THE SUBSTITUTE HUSBAND BECAME HIS WIFE'S BOSS

Chapter 12

Diego remained seated, his posture relaxed as Isabella and Alejandro loomed over him.

The surrounding guests had begun to notice the confrontation, conversations dying down as curious eyes turned toward the main table.

Alejandro's lips curled into a sneer. "So the parasite finally shows his true colors. Tell me, Diego, did you sleep with that lobby manager to get this seat? Is that how low you've fallen?"

"Lobby manager?" Isabella's laugh was sharp and cruel. "Of course! That's the only way trash like him could get anywhere near the main table. He's probably been spreading his legs for her since before our divorce!"

Diego picked up his water glass, taking a slow sip before setting it down. "You're making assumptions again, Isabella."

"Assumptions?" Alejandro stepped closer, his voice loud enough for nearby guests to hear.

"Everyone saw what happened outside. Your whore had Isabella's mother thrown out like garbage! All because you wanted to spite Isabella for choosing a real man over a worthless leech!"

Murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. Several guests edged closer, drawn by the drama.

"Is that really her ex-husband?"

"The one who lived off her family?"

"How shameless, showing up here..."

Isabella's eyes glittered with malicious satisfaction. "You drove my mother out just to get back at me, didn't you? Because you can't stand that I'm finally happy with someone who actually matters!"

"Esperanza asked me to sit here," Diego replied calmly. "That's all."

Alejandro burst into laughter, the sound harsh and mocking. "Esperanza? Mr Vega’s daughter? Hahaha! That's the most ridiculous lie I've heard all night!"

"It's pathetic, really," Isabella added, her voice dripping with contempt. "You're so desperate for relevance that you're making up stories now."

Alejandro turned to address the crowd, his voice booming with theatrical indignation. "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Diego Herrera—Isabella Rodriguez's ex-husband. This man lived off her family for three years, never worked a single day, spent their money like water, and now that she's divorced him, he has the audacity to show up here and cause trouble!"

The whispers grew louder.

"Three years of living off them?"

"What a parasite!"

"And he has the nerve to show his face here?"

"Absolutely shameless!"

Isabella's smile widened as she watched the crowd turn against Diego. "You see? Everyone knows what you are. A nobody. A leech. A pathetic excuse for a man who couldn't even support himself, let alone a wife."

"I always knew you were worthless," Alejandro continued, leaning down until his face was inches from Diego's.

"But I never realized just how shameless you could be. Showing up to a celebration, sitting at a VIP table, pretending to be some big shot."

He paused, his voice dropping to a cruel whisper meant only for Diego's ears. "You know what? I've already booked a suite upstairs. After this banquet, I'm going to take Isabella up there and make her scream my name so loud the whole hotel will hear it. Maybe I'll even record it—send you a little video to remember what a real man sounds like."

Diego's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes—a cold, dangerous light that made Alejandro's smirk falter for just a fraction of a second.

The slap came without warning.

Diego's hand moved with precision and force, catching Alejandro across the face with a crack that echoed through the ballroom.

The impact sent Alejandro stumbling backward, his feet tangling beneath him as he crashed to the marble floor with a sharp cry of pain.

The hall fell into stunned silence.

Alejandro lay sprawled on the ground, his hand pressed to his rapidly reddening cheek, eyes wide with shock and pain. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth where his teeth had cut into his lip.

"You—" Alejandro's voice came out as a strangled gasp. "You hit me!"

Isabella shrieked, dropping to her knees beside him. "Are you insane? Have you lost your mind completely?"

Diego stood slowly, his movements unhurried as he looked down at Alejandro with cold contempt. "You brought it upon yourself."

"How dare you!" Isabella's face contorted with rage. "Apologize! Apologize to him right now!"

"No." Diego replied, his tone flat and final. "He said things he shouldn't have said.  He got what he deserved."

Alejandro struggled to his feet, Isabella supporting him. His face was a mask of humiliation and hatred, made worse by the fact that dozens of guests now stared at him with pity and barely concealed amusement.

He'd been knocked down by a man everyone believed was a worthless parasite, in front of the woman he was trying to impress.

Diego's imposing presence—the calm authority radiating from him—kept Alejandro frozen despite the rage burning in his chest.

Something primal warned him not to retaliate, not to push this man further.

But he needed to save face.

"You—you'll regret this!" Alejandro forced the words out, trying to sound confident despite the tremor in his voice.

"When Ricardo Vega arrives and learns that you dared to assault me—the man whose family saved his daughter's life—he'll have your legs broken!"

"Saved his daughter?" Diego's eyebrow arched slightly. "You?"