THREE. THE COLD PROFESSOR

Anthony stood in front of his office window with one hand pressing the phone to his ear. He waited for someone to answer the phone while clucking impatiently.

“Ben, are you tired of working with me? It took you a really long time to answer my call, huh?”

“I-I'm sorry. Mr Jeff just came to visit.”

"Grandpa? What is he doing at the office?” Anthony's lips thinned at the thought of his cruel grandfather's face. It was the old man who had educated him in a disgusting dictatorial style. He hated being a little soldier for his grandfather.

“Regarding the transfer of his assets to you. Mr Jeff will call it off if—”

“Tell him I will fulfill his ridiculous request immediately. Tomorrow night, I will bring my wife to meet him.”

“Sir, are you sure? Mr Jeff will know if you trick him again this time.”

“I'm not going to trick him this time,” Anthony growled in annoyance.

He stepped back away from the window and returned to his throne.

“I will get married tomorrow at nine a.m. at City Hall. Tell that to my grandfather. He is welcome to attend if he really wants to witness his grandson's wedding. If not, I don't mind at all. What is clear is that I will not let grandfather's inheritance fall into the hands of his illegitimate child."

“Ok, sir. I'll tell Mr. Jeff.”

“You arrange dinner for three people tomorrow, at grandpa's favorite restaurant. Order his favorite foods too."

“Understood, sir.”

“Good. Do everything right, Ben. I want grandpa to be truly impressed with all the things I have prepared for him tomorrow night.”

Anthony hung up the phone and put his cell phone on the table. He grinned imagining his grandfather's reaction tomorrow night when he met his wife. He made sure his grandfather would not find any more flaws because tomorrow he would marry a special woman.

“You will be my string puppet, Avery.”

-00-

“Umm... Sarah.”

“Hey, Shanon. Where are you? Mr. Todd's class will start shortly. You couldn't have missed it, right? He's your favorite lecturer."

“Actually, I can't come today. Please tell him I have something important to do."

"Why? Is it because of Avery's condition? How is her condition now?”

"Bad. Avery is in a coma and her life depends only on life support equipment. There are many IV tubes and needles stuck in her body. Her condition is very bad.”

"Oh, God. May she be blessed with a speedy recovery. Call me if you need anything. I will come to help you.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. See you tomorrow."

Shanon gripped her cell phone tightly after her conversation with Sarah finished. She was standing in front of City Hall in a simple wedding dress and a bouquet of cheap flowers in her hand. Yvonne was talking to someone on the phone and moved away from her.

Thank goodness, Shanon thought bitterly. She needed space to breathe and think. Her chest tightened thinking about all the things that had happened in her life in less than twenty-four hours.

Suddenly, her memory was thrown back to several events that happened yesterday. She got into trouble because of Sarah's nosiness, then she had to deal with the cold, handsome professor in his room and less than an hour later her status as a single student had changed to that of a student who was about to marry a stranger.

Yeah, even though she wasn't officially married to that strange stranger, Shanon felt like she had married him just when she got the news that Avery had had an accident. Shanon couldn't possibly just let her sister die. She would do various things so that Avery could recover and return to her, to face the cruelty of the world together with her.

Her eyes started to fill with tears when she thought about Avery lying weak in the hospital. Her arm was broken, her face had several scratches from broken window glass, and her entire body had tubes connected to life support equipment. She had never seen her sister so weak before. Avery had been a strong older sister to her for years. Even when her father decided to marry his girlfriend, and she didn't approve of it, Avery gently gave her understanding and made her give her father's blessing. It was something she regretted now. Her life turned into hell because of her stepmother.

“What have I gotten myself into?” she asked bitterly amidst the hot July air that burned her skin. Tears dripped onto the hot asphalt beneath her feet and evaporated quickly.

“Shanon, behave like a good girl. Your future husband and his family have arrived.”

Her elbow was suddenly pulled roughly by Yvone. Shanon narrowed her slightly dazzling eyes to look at the metallic blue sports car that had just stopped in front of City Hall. A limousine stopped behind it and a driver stepped out to open the door for the boss.

