ARIEL'S POV
"You're tricked me! How could you add such a clause and have it written in such tiny words that I can't even see with my bare eyes? It's absurd and I'm being scammed," I fire at him angrily, but he only keeps laughing, and in anger, I squeeze the contract and quickly rip it into pieces, throwing it to the floor and stomping my feet on it."Wow... Do you think I'm a fool to give you the original copy? That's a fake one, and honey, or should I say sweetheart, you are free to file for divorce, but you must be prepared to pay that money. Do you have any idea how many lawyers are dying to pick up my divorce case? I doubt you will actually get any because they will be scared out of their ass to even pick a fight against me," he says, grinning. "Oh, I heard you are a curator at some nameless gallery. Do they pay you much? How exactly are you going to get that amount of money?" he teases, stands up, and then proceeds into his room. "By the way, I want Korean cuisine for breakfast. Do not forget to wake up early and prepare my food. If you refuse to follow the rules, trust me, you won't want to see my other side," he adds with a stern face before finally leaving for his room.I fall on my knees, unable to believe I've just jumped from the frying pan into the fire. How am I going to escape from this monster? I keep asking myself different questions as I drag my feet and proceed into my room. Then a message pops up on my phone, checking the message, it says that I have been reinstated back to my position. They must have heard about my marriage to him. Then I remember that I haven't finished my bath, so I proceed to the bathroom again. After bathing, I jump on the bed and drift off to sleep. It's really been a long bad day. ALEXANDRA'S POVThe blaring alarm jolts me awake, and I groggily shuffle towards the bedside to silence it. Glancing at the clock, I realize it's already 7 am. Can't believe how long I've slept; I deduce I must have been very tired. Dragging myself out of bed, I trudge to the bathroom for a refreshing cold shower. The icy water sends shivers down my spine, but I savor every invigorating moment. After a brisk rinse, I wrap myself in a robe and make my way to the dining table for breakfast, only to find it empty."She must be really daring me," I mutter, feeling a surge of annoyance.Grabbing a bottle of water from the freezer, I head to her room. I try opening the door but it's locked. Then I go back to my room, retrieve the spare key from my drawer, unlock the door, and enter, only to find her sprawled awkwardly on the floor. Without hesitation, I uncap the bottle and douse her with cold water."Argh, what the heck! Is the roof leaking?" she exclaims bewildered.As she turns back and faces me, her expression shifts from confusion to shock."Can you at least treat me like a human, for Christ's sake?" she yells at me, then quickly lowers her voice. "I mean, how can you pour cold water on someone early in the morning?""You should be grateful it's cold water and not hot. Remember what I said yesterday?""No, I don't. Are you expecting me to start everything today? We just got married yesterday, so I think we still need to chill and enjoy some moments. If I die of overwork, you'll be a widower. Have you ever considered that?" she yells back at me.I move closer to her and whisper in her ear, "If I become a widower, that would be a good thing. At least I would get sympathy from the public and family. But marrying you has brought me nothing but problems, so get off the ground and provide my food immediately. I'm giving you exactly one hour," I say, smirking, then turn to leave."I want you to remember one thing: I never asked for this. Your family was the first to propose this marriage, not me. And don't forget, you were the one who took me to the hotel that day. So, you caused all this mess, and you can't expect me to be your slave," she says, tears streaming down her face, though I'm sure she's pretending."Do you really not remember what happened at the hotel that night, or are you pretending?" I ask with a small scoff. "Can't believe you're such a fool. Regain your memory, and you'll know if I'm the one who truly caused all this or if you're the one that caused it," I conclude, then leave the room and go to sit at the dining table, waiting for my breakfast.I set the timer for exactly one hour, and just then, she rushes to the kitchen and then rushes out again."I don't know where the foodstuff is, and also the ingredients," she says, breathing heavily and avoiding my gaze. I point at the book on the table, she takes it, reads it, and then proceeds back to the kitchen.Before the maids left, I had already asked them to write every description of everything down and then have it printed out like a guidebook. I bring out my phone from my pocket and start looking at my I*******m, seeing a lot of my wedding pictures. It must be the work of The Intelligence, and grandfather must have instructed them. I keep scrolling around I*******m, and the only thing that I can see is my wedding news, which is really irritating, so I decide to log out and then check my emails and do some work