When He Learned I Was Abused, My CEO Ex Lost It! Chapter 03

When He Learned I Was Abused, My CEO Ex Lost It! Chapter 03

Over the next few days, Adrian didn’t drag me into his office alone again.

But the whole floor could tell something was off.

Very off.

Before, when he walked through the office, he looked cold and sharp, like an auditor with a knife.

Now he kept showing up on our floor every single day.

Walking past with coffee.

Going to the break room for water.

Pretending to check on a printer problem.

He showed up so often he looked like some giant restless dog circling the edge of his own territory.

My coworkers were gossiping like crazy.

Only I knew he wasn’t bored.

He was anxious.

And damn near losing his mind.

Wednesday morning, I’d just poured myself a cup of hot water when I heard heels clicking behind me.

I turned around.

Maggie.

The biggest gossip in our department.

She dragged me into a corner, eyes glittering.

“Little Fish!”

“You’re done for.”

My heart dropped.

“What happened?”

“The CEO talked to me!”

Me: “…”

Somehow that was even worse.

“He asked me all kinds of things about you.”

“What kind of things?”

“What do you mean what kind? Your terrible abusive husband, obviously!”

My vision went black.

I was dead.

If Maggie opened her mouth, she could spin me an entire eight-season drama.

Sure enough, the next second, she lowered her voice, excited beyond reason.

“I knew from the start the CEO looked at you differently.”

“And sure enough, the second he heard your husband hits you, his face went black.”

“I’m telling you, I hadn’t even started adding details yet and his eyes were already turning red!”

Me: “…What exactly did you tell him?”

Maggie started counting on her fingers.

“I told him the scratches on your arms clearly looked like some crazy guy at home grabbed you.”

“You’d been late a few times recently and your dark circles were awful, so I said your husband probably doesn’t let you sleep at night either.”

“And that one time the way you walked looked weird, I casually mentioned that too—”

I almost sprayed water everywhere.

“Wait.”

“That was because I got drunk with my best friend and twisted my ankle in heels!”

“But the CEO didn’t know that.” She slapped her thigh. “The second I said it, wow. He looked like he wanted to kill someone.”

I closed my eyes.

Right there in that break room, I wanted to carve my own tombstone.

Here lies Judy.

Killed by her own lies.

Maggie kept talking, thrilled out of her mind.

“Then the CEO asked really seriously whether you were always scared to go home.”

“And I said of course. A woman like you could never handle a violent husband.”

“He even said if Legal couldn’t solve that kind of thing, he knew a little self-defense himself.”

Me: “…”

I was genuinely about to die.

“Maggie.”

I looked at her weakly.

“Did it ever occur to you that one day he might actually go to my apartment and beat someone up?”

She froze for two seconds, then waved it off.

“Wouldn’t that be even better?”

“Hero saves beauty, old lovers reunite, powerful CEO tears abusive husband apart for love.”

“I’m telling you, that script is a total hit.”

Me: “…”

Great.

Thanks.

The only living things in my apartment were a fat cat and the brother who occasionally dropped off groceries.

Where was I supposed to get an abusive husband?

I carried my water back to my desk.

Before I even sat down, a company-wide announcement popped up in the group chat.

Attention all employees: Starting this week, the company will launch a Women’s Rights and Family Safety Support Program. Any employee suffering domestic violence, marital control, or emotional coercion may apply directly and anonymously to the CEO’s office for legal assistance.

Sent by:

Adrian Kane.

I stared at that message for a full ten seconds.

Then I slowly lifted my head and looked toward the glass-walled CEO office.

Right on cue, he was standing there too.

Looking at me.

Through a whole wall of glass, coffee in hand, face cold as death.

But his eyes were practically shouting four words.

I’m saving you.

Me: “…”

Saving my ass.

I just wanted to get off work on time.

But as if that wasn’t enough, he kept making it worse.

At lunch, he actually carried takeout over to my desk himself.

The whole office went dead silent.

My scalp tingled.

“What are you doing?”

I lowered my voice.

He set the food box on my desk, face cold and casual, like this was nothing.

“For you.”

“To help build your blood back up.”

I looked down.

Red date black chicken soup.

And braised beef.

Me: “?”

“What are you looking at?”

He frowned.

“Domestic violence victims are usually malnourished.”

I almost choked on my own spit.

The coworkers around me were already so moved they looked ready to cry.

“Little Fish, the CEO is way too kind…”

I was so embarrassed I wanted to dig through the floor, but I could only keep acting.

“Thank you, Mr. Kane.”

“But I can’t take it.”

“Why not?”

“My husband’s nose is really sensitive.”

I lowered my voice and put on a gloomy face.

“If he smells chicken soup from another man on me, he’ll go crazy again tonight.”

Adrian’s hand tightened around the food container.

His face darkened so badly he looked one second away from grabbing a knife.

I looked at him and suddenly felt mischievous.

So I leaned a little closer and sighed.

“But if you really want to help me, I guess there is one way.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

His eyes went deep and dark.

“How?”

I blinked at him.

Soft. Innocent.

“Are you free tonight?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then come to my place and hide in my bedroom closet first.”

Adrian froze.

I held back my laugh and kept talking in the most serious tone possible.

“When he takes off his pants and gets ready to abuse me, you jump out and surprise him.”

“While you’re at it, you can compare and see which one of you is bigger.”

“You know how men are. Once his pride gets shattered, maybe he’ll stop hitting people.”

Adrian: “…”

His whole body locked up.

Starting at his ears and going all the way down his neck, he turned red.

I nearly lost it.

He glared at me for half a day before squeezing out one line through his teeth.

“Judy.”

“Try saying one more dirty thing.”

I looked at him like butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth.

“I’m seriously discussing a domestic crisis solution.”

“And besides, aren’t you the one trying to save me?”

“What, Mr. Kane only saves people with words? Not in real life?”

That shut him up so hard even his breathing turned messy.

In the end, he shoved the food into my arms, turned around, and stalked off with a dark face.

His back looked like an angry male model about to start smoking from rage.

I looked down at the chicken soup.

Then at his retreating back.

And before I knew it, I was smiling.

This was getting bad.

That idiot was misunderstanding things more and more.

But weirdly enough…

I was having fun.