My Boss Is My Husband .. He Rejects me

“Sign it,” my father said coldly, sliding the document across the table. “Or forget about your stepmother’s surgery.” My fingers froze. The paper in front of me: Marriage Contract. “This isn’t real… right?” I whispered. He didn’t look up. “Does it look like a joke?” Silence. My stepmother’s name stared back at me on the hospital file. Critical. “She won’t survive without it,” he continued. “And I’m not paying unless you do this.” Slowly, I signed. With one stroke, my life changed. That night, I stood by the window, staring at my reflection. The door opened. He entered—my husband, powerful and cold. His gaze met mine. “I reject it,” he said softly. The words hit harder than I expected. I swallowed, forcing my pride forward. “Good,” I replied. “Because I never wanted it either.” He stepped closer. “In public,” he said, “you are nothing to me.” “And in private?” I asked. “Out of my way,” he replied. Cold. Final. My chest tightened. “That won’t be a problem.” A flicker of something—amusement?—crossed his face. “We’ll see.” The next morning, the company building towered over me. Glass and steel reflected the early light. Footsteps echoed. Slow. Steady. Familiar. My husband. My boss! “Try not to disappoint me,” he said, and I realized… surviving him would be the hardest challenge of my life. Ariana Backgrounds When Ariana was five, her mother passed away after a long illness. A year later, her father remarried, bringing a kind-hearted woman into their home—her stepmother—who loved Ariana as her own daughter and often protected her from her father’s strictness. Now, faced with her stepmother’s serious health issues, Ariana has reluctantly agreed to marry CEO Ethan Black to help cover the medical expenses. Although she is married, she does not yet live full-time with Ethan, maintaining her own space while navigating office life, family visits, and the responsibilities that drive her to protect the woman who has always cared for her.