CHRISTIAN
"Didn't Ian inform you that your appointment has been canceled?" Father tries his best to keep his voice steady.
"We need to talk about you always meddling with my private life," I respond bluntly, scowling at him.
It's irritating that we share the same height. His cold, unhappy gaze stares straight into mine. Most of what I've learned is from him—how he acts, how he controls the crowd, how he runs his business. Everyone, aside from my mother and the few people he's close with, fears the very ground he walks upon. Even at sixty, he still looks sharp and fresh, like a man in his youth.
Unfortunately, as much as I try, he still manages to make me wilt under his gaze.
"So you just left Valerie alone? Is that how you treat your woman?!"
"My woman?" A muscle twitches in my cheek. "You mean the woman you self-righteously forced me into marrying?!"
His gaze sweeps around, inspecting if anyone overheard. Then it returns to me, his eyes tightening, trying to regain control.
"Look, son, I'm doing this for your own good. Your mother and I never loved each other when we got married. In fact, we were sworn enemies a year into our marriage. Now look at us."
He looks down at Mother clinging to him and smiles softly. I roll my eyes.
As much as he's rubbed off on me, we're not the same person. Mother isn't a gold-digger. She was bred in a wealthy family, so what reason would she have for trying to steal from Father?
"Christy—"
I cut Mother off with an unimpressed frown. "Don't call me that in public."
She rolls her eyes playfully, then walks up to me, stands on her toes, and grabs my ear.
"You are going to listen to your father and go back to your wife."
A hot wave of humiliation crept up my neck, burning my ears. I could feel the curious stares of my employees boring into my back. One even has the nerves to stifle a chuckle.
"Mother, let go of my ear."
"Not until you promise me you'll go back to Valerie and make her feel at home."
"Fine, just let go of my ear!"
"Promise me."
I grind my teeth. "I promise, okay? Let go of me."
She finally pulls away, chuckling. Then she walks to Father, who looks stunned, and smiles up at him.
"Christy only listens when I chide him."
The only person more terrifying than my father is my mother. I know she'd move in the very next day if I don't listen. When she grins at me, the heat in my face deepens.
"Valerie is going to have to endure a lot, poor lady. Men never appreciate a good woman until she's gone."
Father frowns. "What does that mean?"
"Wasn't it when I threatened to go back to my father that you came begging me?" She throws him a look. "Think about it, I wonder how I tolerated you for a whole year."
He smirks. "The only way to your heart was through food, and I was a good chef!"
Mother chuckles and agrees with him. Then they begin reminiscing about their life before they fell in love. I would always wonder how my father was able to keep up this marriage with such an attitude. All Tessa and I ever did was to quarrel. She hated my attitude and I despised her lousiness.
Staring at my own parents who'd been together for thirty-seven years makes me feel embarrassed of myself.
I spin on my heels, switching off that thought before it can sprout fully and head for my car.
"Goodbye, sweetheart!" Mother yells. "Make sure you satisfy your wife tonight!"
I slam the driver's door shut and quickly pull out into the busy road. I take the free road to one of my many villas.
When I'm certain Valerie must have fallen asleep, I'll go back to the apartment.
'You have four new emails, Christian.'
Siri's voice fills the silence of the car. As I pull up to the villa, I take out my phone and scroll through my emails. Then I see one from Valerie.
I furrow my brows and click it open.
— I'm exhausted, Christian. I'm not happy about this! —
Oh really? It isn't even a full day into the marriage and she's already unraveling her true self. Before, she wouldn't even spare me a glance, and now she's upset that I left her alone during our wedding night?
Bravo, Valerie Jacob.
I exit the email and go to my WhatsApp instead. I search up Nanny and her chat pops up. She even has the audacity to use Lizzy as her profile picture.
— Your email was received. Let me be perfectly clear: this marriage is a public facade. We remain strangers. My obligations extend to providing shelter and funds for you and my daughter. Nothing more. Adjust your expectations accordingly.—
I get out of the car and am immediately greeted by my housekeeper. For a moment, I'm tempted to return to the penthouse, just to see Valerie's reaction while reading my message.