The House Husband is a Secret Tycoon

Chapter Five

The security guard at the front desk barely looked up when Julian walked through the lobby of Mercer & Co.

The guard nodded at him and waved him through without a word.

Julian walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. The divorce papers were folded in his jacket pocket, crisp and official against his chest.

The elevator climbed slowly. Julian watched the numbers tick upward and felt nothing.

When the doors opened, he stepped out into the familiar hallway. Colette's office was at the end – glass walls and a polished nameplate that read Colette Mercer, CEO in elegant lettering.

The door was half-open.

Julian could hear voices inside. Colette's laugh was bright and genuine in a way he hadn't heard in years, maybe ever.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Colette and Sebastian were standing close together near her desk, heads tilted toward each other like they were sharing secrets.

Sebastian said something low and Colette laughed again, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

Then Julian saw the look in her eyes. It was deep, full of a warmth he'd never seen her direct at him in three years of marriage.

She looked at Sebastian the way Julian had always wanted her to look at him.

Colette's head snapped up just as Julian stepped in. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she immediately stepped back from Sebastian, putting distance between them.

Guilt flashed across her face.

"Julian!" she said, her voice too bright, too forced. "You're here. I didn't – I mean, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

She laughed, the sound hollow and nervous.

"I'm so happy to see you," she continued, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Really. This is great. You came. That's – that's wonderful."

She smoothed her hands down her skirt, a nervous gesture Julian had seen a thousand times.

"Now," she said, her tone shifting to something firmer, more businesslike. "Let's not waste any more time. Just apologize to Sebastian and we can all move past this."

Julian let out a cold laugh.

"Why," he said slowly, "would you possibly think I came here to apologize?"

Colette blinked. "What?"

"You're standing there assuming I came to apologize," Julian said. "What makes you think that?"

Colette's face flushed. "Because you should apologize. You completely misunderstood my relationship with Sebastian and you hit him. Of course you need to apologize."

"Misunderstood?" Julian's voice rose, anger flooding through him hot and sharp. "He kissed you. Right in front of me. You call that a misunderstanding?"

Colette's face went pale, then red. Guilt flickered across her features before hardening into defensive rage.

"We broke up years ago," she snapped. "You know that, Julian. Sebastian and I haven't seen each other in years. We were just expressing how much we missed each other. That's all it was."

Julian sneered. "Tell yourself whatever you want. I'm not apologizing. And frankly, I see no point in continuing any communication regarding this matter."

Colette's eyes blazed. "You're just a house husband!" she shouted, her voice shrill. "Stop being so difficult! Sebastian is a major player I worked hard to recruit. He's about to help me secure a connection with Apex Innovations. Just admit you were wrong!"

Julian gave a chilling laugh that made her flinch.

"There it is," he said quietly. "You finally said what you really think. You look down on me completely. And this is after you personally asked me to become a house husband to satisfy your own needs."

Colette froze.

The anger drained from her face, replaced by a look of panic.

"That's not –" She stopped, then took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was softer. "That's not what I meant. You know I care about you, Julian. Deeply. But as my husband, you should understand my position. You should support my career."

"And as my wife," Julian shot back, his voice cold as ice, "when have you ever cared for, understood, or supported me?"

Colette's face flushed red again. "Are you intentionally trying to be difficult? How do I not care about you? Tell me. Give me one example."

"Right now," Julian said flatly. "Even now, you haven't bothered to ask what my demands are. You're only interested in forcing an apology out of me."

Colette went quiet.

She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to argue but couldn't find the words.

Finally, she swallowed her temper and asked, her voice carefully controlled, "What is your request?"

Julian reached into his jacket pocket.

"I only want you to sign an agreement," he said.

Relief washed over Colette's face. Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath she'd been holding.

Sebastian, who had been standing silently in the corner, let out a small chuckle.

Both of them clearly assumed Julian was asking for money or some kind of financial settlement.

"Of course," Colette said, her voice almost warm now. "I'll sign whatever you need. But once I do, you're never to target Sebastian again. Do you understand?"

She turned to Sebastian. "Be tolerant of him. He's just being emotional."

Sebastian nodded, that smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Colette turned back to Julian. "Go ahead. Take out the document. I'll sign it right now."

Julian pulled the papers out of his pocket and unfolded them slowly, deliberately.

He held them out to her.

"Sign these," he said. "And meet me at City Hall in one week to finalize the divorce."

The words hung in the air like a gunshot.

Colette's hand, reaching for the papers, froze mid-air.

Her face went completely white.

"What?" The word came out barely above a whisper.

She took the papers from him with trembling fingers, her eyes scanning the top page.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

Beneath the title was her name, his name and the court seal.

Colette looked up at him, her eyes already bloodshot, filling with tears that hadn't fallen yet.

"You're..." Her voice cracked. "You're truly divorcing me?”