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C BatangGapo

Good morning!
From me, To you ♡♡♡

What I want for Christmas is for my family, friends & followers to be SAFE, HEALTHY, HAPPY and have lots of LOVE ❤️💯

On the first day of employment, she discovered a shocking secret: the president of the company was actually her lightning-married husband!
============ ==========

Chapter 1 Unknown Husband

At Seamarsh Airport, Stella Anderson stood restlessly at the waiting area with a large suitcase at her feet.

She glanced at her watch again. It had been thirty minutes since she got off the plane. And yet, her husband whom she had gotten married to a year ago was nowhere in sight.

Furrowing her brow, she fanned herself with her fingers and already had a bad impression of someone she had never met.

This was supposed to be their first meeting. How could he be so late?

As she watched people come and go, she couldn't help but recall her hasty marriage.

It had happened a year ago after her grandfather came down with a serious illness.

Stella, who was abroad at the time, rushed home to see him. It was then he made it known that he hoped to see her get married soon.

She wanted to say no. But when she remembered how her grandfather adopted her from an orphanage and raised her into the adult she had become, she didn't have the heart to disappoint him.

And so, she got married to the man her grandfather picked for her; a man she had never met.

The groom wasn't present on their wedding day. Someone else stepped in to handle the registration of the marriage.

She didn't know her husband at all. All she knew was his name and that he was a businessman.

To this day, Stella wasn't sure if her compromise was the right choice. Her so-called husband wasn't particularly giving her something to like about him.

She glanced at her watch for like the hundredth time. An additional ten minutes had passed.

She sighed exasperatedly. Just as she took out her phone to call her grandfather, a screeching sound pierced the air and almost burst her eardrums.

A silver Aston Martin came to a screeching halt in front of her. The driver's seat window rolled down.

Stella took a step back. Once she saw a familiar face, she blurted out, "Why are you here?"

Behind the wheel was the last person she expected to see now—her cousin, Oliver Palmer.

"Ouch! You really hurt me!" Oliver clutched his chest as though he was really hurt. After getting out of the car, he pouted. "Your return is so important. We haven't seen each other for a long time. As your cousin, I couldn't resist the urge to come pick you up. But you are so mean to me. It's not fair!"

Stella wasn't surprised or deceived by his poor acting.

She rolled her eyes, refusing to speak.

"Hop in, Stella. You must be tired and hungry. I'll treat you to lunch." After grabbing her suitcase with one hand, Oliver placed his other hand on her shoulder and shoved her to the car.

"Wait! I can't go with you." Stella stopped him.

"Why?" Oliver stopped. He scoffed when something occurred to him a moment later. "Is it because of your husband? You still want to wait for him?"

Stella didn't utter a word, but her look said it all.

Oliver snorted. "Don't wait for him anymore. Need I remind you that he has never contacted you since you guys got married? Doesn't that tell you enough?"

Stella was lost for words.

"If he wanted to come pick you up, he would have shown up before I did. How can you trust a man that has ignored your existence for one year?" Oliver added in a more sarcastic tone.

After it sank in, Stella retorted defensively, "But Grandpa said Maverick will come to pick me up."

She thought her husband would keep his word since he promised her grandfather.

Oliver held the bridge of his nose and sighed helplessly. "Even if you still want to wait for him, you don't have to stand in the sun. Get into the car. It's hot outside."

While the two of them were arguing, a tall figure appeared in the crowd and was heading for them.

Matthew Clark was talking on the phone. "I'm already at the airport. Take your medicine now."

A soft female voice came from the other end of the line. "Remember, Ella is wearing a red dress today. She has long curly hair. Also, her suitcase is black..."

"I have already seen her, Grandma. Now, can you stop worrying?" Matthew's eyes were fixed on the duo meters away. He frowned.

There was a woman who fitted the description his grandmother gave, down to the color of her suitcase.

But she just got into a man's car while he held the door for her.

Matthew's tone suddenly turned cold. "Got to go, Grandma. I'll talk to you later."

His face darkened. At the same time, an icy glint leaped into his deep-set eyes.

He put away his phone, turned around, and left.

Back in his car, Matthew's grip on the steering wheel grew tighter as he watched the two people in the sports car.

The man handed the woman a bottle of water. As she drank from it, he smoothened her hair dotingly. Although Matthew couldn't see her face, that didn't matter to him anymore.

He was boiling on the inside.

