I was very satisfied with my arranged marriage because my husband kept himself clean and had strong moral boundaries. So, during a dinner party, when I saw him peel a shrimp for his female assistant, I didn't say anything. But the night we got home, I bought ten pounds of shrimp and dumped them in front of him. "Peel them. You seem to be pretty good at it." A man who lacks boundaries—if he can learn to behave, I'll make do. If he can't, I'll just replace him. After all, I'm a germaphobe. 1 When I walked through the door, an unfamiliar girl was placing a piece of sea cucumber into Carter's bowl. She didn't use serving chopsticks. I smiled and greeted the several managers seated at the table, then looked at the girl who remained seated without moving. The sales manager next to her shot her a look: "This is Mrs. Sterling, our CEO's wife." The girl stood up and smiled at me: "Hello, Ma'am. I'm the new executive secretary, Chloe. Nice to meet you, please take care of me." I smiled politely, didn't reply, and took the nearest open seat. I exchanged pleasantries with everyone as usual, quietly observing Carter and Chloe sitting opposite me. I watched as Carter naturally ate the sea cucumber Chloe had put in his bowl. Then, I watched Chloe pick up a shrimp, looking at it with a troubled expression, before shooting a helpless look at Carter. Carter frowned slightly, took the shrimp, put on disposable gloves, elegantly peeled it, and tossed the shrimp meat into Chloe's bowl. I narrowed my eyes, looked down, and sent a message to Martha, our housekeeper. "Go buy ten pounds of fresh shrimp and boil them." Just as I hit send, Chloe, who had been mostly quiet, suddenly spoke up: "Ma'am, I'm so jealous of how lucky you are. Marrying a successful man like Mr. Sterling, you just have to stay home and be a good wife. Unlike us corporate slaves, who have to toil away just to feed ourselves." I looked up, my gaze landing with amusement on her young, pretty face: "A newbie indeed. So ill-mannered." Chloe froze, probably not expecting me to be so blunt. Then she quickly put on an expression of perfectly calculated panic and grievance. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just used to speaking my mind. Please don't hold it against me." Her eyes blatantly assessed my Chanel suit and handbag: "It's just that seeing you spend so lavishly and dress so expensively, my heart aches a bit for Mr. Sterling. After all, he sacrificed a lot to build the Sterling Group to what it is today." I couldn't help but laugh, resting my chin on my hand without saying a word. The others at the table, however, looked panicked. The product director scolded her: "What nonsense are you talking about! Do you think Mrs. Sterling is just a housewife? We call her Mrs. Sterling here, but outside these doors, everyone respectfully calls her 'CEO Davis'!" Chloe looked bewildered, as if she still didn't understand. The sales manager next to her whispered a reminder: "CEO Davis and Mr. Sterling had a marriage alliance between two powerful families. CEO Davis is also the sole heir to the Davis Group. What on earth are you blabbering about? Apologize to Ma'am right now!" Chloe's pretty face turned pale. She bit her lip, a thin mist of tears quickly welling up in her large eyes, and looked at Carter pleadingly. Meeting my half-smiling gaze, Carter shook his head somewhat helplessly and reprimanded her lightly: "Apologize to Ma'am. From now on, pay attention to your surroundings when you speak, and more importantly, know your place. If you don't understand something, ask. If you don't know how to do something, learn." Having no other choice, Chloe looked at me and said pitifully in a small voice, "Ma'am, I'm sorry." I stood up without even looking at her and smiled at everyone: "My other engagement hasn't finished yet. Please excuse me, we'll catch up next time." By the time my other event ended, it was already 10 PM. Walking to the parking lot, Carter was still waiting there. Seeing me, he opened the car door for me just like always. We chatted casually on the way back, the atmosphere mild. Once home, Carter went to shower first. When he came out, I threw the ten pounds of shrimp Martha had prepared right in front of him. The ten pounds of boiled shrimp were neatly arranged in several large bowls, filling the long dining table. Meeting Carter's confused gaze, I smiled gently. "Hubby, peel these for me." 2 Carter looked surprised: "Did you not eat enough at the dinner? You didn't need to buy this much, there's no way you can finish it all." He was about to call Martha down to clean it up, but I interrupted him: "I want you to peel them for me, personally." Carter froze, then frowned imperceptibly: "Sarah, you know I'm a germaphobe." I smiled mildly: "Are you? But during the dinner today, you seemed to have no problem peeling shrimp for your new little assistant." Carter paused, then suddenly chuckled in realization: "So you're jealous over that?" He sat down next to me with a smile, wrapping his arm around my shoulder: "It's rare to see you jealous. I thought CEO Davis was always calm and collected." He leaned in and kissed my forehead: "She's just a new intern. She just entered the real world and doesn't know anything. She speaks without thinking. I just saw how young she was and helped her out casually. If you mind, I promise it won't happen again." I looked up at his handsome face so close to mine. Three years of marriage, in his thirties, and time hadn't left any harsh marks on his face; instead, it added a settled charm. I reached up and gently stroked his face: "Carter, do you know why, out of all the potential marriage candidates back then, I chose