Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 14

The overpowering stench of the perfume enveloped her, and Summer truly couldn't take it anymore. "Xavier, let me go. You smell absolutely sickening."

Xavier only tightened his grip. "Summer, stop acting out. I can explain everything to you."

Her stomach violently rebelled.

She dry-heaved.

A second later, Summer threw up directly onto Xavier's suit.

Xavier, in the middle of his deep, devoted act: "..."

"Mom!"

Leo, who had heard the cars pull up, dashed out of the house. Seeing his mother throwing up, he sprinted to her side in an absolute panic.

***

When Summer stepped out of the bathroom after showering and changing, Leo was standing outside the door like a miniature knight, holding a glass of warm water.

"Mom, are you feeling better? Drink some water."

Smiling, Summer ruffled his hair, took the glass, and drank most of it. "Thanks, sweetie."

Leo's little brows knitted tightly together, his eyes filled with worry. "Mom, where does it hurt?"

Years ago, after Xander's tragic accident, Xavier had been forced to take over Sterling Group and pivot the company toward AI technology.

Since his background was in management, he lacked technical expertise and suffered massive, costly failures in the research and development sector.

It had been a brutal period for him. He was simultaneously battling pressure from his family, facing harsh skepticism from the board of directors, and fighting off ruthless suppression from rival companies.

As Xavier's wife, Summer believed they were a unified front, meant to weather every storm together.

"Mrs. Sterling, you look perfectly fine to me. I don't see any signs of illness. Are you just faking it to slack off, hoping the young master will take pity on you so you don't have to do your chores?"

From the very day she married Xavier, the Sterling family had despised her.

No matter how hard she worked or what she did, they simply hated her.

Attitudes always trickled down from the top. Consequently, even the maids at the estate felt perfectly entitled to give her attitude.

But now that she was actively planning to divorce Xavier, she no longer needed to accommodate the Sterlings or swallow her pride to appease them.

Let alone take disrespect from a maid.

Summer raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh. "Martha, do you have X-ray vision? You can diagnose me with a single glance? Or are you some kind of mind reader who knows exactly what I'm thinking? Or better yet, did every other staff member in this massive house drop dead, leaving no one but me, a sick woman, to cook?"

"Mrs. Sterling! How can you speak like that!" Martha shrieked in exaggerated disbelief. "You represent the Sterling family! How can you use such vulgar, uneducated, and classless language?"