"Jessica." When Anna saw the lady in front of her house, her lips curled up.
"Hello, Miss Saunders." Jessica smiled politely at her as well.
Anna laughed every time when she heard someone in the house refer to her as Miss Saunders. She's never been Ibrahim's wife but the way they address her reminds her of her misery. "Come in," said Anna.
Jessica and Anna walked towards the living room, and Anna invited her to take a seat. "I'll ask someone to make you some tea," said Anna.
Jessica intervened quickly. "You don't have to, I won't be long."
Anna gave her a look. So, what brings her here? Ibrahim isn't home. He hasn't returned home in two days, which drives Anna crazy. She doesn't care about his life, but leaving his wife for two days without notice is too much for a newlywed couple.
"It was Mr. Saunders who sent me here." Jessica stated.
Anna rolled her eyes in annoyance at the mention of his name. upset? Of Course she is. Who wouldn’t when her husband hadn’t returned home after their first night. "What’s the matter?" Anna asked.
Jessica took a card from her bag and opened it. On the card, the word "invitation" was beautifully engraved. "Sir requested you to attend this event with him." Jessica said.
Anna exhaled sharply. What kind of game is he trying to play on her? She doesn't understand.
"It's a formal charity event, and I hope you don't mind because sir's mood has been so bad recently." Jessica explained.
"What!" Anna asked, a little worried.
"Right now, our department store is attempting to form a partnership with a Japanese jewelry brand. Because the project is a little complicated, we couldn't come to an agreement despite endless meetings and discussions. Sir has been working day and night to figure out how to solve this problem." Jessica said.
Anna bit her lower lip after hearing Jessica. So, Ibrahim really is busy? He is not deceiving her? For a second, she felt a twinge of guilt. She was never informed about Ibrahim's business. She only knows that he's the owner of IS Holdings, which has substantial holdings in businesses in a variety of industries. She was not concerned about which type of business he was running.
"Miss. Saunders." called Jessica when she realized that Anna didn’t reply to her but was lost in her own thoughts.
"Jessica. Simply call me Anna. The word Miss. Saunders makes me feel a little uneasy.” Anna admitted it. It's a fact because she never feels like she's Ibrahim's wife, so the title "Miss. Saunders" irritates her.
Jessica chuckled. "What makes you feel that way? You're the boss, wife. I have to address you properly."
But I will never be his wife, Anna thought. "It's fine. Just think of me as a friend of yours." Anna smiled.
Jessica definitely knows that Anna is a good person. She feels a bit guilty when Anna treats her so well because she knows why Ibrahim married her. She expected this girl to be difficult and a pain in the ass once she married a powerful man, but she was mistaken. Anna is more demure than she could have imagined.
"I get it. So, Anna, as sir wanted you to attend this event with him, he asked me to take care of your outfit and makeup.” Said Jessica.
“What?” Anna asked, a little confused as they are just attending a charity event, what is there to make so much fuss about outfit or even make-up.
Jessica couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Why do you appear surprised?"
Anna shook her head. "I mean, I can prepare myself. He doesn’t need to send people just to take care of my appearance."
"Sir is not a stingy person. He doesn’t mind spending money on people around him. He also told me that he needed you to look especially good tonight.” Said Jessica.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked, looking puzzled.
"Sir, said he will pick you up at 6 p.m. and we have four hours. The stylist and makeup artist are on their way." Said Jessica eagerly.
Anna couldn’t be more surprised. This is too much. Just how important is that event for Ibrahim he has to hire a stylist and make up artist? She sighed when she heard the bell rang. Anna dragged herself to the door, where she saw two women carrying a large number of boxes and dresses. This is definitely too much.
Anna had no choice but to let the stylist and make-up artist do their jobs. Ibrahim must have paid a lot of money for these people, so it would be a shame if she refused to dress up. She just sat in her massive dressing room, fiddling with her phone. She was so preoccupied with her phone that she didn't notice it was already 5:45.
"Ma'am, it is finished. You can look over it and let us know if you find anything that you don't like.” Said the make-up artist.
