Chapter Thirteen
Hazel and Rain
Rain Dacosta is funding every single thing for the wedding.
From my (and my best friend’s) hair, dresses, make up, cake, flower bouquet to even the simplest thing as getting our nails done. It’s surreal that he even accepted to have a real wedding with me, but taking full responsibility for it is heartwarming.
I recall checking the internet for how billionaires make money after finding out the cost of my wedding dress. Trust google to reply stupid me with ‘ they work ’. I work too. In fact, Su-mi does two jobs, but we’re not billionaires. Quit that, we’re barely thousandaires.
When I said I wanted to have a wedding ceremony, I didn’t mean an expensive one. I’m more than satisfied with it being an intimate one, but I have a feeling that whether it’s a real wedding or a fake one, people like Rain Dacosta never settle for less.
I’ve, however, kept it at the back of my mind to not get used to whatever treatment I get in his house.
According to the lawyer, the only accepted guests are the Dacosta family, close friends, and a few more people who know about the true nature of our arrangement, and of course, signed an NDA.
I guess like his assistant, a few workers and his lawyer.
I wonder how his assistant must feel about me. She saw me come into his office that day, maybe she even typed out the contract (although I doubt that Rain Dacosta would allow that, given his trust issues).
‘ The girl who married my boss for money . ’ That’s what she must think of me. The title is so riveting, it’d be a hit as a telenovela.
Then boom, my whole life on the television for all to judge.
Su-mi is also going to be present at the wedding because after she read the contract three times, she signed it and promised to keep her mouth closed. If it was up to me, she wouldn’t sign shit. But Rain Dacosta’s paranoia can never be cured.
At least not in this lifetime. And – oh lucky guess – a girl must have ruined it for the rest of us.
I haven’t told my sister yet and honestly, I don’t want to. She doesn’t need to know. I’m initially supposed to spend six months in Florida anyway, so nothing changes. This is me assuring myself that I’m not being a horrible human being by not inviting my sister-like-mother to my fake wedding that also happens to be my very first.
In less than forty minutes, Joe is coming to pick Su-mi and I up for the cake tasting. He has been the one taking us everywhere—hair salon, dress fitting, and now cake tasting.
My future husband hasn’t even bothered to call or set his eyes on me since I left his office. The jerk even postponed his suit fitting so the day doesn’t overlap with mine.
You didn’t call either .
That’s because he doesn’t pick unknown numbers and I doubt he saved my number. Why would he? I mean absolutely nothing to him.
After he sent my engagement band to me three days ago, I haven’t heard from him and our wedding is in two days.
Once again, he’s an asshole.
Or maybe I’m the stupid one who keeps expecting things from him, even after he has made it clear so many times that it’s just business.
I overlay my lips with a shimmery gauzy gloss and arrange my newly braided hair with my fingers while I wait for Su-mi to come out of her room and for Joe to pick us up.
“You seem so out of your head these days. What’s wrong?” Su-mi notes as she steps out and I snigger dryly.
“Oh nothing, I’m just getting married.”
She chuckles and walks forward. “Are you nervous?”
“No, not nervous.” I answer truthfully. I’m not getting the cold feets that to-be-brides get, nor am I getting butterflies at the thoughts of my would-be husband. If anything, I’m annoyed at how I managed to get trapped in his webs.
“Then what?”
“I feel like a terrible person, Su-mi, a very terrible person. First, I’m getting married to a stranger for his money. Then I refuse to tell my sister, the person who raised me, who has been with me all my life. And I have an ex boyfriend who broke up with me less than a month ago. It’s disrespectful to him. How would I feel if reverse was the case?”
Su-mi kisses her teeth, and it bounces off the silent walls like a stone skipped across a pond. “First of all, we do not talk about Kemar. He broke your heart, not the other way round. He doesn’t expect you to curl yourself up in the room and not meet people. And before you say anything, less than three weeks is enough to fall in love with someone. Rain Dacosta just happens to be fast about the process.”
“We’re not in love,” I say with a frown. Su-mi raises her hand in submission and nods.
“I’m just saying. Second of all, about your sister, I’ve told you to tell her.” Yes, she did. She’s been urging me to tell Ysabelle, but I’m hesitant, knowing how hard it’ll break her heart. She’ll most likely lecture me on how I’m a disappointment who has thrown away her life worth moral principle at the mention of a few millions. And honestly, she won’t be wrong because that’s exactly what I did. Except the millions aren’t ‘a few’.
“And third of all, stop guilt-tripping yourself. You’re not ‘marrying him for money’ like you think. You’re helping him, and he’s paying you in return. He was the one who came to you.”
I knew that all I needed was to talk to Su-mi. She always has the right words to soothe my worries.
