I wasn’t his wife at all.
4
Six months after the wedding.
In the morning, I went to work at the
Thompson company.
Before leaving, Ethan and I shared a
passionate goodbye kiss.
“Honey, I’ll pick you up tonight. Don’t wander
off.”
I nodded, “Mmm–hmm.”
It was the first time Ethan picked me up, and I
went to my favorite street food vendor to get
some snacks, chatting with the owner without
checking my phone.
When I finally looked at it, I saw a barrage of
calls and texts from him.
He stood out in his suit amongst the street
food stalls, hugging me tightly.
In a hushed tone, he said, “Baby, next time,
I’ll punish you…”
<
My ears turned red, “Shut up, shut up, no
dirty talk in public!”
He ruffled my hair and squeezed my ear,
“Next time, remember to tell me, I get worried
when I can’t find you.”
After that day, Ethan picked me up every now
and then.
I didn’t think anything was unusual.
After work, I jumped into his car, cuddling and
kissing him.
After a while, I realized we were going the
wrong way.
“Where are we going?“.
Ethan held the back of my head, “You’ll see
soon.”
As we neared our destination, he blindfolded
- me.
Five minutes later, he stopped.
The setting sun cast a golden glow over a
garden of red roses, breathtaking and
yarden vi feu roses, paakiny anu
magnificent.
Someone wheeled out a birthday cake.
Amidst the cheerful singing, Ethan kissed me.
“Lily, happy birthday.”
I asked why he brought me here.
It was Lily’s birthday.
My heart was heavy.
Yes.
Ethan was married to Lily, not me.
I wasn’t his wife.
Seeing my lack of enthusiasm, Ethan looked
like a guilty dog, nervously asking, “Don’t you
like it?”
I suppressed my troubled feelings and smiled
at him, “I like it.”
The sham marriage was for a year.
Six months had already passed.
I thought we still had another six months, until
a month later when Mr. Thompson sent me a
く
message.
[Found her]
5
Lily was back, currently held at a secluded
villa.
She had been caught with her boyfriend.
She was on a hunger strike, refusing to return
to her former life.
I watched the video Mr. Thompson sent.
The video was a bit blurry.
Lily and I were eight–tenths alike; with the
blurry quality, if I didn’t know better, I’d think
it was secretly filmed.
She screamed into the camera: “How dare
you marry me off to someone I completely
hate!! I told you I don’t like Ethan, I have a
boyfriend, why are you trying to kill me?!”
I stared blankly at my phone, completely
oblivious to Ethan behind me.
The video ended, and a slender finger tapped
<
The video ended, and a slender finger tapped
the screen, replaying it.
Lily’s hoarse voice played again.
Ethan rested his chin on my shoulder, his
hand already inside my nightgown.
“Completely dislikes me?”
Me: ?!
I frantically closed the video.
His tie wrapped around my wrists.
“When was this video taken?”
I sighed in relief.
He mistook it for a pre–wedding video, not
noticing the person in the video wasn’t the
one in front of him.
I lied, “I forgot, it was a while ago.”
Ethan tightened the tie, his hands pinning my
arms.
He seemed unusually calm today, his voice
soft and gentle.
“What to do. our Lily hates me so much, yet
L
“What to do, our Lily hates me so much, yet
she still has to marry me.”
My heart skipped a beat: “Et–Ethan…”
I feared this side of him the most.
I wasn’t even this scared when he was angry;
his gentleness was the most unnerving.
“Anything you want to explain?”
No.
What could I explain?
Lily truly dislikes you.
I remained silent.
Ethan smiled, commanding, “Kneel down.”
I buried my head in the pillow.
Ethan pressed me about my boyfriend.
Help, how would I know who Lily’s boyfriend
is?
I tried to avoid the question; he felt I was
evading him and got angrier.
My eyes lost focus.
He finally regained his composure, kissing my
く
neck, “Baby, it’s okay if you didn’t like me
before the wedding, or if you had a boyfriend.
You’re mine now.”