to kill time.After a while, the timer beeps, and just then, Ariel rushes over to the table and drops a plate of rice."Is this all?" I ask because I didn't really think I meant only rice when I asked for a full-course Korean meal."The rest are in the kitchen, so just wait," she says and rushes back into the kitchen. She then brings out various dishes: an omelette that somehow looks burnt, grilled meat, vegetables, and some other dishes that I don't think belong to a normal Korean meal."Are you joking with me right now? How's this Korean dish?" I ask, feeling my anger rising."The thing is, I'm American, not Korean, and I'm a curator, not a chef. So why are you asking me to cook Korean cuisine for you? You should get a chef for that if you need one," she fires back at me. I can see her sweating and frustration written all over her face, and she's really trying hard to hold back her anger.Not wanting any issues and already late for work, I decide to just eat the provided food. But as I'm about to start eating, she also wants to join.What the heck."Don't even think of sitting down," I stop her as she is about to take her seat."Why?" she asks."Is that supposed to be a question? Don't you read the rules that says I like eating alone at the table?""Well... it is quite long, so I didn't bother to read it, and there is a lot of space. I can just sit at the other end, and I won't disturb you," she says and attempts to have her seat again, but I let out a small sigh as I am already frustrated with repeating myself, and then she angrily leaves for the kitchen.I continue eating my food, and I must say she is a good cook, although the omelette is just a little burnt; others are good. As I am enjoying my meal, I receive a message from Mia,"THERE IS A FAMILY DINNER THIS WEEKEND AND YOU MUST BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG. FROM GRANDMA.""Ariel!!!" I quickly call her as soon as I see the message."What? Don't I already give you the space you needed?" she yells back angrily, but I really have no time for her anger."We are having a family dinner tomorrow at my family's house, and you will go with me.""Is that why you screamed my name like that?" she asks me."No. It's just that from now on, you are pregnant, and you will do exactly as I say," I say, and she looks at me with surprises written all over her face.“ Are you crazy?"WILLIAM'S POV"I stand by my grandfather's side as he watches the news of a protest going on in front of our headquarters. I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction that this troublemaker has finally found himself in hot water, which is potentially going to benefit me."Turn it off," my grandfather orders Julius, his secretary, who promptly switches off the television."I believe we need to devise a solution promptly as this situation is already tarnishing the reputation of our company, and our stock values are declining," I propose."How about we suggest that Alex takes a temporary leave from the company until things settle down? It might be the best course of action for now," I suggest, hoping my grandfather will accept this as the most viable option."What do you mean by that? Are you implying he should be removed from his position?" the witch interjects, ruining my opportunity."And who do you think would take his place if he were to step down? Certainly not you, that's for sur
After greeting grandma, the maid informs us that the food is ready. Alex's mother helps her into her wheelchair, and we all make our way to the dining table. I just can't shake off the feeling that grandma doesn't like me, and I can't understand why. I know I'm not Alex's real wife, but that shouldn't warrant such cold treatment I'm receiving from her. She doesn't even acknowledge my greetings and just keeps talking to Alex's mother…. oh, I forgot, she said I should call her mom, who keeps replying to her with a fake smile. Now I know where Alex got his bad attitude and temper.At the dining table, as everyone takes their seats, I finally count the total number of Alex's family members. Including the kids and in-laws, there are twenty-four of them, plus me, making a total of twenty-five. I sit beside Alex and notice Vivian sitting far away from me. I smile at her, but she avoids making eye contact. Is she upset because I left her alone? I thought she's fine.Different dishes are served
ALEX'S POVI watch Ariel falling down the stairs, and after she lands, I quickly rush to her. Concern is written all over my face, as I'm really scared of losing her right now. Well, I need to fake my emotions and pretend to be crying, but I already know she wouldn't die from the fall, just a small injury. I carry her up and quickly rush her to the hospital while everyone asks me what happened, but I have no time to explain anything to them; I need to save my wife.After taking her to the hospital, the doctor begins the treatment while we all wait outside.“Alex, what exactly happened?” Mom asks me, and I gently raise my head up and give a death stare at Vivian.“She did it,” I say, still fixing my gaze on her. “I saw the two of them arguing about something, so I was about to interfere when she pushed her off the stairs. I tried to save her, but I wasn't able to; she’s already rolling down the stairs before I reached her.” I say as all family turns to Vivian, who is already trembling i
