My Marriage Came With Employee Rules

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Three years of marriage, and our home had been run exactly like a corporation, under the strict rules set by Ethan Vance.

From maintaining a professional family image to our daily meals, clothes, and schedulethere was no exception.

Rhi, you went out shopping today without submitting a time-off request? Ill have to mark you as absent. A days worth of your allowance is deducted.

He tapped away on his laptop, logging my behavior for the day.

Dressed in a crisp, tailored suit, he didnt show a single hint of exhaustion from a long day at the office.

But my mind was stuck on the scene I had witnessed earlier today.

Chloe Miller had been looking up at the man beside her, chatting happily. The man in the suit held a shopping bag in one hand while wrapping his other arm tightly around her waist.

That man was my husband, Ethan.

Ethan closed his laptop, walked over, and wrapped his arms around me naturally.

"Rhi, why didn't you sign the check-in sheet at the front door? You know I'll have to dock your pay for that."

I forced a weak smile and quietly pushed him away.

"Sure. Deduct it."

Ethan had no idea that his probation period in my heart had just expired.

Earlier today, I did something rare. I didn't report my schedule to Ethan. Instead, I took my best friend, Harper Brooks, to the luxury mall downtown.

His birthday was coming up.

I wanted to buy him a navy blue bow tie.

"Rhi, why don't we check out some other stores?"

Harper suddenly blocked my path, her eyes darting around in panic.

"What's wrong? You just said this bow tie was the best one here. Plus, we've already walked through the whole mall."

I laughed, grabbing her hand to walk forward.

But the moment I looked ahead, I froze.

A woman was holding her phone, laughing beautifully.

The man beside her held her hand tightly, leaning down to listen to her. The warmth and indulgence in his eyes were practically overflowing.

The two of them looked like they were bound by an invisible, romantic thread, completely shut off from the rest of the world.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Just a few hours ago, Ethan had sent me a picture of himself working at his desk.

He had even ordered a bouquet of roses to be delivered to me.

The card read:

"A little surprise for today."

I hid behind a marble pillar, my fingers trembling as I sent Ethan a message on Snapchat.

"Ethan, are you at work?"

A minute passed. No reply.

Usually, he replied within seconds.

The woman clung to his arm like a delicate doll, swaying gently and speaking in a sweet, soft voice.

"Ethan, look! That puppy is so cute. Can we get one?"

"You go home so late every day, and that big apartment gets so lonely. I want a dog to keep me company."

Under the warm mall lights, the tiny dark mole near the corner of his eye was clearly visible.

I loved that mole.

Whenever we were in bed, he would use it to tease and seduce me.

I gripped my phone so hard my knuckles turned white.

His deep voice drifted over, filled with a tenderness he rarely showed me.

"Chloe, how many times have you asked for a pet? You lose interest in three minutes. I'm not cleaning up your mess."

"Besides, we're in the office together every day. Isn't my company enough for you?"

Chloe blushed, trying to pull her hand away, but Ethan grabbed it back and held it tighter.

"Alright, alright. I promise we can get one."

The woman was his assistant, Chloe Miller.

I leaned against the pillar, feeling all the strength drain from my body.

My heart felt like it was being violently squeezed. It hurt so much I couldn't breathe.

Ethan had always hated pets.

I had once asked him if we could get a puppy.

He had smiled gently, kissing my forehead.

"Rhi, having you is enough for me. Where would I get the energy to care for a pet? Besides, I'm allergic."

It turned out he wasn't allergic at all. He just didn't want to raise one with me.

He had plenty of energy for someone else.

"By the way, Ethan, I think your wife went out today," Chloe murmured.

Ethan frowned.

"Did she not submit a request to you?"

Chloe shook her head.

"That won't do," Ethan said coldly. "Mark it as an unexcused absence. She needs to learn her lesson."

Listening to them, my tears finally spilled over.

I ended up letting out a bitter, silent laugh.

So, the lightning-fast replies I used to get were actually sent by Chloe.

He had completely handed his phone over to her.

Even Chloe knew all about our ridiculous "household rules."

My phone screen remained dark.

Ethans reply never came.

By the time I got home from the mall, it was late at night.

I washed my face, but my eyes were still swollen and red.

When I pushed the door open, Ethan was sitting on the sofa, giving me a probing look.

"Rhi, where did you go today? You didn't even sign the check-in sheet."

"And I was too busy this afternoon to reply to your message."

My lips twitched. I wanted to confront him right then and there, but the words died in my throat. It felt completely pointless now.

"It's fine. Deduct my pay," I said dryly.

Honestly, this marriage was no longer worth saving anyway.

He froze for a second, then reached out to play with my hair affectionately.

