Chapter 38 

ETHAN. 

“I don’t understand why you felt the need to do that. You made me embarrass myself in front of her, and the bum whose name was John,” I tell grandmother as I drop the basket filled with pastries on the kitchen counter. 

I can’t get the image out of my head. The one where she had laughed at what he said. She gives him her bright smile and she lets me sleep on the cold floor without feeling even an ounce of 

remorse. 

“You need to start treating her like your wife and not a stranger you feel utmost distrust for. That is the only way you both can grow your relationship. May is a beautiful, wonderful woman. If you keep pushing her, you will lose her,” Granny says, her eyes stern and unyielding. 

I hold her scrutinizing gaze. “Lose her? I never even had her in the first place. Drop the schemes. I won’t get jealous.” 

“What then might we call your display from earlier?” 

My jaw ticks. “I was caught off guard and surprised. That is all it was. I’d appreciate if you stopped trying.” 

She shakes her head, clearly annoyed with me, but she says nothing before taking her pastries and walking back to her room slowly. She throws over her shoulder, “Keep up with this and you’ll regret it in the future.” 

Her words haunt me the entire ride home, coupled with the sound of May’s laughter and her harsh words to me as she’d returned to the date who couldn’t keep his eyes off her. 

I messed up. Hell, ever since I’ve met May, all I’ve done is mess things up. The things I said, the things I insinuated, the hurt I had seen in her eyes at my words, the anger that had flushed her skin, her small hands smacking against my chest, it had all gone down terribly and I don’t know how to make it right. 

Flowers? May likes flowers very much, but I don’t think even the finest bouquet can fix what is broken between us. 

When I arrive at home, May isn’t in. The sitting room, her favourite spot is empty, and I don’t hear sounds coming from her room either. 

Still on that miserable date. I shake my head, sitting on the couch. I stare at it for a moment, trying to ignore her scent all over it. If I closed my eyes for long enough, I could imagine her seating across, giggling like she knows a secret she won’t tell. 

If I imagined hard enough, she’d look at me and then crawl up to me and sit across my legs, 

straddling me, and- 

My ringtone blares and I nearly jump at the sound. I stare at the phone for a while, contemplating if I want to speak to Neil or not. 

At the last minute, I swipe up, pressing the phone against my ear. “What?” 

“Moody, as always. I take that Grandmother’s plan worked 

Well?” 

My eyes narrow. “She told you?” 

2/3 

you 

He chuckles. “Not particularly. She called me to talk about all of it. She wanted me to teach how to behave around your wife. I thought it wrong. So, I suggested something even better. You are most welcome.” 

I groan. Now everyone is conniving to make my life miserable. “Don’t do that.” 

“What?” he asks, feigning innocence. 

“Suggest things like that to Grandmother. My marital affairs do not concern you. Keep out of it.” 

There’s a chuckle again. “Surely, it can’t be that bad. Quite a lot of men are dying to have what you do. A brilliant, beautiful woman who has no interest in your money. I’d keep her if I were you.” 

And if she doesn’t want to be kept? 

“I couldn’t care less, Neil. I only married her because grandmother wanted me to,” I retort, and May chooses this exact moment to appear. 

I had thought she wasn’t home, but I am proven wrong when she steps out of the kitchen, eyes narrowed at me. The look in them tell me she heard everything. 

Hitting the red button on my screen, I stand, feeling as nervous as I did the first time I had an interview. “May, what 

‘May, what you heard…” 

She shakes her. “There’s no need for all of that. You don’t owe me any explanation. I understand what this wedding is and where my place in your heart lies.” 

“May, if you could just-” 

“There’s nothing to listen to. “It’s okay. Our marriage originally had no emotional foundation, and I understand.” 

Guilt gnaws at me, and my conscience is pricking me too. I should apologize to her. It is the least she deserves after every I have put her though. But I can’t bring myself to say the words to her and I watch her leave, slamming the front door shut. 

**** 

ANNA. 

This is silly, 

But you’ll never know until you try, Clutching the file in my hand, I walk toward the receptionist, tight skirt restricting my movement, and I stand on my toe. “I have an 

appointment with Mr. O’Connor. 2 pm.” 

The receptionist doesn’t spare my a second glance as she confirms if what I said was true. “He will be out of his meeting in five minutes. You may go up and wait in his office,” she says in a mechanical voice that makes me cringe. 

I take the elevators, staring at nothing in particular as I wait. And when the door opens at last, I am in a passageway, filled with tons of people who carry out their daily activities. 

I used to walk these halls like that, making arrangements for meetings, ordering and ensuring everything was working alright. There are a few faces I recognize and they wave back at me as they pass by, 

My gaze drops to the file in my hand. Hopefully, it’s be more than enough to get me this job. I need it. Sean has gone MIA again and I won’t let myself starve. 

Letting out a deep, shaky breath, I make a beeline for Mr. O’Connor’s office and, true to the receptionist’s word, he isn’t inside. 

Leaning back on my heels, I observe the office. Everything is neat, nothing out of order except the numerous awards on the table, on the shelves and hanging off the walls. The housewife in me moves on instinct, reaching out to wipe the dust. 

I’m much too busy cooing and scowling at every award on his desk that I don’t hear the door behind me. Suddenly, strong arms wrap around my mid section and someone nuzzles my neck, 

“Tina,” he whispers. “You came. Thank you.” He kisses my neck. 

I jerk, lunging forward and out of his reach. His eyes are wide with confusion at first, until they land on me. “Oh, shit.”