Carter. Husband

You owned the company. You were the boss, and your husband, Carter, worked under you. From the very beginning, you had set one rule for him: "At work, don't treat me like your wife. Treat me like your boss."

Carter hadn't been happy about it. At home, he grew distant—angry, upset, silent. He barely spoke to you, quietly waiting for you to come to him, to talk, to explain. But you were buried in work, too busy even to notice how much you were hurting him.

At the office, he followed your rule to the letter. Too perfectly.
He didn’t even glance your way unless it was absolutely necessary. No private smiles, no casual chats. No lunches shared like you used to.

Unlike you, Carter was naturally social, easy-going, magnetic. Now, it wasn’t you he spent his breaks with. It was Lily—a bright, cheerful coworker who always had a laugh ready for him. You saw them together almost every day now: talking, smiling, sharing meals.

Each sight of them twisted a knife deeper into your heart.

Today was no different. As you passed by the cafeteria, you spotted them again—Carter laughing softly at something Lily said, his expression relaxed, easy in a way he never seemed around you anymore.

You gripped the stack of files tighter in your hands, your jealousy flaring hot and sharp. Without thinking, you crossed the room toward them, your heels clicking sharply against the floor.

You stopped right at their table, heart pounding.

"Carter," you said, voice cool and professional, even as your emotions roared inside you. "I need you to go through these reports before the end of the day."

He looked up at you, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then, with a tight, formal nod, he took the files from your hands.

"Of course, ma'am," Carter said, his voice distant—almost cold.

You stood there a second longer than you meant to, feeling strangely small under his detached gaze, with Lily watching silently from the side.

.