you at first glance?" Carter tilted his head. I smiled tenderly: "Because you were clean." "Your parents said you were a germaphobe, that you didn't like unnecessary physical contact with people you weren't close to, and you didn't like people invading your boundaries." "What a coincidence. I'm exactly the same." Meeting Carter's dazed gaze: "Our marriage is an alliance of interests between the Davis and Sterling families. We've gotten along well these past few years. I want our marriage to remain clean and smooth. Whether it's you and me, or the Davis and Sterling families, I want everything to go well. Don't disappoint me." I stood up, bent down, dropped a kiss on his lips, and raised an eyebrow: "Remember to peel all these shrimp for me. This is your punishment for failing to maintain proper boundaries with another woman for the first time. Be a good boy." I didn't care what time Carter went to bed. I put on a sheet mask and went to sleep early. When I woke up the next day, there were several large bowls filled with peeled shrimp meat on the dining table. Carter had gone to work early due to an emergency meeting. Martha stood quietly to the side. I smiled: "Martha, you have quite a few people in your family, right? Take these home. Sir peeled them himself, so they should be very clean. Don't let them go to waste." After that day, life between Carter and me went on as usual, as if that unpleasant little interlude was just a spice in our marriage, harmless and adding a bit of flavor. He even treated me better than before. I didn't have the time or energy to monitor what women he interacted with every day. As the heir to the Davis Group, I was incredibly busy. However, a month later, on his way to pick me up for a family dinner, he rolled down the window, revealing Chloe's slightly smug face in the passenger seat. I furrowed my brow. 3 "Hello, Ma'am. You look beautiful today!" Chloe seemed completely oblivious to my displeasure, smiling brightly, her pretty face radiating a seemingly innocent naivety. Carter also looked normal, as if he didn't sense anything wrong. My face darkened. I pulled open the passenger door and said coldly: "Get out." Chloe's expression froze. It took her a long time to mutter: "Ma'am, Mr. Sterling is just dropping me off on his way. I get carsick, so I sat in the front." She turned her head, casting a pleading look at Carter. Carter looked at me somewhat helplessly. Probably knowing my temper, he didn't speak up to defend her this time. I repeated coldly for the second time: "Get out." Carter finally spoke: "Let Ma'am sit." Biting her lip, Chloe reluctantly got out of the car. Just as she reached for the back door handle, I interrupted coldly: "Who said you could get in?" Chloe froze. I took a deep breath, pulled two red hundred-dollar bills from my purse, and stuffed them into her jacket pocket. "Can't even afford cab fare? Life must be tough. I'll cover it for you. Go home, and be safe." Carter watched Chloe and me standing outside the car awkwardly, attempting to intervene. I smiled brightly at him: "Carter, this is your fault. Your employees are so poor they can't even afford a cab ride home. That's a failure on your part. Starting tomorrow, all level-three and above employees at both Sterling and Davis Groups will have their transportation allowance increased by 10%, paid out of the Sterling accounts." Chloe's eyes reddened, tears welling up but refusing to fall, giving her the aura of a stubborn, resilient heroine from a tragic drama. "Ma'am," she said with a trembling voice, "I may be poor, but I have ambition. What gives you the right to use your status as the CEO's wife to humiliate my character with money?!" I couldn't help but laugh: "You're so poor you can't afford a cab and have to hitch a ride with the CEO. How is me paying for your cab humiliating your character? Does it only count as 'not humiliating' if the CEO personally drives you to your door? Your character must be incredibly valuable, considering the few minutes you just wasted cost your CEO and me several hundred million in potential earnings. If he spent extra time detouring to drop you off, how would you compensate us for the financial loss? With your character?" I sneered, not bothering to look at her face anymore, leaned in, got in the car, and slammed the door shut with a bang. Carter silently started the car. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Chloe still standing there, biting her lip, looking utterly humiliated. The silence in the car was suffocating, but I had no intention of being the first to speak. Carter coughed lightly, attempting to explain: "The place she rents isn't far from the old estate. It wasn't out of my way to give her a ride. Why did you have to..." "Carter." Through the rearview mirror, I met his eyes. "I told you, I liked you because you were clean. Because you aren't the only germaphobe here; I am too." "We let the shrimp incident slide. Today, you allowed her to sit in your passenger seat and even adjusted my seat settings." "I only ever give anyone around me three chances. Today was your second." "My demands aren't high. Just maintain an appropriate distance and boundaries with other women, like you used to. That shouldn't be hard for you." "Carter, don't disappoint me." 4 He didn't say anything else, and silence returned to the car. I couldn't be bothered to figure out if he was upset. Since childhood, I've never had to walk on eggshells for anyone. The car pulled smoothly into the parking area of the old estate. Getting out, I linked my arm through Carter's as if nothing had happened, acting as if our earlier spat never occurred. "You should know that our marriage