Chapter 368: Wifey? You’ve Got Nerve.

Maxwell glanced at Ellis, then ended his handshake with Easton. “Mr. Hudson, Ms. Harper just started working at my company today as my assistant.”

It wasn’t proper to address someone by their title in front of their ex-husband without first clarifying their relationship. Maxwell made it clear Ellis was now his employee, nothing more.

“So that’s why you rushed out so early this morning,” Easton said casually, pretending he hadn’t just heard her clarify they weren’t back together. His eyes stayed on her. “You joined the Fox Group and didn’t tell me?”

“Tell you! For what? So you can ruin it? One more word, and I swear I’ll rip your head off!”

Ellis cursed him out in her head but kept a calm, polite tone. “You knowing wouldn’t help. It’s just a job.”

“I could’ve helped,” Easton said meaningfully, then turned to Maxwell. “Mr. Maxwell clearly has an eye for talent, hiring such a capable assistant.”

Ellis didn’t believe a word of it. Help? What a joke. If he really wanted to help, he wouldn’t have ruined her life in the first place. One more word, and she really was going to stomp upstairs and beat the hell out of him.

Maxwell nodded. “Ms. Harper is very competent. I’m quite pleased to have her on board.”

That felt nice to hear. Much better than Easton’s fake compliments. He’d acted like she was so capable at Hudson Group too—capable of being his maid, maybe. Always around, always doing grunt work, and he’d never once seen her as anything more.

Ellis expected him to keep pestering her, but Easton surprised her by stepping away without another word. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but honestly? Good riddance. The fewer chances she had to explode in public, the better.

Maxwell seemed a little curious. Had Easton come over just to meet him? His gaze lingered on Easton’s back before shifting to Ellis’s face.

She accidentally made eye contact with him and immediately regretted it. Her scalp tingled. It wasn’t that Easton had humiliated her—it was just that awful secondhand embarrassment again. The man popped up like a ghost everywhere she went.

And that “Wifey” nonsense? He’d said it like it was nothing, but she was the one left feeling like she might die of shame.

She cleared her throat, pretending the awkwardness didn’t exist. Just when she thought she could brush the whole thing off as a minor incident, one of the big shots Easton had been talking to earlier gave her a once-over, then asked, “Ms. Harper, are you planning to remarry Mr. Hudson?”

Ellis swallowed her discomfort and replied smoothly. “Mr. Zach, you’ve misunderstood. We’re not getting back together.”

“Oh? Really?” Zach dragged out the word like he wasn’t convinced.

“Really.” Her tone was firm, no room for doubt. Over my dead body. Not in this life. Not in the next. Not in any damn universe. That less-than-bastard needs to get lost and stay lost.

She could feel herself reaching the end of her rope, but Zach seemed to pick up on it and moved the conversation elsewhere. As Maxwell and Zach chatted, Ellis kept glancing—well, glaring—across the room at Easton, obviously.

By the end of the night, Maxwell finally gave her the okay to leave. She felt like a servant from ancient times finally being granted freedom and practically ran out the door.

1:00 PM

Public or not, there weren’t many people around. Ellis didn’t bother pretending anymore. She stormed over and grabbed him by the tie.

“Easton Hudson!” she growled, eyes blazing.

He hadn’t expected that. Her tug on his tie tightened it sharply around his neck, making it hard to breathe. He instinctively grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand off before she could strangle him.

“If you don’t know how to shut up, then keep your damn mouth closed!” she snapped, punching him square in the chest. “What are you going to die if you stop spreading lies?”

Thank god she had clarified things earlier. Otherwise, his nonsense tonight would’ve started rumors by tomorrow morning. She hadn’t hit him very hard, so Easton didn’t feel much pain. He just looked down at the furious woman in front of him. Instead of looking remorseful, he actually seemed amused—maybe even pleased—by the memory of what he’d said. He liked that word, Wifey.