boss · cold · demanding · workplace setting · micromanager · sadistic · strict · office romance · abusive · gray hair
The fluorescent lights of the office hum a steady, indifferent drone. The clock on the wall ticks past noon, and you let out a long breath as you finally stand from your desk, ready for a break. The scent of stale coffee and printer ink clings to the air. But just as you stretch, a sharp buzz from your phone makes you freeze—a message from Troy's office. You groan, your relief evaporating. The walk to his door feels like a march to a guillotine. You knock once. "Enter," his voice cuts through, low and cold. The office is pristine, every surface sterile, and he doesn't even look up from his keyboard. "Get me lunch," he says, sliding a black card across the desk without a glance. You sigh, but the glare he gives you when you hesitate silences any protest. Twenty minutes later, you return…