The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband – Episode 13
Serena rose from the conference table with her arms extended as if greeting a dear friend. Natalie accepted the brief embrace because refusing would make her look difficult before the interview even began. The woman’s perfume carried Natalie back to crowded college halls and conversations that always left her questioning whether she had been insulted. “I didn’t know you’d be interviewing me,” she said.
“Life is funny that way.” Serena returned to her chair and opened Natalie’s application. “When Kyle mentioned you’d applied, I told him I simply had to conduct the interview myself.” The emphasis made the favor sound more like a trap.
Natalie sat across from her and placed her portfolio on the table. College memories pressed at the edges of her concentration: Serena borrowing notes she never returned, smiling when professors praised Natalie, and turning every success into a private competition. Back then, Natalie had excused each slight as insecurity and worked harder to preserve a friendship that had never truly existed. She would not repeat that mistake simply because Serena now sat behind an impressive title.
“How nice,” Natalie said. She reminded herself why she was there. A familiar enemy did not change her qualifications, and she would not carry Serena’s opinion home as another debt.
Serena glanced at Natalie’s ring. “You just got married, didn’t you? Congratulations.” The word was polished and empty. “To Sebastian Klein.”
“Yes.” Natalie kept her answer calm. Serena leaned closer as though sharing scandal. “Everyone’s been talking about it. Wasn’t he in jail?”
The question had nothing to do with employment. Natalie felt anger rise, but Sebastian’s advice returned: make them earn the right to judge you. “My husband’s record isn’t relevant to this position,” she said. “I’d be happy to discuss my experience.”
Serena blinked at the boundary, then smiled. “Of course. Never mind. Let’s get on with the interview.” She flipped through the résumé with exaggerated care, searching not for strengths but for openings.
Natalie described balancing college with work and her mother’s care. She explained how retail had taught her to resolve conflict, track inventory, and remain composed with difficult customers. The role had demanded long shifts after lectures and weekends surrendered whenever medical costs rose. Each answer was clear and supported by an example, and every one demonstrated more resilience than the job posting required.
Serena barely listened. “Natalie, you don’t have a single serious job on here.” She tapped the page dismissively. “You worked at Walmart?” Her tone transformed honest labor into a shameful confession.
“Yes,” Natalie replied. “I’m applying for an entry-level role, and the posting says no prior industry experience is required. I’m a fast learner, and I graduated with a four-point GPA.” She kept her shoulders square despite the humiliation Serena intended.
“Oh, Natalie.” False sympathy softened Serena’s voice. “Let’s be real. After college, nobody cares about your GPA.” She closed the portfolio without examining the work samples inside.
The finality of the gesture told Natalie the decision had been made before she entered. She thought of Sebastian telling her not to apologize and refused to fold her hands like a child awaiting punishment. “The role asks for research, organization, and written communication,” she said. “My academic record demonstrates all three, and my employment shows I can perform under pressure.”
“I don’t care what the description says.” Serena’s pleasant mask slipped. “Seeing you in person, I can tell you’re simply not qualified.” No competency test, reference check, or genuine question supported the judgment.
Natalie stared at her former classmate. Years ago, she might have apologized and asked what she could improve. Today she recognized the same contempt she had seen in the bridal boutique, dressed in corporate language and delivered with a practiced smile.
“Then this was never an interview,” Natalie said. “You brought me here to humiliate me.” Serena settled back, satisfied that the pretense had ended. “If that’s how you choose to interpret professional feedback, perhaps you’re less mature than I thought.”
Natalie stood and gathered her things. “Professional feedback concerns the work. You asked about my husband, mocked my job, and ignored my portfolio.” Her hands trembled, but her voice did not. “Thank you for making the distinction clear.”
Outside the conference room, she walked past rows of employees without letting her tears fall. She would not give Serena the pleasure of seeing them, nor would she let strangers mistake her disappointment for shame. The elevator doors closed, sealing away the glass offices and polished ambition above, and only then did Natalie allow herself to exhale. One failed interview could not decide her future, but the hospital bills made every rejection feel like time stolen from her mother.
Inside another office, Daniel received an automated notice that a candidate’s interview had ended unusually early. Sebastian’s request echoed in his mind: no favors, only fairness. He opened the evaluation log and saw that Serena had marked Natalie unqualified without completing a single required assessment.
Daniel reached for his phone. By the time Natalie stepped into the lobby believing she had lost another chance, evidence of Serena’s misconduct was already on its way to the one man who could overrule everyone in the building. Sebastian read the report once, and the dangerous stillness Daniel knew well settled over him. Someone had hurt his wife—and this time, the answer could not remain hidden behind the name of a powerless Klein.