"Rhi, you promised me youd follow the rules."

"We've only been married for three years. Are you giving up already?"

I flinched and ducked away from his touch.

Ethans brow furrowed, and his voice dropped.

"Rhiannon, my patience is limited. If you keep acting like this, your allowance is gone."

For three years, as a typical housewife, I had lived on his measly $300 monthly allowance.

This money was barely a fraction of the interest sitting in my personal bank accounts.

Seeing my silence, his tone grew even colder.

"Rhi, you agreed to these terms yourself. If you acted like this in my company, youd be fired for insubordination."

"I'll give you three seconds to explain why you went out without submitting a request."

"Three... two... one..."

As he counted down, his face grew darker by the second.

But I remained silent.

"I'll give you one more chance. Ten seconds."

If this were before, I would have immediately rushed into his arms, begging for his forgiveness for my "little mistake."

But now, I just found it hilarious.

I looked at him and asked, "Where were you this afternoon, Ethan?"

A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly recovered his composure.

"Where else would I be? The office, of course."

"Rhi, stop suffocating me. Can you give me some space?"

"Besides, I'm working hard to support this family. Why can't you be more understanding, like Chloe?"

My heart sank into a cold abyss.

Understanding?

My throat burned with unshed tears.

Had I not been understanding enough?

During our three years of marriage, because he was an extreme perfectionist who insisted on "corporate structure" at home to set a good example, I let him run our house like a business.

To maintain his perfect family image, I changed my entire wardrobe. I stopped wearing comfortable, casual clothes.

Our entire life revolved around his work schedule. I had to sign in when I woke up and sign out when I went to sleep. If I failed, he docked my money.

I even had to submit a "sick leave request" when I was ill, and I wasn't allowed to invite friends over without his written permission.

Our home had become a subsidiary of his company.

And I, his wife, was nothing but an unpaid employee.

Thinking about it now, I was a complete joke.

"Ethan, let's get a divorce."

"You can live however you want, and sleep with Chloe however you want. I'm done."

At the mention of Chloe, his eyes flickered, but then rage took over.

"Rhiannon! What nonsense are you talking about? Shes just my assistant. We are completely professional!"

"Just because I docked your allowance, you're using this to threaten me? Don't come crying back to me later."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Just this once. Don't let it happen again."

With that, he grabbed his laptop and stormed out.

I didn't care where he went.

I was just exhausted. I wanted to sleep.

Before closing my eyes, I sent a Snapchat message to my grandfather.

"I lost. Ill marry Julian."

My grandfather replied with just one line.

"Meet Julian Sterling tomorrow."

Julian was the man my grandfather had chosen for me years ago. He was stable, successful, and still single.

I didn't know when I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, a vibrating notification woke me up. It was a text from Ethan.

"Rhi, come to the office."

Perfect. He needed to sign the divorce papers anyway, and I could meet Julian nearby right after.

Because Ethan was obsessed with "boundaries," he rarely let me visit Vance Enterprises.

As a result, I was stopped right at the front desk.

"I'm Ethan's wife. If you don't believe me, you can call his assistant."

The receptionist sneered at me.

"Ma'am, even if you claim to be Mr. Vance's wife, you need an appointment."

"Look at yourself. In this company, everyone knows Chloe is Mr. Vance's true partner."

I checked the time. If I didn't get in now, I'd be late to meet Julian.

I brushed past the receptionist and ran toward the elevators.

"I'll explain everything to Ethan myself!" I called out.

But before I could reach the elevator, two security guards blocked my way.

"Ma'am, if you don't have an appointment, we will throw you out."

Looking at the hostility in their eyes, I realized that the company I had helped Ethan build was now completely foreign to me.

The receptionist, the guards, even the keycard scannersnothing was familiar anymore.

Sighing, I called Ethan.

It rang for a long time, but no one answered.

The guards expression hardened, and he grabbed my arm, violently dragging me toward the glass doors.

"Acting all classy, but you're just another crazy stalker."

"Get out! A woman like you isn't in Mr. Vance's league. Don't make me call the cops."

He threw me onto the concrete sidewalk. I scraped my palms, skin peeling back painfully.

"I'm not..."

I tried to argue, but then the lobby doors opened. Ethan was walking out, surrounded by several high-profile clients.

Chloe, wearing a tight, elegant skirt, was walking right beside him, delicately adjusting his tie.

One of the clients laughed.

"Mr. Vance, Chloe is so attentive. I'm jealous."

"Exactly. Unlike my wife at home, who only knows how to complain and has no idea how hard I work."

Chloe blushed, her voice dripping with mock modesty.

"Oh, stop it. Its just my job. Besides, Mrs. Vance is always busy shopping and relaxing, so Im happy to help."

