"But now it's obvious. You didn't have the time. Look at her. She's more macho than I am. How could she ever compare to Leslie, who's soft and sweet? Can this girl even get married in this lifetime?"
Humiliated, Rhian unleashed a colorful stream of curses on them before storming straight to Samuel and forcing him to take her in as the eighteenth mistress.
The first time she saw me, she instantly puffed up like a fighting rooster. She didn't resort to any cheap tricks; she just refused to lose.
Later that day, when I got into the passenger seat of Samuel's car, he suddenly buried his face against my neck.
His voice came out rough and low, like it had been sitting in his chest for a long time.
"Alright, babe. If you're really that worried, I'll register the marriage and hold the wedding in five days. We'll treat that night as our wedding night. How's that sound?"
He moved in closer, eyes locking onto mine, his tone turning gentler but still intense.
"You smell excellent today."
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm already reacting. If the doctor hadn't warned me, I probably wouldn't be able to hold back."
My face heated instantly, and I pushed him away, flustered. "Stop it. People can see. It's embarrassing."
"There's no rush on getting the marriage certificate," I continued, trying to steady my voice. "We haven't conceived yet, and I don't want Evelyn getting upset. But we can hold the wedding. That'll make Rhian give up. You know she and I are mortal enemies. After being crushed under her for so long, I need to regain some face. So five days from now, I want the grandest wedding possible. Not only the elites of Harbor City, but all of the major media outlets are livestreaming it."
Only then did Samuel relax. He smiled and agreed easily.
I knew he still had work to handle, so I let him drop me off and said I would take a taxi home.
As soon as his car disappeared around the corner, the smile on my lips dropped instantly.
I turned back toward the restaurant and stepped inside.
Sliding a few bills across the counter, I said, "Excuse me, I'd like to buy the photo from earlier."
"Huh? Ms. Hutton, that's your own photo. Of course, you can have it."
"No. Besides that one… I want the other one too."
...
By that afternoon, the news that Samuel and I would be holding a wedding had spread across all of Harbor City.