Suddenly, he laughed at himself.

Why did he even find this surprising? He should have known this a long time ago.

His so-called wife had been away from the city for a whole year after their marriage. They had never met or gotten to know each other over the phone. It was understandable for her to get herself a boyfriend.

Matthew set his lips into a grim line. He took out his phone and typed a message.

As soon as he hit send, he started his car and zoomed off at a high speed.

————

Later that afternoon, Stella got dressed in a simple and elegant light-colored business suit and went to Prosperity Group.

It was one of the leading companies in Seamarsh City. The employees were, in one way or the other, elites in the city.

Stella walked into the magnificent building that housed the headquarters of the group. With her excellent resume, she had gotten a job as the senior private PR professional to the CEO, Matthew.

The director of the public relations department, Luna James, led Stella to meet Matthew.

Unbeknown to Stella, the man she was going to be working for was actually her husband, Maverick.

Matthew had zero trust in people. He used his real name when his marriage was being signed. Only those closest to him knew his real name—Maverick Clark.



Chapter 2 Her New Job

Stella and Luna took the elevator to the top floor.

On the way, Luna was very enthusiastic. She kept telling Stella about the company. "The CEO's office takes up the entire top floor. It's out of bounds for most of the employees. Only those who report directly to him or have something extremely important can go there."

Stella listened quietly.

She wanted to learn all she could about her new boss, so she appreciated this new lecture.

Luna suddenly paused. Then, she turned to Stella and asked casually, "I heard you previously worked in one of the group's branches overseas. Why did you suddenly get transferred to the headquarters? Did you know Mr. Clark before?"

Curiosity shone in Luna's eyes. It was crystal clear she wanted to find this out for gossip's sake.

Never in the history of Prosperity Group had anyone been employed or transferred without undergoing any interview. In fact, the process of becoming an employee here was longer than most.

Stella broke that record.

There had been speculations among the other employees that Stella wasn't an ordinary person. As a result, Luna wanted to know why the CEO himself got Stella transferred.

It was no news that most of those who tried to gain this job failed at the resume submission stage. This was because Matthew had strict requirements.

At this moment, Luna's prying question drew a frown from Stella. She disliked anyone who tried to stick their nose into other people's business.

She glanced at Luna's work ID and said coldly, "Last I checked, PR professionals are supposed to have a high EQ. They usually have their head in the game at work."

She just said that Luna was stepping out of line.

As soon as Stella finished speaking, the elevator came to a halt on the top floor.

Stella walked out without looking at her companion.

Luna's face darkened at this.

Gritting her teeth, she glared at Stella's back as she walked out of the elevator.

Who did this newcomer think she was? How dare she use such a tone when talking to her?

The two of them waited outside the office.

Luna took a look at her watch and went to a corner to make a phone call. When she returned, she told Stella, "Mr. Clark is still on the way. We need to wait a little longer."

Stella nodded in understanding.

No one said a word for a few seconds. Suddenly, Luna piped up in a casual tone, "Wanna know why Mr. Clark is running late?"

Still mad at Stella for shutting her up, Luna wanted to set the records straight. She intended to make Stella get down from her high horse.

Stella didn't give a hoot about what her boss did outside of the office. As a result, she responded with only silence.

Refusing to take the hint, Luna said in an annoying voice, "You see, his wife just got back today. He put aside all his work for today just so he could go pick her up at the airport. He's such a sweet husband!"

With dreamy eyes, Luna crossed her arms and added with regret and admiration, "It's such a pity that he got married so early. His wife is one lucky lady. I really wonder what she's like."

These words suddenly reminded Stella of what happened to her earlier today.

It appeared that some women were lucky to have good husbands. Her boss, Mathew, seemed better than Maverick.

After she waited at the airport for almost an hour, Maverick sent her a short message saying that he couldn't make it because he was busy.

What a ridiculous excuse! Could he be busier than the CEO of Prosperity Group?

Suddenly, the elevator tinkled.

Luna quickly smoothened her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair. After putting on a smile, she pulled Stella.

The elevator doors opened slowly.

A man who was clad in a bespoke suit walked to them with one hand in his pocket.

He had long legs which made him take giant strides. His shoulders were broad, but his waist was slightly narrow. His angular features were like those of a muscular model.

Stella estimated that he was more than six inches tall.

The noble aura that he exuded was very strong. Stella was unable to take her eyes off him.