She lifted up her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Wait? Is it really her? The boyish girl who always fights since her high school days, is it really her? The light make-up made her face look more flawless than ever. Her skin glows more than she ever noticed. She should have taken more care of her looks. She is indeed very satisfied with her looks and now she is going to change her dress. She doesn’t get why the stylist chose this kind of dress. It is black colored long halter neck dress. Although it didn’t reveal her chest due to the halter neck, it is backless. She never wore something like this in her entire life. Not even on her wedding day.
"I told you you'd look beautiful in this gown." Said the stylist completely engrossed when Anna finished changing into her evening dress.
Her petite body was perfectly hugged by the tight-fitting dress, which highlighted her curves. Although she looked beautiful, she appeared to be uncomfortable. "Isn't it a little too revealing?" Anna inquired, "Should I wear an outer?"
The stylist shook her head "No, no. But I think something is missing," she mumbled, pointing to her dress and rummaged through her wardrobe.
The stylist looked at her jewelry area and chose a pair of diamond earrings with a blue sapphire in the center. "Because you have fair skin. This will make you look more impressive." She said and assisted Anna in putting on the earring.
"You're all set, Miss Saunders. You looked stunning, and I'm sure Mr. Saunders will adore you tonight." said the makeup artist.
"I appreciate your efforts." Anna responded. Ignoring the other comment.
As the clock struck 6 p.m., she heard a light knock on the door. They opened it for her and found out that the person was her maid.
"What happened?" Asked Anna.
The maid smiled at her and looked at her from top to bottom. "You looked extra beautiful today. I'm sure sir will be so stunned when he sees you." Said the maid.
Anna chuckled sadly. "He's not going to, believe me."
The maid is still smiling at her although she doesn’t like it when Anna has a low confidence towards herself. “Sir had arrived. He’s waiting for you downstairs.” Said the maid.
“Really?” asked Anna. She looks at her watch and it is only 6 p.m. she gets that Ibrahim is a very punctual person.
"Sir, ma'am is almost ready. You can start getting ready." The voice from the other side of the phone informs him.Ibrahim shuts his computer down and tidies up his desk once he receives a call from his secretary. For some reason, he was feeling jubilant to finally see his wife after two days. This strange sensation makes him a little uneasy, but he ignored it. He took a quick shower in his office before changing into a new suit that he had told Jessica to prepare for him.After a quick shower and dressing up, he sprayed some perfume and walked through the lobby, where his driver was already waiting for him. He entered the car and nodded his head to the driver to drive him home.This strange feeling returned. Excited? He is, indeed.He doesn’t even know why he is even counting how many turns it will take to reach his house. He tried his best to distract himself but all his thoughts were just circulating inside his head. He had promised himself not to fall for any girl but this girl is
“Are you the guardian of Miss. Anna Rae?”Ibrahim stood up from his seat when a doctor approached him. He was wrought up, his muscles were tense indicating that he is worried and anxious."I'm her husband," Ibrahim informed the doctor. "How's her condition?" he inquired impatiently."She fainted due to sudden shock. It may not be dangerous, but if it occurs frequently, it may lead to an anxiety disorder. I recommend that you admit her to the hospital for one night." The doctor clarified.Ibrahim breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that she was fine. "Can I see her?" he inquired.The doctor gave a nod. "Please be quiet as she needs to rest, and if she wakes up, please call me right away."Ibrahim nodded, as if he had comprehended what the doctor instructed. Before the doctor left, he thanked him. He reached for the doorknob and turned it open. He doesn't understand why his heart breaks when he sees Anna's pale face. Her face is as white as paper, and it pains him to see her lying
Ibrahim couldn’t be more calm while driving his car. His heart is on fire, and he took out his frustration on the celerity of his car, claiming that it had exceeded the legal speed limit. He simply desired to be free of this uptight sensation coursing through his heart. For a brief moment, he wished he could forget about Anna. He drove as fast as he could to Alan's restaurant. He immediately parked his car and entered Alan's office.“Ibrahim!” Alan squealed when he saw Ibrahim throw himself on his couch. He appeared to be muddled.Alan marched to the couch and sat beside Ibrahim. “You looked so messy. What happened?” he inquired. He realized that his mood was bad, so he grabbed a bottle of cold water and handed it to Ibrahim. “Cool yourself down.” He added.Ibrahim received the bottle and drank it all at once. “Have you investigated it?” he inquired, placing the now empty bottle on the table.Alan gave a nod. “Yes. Our guess was correct. You may be intelligent, but Arthur is way smart