“So–” She stops as the doorbell rings. “Oh, Joe’s here.”
It’s not Joe. The bell dinged three times a row, but Joe never rings like that. The only person who has ever done that is–
Rain Dacosta is here? But he isn’t supposed to be. What’s he doing here? Joe is supposed to be here. I prefer Joe.
You were talking about how he never came .
Su-mi strides to the door, but I pull her back, earning a yelp from the sudden movement. “Wait, don’t open the door yet.”
She shakes her head, her eyes half closed from confusion. “Why are you whispering?”
I’m whispering? Oh God, I did whisper. What’s wrong with me? Why is my heart racing so fast?
“It’s not Joe,” I whisper unintentionally again and wish for the ground to yawn and swallow me whole. I swear, we need medicine for embarrassment. I straighten and clear my throat. “I mean, it’s not Joe that’s knocking. It’s Rain Dacosta.”
Su-mi stares bored, not bothering to hide that she doesn’t believe me. “Why would it be Rain Dacosta? It’s Thursday. You think he’ll leave his work at his office to accompany you to a cake tasting?”
That’s exactly what he did.
“Hazel, haven’t we established by now that the man is an asshole who can’t do things like this because he’s not capable of human emotions?”
I nod. “We have.”
“Good. Which means it’s not him.” She takes a sharp turn back to the door, nearly hitting me in the face with her hair.
I already know it’s Rain Dacosta so when she opens the door, I suck in my breaths and shut my eyes.
I might be wrong, I might be wrong, I might be–
“Oh hey, you’re right.” Su-mi’s voice brings me back to life and I open my eyes to find him standing by the door in, of course, a brown suit with black undershirt.
Rain Dacosta looks over Su mi’s shoulder and connects his eyes with mine instantly. I awkwardly throw him a small smile and make my way to the door.
Don’t let him know he ruffles you with his presence.
Rain
Sometimes I’m bothered by the way I act, because tell me why my initial plan is to meet my fiancée on our wedding day.
If it isn’t for Knox who showed up at my office with a reminder that I haven’t introduced Hazel Wilmer to them, or my Mom who keeps demanding to meet her, or my driver who kept staring at his wristwatch because he has to go pick the ‘ ladies ’ for their cake tasting, I won’t be here today.
Truth be told, the main reason I’m here is because I don’t want Joe to take her for the cake testing. He suddenly seems way too dedicated to his job and for a second, I wonder what even got into me in the first place, that permitted him to take my fiancée around.
So here I am with lilies in my hand, leaving tons of work at the office, ready to take my fiancee for a cake tasting because if I don’t, who will?
Joe will.
I ring the doorbell and when the recent bane of my existence opens up, my eyes instantly dart to the woman behind her. The said woman throws me a smile and walks over.
I suppress a groan when I take in her look for the day, my eyes catching the engagement band I sent to her. It’s my first time seeing the ring on her finger, and I hate that it fits her so well like it has always been there.
Her fingers jerk when she catches me staring at it and her eyes dart to mine. My own simple diamond cut ring burns around my finger as she keeps her attention on it.
I clear my throat to get her attention.
“Hi,” she says a greeting that I ignore as I point the bouquet at her instead. Kang Su-mi collects the lilies from me at the last minute and sniffs it.
“I’ll put this in the vase for us.” She retreats into the house, leaving Hazel Wilmer and I still standing by the doorway.
“Why lilies?” Perche’ puzzi come loro .
I give a shrug and cook up a more assholic but logical answer. “I couldn’t be bothered to find roses.”
I wait for her to grumble about how much of an asshole I am, but it doesn’t come. Instead, she tiptoes over my shoulder and peers into my car. “Why are you here? Where’s Joe?”
“I fired him.” That comes out faster than I can stop it. Why did I say that? I didn’t fire him, I only took the car keys from him and told him not to worry.
No, you said ‘your time is due if you keep getting so excited in picking my fiancée up . ’
Her lips part and a silent gasp falls out. She looks at me like the dirt under her shoes and I lift an eyebrow at her reaction.
“Why would you do that? What did he do to you?”
I ignore her questions and ask a couple of mine. “And why are you getting so ruffled about my driver? What does he mean to you?”
She blinks. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said. What’s your business if I fire my driver? He’s an employer, so he works for me. If I’m no longer satisfied with his job, I let him go.”
Her face morphs into something like anger and irritation and I consider firing Joe for real if this is how she’s going to treat me.
“You’re such an asshole.”
I straighten my suit, the deep frown on my face refusing to calm. “Good that you know. We can’t have you thinking I’m a nice man. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“You must think that’s funny.”