"Good day, Mr. Clark."

Luna's voice interrupted Stella's observation.

With a little bow, Stella introduced herself. "Hello, Mr. Clark. I'm the PR professional transferred from the overseas branch company. My name is Stella Anderson."

At that name, Matthew raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The name rang a bell. However, he couldn't tell where he had heard it from.

His eyebrows furrowed with subtle confusion. The next second, he gestured to a door. "Let's talk in my office."

With that, he walked into the office.

Stella followed him in without hesitation.

——

Sitting at his desk, Matthew scanned through the file in his hand.

He had specifically chosen Stella to be his personal PR officer because she had achieved great feats in the branch company last year. Her records showed that she helped the company get out of several situations that could have harmed its reputation.

More importantly...

Matthew turned to the last page of her resume and narrowed his eyes.

"You can design?"

His deep voice broke the weighty silence in the office.

This was the last thing Stella thought he would ask her. After getting over the surprise, she nodded. "A little."

Matthew raised his eyes, glanced at her calm face, and continued to inquire, "You are a PR professional. What has design got to do with your work? Why did you feel the need to put design drafts in your resume?"

Stella came well-prepared for this question.

She sat up straight and replied confidently, "Prosperity Group is trying to occupy the clothing industry. As a PR professional, my job includes marketing the brand image. That's why I made a few design drafts that could be put to good use."

Matthew nodded thoughtfully.

He closed the file and dumped it in a corner of his desk. Afterward, he turned to Luna and ordered, "Get her settled in. Then assign a task to her."

Luna was surprised.

Was that all Matthew had to say?

Although Luna wasn't pleased at all, she replied politely, "Yes, Mr. Clark."

Stella heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out of the office.

She loosened her clenched fists, and her palms were already sweating.

At the thought of the CEO's cold and stern face, Stella grew nervous again. She had a gut feeling that working under him would be harder than she thought.



Chapter 3 A Difficult Client

Luna led Stella to the public relations department. She then introduced her to the other employees. "Listen up, guys! This is Stella Anderson, your new colleague."

With a polite smile, Stella said, "Nice to meet you all. It's an honor to be part of this department. I hope we can get along well."

The others were shocked by Stella's rapid onboarding. They whispered to each other.

"Is she the PR officer who was transferred here to work for Mr. Clark personally? She looks pretty. I wonder if she's a beauty with brains or just an empty skull."

"Come on. You should know that Mr. Clark has an eye for the best talents. I bet she's good at what she does."

"I'm so jealous of her. She gets to work closely with Mr. Clark. What a lucky girl!"

Stella heard it all. However, her smile remained the same and she didn't say anything.

On the other hand, Luna's face became a shade redder. She frowned at Stella.

These comments fanned the flames of her dissatisfaction.

It was widely known that Matthew put potential employees through a vigorous interview process. But earlier, she had witnessed how lenient he was with Stella.

Luna eyed Stella from head to toe. She was certain that this newcomer was just a numbskull.

Out of spite, she vowed to make Stella suffer.

Luna's conniving mind got to work immediately. She decided to give Stella the most difficult task on ground.

"Here you go. This is your first task as ordered by Mr. Clark. Currently, everyone is on the verge of completing the projects they have been working on. The only task left is concerning the choice of background music for the company's upcoming anniversary party." As Luna held the necessary document, her tone was natural. "Your job is to communicate with the other party and make sure the background music is confirmed ASAP."

Stella frowned and asked, "Is there anything else I must know?"

The choice of background music was one of the simplest aspects that went into a banquet preparation. As such, it was odd that it was still not done.

Luna was determined to make Stella suffer, so she didn't bother explaining. She just threw the document to Stella and said, "The client involved will come later. You'll know all about it when you guys meet."

With that, she went straight to her desk.

Stella shrugged instead of asking any more questions.

For some peace and quiet, she went into the meeting room while flipping through the document.

The second the door was shut, a discussion broke out in the office again.

"This newcomer is doomed. Henry is not an easy person to work with. Not only is he picky, he's got wandering hands. I shudder at the thought of what he would do to her."

"You are not alone. Anyway, I wish her good luck."

——

In the meeting room, Stella studied all there was to know about the task and the client she would be meeting.

The client was a pianist named Henry Scott.

The company's management was interested in using his piano piece at the 30th anniversary party which was just around the corner. For some unknown reason, they were yet to reach an agreement.

