Married To The Man Who Ruined Me

Chapter Eight – The Ultimatum

Chapter Eight – The Ultimatum

I wake to the sound of sharp knocking, early morning sunlight slicing through the blinds like knives. My head pounds with the remnants of sleep, but my instincts flare first. Someone’s at the door. Someone important.

“Zahra,” Helena’s voice calls through the door, calm but carrying that edge that makes my stomach twist. “You have a guest.”

I groan, dragging myself upright, hair in a mess, mind foggy. My blanket tangles around my legs, and I stumble toward the door, barely conscious, muttering under my breath.

By the time I reach the door, my thoughts are a mess of irritation, confusion, and sleep-drunk resentment. I open it.

And there he is.

Reid Ashcroft. Standing like he owns the world, dark coat still on, polished shoes that click against the tile, and that expression—cold, unreadable, impossible to guess. My stomach twists, part anger, part pure, unfiltered disbelief.

“I… uh—what—” I start, fumbling for words, which are swallowed by my throat.

“Move,” Helena says smoothly, stepping aside with that insufferable calm. “He’s here to speak.”

I feel my fists clench as I step into the living room. My hair falls into my face, and I brush it back roughly. My crop top clings to my curves, my shorts leave more skin exposed than I’d like in front of a man like him, and yet—this is me. I’m tired of hiding.

His gaze—just for a second—flicks to me. My heart stutters. The brush of heat across my cheeks is instantaneous, and I want to shrink, disappear, but I don’t. I glare. My fists curl slightly at my sides. And then—he turns back to my father as if he never looked at me. I almost convince myself I imagined it.

“Zahra,” Helena purrs, voice syrupy, eyes gleaming. “Perfect timing. Let’s discuss—”

“I don’t want to discuss anything with her,” Reid interrupts, voice clipped, sharp. No greeting. No soft words. Just blunt. His gaze is fixed on my father.

“I respect him. But her? Secondary. For now.”

I freeze. “Secondary?” My chest tightens, and my mouth tastes bitter.

Helena smiles, satisfied, tilting her head like a cat studying a cornered mouse. “That’s fine. We’ll focus on practicalities. You’ve seen the headlines, Reid. The scandal—Zahra Sullivan and Ashcroft Enterprises… it’s everywhere.”

I stiffen. My eyes dart between them, furious, shaking with disbelief. “Scandal?” I snap. “I don’t care about your company! I don’t care about—”

“Quiet,” Reid interrupts, sharp and final. My words die in my throat. His presence alone is enough to silence me. Not a single flicker of warmth, not a single hint of humanity. Cold. Heartless. And terrifyingly calm.

He leans forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, gaze piercing, unyielding. “Your name is linked to mine in a way that is… damaging. For my company. For my image. HR has decided this… marriage is the most efficient solution.”

Marriage.

The word crashes over me like ice water. My chest constricts, breath catching. I want to scream, to demand, to bite him, to knock over the coffee table and run. Instead, I plant my feet, chin high.

“I’m not marrying you,” I spit. Words sharp, immediate. The fire inside me rises before my mind can catch it.

He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. Just tilts his head slightly, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’ll reconsider.”

“Never,” I hiss. “I’d rather—” I bite back the words, realizing how meaningless any threat is against him.

Helena watches, arms crossed, expression smug. “Practicality, Zahra. You might not want it, but you don’t have the luxury of refusing a life preserved. Appearances, leverage… survival.”

My dad shifts uneasily beside him, hand on his chin, jaw tight. I see the hesitation. The disappointment. The worry.

“Zahra,” he says quietly, voice low, careful, not daring to scold but not able to conceal his feelings. “Please…”

“I won’t!” I bark, voice rising, cutting him off, cutting everyone off.

The room falls silent. Even Helena freezes for a fraction, startled by the force of my declaration.

Reid’s gaze snaps to me, eyes cold, assessing, unreadable. “You do realize saying no doesn’t end the consequences?” His voice is a blade, soft but cutting.

I feel it immediately. The chill crawling under my skin. The fear clawing at my ribs. But the anger burns hotter. I take a step forward. My fists ball at my sides.

“I don’t care,” I say, voice trembling with defiance.

Helena exhales slowly, shaking her head like a teacher watching a foolish child. “You’ll regret that, Zahra. You think fire alone will save you? It will consume you first.”

Reid leans back, expression unreadable. “You’ve made your choice. I respect it—for now. But survival isn’t always about choice.”

I sink into the nearest chair, trembling. My heart races, mind spinning. Regret pricks immediately. Saying no feels like I’ve slammed the door on a lifeboat I can’t see yet.

My dad sits stiffly, silent, disappointment etched across his face. Helena smirks faintly. Calculated. Cruel. Untouched by the storm I’m drowning in.

And yet… as much as I hate him, as much as I want to scream at him and spit at the world, the thought creeps in. The devil I know… Reid. Cold, ruthless, heartless. But known. Calculable. Predictable. Better than the angel I don’t know—the rich son of Helena’s friend, sweet, pampered, oblivious, and completely untested by life’s fire.

A shiver runs through me. I hate it. I hate him. But my heart whispers a truth I can’t ignore: at least he’s real. At least he’s not pretending. At least, somehow… I might survive if it’s him.

Reid rises finally, towering, indifferent. He gives a single nod to my father. Respect, clear. Then he steps toward the door.

“And Zahra,” he says over his shoulder, cold, heartless, final, “think carefully. Not every choice ends well. Some… have consequences you can’t escape.”

I feel my stomach twist. The weight of the world presses on my chest. My pulse races. I made my choice. And I already know—the moment is already slipping through my fingers.

I shouldn’t have said no.

And the fear that had been coiled tight in my chest… awakens fully.

I am exposed. Vulnerable. And the storm hasn’t even started.