At a fancy hotel ballroom, a luxurious wedding party was in full swing. The Walters extended family was visibly joyous, completely immersed in the festive atmosphere. The invited guests, mostly prominent businesspeople, took turns congratulating Darwin Walters, who was ending his bachelor days by marrying Veronica Ashborne tonight.
Meanwhile, at a guest table, a woman sat staring at the couple with a deeply hurt expression. She was Vivian, a beautiful woman who had previously been in a relationship with Darwin Walters.They had been together for over two years, even enduring a long-distance relationship when Darwin was sent to manage a company in South Korea by his parents. Their hopes and dreams of building a life together suddenly shattered when Darwin was arranged to marry someone else by his father's choice. This was deliberately done to rescue the Infinix Group, a strong presence in the mining sector, from the threat of bankruptcy due to an ongoing crisis.It remained unclear whether Vivian's relationship with Darwin would come to an abrupt end or if it could continue in secret, as Darwin had requested earlier."I swear, this won't last long. After I manage to divorce her, I'll marry you, Vivian," Darwin promised."Are you sure you can divorce the woman your Dad picked?" Vivian seemed skeptical. She knew Darwin's character well. He had never once contradicted or refused his father's orders. Even when he was sent to Korea for so long that they were separated, Darwin complied without any protest."I'm sure I can. I'll do whatever it takes to end that marriage quickly. I only love you, Vivian, not Veronica.""You're cruel, Win. You've been playing with my feelings while I've been faithfully waiting for you—""Vivian, please." Darwin interrupted his girlfriend. He pulled her close, embracing her tightly, then softly kissed the top of her head as he whispered, "Please understand my situation right now. You know I don't want to lose you just like that. Besides, I've never broken a promise, right? So please, wait just a little while. And for now, let's keep this relationship a secret," he pleaded, hoping Vivian would grant his request with passion.Vivian couldn't lie to herself about her feelings. No matter what, she truly loved Darwin. Not wanting to drown in sadness, she chose to stand up and prepared to leave the ballroom. Her head ached thinking about what lay ahead. Could she bear to have a secret relationship with her own boyfriend?After the party concluded, Darwin decided to take Veronica back to his place. As they arrived, without hesitation, he pulled her inside, pushing her to sit on the corner sofa."Are you satisfied? Have you ruined my life?" he snapped, filled with anger. Darwin's gaze seemed capable of burning Veronica alive until she turned to ashes. "Don't think that becoming my wife will make you happy!""What did I do wrong?" Veronica's voice trembled.In her entire life, Veronica had never been treated roughly like this. Being an only child, her parents had always cherished her wholeheartedly. She had never been yelled at, let alone subjected to anything that made her feel hurt or sad.Still driven by his emotions, Darwin stepped forward, approaching his seated wife. He gripped her chin, mercilessly."What do you think you did wrong?" Darwin's eyes narrowed. His frustration was evident on his handsome face. For some reason, whenever he looked at Veronica, he wanted to shatter her bones. "It's your fault for agreeing to this damn arranged marriage. If only you had rejected it from the beginning, this marriage would never have happened!" He then released his harsh grip on her.Veronica winced in pain. She didn't want to live like this, but what could she do? There was no choice but to obey what had been ordered. Furthermore, this marriage had been planned for a long time, aimed at expanding both families' businesses and helping the struggling Infinix Group.Moreover, Damian Ashborne and Magnus Walters had a longstanding friendship since their youth. Long before the Infinix Group faced difficulties, they had both speculated about arranging their children's marriage to continue their good relationship into the future. This was the basis for the agreement to marry Darwin and Veronica."So what do you want then? Do you want to divorce me? Then jeopardize the fate of the Walters family business that's hanging by a thread? Risk the futures of thousands of workers and employees who have dedicated their lives to you?"Darwin sighed. He couldn't deny that the Wijaya family's support was desperately needed now. When no one else could help, it was only Veronica's father who extended a helping hand. Ensuring that the Infinix Group would regain its former glory."Don't think that just because your family helped the Infinix Group, you can control me however you want! Sooner or later, I will definitely divorce you, Ve," Darwin said firmly. "I swear, once the issues with my company are resolved, I'll divorce you as soon as possible. It would be insane for me to stay with a woman I don't love at all."Darwin's words dripped with hatred. Then he stormed out, slamming the bedroom door behind him. While newlyweds usually enjoyed their first night together, Veronica's experience was starkly different. She could only hold back tears and the ache gnawing at her heart, pondering what challenges awaited her in the days ahead."Get up!"Darwin pulled back the curtains in the room, allowing the sunlight to pour in. Veronica, who had been sleeping on the sofa, blinked repeatedly as she sat up. Still in her wedding dress, she struggled to gather her scattered thoughts."Quick, pack your things!" Darwin commanded, his cold tone unchanged."Packing?" Veronica asked hesitantly. It was still early in the morning. Why was she being asked to pack? "Are you trying to kick me out?" There was a hint of worry in her words as she wondered if Darwin was going to evict her or divorce her already. Her father might even have a heart attack if they divorced within 24 hours of the wedding."Tsk!" Darwin clicked his tongue. He really didn't want to waste too many words on the woman in front of him. But if he didn't explain, it would be difficult. "We're leaving for the airport in an hour," he replied with a blank expression.Darwin kept his expression difficult to read. Veronica had thought after last night's events that Darwin
