“…You’re aroused, aren’t you?” Startled by her words, Neal quickly snapped, “…As if! Anyway, we’ve danced enough!” Following that, he immediately headed to the bathroom and lit a cigarette, hoping that it would help calm him down a little… The truth was, Luna was right. No matter how much he hated her, his body was still reacting to her advances, and he hated himself for it. Thankfully, he was able to calm down shortly after, and after taking a deep breath, he walked out… It didn’t take long for him to find Fabiola again, and by this point, she was drunk out of her mind. Even so, she just kept on drinking… Not liking this, he tried to walk up to her… but before he could even get close, Lea pulled him back and whispered, “Leave her be for now…” “…What got her into such a mood?” “Long story short, she just came over to have some fun with us, but… Due to a misunderstanding, she got into an argument with Hanley…” …So she was going out of her way to get drunk just to forget
Watching as Hanley marched back into his home, Neal couldn’t help but clench his fists. True enough, Fabiola was Hanley’s rightful wife, and… in this situation, he was easily the one in the wrong. Damn it all… Regardless, after finally lowering Fabiola onto the bed, Hanley couldn’t help but sigh. Though he was still mad at her, when he saw how drunk she was because of him… Bah, so be it. After getting some warm water to help wipe her dry, he was just about to sit by her side when he heard her mumble, “…Jerk… I didn’t even do anything wrong… I was just there to have some fun… Why did you get so mad…?” …As much as he hated to admit it, maybe Neal was right this time… Was he really that controlling…? Fast forward to the next morning, Fabiola awoke with a headache… Was she in his room…? Where was he even? Could it be that… he was still mad at her? If so, how petty! Feeling irritated, she sighed before heading downstairs to get some water… but on her way there, she noticed a note
Upon entering, Hanley was nearly blinded by how lavish everything was. From glass chandeliers to the best food one could imagine, everything looked utterly expensive… and among the wealthy folk within the room, was of course, Fabiola. She seemed to be mingling with her friends just fine… Was he even needed here? Before he could even figure out what to do next, he suddenly heard a few people say, “…Hey, that’s your husband, right?” “He must be! After all, he looks absolutely stunning! It’s no wonder you seemed hesitant to introduce us to him at first! You were probably worried that we’d snatch him away, right?” “Really, though, though he looks gentle on the outside, I’m sure he’s a beast behind curtains…” Upon hearing that last sentence, Fabiola simply nodded, her cheeks red. After all, that comment wasn’t wrong… Wait. What was she even thinking?! Shaking her head, she quickly replied, “…A-anyway, Honey? These are my classmates…” Hanley, for one, never really liked rich girls
Upon hearing that, Hanley was prompted to look at Fabiola… but when he saw how happy she was, he soon felt his gaze softening… “…Not that that matters. What matters is that she’s having fun…” Smirking in response, Neal replied, “You say that, but how long can you truly maintain this marriage if you have nothing in common with her, hmm? Have fun figuring that out.” …When he put it that way… He couldn’t help but wonder whether Fabiola felt dejected when he told her that he didn’t know how to play earlier… Before he could even think of a reply, Hanley watched as Neal walked over to Fabiola’s table to begin mingling with the others… and in no time at all, he had managed to fit right in. To make matters worse, he even seemed to be having a nice time with Fabiola… Clenching his fists, Hanley took a deep breath before starting to Google, ‘How to play poker.’ Some time later, several cheers could be heard, with several of the excited classmates yelling, “I knew she’d win with Neal
...Was he seriously mad again? Feeling slightly annoyed, Fabiola replied, “…Well you’re one to talk after leaving without me… Everyone else left with their partners, you know? I bet you don’t even know how upset I felt!” …She was making him the bad guy again? At this very moment, he really wanted to just hug it out, but… at the same time, he knew that there was something terribly wrong with the way they got along. Taking a deep breath, he eventually replied, “…I just didn’t think I was necessary there. Look, you were having fun with everyone there, Neal included, and honestly? That made me wonder who the real outsider was.” Raising a slight brow, Fabiola replied, “…I mean, I did ask you to play-” “Of which, I already told you that I don’t know how to play poker. What’s more, I’m also incapable of dancing with random individuals, especially ones who are trying their best to seduce me…!” growled Hanley who was starting to lose his cool. …Alright, he was totally still mad about
His train of thought was eventually cut short when he realized where his subconscious mind had led him to… It was the coffee shop where he always went to relax… Maybe this was what he needed… Following a sigh, he entered the shop and ordered some hot tea… and just as he was about to take his first sip, he felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by a familiar voice saying, “…Hanley? Why isn’t Fabiola with you?” It was Maison. Since the two were having more business collaborations as of late, Hanley felt comfortable enough to share his woes with him… and by the time he was done, Maison couldn’t help but raise a slight brow. “…Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve always known how Fabiola rolled, right? With that in mind, why are you only choosing to pick a bone with her now?” “…I’m not trying to pick a fight, I just… I can’t help being bothered by it, alright?” muttered Hanley who was still hurt by everything she had recently done. Pouring more tea for Hanley, Maison replied, “…Wel
Since Hanley wasn’t replying, Maison eventually added, “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to have a talk with her too, once I have the time…” Nodding slowly, Hanley took a moment to say, “…Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I need to make a move, so enjoy your drink.” Raising a slight brow, Maison couldn’t help but ask, “…Did my words irk you?” Chuckling wryly, Hanley replied, “If anything, they revealed just how petty I am… and because of that, I’m off to buy a durian to kneel on while I apologize to her…” As Maison was left speechless, Fabiola herself was still curled up in her room, feeling immensely burdened. Unable to hold it all in, she ended up sending a text in her group chat that stated, ‘…Hey, I’m not the one at fault here, right? I should still be allowed to party after marriage, so giving him the silent treatment isn’t wrong, right?’ To that, Lea replied, ‘Well he did catch you dancing around with topless guys… Imagine if you caught him doing the same thing around scantily dre
It was about an hour later when the duo finally settled for some cuddling… and shortly after, they fell asleep… Fast forward to early the next morning, Hanley was greeted by the sight of his sweaty love of his life, still fast asleep… and after gently kissing her forehead, the smiling men silently left the room… After freshening up a little, he immediately headed to his study to start a video conference. “So… Our target was not met, and I’m assuming that I won’t have to see such low numbers ever again… With that said, why haven’t I heard of any changes in plans, hmm?” His words were solemn, to say the least, and everyone found themselves holding their breaths. How pressuring! It was at that moment that the doors suddenly creaked open… and before Hanley could even look up, he heard Fabiola say, “What do you think of my dress, Honey…?” She had an alluring, ruffle pink dress on, and since it highlighted her bosom, Hanley couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment. The others i