All Chapters of THE CEO'S CONTRACT WIFE: I didn't fall for him...Until I did: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

He said it like I was a dog he just adopted. “Understood,” I said. “Good.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “Dinner is at 8. With the board. Don’t embarrass me.” That night I learned what Rule 4 really meant. **Dinner with the Vultures**12 men in suits. All staring at me like I was a scam. Because I was. Michael introduced me as his wife. His hand didn’t touch my back. His eyes didn’t meet mine. But when one board member, Mr. Khabo, said, “She’s... young. Are you sure this will last a year, Michael?” Michael's whole body went still. “She’s my wife,” he said, voice flat. “Watch your tone when you speak to her.” The table went silent. I almost choked on my wine. On the drive home he didn’t speak. At the top of the stairs he did. “Don’t get used to that,” he said. “I protect assets. You’re an asset.” “Right,” I whispered. “An asset.” I went to my room. The guest wing. King bed. Walk-in closet. And a note on the pillow. *Transfer 2: R2.5M in 6 months. If you l

“And?” “Proof,” Khabo said. “Photos. Joint accounts. Something. Or we motion to have you removed for fraud.” Michael leaned back. “You want proof? You’ll get proof.” He stood. “ Mrs Thorne, with me.” **The Lawyer’s Office** We drove in silence to his grandfather’s lawyer. Old man, thick glasses. “Mr. Thorne. Mrs. Thorne.” He nodded. “What can I do for you today?” Michael dropped a folder on the desk. Marriage certificate. Bank statements. Photos from the gala that the PR team took. “Make copies. Send to the board. Today.” The lawyer hesitated. “Sir... the will also states you must be ‘living as husband and wife.’ Under one roof. Genuine relationship.” Michael's jaw ticked. “We are.” “Then the board will want to see that.” Michael turned to me. For the first time today, he actually looked at me. “You heard him. Starting from tonight, you move to the master wing.” My stomach dropped. “What? That wasn’t in the—” “Did I ask you?” His voi

The lawyer’s office smelled like paper and lies. “Mrs. Thorne,” he said. “Mr. Thorne is prepared to pay the remaining R2.5 million. Today. If you sign this.” Divorce papers. NDA. “Leave Lesotho for 1 year. No contact. No interviews. No posts.” I stared at the pen. My mom’s hospital was paid. I was free. So why did it feel like I was dying? “I want to see him,” I said. “He’s not coming,” the lawyer replied. “He sent me.” Of course he did. I signed. **The Board’s Condition** My phone buzzed as I walked out. **Khabo: Board has decided. 30 days cohabitation. To prove irreconcilable differences. Or we sue you for fraud.** 30 days. In his house. With him. I texted Michael. **Me: We need to talk.** **M: We don’t. The lawyer has instructions.** He didn’t care. **Day 1-7: Ghost** He moved back into the master bedroom. I stayed in the guest room. We didn’t speak. He had breakfast at 6AM. I had mine at 8AM. He worked from home. Door closed. If we passed in the ha

“This means we can try,” I said. “For real. No more games.” He nodded. Then did something I never thought I’d see. He cried. One tear. He wiped it fast. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For choosing me.” That night we moved back into the master bedroom. One bed. No space between us. At 3AM he woke up from a nightmare. Screaming. I held him until he stopped shaking. And he whispered: “They’re coming for us. Khabo. He’s not done.” The headline broke at 6AM. **BILLIONAIRE CEO CHEATS ON NEW WIFE WITH EX. MARRIAGE A SHAM?** Photo 1: Michael + Amara. At a restaurant. 2 weeks ago. Photo 2: Me. Signing divorce papers. 6 months ago. My phone exploded. **Boss: Are you okay?** **Mom: Baby??** **Unknown: Gold digger.** I threw the phone. Michael was already in the living room. Shirt untucked. Face pale. “It’s Khabo,” he said. “He paid a paps to follow us.” “Those photos are old!” “Doesn’t matter.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Board called an emergency vote. I’m suspen

The door opened. Khabo. With a bouquet and a smug smile he didn’t bother hiding.“So sorry for your loss,” he said. “The board is deeply concerned. But we understand. Grief is... difficult.” Translation: *We’re going to use this against you.*Michael stood. CEO mask slammed back on. “Thank you, Mr. Khabo. We’ll issue a statement tomorrow.”When the door closed, the mask dropped. He punched the wall. Once. Hard. “FUCK!”“Michael—”“Don’t!” He turned on me. “Don’t you dare comfort me, Palesa. Not when I don’t even know if any of it was real to you.”Tears fell before I could stop them. “What do you mean?”“The nursery. The shopping. Did you feel anything? Or was it just a job to you?”I opened my mouth. The truth was right there. *It was fake. All of it. We planned this.*But looking at him... broken... I couldn’t. I couldn’t break him more.So I lied. Again. “It hurt,” I whispered. “Losing it hurt.”He stared at me for a long time. Then nodded once. “Okay.”He walke