ARIEL'S POV I pace around the room as I find it hard to believe I've ruined someone else's life. She doesn’t deserve this. What am I going to do now? I bury my head in between my knees, feeling lost and unsure of how to save Vivian without revealing the truth that I’m not actually pregnant. My mind is completely blank, and I can't think of anything. Then I suddenly think about my crazy friends; why didn't I think of that sooner?I quickly slip on my slippers and limp outside. I wanted to make use of the wheelchair, but since my leg is not that bad, I decide not to. However, as I open the door, I’m stopped by a giant man with a bald head.Fuck…."Ma'am, we've been instructed not to allow you to leave," he says.I'm shocked and can't believe Alex has placed a guard outside my room to prevent me from leaving. But I think he really underestimates me.“Ouch…Arrrghhh,” I grimace in pain."Is there a problem, ma'am?” the man inquires."I think I'm experiencing severe stomach pain. It's defin
ALEX’S POV I haven't slept a wink since last night because Ariel didn't come home. According to The Intelligence, she's with her friend Emilia, but I’m still worried. She might suddenly decide to confess and call Vivian to spill the truth. I'm darn sure she must be feeling guilty; she's always been so weak.Exhaling deeply, I slightly close my eyes, trying to calm myself. Just then, the doorbell rings, and I hurriedly answer it. There she is, seated in a wheelchair with her friends holding crutches."What's with the wheelchair?" I enquire."Honey, have you forgotten that I fell down the stairs and lost our baby?" she replied, tears welling up in her eyes…….. no, that's definitely a fake tear and I can't foolishly bring myself to believe her for a single second; I am certain she's up to something."We went back to the hospital this morning, and the doctor said her leg will take some time to heal. She shouldn't stress it, so I got her crutches for the stairs," her friend explained. I st
ARIEL'S POV"Welcome to Mayfair Luxury Department Store!" the greeters exclaim as I emerge from the Bugatti Chiron, the newly released car of the year 2017. Despite the lavish car, it belongs to Alex, and I'm simply here with it to shop with my friend. Handing the valet my keys, I make my way inside and find my friend waiting."Oh my God, you look gorgeous!" Katherine compliments, and I swirl around for her to take in my outfit."So, what's the plan here?" she inquires."Actually, my darling husband instructs me to take you out and buy you everything you want. He wants to apologize for not formally meeting you or introducing himself since our marriage. So, I'm here on his behalf to make amends and ease any frustrations you may have," I explain, and they all burst into laughter."With the way she's talking, I think she must have threatened him. Tell me the truth, did you threaten him?" Caroline asks, wearing a mischievous grin. I respond with a sly wink."This girl is even worse than me
ALEX'S POV "Morning, my king," I wake up to the unpleasant sight of her face. "I think it would be best if you always wore makeup because you look terrifying without it. Are you sure you and my wife are from the same parents, or were you adopted, or maybe she was the one who was adopted?" I remark as I move away from her, rise from the bed, and stand up."When you know she is prettier than me, then what exactly am I doing here? You refuse to have sex with me or even let me touch you. So what am I doing here?" she retorts, her voice dripping with anger."Your job is to make her life miserable and frustrated. If you do that perfectly, then I might grant you what you want. Who knows, I might even divorce her sooner and marry you," I say, attempting to deceive her. Why would I marry her when I am not insane? I would rather endure Ariel's company than even think of marrying her.I can see the joy on her face as she hears that. I leave the room to fetch some water from the freezer. "I thi
ALEX'S POV***Three years ago***As I drove the car, everything around me faded in significance compared to the beauty beside me, the only one who held power over my heart. I intertwined my hand with hers, and she flashed me a wide smile that made my heart skip a beat. Raising our joined hands to my lips, I pressed a gentle kiss against her skin and whispered softly, "I love you.""I love you more," she replied, meeting my gaze with eyes filled with love and sincerity. Then, her expression shifted to fear."Alex, watch out!!!" she suddenly shouted.***The present***"Venessa!!!" I scream her name, snapping back to reality. The painful memories feel as fresh as if they just happened yesterday; the pain is still raw, and my body trembles as I struggle to breathe. I spring from the bed, open my drawer, retrieve my pills, and quickly swallow them. Gasping for air, I sink to the ground, leaning against the drawer for support. With a deep breath, I begin to calm down, feeling the effects o