Darwin really never imagined he'd end up arranged like this. He had sweet plans to marry Vivian, his girlfriend, right on her birthday.But, well.Fate seemed to have a different idea for Darwin. His father, Magnus Walters, ended up arranging and pushing him to marry the daughter of his friend and business partner as soon as possible.Darwin, of course, couldn't refuse. Not only for business reasons, but also because he was raised to be obedient to his parents' every command since he was a child. Ironical, right? While others could freely choose and live their own lives, Darwin had to comply with whatever his parents wanted, including this plan to honeymoon with Veronica."Papa has even scheduled your honeymoon. You can take your wife after the reception," Magnus told Darwin, one day before the party."Isn't this a bit much, Dad?"Magnus shook his head."What do you mean, too much? Aren't married couples supposed to go on a honeymoon after getting married?""Maybe that's normal for re
"I've told you many times, never prepare food or touch my things, whatever it is! If you have ears, you should understand what I'm saying!" The voice echoed thunderously, pounding her heart. The room suddenly filled with tension. It was as if the air had been forcibly taken away, leaving Veronica with a tightness in her chest. This wasn't the first time Darwin had spoken harshly or given her a warning. A month had passed. Yet, not a single kind gesture had Darwin shown to his wife. Like this morning, before leaving for work, once again Veronica took the initiative to prepare breakfast for herself and her husband. But instead of appreciation or even a thank you, he responded rudely. Perhaps he was irritated because Veronica hadn't paid any attention to what he had repeatedly said. "You should try this food, Win. You don't need to worry, I didn't put poison in your food.""Why should I try your cooking? Trial and error is reserved for marriages. I don't want to keep making my li
Darwin massaged his tense neck. Just a few minutes ago, he had just finished attending a meeting with several members of the board of directors.He had just leaned back in his chair when the room door knocked. As he looked up, he found Kennedy and Randy walking towards him, carrying a medium-sized box of unknown contents."You guys rarely stop by without giving a heads-up first," Darwin remarked as both of his cousins pulled chairs in front of him. Kennedy handed over the box she was carrying first before taking her seat."No time, Win. Just finished the meeting, and I was rushed to deliver this to you," the man explained, pointing to the box he had just handed over.Darwin's brow furrowed. Straightening up, he moved the box on the table closer to him, intending to check its contents himself."What is this?""It's a black forest cake," Kennedy responded. She sat down casually, folding her hands in front of her chest. "Luna made it. I told her that you really love black forest cake. It
Darwin seemed to struggle to shift away from Vivian's embrace. Lowering his gaze, he found his lover still peacefully asleep, her arms wrapped around his waist.After Vivian's visit yesterday, Darwin had left his office right away to spend time together in her apartment. Last night, he had finally decided to stay over. After all, today was a holiday, so he didn't need to rush to wake up and head to the office.Adoringly watching the still-sleeping Vivian, Darwin slowly shifted his body. He moved a bit, then propped his head up with one elbow. His free hand gently caressed Vivian's cheek. Occasionally, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before descending to her lovely cheeks. Eventually, Vivian let out a soft sigh and slowly opened her eyes."Hey, love..." she murmured, her voice husky from just waking up. Darwin had to admit, Vivian was stunning in every moment. Her gentle demeanor only made him more infatuated.Throughout his life, Darwin had only felt this way about Vivian. Not t
Once Darwin stepped out of the room, Veronica immediately walked briskly to her own room. She locked the door tightly while clutching her chest, which was heaving from her rapid heartbeat.This was the first time, after a month of marriage, that she had shown such courage. Veronica had even tried to respond to almost every word spoken by her husband.Growing up with love and care, pampered as an only child, Veronica had never experienced harshness or cruelty from others. Despite coming from an esteemed family and having everything, her parents had never taught her to belittle others or behave rudely.However, recalling Deasy's words, Veronica thought that she shouldn't be too weak or submissive, allowing her self-esteem to be trampled upon. After all, she wasn't at fault here. Her marriage to Darwin was a purely arranged one that couldn't be avoided. That's why Darwin had no right to use her as an outlet for his frustrations.Meanwhile, in his room, Darwin appeared very angry. He had
In front of the mirror, Veronica appeared seated in silence. Her eyes tightly shut. She took a deep breath, trying to dispel the tightness that enveloped her.Since last night, her thoughts had been all over the place. Her heart still felt both sore and melancholic as she recalled the image of Sean, whom she had unintentionally met at the dinner party.Rubbing her chest, Veronica attempted to take several deep breaths. Exhaling softly, yet it still felt futile. Flashes of the past continued to dance in her mind."I'm just going away for a short while, Ve. I promise, once I finish the education I'm pursuing, I'll come back to propose and marry you.""Why do you have to study abroad? Are you intentionally leaving me?" Veronica had asked at the time, unable to accept it.Seeing her lover's eyes welling up with tears, Sean embraced the beautiful woman in front of him. He gently kissed her forehead, accompanied by a soothing smile."Who would want to leave you? I'm going abroad only for a
"Sir, if you take a closer look, our company's sales graph is steadily rising and stabilizing over time. I'm optimistic that within less than a year, everything could bounce back to the way it was before or even surge higher than it is now."Darwin appeared to be attentively listening as the project manager and a few expert staff members presented their work results one by one in today's important meeting. All of them provided positive reports that made Darwin feel increasingly satisfied.In reality, the Infinix Group has been in a stable and normal state since Damian Ashborne extended a helping hand to Magnus. However, Darwin wants his father's company to continue progressing and ideally experience rapid growth.This is in order to swiftly repay all the money and assistance Damian provided, so the Infinix Group wouldn't be considered indebted. That way, he could end his marriage with Veronica as soon as possible without any burden."Well then, keep pushing for further development. Don