She had just finished the last page of the document when the door of the meeting room was pushed open.

A man wearing a pair of jeans and a casual shirt with rolled-up sleeves came in.

Stella stood up immediately and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Scott. Thanks for coming. I'm Stella Anderson and I will be responsible for discussing the cooperation concerning the use of your piece for the upcoming anniversary banquet. Please, have a seat."

"Okay," Henry replied and pulled out the chair beside Stella.

With his arms folded, he reclined in the chair and stared at her.

Stella avoided his gaze.

As she sat down, she moved the chair away a little bit. Then, she began in a professional tone. "You are yet to reach an agreement with us for the use of your piano piece. Is there a reason for that? If you have any reservations about it, do tell. I assure you that we will satisfy you as long as it's within our power."

Henry remained mute as he eyed her up and down.

An icy warning trickled up Stella's spine. She felt uncomfortable under his stare, but she still smiled. "I'm aware that you are currently preparing to go on a nationwide tour soon. I promise that this won't affect your preparations. On the contrary, we will spare some time to publicize your tour at the banquet as a token of our appreciation. What do you think?"

Henry rubbed his chin for a while before saying, "I have to say that you make quite an attractive offer." He gave her a side look and then smiled.

Stella held out the prepared contract. "Please read through the contract. If you have a problem with any of the clauses, I can have it modified immediately."

Without taking the document, Henry leaned back and put his hands at the back of his head. "Reading is so much work. Worse yet, the contract looks so bulky. I don't want to go through it."

Hearing this, Stella was in a dilemma.

"How about you move closer and read it to me?" Henry's eyes glistened with interest as he looked at her.

Stella pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

Having worked in the PR industry for many years, she had come across all kinds of clients who requested strange things.

Reading a contract aloud didn't seem that much of a big deal.

With that in mind, Stella moved a little closer while still making sure she was a safe distance from him. She then cleared her throat and began reading.

Her eyes were on the document, but she could feel his stare fixed on her.

It gave her the heebie-jeebies.

Nonetheless, Stella straightened up and tried to concentrate on what she was reading.

Suddenly, Henry leaned over sharply.

Stella ducked out of instinct.

Smiling smugly, he leaned even closer.

"What a beautiful necklace you have got there. It goes well with your radiant skin."

As he spoke, he reached out with the intention of touching her neck.

It took Stella great restraint not to slap his hand away. Instead, she leaned back further and glared at him as her disgust grew stronger.

"If you like this necklace, I will help you order one and send it to your company after the meeting. Can we get back to the agenda now?"

Henry's hand froze in the air and he sneered, "I thought Prosperity Group wanted to work with me. But it turns out I was wrong. I'm a very busy man, so I shouldn't be wasting my precious time talking with insincere people."

He raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a hint of threat.

All of a sudden, the door was pushed open.

"The cooperation is canceled!"

With an expressionless face, Matthew walked in. He stood in front of Stella and faced Henry.



Chapter 4 Blatant PDA

Henry's face darkened. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me right!" Matthew said indifferently. "You are disrespectful to the female employees in this company. And we will no longer cooperate with you. There are thousands of piano pieces in the world. It should be easy to get another pianist."

As Stella stared at Matthew's broad back, her eyes sparkled with gratitude.

He was such a gentleman. His wife was a lucky woman.

Henry's mouth dropped open and he looked utterly embarrassed.

The next second, he lost his cool. He sprang to his feet, stormed out, and slammed the door behind him.

The other employees left their desks and craned their necks to look at the door of the meeting room.

The moment Matthew walked out, he gave Luna an earful in front of the others. "Didn't you know you were supposed to do a background check on Henry Scott before offering to work with him? As a PR professional, you should know that every wrong move can lead to a disaster and it can backfire on this company."

Lowering her head, Luna apologized repeatedly. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Clark. I promise that this will never repeat itself. Next time, I'll make sure to carry out a thorough investigation."

The last thing Luna expected was her nasty little trick to backfire. She was on the brink of tears as she wondered how Stella was able to wriggle out of this.

After glaring at her for a long time, Matthew scanned all the faces in the office and said, "Let this serve as a warning to all of you. Your job is to better the brand image and solve crises, not cause a mess. If you can't do your job well, tender your resignation and go to the financial department for your severance pay!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and intimidating. It made everyone shudder.

No one dared to look up or speak.

Luna couldn't help feeling that Matthew's warning was directed at her.

