Chapter 5

ETHAN. After the shareholder meeting, I am in my office when Jared sweeps in with his usual flair for the dramatic. His dark brown suit, shoes, and hair are all approximately the same color, like he's been dipped in chocolate. "How is our new groom doing?" I shoot him a glare before continuing to check our investment portfolios. "Don't start, Jared." How he has time to both manage his company and disturb me is beyond my skills of deductive analysis. He settles on the chair opposite my desk before kicking his leg up on my desk despite knowing how much that irritates me. That is probably the only reason he does it. "I can't believe you are married now," he exclaims. "Mr. Permanent Bachelor." That makes two of us. I don't even want to talk about it, but it seems that is the only thing he wants to talk about today. This is the reason he didn't get an invite despite being my childhood best friend. "Jared, I have tons of work to get caught up on. I don't want to talk about it." That is a lie. Apart from the business meeting that was moved up by four hours because some of our Japanese clients needed to fly back urgently, I have put out all urgent fires for the moment. Jared stares at me in disbelief. "Liar. I have known you for twenty-eight years. You never have any backlog," Then he narrows his eyes in accusation. "You are too hardworking." I type an email to one of our clients. "Correction, you have known me for twenty-seven years, and it is better to be hardworking than to be a party freak like you." Jared looks at me with mock offense. "Excuse you. I am a socialite, not a party freak. Also, we were born in the same hospital on the same day. Apart from your antisocial streak, we were destined to be friends." I finish off the email and hit send then I look at him unimpressed. "Did you come here to relive our history?" He shakes his head with a sly smile. "I came to find out… is she hot?" I think of the feel of her dark hair in my hands as we kissed, the scent of jasmine across her skin, the almost inexperienced press of her lips against mine, and the blush on her beautiful skin when I caught her. "I didn't notice." Jared looks at me with confusion. "You married this woman, and you didn't even notice what she looks like?" "I was preoccupied," I say curtly, hoping he will drop the issue. I don't want to think of May. She is so different from the gold digger I initially envisioned her to be. So much so that I found myself convincing her to marry me instead of cutting her off as I had planned. "Did you find out if she knows about your grandmother's illness?" That quickly, Jared brings me back to myself. That was the only reason that I could think of why she would agree to marry me so quickly, but that was before I found out about her situation. Granny raised me after my parents' death when I was still very young. The thought that very soon I will never get to see her again makes me full of so much sorrow and anger at the same time. How many times do I have to lose someone I care about? That is the only reason I agreed to this, this marriage idea she has been trying to sell to me for the last two years. If I could give her a modicum of happiness before she passed on, then I had a duty to do that. "No." Jared seems to be at his wit's end. "Then what sort of woman agrees to a marriage like that?" I intend to find out. I know what she told me was true. At least to the extent I could verify. She did live with her sister and her subpar brother-in-law, but was that the real reason she wanted to move out, or is she just interested in money like most of the women surrounding me are? I have no idea. That is why I need to do this. I need to test her to know if she is only after my wealth. I refuse to share my life with someone who is fundamentally materialistic. So I got a low-class apartment at one of my company's more affordable buildings. I offered her the car only because of Granny, who insisted that her granddaughter-in-law would not be taking public transportation because of my 'experiment'. When I told Granny of my plan, even though she disapproved, she was understanding to an extent. Her only clause to allowing me to lie to May is that I try to be a real husband to her. I don't know if I can be that person, but I will try. I think of the kiss, and my chest warms. May is truly nothing like I expected. A call comes in. It's Granny. I stand immediately. "I need to take this." Jared nods his understanding as he slides out his phone as well. Granny is curt. "Are you at home?" I pause. She asked me to take May home, but because of the meeting, I had to leave. "No." She is pissed at me now. "Did you marry her just to leave her alone at home?" No. I only married May to keep her happy, but I don't say that. Instead, I say, "I'm sorry, Granny. I'll return home immediately." When I return to the office, Jared sees that something is wrong immediately. "What's up?" I close my laptop, releasing a sigh. Why can't I learn to say no to Granny? "I need to leave." Jared laughs. "Barely been married a day, and your wife is already keeping you on your toes? Good for you." **** MAY. The apartment is sleek and urbane. The furniture is great and sturdy, but most of all, it looks… new. I was under the impression that I would be living with him and his grandmother to take better care of her. I never imagined that we would be living alone. What if we end up hooking up or something? Not that married couples aren't supposed to have sex, but ours isn't a regular marriage, and he clearly told me that there were no strings attached to this. It was a business arrangement. I am barely settled in when Harriet calls me. "How do you like the place?" I look around, overwhelmed. "Harriet, this is all new. Like no one even lives here. I thought you would stay with us." "I will come around routinely, but for now, as a newly married couple, I thought it would be better if both of you were to live alone together for now so you can get to know each other better." That is precisely what I am scared of. Harriet continues speaking. "And I felt you would have more room to redecorate and have your own space." Redecorate. That seems like something Anna would be more suited for, not me. But I don't tell Harriet that as she seems so enthusiastic about all of this working out well. "Thank you for being so supportive of me." I can practically hear her smile. "I should be the one thanking you." She pauses. "Please take care of my grandson." I think of how cool and closed off Ethan is, and I am not sure I will be able to manage that, but for his grandmother's sake, I will try my best. "I will." When I get off the phone, I unpack in the master bedroom, and I take some time to familiarize myself with the layout of the apartment. The kitchen looks amazing, and I can't wait to cook in it. Once I learn how to cook anything beyond breakfast. I find myself back in my room and I decide to take a shower after the hectic day I have had. I blast my favorite music on the speakers built into the walls. Then I brush my teeth, and I enjoy a good soak with all the fragrances and soaps in the bathroom that I can fit into the bath without it getting too foamy. I could get used to this. I only hope that my husband gets called to the office like this more often so that I can keep enjoying myself like this. Once I am done, I wrap a towel around my head and chest the way people always do in movies. I am tucking my towel more securely to my chest when I open the bathroom door. Only to see Ethan taking off his tie in the bedroom. I squeal in surprise. I didn't hear him come in, probably because of the music. My squeal draws his attention. And as he turns to look at me, my towel decides this would be the best time to unknot itself. And fall to the ground. Just like that, I am left naked save for the towel on my head in front of Ethan Chase... less than twenty-four hours after our arranged marriage.