A loud engine roared could be heard as Ibrahim increased his motorcycle speed. He's going faster than the speed limit, but he doesn't seem to care about it. He has no idea why his frigid heart started to beat again. It is an agonizing feeling, not a happy one. He tried everything he could to forget his past. Why did that girl seem to be rubbing salt on his wound? He sought to shield himself, thinking that no one could hurt him if he did, but he was mistaken. He is still in pain, even now. Ibrahim kept riding his motorcycle at high speeds and drove up in the middle of the cold night. It's autumn, and winter is on its way, but the cold seems insignificant in comparison to the wound inside his heart. He needed something to divert his attention away from his own thoughts. He knew he couldn't keep bothering Alan, and unleashing his rage on celerity was the only thing that came to mind. He has no idea how far he has traveled on his motorcycle. He doesn't care if he gets fined for going ov
The aroma of a delicious breakfast fills Anna's nose and makes her stomach growl. She's drowsy and hungry at the same time. She couldn't remember what time she went to bed after a long conversation with her husband the night before. Anna had stated unequivocally that she wanted to give this marriage a chance, and her little heart wishes that Ibrahim will be willing to do the same.“You got up very early today.” Ibrahim said, sitting in his usual chair, his briefcase on the empty seat.Anna's lips curved into a smile. “Didn't I tell you? I'll start working from today.” She responded enthusiastically. Anna has been looking forward to this day because she fears she will die of boredom if she stays in this large house for too long without doing anything.Ibrahim was never a fan of her desire to work. He just let out a forced smile. “You can leave at any time if the work gets too difficult.” He replied quickly and began eating his breakfast.Anna liked the vibe between them for some reason
Just as Leo and his son were leaving, she noticed a familiar car entering from the front gate. It's Ibrahim. She took her bag and walked over to the passenger seat. She expected Ibrahim to ask her how her first day went or something related to her job, but she was wrong in that assumption. Ibrahim's face was expressionless, and he didn't say anything when she got into the car. It's strange. When he dropped her off in the morning, he was not like this.“Are you all right?” she inquired.Ibrahim didn’t feel like replying to her, so he just nodded his head. His face really shows that he is upset.Anna doesn’t get it. What’s happening to him? Is there any problem related to his job? She feels uncomfortable.“You go down first. I'll have to park the car in the garage.” Ibrahim spoke coldly and continued to ignore Anna's presence.Anna sighed and realized how bipolar this guy is. He was fine this morning, but now he looked frustrated. She didn't want to respond, so she got out of his car. S
After soaking herself in the tub for an hour, Anna decided to rinse her body and finish her bath. She purposely lit the lavender-scented candle to make herself feel a little relaxed. She got so tired of crying that she made a promise to herself that she would never cry for that jerk again. If this is what he wants, she will give him. Anna regrets marrying him. She should not have sacrificed her happiness for the sake of her father's business. However, she has already chosen this path. Now she has no choice but to be strong. To face the consequences of the decision she had made.A light beep from her cell phone startled her as she was busy drying her hair. Anna reached for her phone, only to find that it’s Lilly who texted her. Her brow furrowed as she read Lilly’s message.Anna, perhaps you fight with your husband.Lilly had no way of knowing. She never tells anyone, not even Jacob, anything related to her marriage. How could Lilly have known it out of nowhere?What do you mean, Lilly
“Mom.” As soon as Anna entered her parent’s house, she squealed and ran towards her mother's warm embrace. She arrived directly from the art school where she works.Rachel Rae laughed and stroked her daughter's hair lovingly.She's a married woman now, but she still behaves like a child in front of her mother. “How come so suddenly, you did not tell anything that you are coming to meet us.” she asked.“Are you not happy to see me, Mom?” She sighed. As she looked at her daughter, Rachel Rae smiled.She's still as naive as she used to be. “It’s not that I'm not happy to see you Anna, come inside I have prepared the dinner. Do you want to join us?” Rachel Rae asked. Anna nodded although the meals which her maid prepared are delicious but she always misses the ones cooked by her mother. Anna followed Rachel inside the house.Anna smiled broadly as she watched her mother serve the dishes she had prepared. The spicy fish curry and potted shrimps are today’s main courses. It came with a side