connection sparked at a glitzy networking event.I cursed my blindness, but Monica was a master manipulator, weaving lies so convincing she'd fooled even herself.The 36 hours passed in a blur, and the paternity results landed like a thunderclap.The child belonged to neither me nor Jake.Monica and Jake lunged at e