Wedding night

It was late in the night when they arrived. The room was dimly lit with a soft blue lamp. Balloons, ribbons, and elegant bold lettering proclaiming “Happy Married Life” adorned the wall above the headboard. Rose petals forming a heart shape were on the floor, with a lit candle in the middle. Raymond stood still, taking in the breathtaking view of the room, but to him, it felt awkward. His face held nothing akin to admiration but a sneer.

“Why is the room dark?” he groaned, slamming his fist against the wall to turn on the white light. “Why is the room littered? I thought they said they fixed everything. Rita!” he yelled, calling for the housekeeper.

Rita rushed in almost immediately, her breath quickened. “You called me, Sir,” she said, her voice faltering.

Out of tiredness, Eureka sat on a stool, taking off her jewelry while ignoring her husband’s rantings.

“Why is the room littered? What’s all this? Look at the bed. Why are there flowers on the bed? Am I supposed to sleep on that? Why are there candles when the bulb is working? Who told you to do all this nonsense?” Raymond’s voice echoed through the room, his anger flaring. His words only confused Rita as she scanned the room. To her, the room looked perfect for newlyweds.

“This is not litter, Sir,” she tried to explain. “This was done by the best honeymoon suite stylist. It’s for your wedding night, and your dad personally hired her.”

“Are you crazy?” Raymond yelled, causing Rita to tremble. “I’m telling you this is litter, and you’re saying otherwise? You know what? By the breaking of dawn tomorrow, you should disappear from this house. I don’t want to see you or anyone else here. Got it?” His grey-blue eyes pierced into Rita.

“It hasn’t gotten to that, Raymond,” Eureka decided to chip in as she looked at them. “Why are you flaring up? It’s just room décor. If you don’t like it, just tell her to clean it up,” she said, her tone soft.

“Shut your mouth!” Raymond snapped at her. “As for you, Rita, be gone before I wake up. Get out!” he barked, and Rita bolted out. Eureka shook her head, turning back to the mirror.

Before she knew it, Raymond was right behind her, causing her to gasp and jolt. “Mind the way you talk to me!” he groaned, slamming his hand on the vanity table. “We’re married now. That doesn’t give you the right to talk back at me. Now go clean up this mess.”

“You must be kidding me,” she chuckled, not taking him seriously.

“Do I look like a joker to you?” he bellowed, his tone shaking her.

“You’re ridiculous. If you can’t sleep on the bed like that, the couch is clean. There’s no litter on it,” she retorted, her boldness catching Raymond off guard. He had expected her to obey him since he now owned her. He never knew who he married, didn’t know what to expect, but he was sure he would have control over her.

His chest heaved, and Eureka could feel the thumping of his heart as he fixed her with a glare. She ignored him, focusing only on removing her makeup.

But one big question haunted her mind. Tonight was her first night with Raymond, and courtesy demanded they make love to each other. But glancing at Raymond now, he didn’t seem like someone who would desire her in the long run. She sighed, erasing the idea from her head.

At that moment, Raymond’s phone rang, distracting him. He pulled out the phone from his pocket and answered. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said to the caller, twisting a blunt knife into Eureka’s heart. This was indeed going to be tough. With Raymond loathing her, Cassandra in the picture, and her family’s desire for her to be a submissive, respectful wife, she felt overwhelmed. But she had gone through tougher times, so she was determined to handle it.

Raymond stepped away from her, going over to the couch.

“Yeah, the trip was okay,” Raymond continued his conversation. “I just left, but I’m already missing you. Have you eaten? What did you have for dinner?”

His words hurt Eureka more as she left the room, giving him the freedom he needed.

When Eureka returned to the room, Raymond was already lying on the bed, scrolling through his phone. The duvet that had held the heart-shaped rose petals was thrown to the floor, the earlier candles extinguished, and the wall message torn down, leaving the room in chaos.

To avoid being yelled at again, Eureka stepped over the mess, took out her clothes, and went into the bathroom to change. She returned and laid beside Raymond, facing the opposite side. Raymond stared at her back, his eyes narrowing. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—maybe admiration? But it was too quick to be sure as he quickly turned his gaze back to his phone.

The following morning, Eureka sat at the dining table, munching on her omelet and sipping a hot cup of coffee.

“This is nice, Rita,” she said, smiling warmly. “This is literally the best omelet I’ve tasted in months.”

“I’m glad you like it, Ma’am,” Rita smiled back.

“What’s going on here?” Raymond’s raspy voice intruded on their happy moment as their eyes turned to him. “I thought I told you to leave. Why are you still here?” he asked.

Rita shivered, stepping back from him and lowering her gaze.

“She can’t leave, Raymond,” Eureka said, lifting her eyes to meet Raymond’s cold ones. “She was hired by your father to take care of us while we’re here, right? You don’t want to defy your father’s orders, would you?” Her voice didn’t falter this time.

Raymond took his time to process her words before his expression softened. He couldn’t defy his father’s orders indeed because this whole honeymoon arrangement had been done by him, but he had plans for Eureka once they returned to his house.

“Fine. She can stay,” he said, sitting opposite Eureka.

“Get another plate for your boss, Rita,” Eureka said, a tinge of sarcasm in her tone. “Do you want to taste mine? It’s so delicious, trust me,” she stretched her omelet toward him.

He gave her a once-over before looking away. Eureka shrugged, pulling her hand back and biting into her food.

Just then, the doorbell rang, drawing their attention.

“Are you expecting someone?” Eureka asked Raymond, but he ignored her.

“I’ll get the door,” she said, standing and walking toward it.

When she opened it, she came face to face with Cassandra.