Rumor has it my boss is whipped. He always uses "going home to my wife" as an excuse to skip company parties. At the celebration gala, a colleague gossiped, "Does Mr. Sterling not have to go home to his wife tonight?" The man tilted his chin in my direction: "Not tonight. My wife is right here." Me: "..." Chapter 1 Approaching the office building, I realized I had the wrong ID badge. Staring at the name "CEO Ethan Sterling" printed on the card, I wanted to cry. Braving the cold wind, I called the culprit. A clear male voice answered quickly, "Hm?" "Um..." I hesitated, "Did you take my badge?" He chuckled softly. Then came his confirmation: "Yeah." I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll wait for you downstairs, we can switch..." "No need." Ethan said, "It's freezing. Go up first. I'll swipe in for you today." I hesitated. "...Is that okay?" "Why wouldn't it be?" After a few seconds of silence, I caved. "Fine, we'll swap inside." "Okay." He was about to hang up. I stopped him. "Um... do you need me to swipe you in?" "I don't need to swipe." He answered, then added, "Also, I have a name. Or if you don't want to use it, you have another title for me." The word "Hubby" was on the tip of my tongue. My cheeks burned, and I hung up in a panic. CEO Ethan Sterling is my husband. This unbelievable fact becomes even more taboo inside the corporate walls. I carefully tucked away his badge and took the elevator to the 17th floor. I thought the badge incident was over. But as colleagues trickled into the office, they were all buzzing about something. Jessica, my neighbor and work bestie, was practically vibrating. "Someone saw Mr. Sterling swiping in downstairs this morning!" I froze. She continued, "Big shots like him don't need to punch a clock, so everyone's guessing he was swiping in for his wife." I tried to argue, "Why assume it's a wife?" She waved me over mysteriously. I leaned in and heard her whisper, "Actually, the rumor is that Mr. Sterling's wife works right here in the company." My knuckles turned white gripping the armrest. My heart in my throat, I tried to keep my voice steady. "Really?" "Who knows," she shrugged. "But that's the word on the street." Secret shared, she returned to normal volume, laughing, "This really cements his reputation as being whipped. Waking up early just to swipe his wife in? Hilarious." "..." I forced a laugh, but inside, I wasn't smiling. Ethan Sterling being "whipped" is the most absurd rumor I've ever heard. I don't even know how it started. Maybe one day Ethan used "going home to the wife" to dodge a boring dinner, and the reputation stuck. Perhaps he's usually so cold and unapproachable that nobody questioned it. It made him seem human. Only I, his wife, know how laughable it is. Ethan Sterling, afraid of me? Going home to spend time with me? He just didn't want to go to the party, so he used me as an excuse. Just like when he didn't want an arranged marriage, so he hastily married me. I've always been just a shield. Chapter 2 The badge incident spiced up our dull work life. Colleagues were already begging the HR assistant to check the logs for whoever swiped in at that exact time to identify the mystery First Lady. While I was panicking, the culprit texted: [Where do we swap?] In the eye of the storm, I didn't dare meet him. I screenshotted the chat about checking logs and sent it to him, worried: [Will they find out?] Ethan: [Only if they want to get fired.] "..." Such a cold tone. Such strong security. I instantly relaxed and replied to his previous text: [Let's not swap yet. Talk at home.] I barely used my badge during the day anyway. Aside from entry and the cafeteria, it was useless. But Murphy's Law struck. Halfway through the morning, my manager called me into his office. "Is your speech ready for later?" We had an internal awards ceremony, and as "Employee of the Month," I had to say a few words. I nodded. I showed him my draft. He read it carefully, then looked at me. "Usually I wouldn't check, but I heard Mr. Sterling is attending, so we need to be prepared." I was stunned. "Mr. Sterling... is coming?" "Yes," he looked at me again. "Remember to wear your badge on stage. Show some professionalism." "..." I was speechless. Meeting his probing gaze, I laughed awkwardly. "Do I have to wear it?" "Why? Did you forget it?" "..." I brought it, but I also didn't bring it. The manager sighed, took off his own badge, and handed it to me. "Just for show. Don't let it happen again." I nodded fervently and scurried out. At the 10 AM meeting, Ethan was indeed there. Wearing my manager's badge, I carefully avoided looking at Ethan. He seemed to be just observing, chin in hand, silent. Soon it was my turn. I rehearsed the speech in my head, took the mic, and started speaking. Suddenly, I saw Ethan raise his phone. Like he was taking a picture. The lens was pointed at me. He zoomed in, focusing on something. Then, a bizarre scene unfolded— Following Ethan's lead, other colleagues started taking pictures of me too. I took a deep breath. Under immense pressure and many lenses, I finished my speech. Applause erupted. I walked off stage and immediately grabbed my phone. Ethan had sent a message. A high-res close-up of my manager's badge on my chest, with a confused text: [Why isn't it my badge?] I rolled my eyes to the