She clenched her fists and murdered Stella with her eyes.

Matthew had never scolded her before, let alone in public.

Things only changed after Stella resumed work here.

Luna believed Stella must have badmouthed her in the meeting room.

At the thought of this, Luna's hatred for Stella quadrupled and her anger surged through her veins.

Matthew left after giving them a piece of his mind.

In his wake, a heavy silence fell in the office. All the employees were shaken up and went about their day on pins and needles.

Hours later, it was a few minutes to closing hour. Stella took out her phone and clicked on the chat box between her and Maverick.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she pondered. Finally, she decided to invite him to dinner.

Although their marriage wasn't that of love and she hadn't wanted to marry him, she figured that she might as well get to know him since there was no turning back.

She was just about to hit send when her phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from Oliver.

Stella answered it.

As soon as she pressed the phone to her ear, Oliver rambled about his plans. "Ella, I have booked us a table at Joyful Restaurant. See you at half past seven tonight."

"But I already—"

Oliver interrupted her, "No buts, Stella. You have been away for a long time. We have to celebrate your return. Lest I forget, Juliette will be there too. Don't stand us up. If you refuse, I'll drive down to your company and drag you there myself!"

Oliver wasn't one to bluff. His tone indicated that he was going to make good his threat.

Stella agreed. "Okay, I'll bring Maverick along."

Oliver didn't like Stella's husband, and he never hid it. "Soothe yourself."

After getting off the phone, Stella cleared the typed text and made a new one.

She read the message a couple of times. After making sure she made no errors in the location and time, she hit the send icon.

A reply came moments later.

"Okay, see you there."

Stella checked the time after she received that message. It was time to get off work.

She headed straight to the restaurant.

——

In Joyful Restaurant, Stella saw someone waving at her as soon as she walked in. It was Oliver. He was seated with his girlfriend, Juliette Davis, at a large table.

Oliver was leaning in so close to Juliette and staring at her lovingly.

Stella wasn't even surprised by that.

As she got seated opposite them, she placed her bag on the table and joked, "Can you two stop making everyone else jealous with your intense PDA?"

Juliette shyly fiddled with her long curls which were similar to Stella's. She raised her eyebrows and teased, "Two can play the game, so do this with your husband."

After saying that, she looked behind Stella and asked, "Weren't you supposed to come along with your hubby? Where is he? Is he shy because he will be meeting us for the first time?"

Stella picked up the menu and said, "He's on his way."

"He'd better be!" Oliver snorted. "He seems to have a thing for standing people up."

His dissatisfaction with Maverick was obvious and undisguised.

Stella gave him a murderous glare and placed her index finger over her lips. "Shush!"

She set down the menu and gave him a harder look. "You'd better be on your best behavior when he gets here. Don't start a fight, okay?"

Oliver pursed his lips and said nothing.

——

It was already half past seven when Matthew arrived at Joyful Restaurant.

Earlier, his wife had texted him saying that they needed to talk face-to-face.

Thinking of how she was with another man at the airport, he typed a big no.

But he cleared it up after thinking that it was best to hear an explanation from her first.

Matthew walked into the restaurant with mixed feelings.

He located the table his wife had mentioned in her text to him. To his greatest surprise, he saw the same man he had seen at the airport this morning. The man was kissing a woman.

The woman's face wasn't visible from where Matthew stood because of her long curly hair.

Color crept to his face and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Did his wife plan this?

She wanted to show off her lover to enrage him, didn't she?

Heat surged through Matthew's veins as he balled his hands into fists, and almost crushed his phone. Just as he was about to confront those two lovebirds, he heard the voice of his newest employee from behind.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Clark! What are you doing here?"



Chapter 5 Grandma's Advice

Stella returned from the bathroom to find that her husband, Maverick, still hadn't arrived. She was on her way back to the table when she spotted her boss.

She greeted him, only to find that he had a long face.

Matthew replied simply, "I'm here to meet a business partner."

"Oh, okay." Sensing that he wasn't in the mood to talk, Stella didn't bother to say anything else.

Matthew turned around and left without looking back.

Stella returned to the table and looked at her watch. It was already seven forty. Maverick was thirty minutes late already.

Frowning, she took her phone and read the message she had sent him earlier.

There was no error in the address and time.

Why wasn't he here yet after agreeing to come? Was he standing her up yet again?