“I can hear your voices from the kitchen. What did I miss? Can you both rewind for me?” Her friend asks when she walks over to us, but we both ignore her, still mad at each other.
Her, at me for supposedly firing Joe. And me, at her for caring about it.
I’m trying to think that it’s because she’s a good human being who doesn’t want him to be jobless. However–
However you can’t stop associating her with your past .
“Are we still going?” Kang Su-mi asks carefully. “Do we need to like sit for a second to sort this out? We can’t have you both fighting two days before the wedding.”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s not a real wedding!” Hazel snaps and makes her way outside. I step aside since she wouldn’t mind shoving me away, and click open my car before she gets there.
She opens the door, takes her place beside me in the front, and slams it shut. A smile tugs at my lip at how ridiculous we both are, but it falls down just as fast when Kang Su-mi steps into my space.
“What did you do to her? She’s barely ever mad.”
“I fired Joe.” I repeat, watching her expression carefully to see if she reacts the same way.
She gasps, her hand on her chest with widened eyes. “Why would you do that?”
“I’m no longer satisfied with his job.”
“Of course you’re not. What more do you want from him? He takes your fiancée everywhere without complaint, while you sit at the office like the king of the world.”
Tell her that’s exactly the reason you plan to fire him . My conscience dares me.
“I’ll not be discussing my life with you.”
“Trust me, nobody cares about your life. Unless it’s in magazines of course. Tea For You sure knows how to package things beautifully. Move, I need to lock my door.”
My jaw clenches and my molars smash together, but I move away and walk to my car. I get in, and turn the key to ignite the engine.
“I didn’t fire Joe, but it’s nice to see how you reacted to that.”
Slowly, she turns her head to me and attempts to make up words. Before she can say anything, her friend enters the car and folds her arm to her chest.
“Drive.”
Hazel moans again, dipping another slice of the chocolate cake into her mouth. The secret baker I hired smiles at the scene. Her eyes twinkle at the slices of cakes spread out before her, and I look around uncomfortably after noting that it’s the same expression she has on while at the restaurant.
Entertaining this fanfare isn’t a part of the plan, but I couldn’t refuse her after hearing her reason; ‘ I don’t want to be anybody’s wife without a wedding . ’ If that’s all it’ll take for her to uphold her side of the deal without breaching any part, then I can handle it, as long as I’m still able to keep it private.
“This has to be the most delicious piece of cake I’ve ever tasted.”
“Yeah?” Kang Su-mi asks and Hazel nods, pointing a cake-filled fork at her. Kang Su-mi jerks back unexpectedly before regaining composure. “I don’t… I don’t like chocolate cake.”
“Liar! Who doesn’t like chocolate cake?”
I don’t.
“Okay fine, I like it,” she says between chuckles before biting on Hazel’s fork. “You’re right, it’s so good.”
“So which one is it, ma’am?”
“We’ll go with the chocolate cake.”
I check my wristwatch.
After this, Hazel and I have to visit my parents, which means there’s no time for me to return to the office. I’ve never left the office midway unless for a meeting or closing for the day, but things are changing so fast I can’t help but think it’s because of the certain brown-skinned lady sitting across me with a wide smile on her face as she chats with her friend.
Is my meticulously planned life on the verge of changing? What is my Dad trying to prove or achieve by making this arrangement?
“We got it, ma’am! Thank you for sparing the time to come.” Hazel smiles warmly in response, and the baker stands to leave after glancing at me for confirmation.
“Can we leave now?” Kang Su-mi asks. Hazel smiles and nods. They get up to leave, and in an attempt to hold her back, I grab her wrist. Sharp electricity passes through us and into my body, and I drop her hand at a dangerous velocity. She gazes up at me as if she felt it too, but soon clamps her hands together in front of her, looking away.
“We have to visit my parents.”
Her head snaps to me. “What? Why?”
“Why?” Amusement coats my voice. “You’re my wife, you have to meet my family someday.”
“Firstly, I’m your future wife. Secondly, you don’t just make decisions in your mind and order me around. Thirdly , what happens to my friend?”
“Firstly–” I throw her word back at her. “–the future is in two days. Secondly, considering I’m paying you, I sure can order you around. Thirdly , tell your friend to go home.”
“Wow,” Kang Su-mi shakes her head. “One of you won’t last six months. I just can’t tell who it is yet.”
Hazel’s cheeks flushed as she stared at me with anger mixed with irritation. “Seriously, you’re so horrible. You’re such a low person, I don’t even … I don’t even want to talk to you.”
“You don’t have to talk to me. Just get in the car.” I leave and settle in the car, honking at her to get in. I watch as she exchanges a few words with her friends before joining me.