CHAPTER 10 — FIONA SNAPS
Fiona Wang had always been careful around me.
A little too cheerful.
A little too helpful.
The kind of woman who smiled with her teeth and sharpened her knives elsewhere.
Today she didn’t bother.
“So brave,” she said, eyes scanning me like she was pricing me. “Coming here after what you did.”
I kept my voice calm.
“What I did?” I asked.
Fiona’s lips curled.
“Homewrecking,” she said, as if it were a job title. “Everyone knows it.”
Her confidence was new.
Borrowed confidence.
Stella had promised her something.
Or threatened her into it.
I stepped closer until we were within quiet range.
“You don’t know the facts,” I said. “And if you’re spreading lies inside this company, you’re putting yourself at legal risk.”
Fiona laughed like that was adorable.
“Legal risk?” she repeated. “Honey, you think you have power here?”
Her gaze dropped to my coat, my shoes, the subtle signs that I was not, in fact, poor.
Then it rose again, sharper.
“You came from foster care,” she said. “You should be grateful Ethan even looked at you.”
The words hit like a slap.
Not because they were true.
Because they were designed to make me feel small.
Fiona leaned in.
“Stella is family,” she said. “You’re… a phase.”
I didn’t raise my voice.
I didn’t argue.
I lifted my hand and slapped her.
Hard.
The sound cracked in the quiet hallway like a dropped tray.
Fiona’s head jerked sideways.
Her cheek bloomed red immediately.
She stared at me, stunned.
Then her face twisted.
“You—” she hissed.
I let my hand fall.
My palm stung.
“Every time you insult me,” I said evenly, “I can do that again.”
Fiona’s breath hitched.
Her pride recovered faster than her sense.
She lunged at me, nails out.
I moved half a step back.
Then Ethan’s office door flew open.
He didn’t ask questions.
He didn’t check context.
He saw Fiona’s hand raised.
He stepped between us and shoved Fiona backward with one arm.
She stumbled and fell hard onto the carpet.
“What the hell is happening?” Ethan snapped.
Fiona’s eyes darted—fear, then strategy.
“She hit me!” Fiona cried.
Ethan didn’t even look at her.
He turned to me first.
“Ava,” he said, voice softer, “are you hurt?”
I flexed my fingers once.
“No.”
Ethan’s gaze finally dropped to Fiona, cold and clinical.
“If my wife hit you,” he said, “you earned it.”
Fiona’s mouth fell open.
Ethan continued, voice steady.
“You’re done here,” he said. “Go to HR. Collect your last paycheck.”
Fiona pushed up on her elbows, disbelief burning.
“You can’t fire me!” she shrieked. “I’ll—”
Ethan’s tone didn’t change.
“I can,” he said. “And I just did.”
Fiona’s face contorted.
She spit her last weapon like poison.
“Stella is pregnant,” she screamed. “She’s carrying your baby!”
The hallway went still.
Even the other assistants froze.
Ethan’s expression didn’t flicker.
He looked at Fiona like she was a malfunctioning device.
Then he said, very quietly:
“Security.”