heavens. Wear his badge on stage? Did I have a death wish? I replied with an ellipsis. Ethan wisely stopped texting. The ceremony ended without disaster. Back at my desk, colleagues surrounded me, demanding I buy a round of drinks. I agreed. Suddenly, someone asked, "Sarah, can I borrow your nail clippers?" I nodded. While digging for my keys, I kept chatting. My fingers touched the cold metal. I pulled them out, about to hand them over— But the keyring had snagged the blue lanyard of the badge I hid in my bag. Clatter. Ethan Sterling's ID badge fell out, right in front of everyone. Chapter 3 It landed face up. Ethan's photo and name were staring at everyone. Someone sharp-eyed spotted it. "Why is Mr. Sterling's badge here?" That sentence drew everyone's attention instantly. "Oh my god, it really is his!" "It fell out of Sarah's bag..." They looked at the badge, then at me. Faces full of shock and unspoken questions. The colleague who asked for clippers picked it up and handed it to me, joking, "Sarah, you're not the CEO's secret wife, are you?" I froze, about to deny it. The manager's shout broke the tension. "Why are you all gathered here? Get back to work!" The crowd dispersed. I looked toward the voice and saw Ethan walking over with several department heads. The badge in my hand felt like burning coal. I thought, I can't let them misunderstand. I have to explain. Even a lie. I was about to speak when Ethan stopped in front of my desk. He looked at me. "You texted me saying you found my badge?" I paused for a second. Then nodded quickly. "Yes, yes." I handed it over with both hands. He took it easily, chuckling. "Employee of the Month, indeed. Good job." My ears burned. The manager chimed in, praising my honesty and hard work. When the leaders left, I finally breathed. Jessica leaned in, whispering, "You scared me to death. I thought you and the boss had a thing." I didn't dare say I was scared too. I feigned annoyance. "Do you think that's possible?" She scrutinized me. "Visually, you match. But he's married." I nodded. "A married man." "I really want to know who his wife is." Jessica gossiped, "She's so low-key. If I were Mrs. Sterling, I'd tattoo it on my forehead." I laughed. She showed me her phone. "The group chat is guessing. Sophie from Projects is a top contender." I made a questioning noise. "Sophie is a rich girl 'slumming it.' Her family knows his family." I nodded along. She continued, "But the favorite is still Chloe from the CEO's office. Proximity is power." I agreed. "True." "And now you're on the list!" She grabbed my shoulder, teasing, "Since his badge fell out of your bag, people are saying you two spent the night together." "..." Chapter 4 The badge incident was a wake-up call. I thought nobody would suspect me. But one slip-up almost exposed everything. I decided to be more careful. When Ethan got home, I went up to him and separated our badges on the entry table. "From now on, keep yours away from mine." He raised an eyebrow. "And keys." I moved his keys away. "Grabbing the wrong set would be scary. Don't put them together." He looked down at me. "What else?" "Is your office mug still that couple's one? Change it. I'll buy you a better one." The mug was a freebie I got. Not a luxury brand, definitely not fitting for a billionaire CEO, but he used it. Right on his desk. If anyone saw we had matching mugs, I'd be done for. "Should we tear the marriage license in half too?" "What?" He sighed. "Sarah, get this straight. We are married." I pursed my lips. Ethan's commanding aura works everywhere, including home. I summoned my courage. "We agreed the marriage wouldn't interfere with my normal life." He frowned. I said weakly, "Being Mrs. Sterling interferes with my normal life." "Okay," he conceded. "How long do you plan to hide it?" "..." I didn't know. I just wanted to hide. "One year? Two?" Ethan asked. "Forever?" I didn't dare say it, but I didn't think we'd last forever. I argued quietly, "Why does everyone have to know?" "Because we are legally married." Ethan looked me in the eye. "I don't want to sneak around at work. I don't want to be treated like a dirty secret. I don't want to have no right to speak up when other guys chase you..." He took a deep breath. "Are those reasons enough?" Enough, but I didn't want to compromise. The conversation ended badly. That night, lying in bed, I thought about the lonely look in his eyes. Was this a cold war? But I still didn't want to go public. Two months in, and we still sleep in separate rooms. Except for a few nights at his parents', we've never shared a bed. A loveless marriage of convenience. How could I claim the title of Mrs. Sterling? I didn't even know when we'd divorce. Suddenly, a knock on the door. Only Ethan could be knocking at this hour. I cleared my throat. "Yes?" "Hm." Just a sound. So I got up to open the door. I was shocked. Ethan was holding a pillow. He had just showered, smelling of expensive soap, hair soft and fluffy. He looked innocent, but his words were baffling. "I'm coming to sleep with you." I watched him walk in. He placed his pillow, got under the covers, hands folded on his stomach. Quiet and obedient. I leaned against the door, confused. "What does this mean?" "It means fulfilling marital duties, wife." "..."
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