isn't just about us. If you don't want the stock prices of both our families to fluctuate tomorrow, put on a smile. We are adults; don't act immature, okay?" I was smiling brightly, but my words were ice-cold. From the corner of my eye, I saw Carter force a plausible smile. Only then did we walk into the estate together. As soon as we walked in, my mother-in-law warmly greeted us, giving me an affectionate hug: "Sarah gets more beautiful every day. Come, sit next to me." Carter sat down next to me. The Sterling family was large and prosperous. We sat around a large table, a lively atmosphere filling the room. Carter's mother chatted warmly with me while constantly putting food on my plate. "The joint project between our two families is progressing very smoothly. Sarah, you are so capable." "Mom, please, we are all family. There's no need to speak as if we're separate." Carter's mother suddenly frowned, looking at Carter, who hadn't said much: "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you talking? You don't even know how to take care of your wife at the dinner table." Carter's expression was a bit strained: "You two were having such a great conversation, how could I interrupt?" Carter's mother tucked a stray hair behind her ear, bringing it up seemingly casually: "I heard you have a new little assistant who doesn't quite know the rules?" Carter paused his chopsticks, frowning as he looked over. His gaze swept between me and his mother. His mother sounded casual, but every word carried a sting: "I've already informed the HR manager to fire her. A mere intern, lacking both ability and tact. Pay her three months' severance and let her seek employment elsewhere." Carter slammed his chopsticks down: "Mom, I am the head of the company now. If you want to fire someone on my team, you should go through me!" His mother calmly placed a shrimp in my bowl: "You handle other matters well enough, but you are a bit too soft-hearted towards these nobodies. You're still young; there's no need to rush." She looked at Carter with deep meaning: "The alliance between the Sterling and Davis families is of paramount importance. When we were selecting an heir, the reason you came out on top was because of your understanding of propriety and your ability to assess the situation. Don't lose your greatest strengths." I acted as if I hadn't heard a thing, maintaining a faint smile and conversing in a low voice. The family dinner had a minor hiccup but remained relatively harmonious. Upon returning home, Carter leaned against the entryway. Looking down at me as I finished changing my shoes, he said in a deep voice: "Sarah, we need to talk." His voice carried suppressed anger. 5 I walked to the bathroom as usual, washing my hands while asking: "Talk." The light in the entryway cast a sharp shadow across Carter's high nose bridge. He spoke in a deep voice: "Was it really necessary to involve my mother in matters between us as husband and wife?" I paused, dried my hands, and looked up at him: "You think I complained to your mother?" Carter's eyes were pitch black. In the years I've known him, he had never looked at me with such a chilling gaze. "Isn't it? Sarah, I can tolerate your diva temper, but you've repeatedly made things difficult for Chloe. You have no sympathy, and your jealousy has gone too far!" I narrowed my eyes, assessing this man I'd shared a bed with for years, beginning to reflect that maybe my judgment was occasionally flawed. Carter wasn't finished venting: "This time you've pushed it even further, taking the matter to my mother and having her fire my subordinate! You know I hate people interfering in my company affairs!" "Are you done?" I cut him off coldly. "So, are you angry because your mother interfered in your work, making you feel your authority was challenged? Or are you heartbroken because your little assistant was humiliated and lost her job?" Seemingly enraged by my indifferent tone, Carter's anger flared: "It seems you still don't think you did anything wrong!" "What did I do wrong?!" I stepped closer to him: "Was I wrong for not remaining indifferent when I saw you and your little assistant crossing boundaries? Or was I wrong for not stopping your mother when she saw through Chloe's ulterior motives and fired her?" "Or was my mistake not divorcing you the very first time you peeled shrimp for her?" Carter's pupils violently contracted. I took two steps back, looked him up and down, and shook my head with considerable regret. "Carter, I told you, everyone around me only gets three chances. You've just used them all up." That night's argument ended bitterly. Carter, furious, slammed the door and left in the middle of the night, unilaterally starting a cold war. Before leaving, he threw out one sentence: "No one can stand your condescension!" I had a lot of work to deal with and no time to play games with him. The Davis Group was preparing to expand its overseas enterprises, and I was up to my neck in work. Until a week later, when I saw the news in the paper about Carter attending a high-profile charity gala with a date. The photos were taken very well. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match. Chloe was wearing an haute couture evening gown, the diamond necklace around her neck sparkling brilliantly. I looked at it for a while, nodded, and had my secretary assemble a top-tier legal team. A marriage alliance between two powerful families involved many intricate details. The terms of the divorce agreement required meticulous research and careful polishing. While we were discussing the terms, I received a call from Carter's mother.
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