"If your wives heard you, theyd be heartbroken."

Another client chuckled.

"So what if they hear? If we didn't pay for their lifestyles, they wouldn't have such a cozy life. That's just how it is in our circle."

He lowered his voice, asking Ethan, "So, did your wife throw a tantrum? It's been three years. Has she really never complained about your house rules?"

"When you first brought up the idea of running your home like a corporation, we thought it was a joke. I didn't expect you to actually do it. If it works, maybe I should start docking my wifes card too."

My voice caught in my throat.

Ethan stayed silent for a moment, then let out a low laugh.

"Of course she didn't complain. Rhiannon loves me too much to ever refuse."

"As for whether it works... well, you can see the results."

The men shared a knowing, arrogant laugh.

I didn't stay on the ground. I stood up, brushing the dirt off my knees.

"Ethan Vance."

The group turned around instantly.

Their smiles froze.

Ethan's face went completely pale, his smug expression vanishing.

"Rhi? What are you doing here?"

He rushed over to me, his brow furrowed.

"Why did you come to the office without letting me know? Is this how a supportive wife behaves?"

"I've been too lenient with you, and now you think you can just show up whenever you want. Your allowance for the next month is gone."

I didn't argue. I just handed him a stack of papers.

The divorce agreement was tucked right in the middle of his "check-in sheets."

He didn't even look at them. He just quickly scribbled his signature on the bottom line, thinking it was just more household paperwork.

Once I had the signed document back in my hands, I looked at him calmly.

"Go ahead. Deduct it."

My calm demeanor made Ethan uneasy. He snapped, trying to mask his guilt with anger.

"It was just a joke between guys. Can't you be a little more mature?"

"Besides, you heard them. Having a beautiful assistant by your side is completely normal in our circle."

Before I could speak, Chloe grabbed my sleeve, tears instantly streaming down her face.

"Mrs. Vance, it's all my fault! Please don't blame Ethan. If I hadn't tempted him, he wouldn't have done this."

I frowned, completely baffled by her sudden waterworks. I hadn't even said anything to her.

"I just came to"

Suddenly, Chloe dropped to her knees, sobbing loudly.

"Mrs. Vance, please forgive Ethan! I don't want your place. I just want to stay by his side and support him. Please don't fire me!"

The onlookers stared at me with pure disgust, murmuring about how heartless I was.

I tried to pull my sleeve out of her grip.

But before I could even apply any force, Chloe shrieked.

She threw herself backward, rolling down the short flight of concrete steps. Her forehead struck the sharp edge of the stone tile with a loud thud.

Blood immediately pooled from her hairline, dripping down her face.

"It hurts... it hurts so much!"

She clutched her head, curling into a ball. "Ethan... my face... am I disfigured?"

Before I could process what had happened, Ethan violently shoved me aside, screaming at me.

"Rhiannon! Are you insane?!"

"Chloe just wanted to work. How could you push her?!"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Ethan, are you blind?"

"I didn't touch her. You all cornered me and accused me of things I didn't do. How is this my fault?"

Ethan was shaking with rage. "You are completely out of control, Rhiannon! Your allowance for the rest of the year is docked!"

"I'm not coming home tonight. Stay there and think about what you've done!"

With that, he scooped Chloe into his arms and rushed her to his car.

The engine roared, and the car sped away, leaving me alone on the street.

The scrapes on my palms stung sharply in the wind, making me tremble.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Look at this, Rhi," I told myself. "This is the man you defied your grandfather to marry. This is the toxic, abnormal marriage you endured."

But it was fine. This unbalanced relationship was finally over.

I walked into the Starbucks next door.

Julian Sterling was already waiting for me. The moment I sat down, his eyes fell on my bleeding palms.

He frowned instantly and called the barista over to get a first-aid kit.

Watching this handsome, powerful man carefully clean and bandage my scratches, I smiled bitterly.

"Grandpa, your judgment was always better than mine."

Just like Ethans "probation period." I had given him three years to prove himself.

He failed.

So, it was time for me to start a new chapter.

At the hospital, Ethan knew deep down that Chloe had faked the fall.

But he couldn't let me challenge his authority. In his mind, rules were rules, and they couldn't be broken.

He stared at his phone, feeling a strange, hollow anxiety creeping in. He sent me a WhatsApp message:

"Do you understand what you did wrong now?"

I didn't reply.

Three hours passed. Still no response.

Ethans heart began to race. A weird feeling of losing control washed over him.

Suddenly, a breaking news notification popped up on his phone:

"Julian Sterling, heir of the Sterling Group, announces his engagement to Rhiannon Shaw, heiress of the Shaw empire, on March 18th."