What was his deal? Didn't he want to meet the woman he was married to? Did he already hate her even before they met?

As her mind was filled with several questions, Stella felt a little depressed.

The steak she was eating tasted bland in her mouth. After swallowing a mouthful forcefully, she set down her knife and fork, and then texted Maverick again.

"Hey, why aren't you here yet? What's keeping you? If tonight isn't convenient for you, let's agree on another day and time."

Oliver's heart ached a little when he saw Stella's mood dampen.

It made him hate Maverick even more.

Slamming his glass on the table, he cursed angrily, "How dare he stand you up twice on the same day? You deserve so much better, Stella. I say that you divorce him!"

"Shhh! Stop adding fuel to the fire!" Juliette hushed him with a glare.

Oliver shook his head with disappointment and zipped up his lips even though he wanted to continue chewing that man out so badly.

Juliette turned to Stella and comforted her in a soft voice, "Don't look so sad, Stella. Maybe something is keeping him."

Since she and Oliver had fallen in love at first sight, she believed that true love could happen to Stella and her husband. But she also acknowledged that it wouldn't be easy at first.

Stella nodded without saying anything.

She looked at her phone again.

Maverick still hadn't replied her last message.

Was it that he hadn't seen it or that he was ignoring her now?

——

Matthew's intention to confront his wife and her boyfriend had been halted by Stella's sudden appearance.

It appeared she was also there for dinner. For some reason, he didn't want Stella to know that he had marriage problems.

Matthew marched to the parking lot, looking like he would explode at any moment. He had just gotten into his car when the phone in his pocket buzzed.

He whipped it out and saw that his wife just texted him.

His eyebrows furrowed as soon as he read the message.

Was she out of her mind? He had just seen her kissing another man in public, but she still dared to text him as if she couldn't wait to see him.

What a pretentious woman!

Matthew had lived long enough to encounter all kinds of women. A lot had done outrageous things, but none of them came close to what his wife just did. She had gotten him real good to the extent that he almost lost his cool in public.

He was so irritated.

He threw his phone aside, started the ignition, and zoomed off.

Seething with rage, Matthew went on a long drive around the city. It was already very late when he arrived home.

The first person he saw when he walked into his mansion was his grandmother, Lucia Clark. She was sitting on the sofa with a deep frown.

"Where have you been? Look at the time! Why did you stay out so late?"

With his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, Matthew glanced at the clock his grandmother pointed to and then sighed. "Grandma, why are you here? Isn't it time for you to retire for the night?"

"You dare ask me such questions?" Lucia slapped the armrest of the leather sofa and shot him a searing glare. "Stella's grandfather told me that you didn't pick her up from the airport. Where the hell have you been? And why did you lie to me? You are a married man now. How can you be so irresponsible?'

A touch of helplessness flashed through Matthew's eyes.

"Grandma." Matthew casually put his coat on the sofa and sat next to her.

After a mild hesitation, he told her everything he saw at the airport today.

At last, he sighed and added in a sincere tone. "Grandma, my father had many mistresses when he was alive. His philandering led to my birth. Even if everyone sees me as the heir of the family, I'm still an illegitimate son."

"Matthew..." Lucia called out in a soft tone, feeling regretful.

She knew what he had been through. As always, she felt pity for him.

Matthew squeezed his knees as he continued, "That's why I have vowed to be nothing like my father. I intend to stay faithful to my wife, and I expect her to do the same. I can't take it if we are not on the same page."

There was a moment of silence after he finished speaking.

After thinking for a while, Lucia said, "You know me. I don't do things without properly investigating. I did that before I got you to marry Stella. If anything, she's prim and proper. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

Matthew pursed his lips and said nothing.

"Please don't give up just yet. You both need to talk things out face to face," Lucia suggested. "Since you two never dated, you should spend more time trying to create a bond first. Take things slow, okay?"

Matthew didn't know what to say to that, so he changed the topic. "It's getting pretty late. I'll ask the driver to take you home. You don't have to worry about me."

Lucia wanted to apply pressure, but when she saw his sunken eyes and tired lines on his forehead, she swallowed her words.

After sending his grandmother home, Matthew lay on his king-sized bed.

He closed his eyes. But the image of the loving couple at the restaurant kept popping into his mind. He couldn't shake it off no matter how he tried. At this moment, he felt empty and numb.

This marriage didn't seem like it was going to work out. Maybe it was time to get divorced.


&2&