THE SUBSTITUTE HUSBAND BECAME HIS WIFE'S BOSS

Chapter 10

The Grand Palace Hotel's lobby gleamed with polished marble and crystal chandeliers, a testament to luxury befitting the Vega family's celebration. Diego stepped through the entrance alongside Esperanza, who wore a tailored midnight blue gown that commanded attention without seeking it.

Before they could proceed further, a shrill voice cut through the refined atmosphere like nails on glass.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Diego turned around, frowning.

 Carmen Rodriguez. His ex mother-in-law.

She stormed across the lobby, her face twisted with fury. Her designer dress and expensive jewelry couldn't mask the venom in her expression.

"How dare you show your face here!" Carmen's voice rose to a screech. "You have some nerve coming to this banquet after what you did!"

Diego's expression remained unchanged, his voice level. "Mrs. Rodriguez."

"Don't you 'Mrs. Rodriguez' me, you ungrateful parasite!" She jabbed a finger toward his chest. "You deliberately sabotaged my daughter! You poisoned Ricardo Vega against Isabella, ruined her comeback, destroyed everything she worked for!"

"Whether to work with Isabella or not was Mr. Vega’s own choice. It’s his business decision. "Diego replied calmly. 

"Liar! You were seen with him that very morning!" Carmen's face flushed crimson. "You went crying to him with your pathetic sob story, turned him against Isabella out of pure spite! What kind of man sabotages his own wife's career?"

"Former wife," Diego corrected quietly. "And again, Mr. Vega's decisions are his own."

Carmen's eyes narrowed to slits. "You worthless piece of trash! Three years we supported you, fed you, clothed you, gave you a home—and this is how you repay us? By stabbing my daughter in the back the moment she tries to rebuild her life?"

"That's enough. Stop causing a scene here!"

Esperanza stepped forward, her CEO authority radiating from every inch of her frame. Her voice was icy. 

Carmen's gaze snapped to Esperanza, taking in her professional attire and commanding presence. For a moment, she faltered—stunned by the woman's beauty and bearing. Then her expression twisted into a sneer.

"Oh, I see what's happened here." Carmen's laugh was ugly. "You must be the lobby manager. Tell me, dear, how many men did you have to sleep with to climb your way up to this position?"

Esperanza's eyes turned glacial, but Carmen continued, puffing up with pride.

"I'll have you know I'm the mother of tonight's honored guest! This entire banquet is being held by Ricardo Vega himself for my daughter and her future husband, Alejandro Morales. They're the guests of honor!" She pointed at Diego with disgust. "This trash, on the other hand, is nothing but garbage my daughter threw away. He doesn't belong here. I demand you call security immediately and have him removed before he ruins the celebration!"

Esperanza's lips curved into a cold smile. "You think this banquet is for your daughter?"

"It is! Everyone knows it!" Carmen declared triumphantly. "Ricardo Vega is celebrating Isabella's contribution to saving his daughter's life. As for this worthless bastard—" she gestured dismissively at Diego, "—he's just a parasite who lived off my daughter for three years. He should be thrown in the gutter where he belongs!"

"How fascinating," Esperanza's voice dropped to a dangerous register. "The person who should be thrown out is you."

Carmen's face contorted with rage. "Excuse me? How dare a mere hotel manager speak to me this way! I'll have you fired!"

Esperanza sneered. "You truly are remarkably stupid."

"You bitch!" Carmen shrieked. "I know exactly what's going on here! You're sleeping with this trash, aren't you? He betrayed my daughter even before the divorce! That's why you're defending him!"

"Mrs. Rodriguez, you're jumping to wild conclusions—" Diego began.

"Wild conclusions?" Carmen's voice reached a fever pitch. "Everyone can see it! You probably had this whore warming your bed while you were still married to Isabella! You cheating bastard! You ungrateful piece of dirt!"

She raised her hand, palm open, swinging toward Diego's face with all her fury behind it.

Diego's hand shot up, catching her wrist mid-air with effortless precision. The slap never landed.

Carmen froze, her eyes widening in shock. Never—not once in three years—had Diego resisted her. He'd always been obedient, submissive, accepting whatever abuse she hurled at him.

"Let go of me!" She tried to yank her arm free, but his grip was iron. "How dare you touch me! You worthless—"

She raised her other hand, but something in Diego's eyes stopped her cold. His gaze was calm, utterly composed, yet it carried an authority that made her breath catch. This wasn't the meek son-in-law she'd known. This was someone else entirely.

"You—" Carmen's voice faltered. "You're different..."

"I was always like this, Mrs. Rodriguez," Diego said quietly, releasing her wrist. "You simply chose not to see it."

Carmen's fear morphed back into rage. "You think you can intimidate me? You think you can put on airs just because you're with some hotel slut? You're still nothing! You hear me? Nothing! You'll always be the useless garbage who—"

"Guards!" Esperanza's voice cut through the lobby like a whip.

Four security personnel in crisp uniforms immediately appeared, moving with military precision.

"What— What are you doing?" Carmen stumbled backward. "You can't— I'm a guest! I'm the mother of the honored—"

"Remove this woman from the premises," Esperanza commanded coldly. "She's disturbing the peace and harassing the guests. Make sure she doesn't return."

"You can't do this!" Carmen screamed as the guards approached. "Do you know who I am? My daughter is the reason for this celebration! Ricardo Vega himself invited us! When he hears about this—"

 Esperanza said with icy finality. "He'll thank me for removing the trash before it contaminated the celebration."

"Trash? TRASH?" Carmen's voice cracked. "I'll have you know my daughter saved his daughter's life! We're heroes! And you—you're just some common whore who spreads her legs for—"

"Enough." Esperanza nodded to the guards. "Remove her. Now."

The guards moved forward, each taking one of Carmen's arms with professional efficiency.

"Get your hands off me! I'll sue you! I'll destroy you!" Carmen thrashed wildly. "This is assault! You can't treat me like this! I'm a respected woman! My daughter is a star! And this man—" she jabbed a finger toward Diego even as she was being dragged away, "—is nothing but dirt beneath our feet! A useless bastard who should be grateful we even looked at him! You'll all regret this! When Ricardo Vega finds out—"

Her shrieks echoed through the lobby as the guards hauled her toward the exit, her expensive heels scraping against the marble floor.

The few early-arriving guests who'd witnessed the scene whispered among themselves, their expressions ranging from shock to amusement.

Diego exhaled slowly, his composure never having wavered despite the verbal assault. Esperanza turned to him."Shall we proceed?" she asked quietly.