Shanon's heart was pounding very hard. She had wondered hundreds of times since last night, what did her husband look like, how old was he, and was he a young man or an old man?

An old man with a gold-plated walking stick got out of the limousine. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought that she would marry an old man. She was driven by the urge to escape from that place. But, her stepmother held her elbows tightly. Shanon really panicked when the old man and his assistant started walking towards her. She pulled her veil closer to hide her face from her future husband. The sound of his walking stick hitting the asphalt sounded like a death knell in Shanon's ears.

"Are you Avery’s parents?"

“Yes, I am her stepmother. Good morning Mr. Jefferson.”

"Is your daughter ready?"

"Of course. She will be a good wife and will not disappoint you."

Shanon bit her lip hard behind her veil. She didn't dare to look up to see her future husband. She was scared. She hoped a miracle would come to save her.

“I want to see her face. Open the veil."

“Sure, you can see her face.”

Shanon clenched her fists tightly as Yvone started to raise her hand to remove her veil. She couldn't look at the man's face. She was worried that she would run away the second Yvone showed her face to her future husband.

“Grandpa, leave her alone. I will not allow you to disturb my future wife."

A voice stopped Yvone's hand from opening Shanon's veil. Shanon quietly let out a sigh of relief, and she shuffled back two steps away from her stepmother.

"I just want to see the face of your future wife."

“You can see it later. We'd better go inside now and begin the wedding vows.”

Shanon felt the people starting to move away from her and her stepmother. She still stood stiffly where she was, reluctant to move into City Hall. She seemed to have misunderstood. She wouldn't marry that old man, but with his grandson.

“Hey, what are you doing? Get inside City Hall quickly.”

“Who is the man who will marry me?”

"Didn't you see it yourself earlier?"

"Who is that man? I didn't see his face clearly.”

“Tsk, his name is Anthony Alexander Bruce. He is the grandson of Jefferson Alexander Bruce, a prominent business owner in Massachusetts.”

“Wh-what? Anthony Bruce? Is he a...”

"Don't ask me too many questions. We must not keep them waiting.”

Yvone grabbed Shanon's elbow roughly and dragged her slightly towards City Hall.

“Walk gracefully. All eyes are on you now.”

Shanon barely heard her stepmother's words. Her mind was too busy imagining Anthony Bruce and the man who almost punished her yesterday. Shanon tried to calm herself by saying that there were many men named Anthony out there. But Anthony A. Bruce? No way, Shanon thought bitterly. There was only one man named Anthony A. Bruce in Boston. And that was her professor.

Every step she took would lead her into terrible chaos.

I'm going to marry Anthony Bruce? What kind of crazy thing is this?

Anthony waited impatiently for his bride at the altar. He thought that woman was a little different. The woman who signed the agreement letter in his office looked so calm and confident, while the woman who was currently walking towards him looked so hesitant and afraid. He could see the woman's shoulders shaking as her stepmother guided her down the aisle. And the woman hid her face behind a veil that hung down to her chest.

“I leave my stepdaughter to you. Please take good care of her.”

"Don't worry. Your daughter is in good hands.”

Shanon's palm was cold as ice as Anthony's warm palm held it. She glanced at Anthony briefly and saw him frown. Anthony led her to stand in front of the priest who was ready with the sacred marriage book in his hand.

“Relax, Avery. We have a deal.”

Shanon nodded stiffly. She shivered, feeling Anthony's hot breath on the back of her neck.

"Let's just start the wedding."

During the wedding process, which felt like ages, Shanon just closed her eyes and deafened her hearing. She didn't really hear every word that came out of the priest's lips because the sound of her heartbeat sounded louder in her ears. Shanon was just thankful that she managed to say her part fluently without making the slightest mistake.  Even though she almost mispronounced her own name. Avery's face was all that occupied her mind. She was determined to save Avery and she couldn't ruin the wedding.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!”

The sound of jackets rustling as Anthony moved closer made Shanon choke in panic. Anthony's palm moved towards the veil that had been covering her face for a long time. She counted one to three silently before the veil was pushed back behind her head and Anthony pushed her chin up to look at his face. The first thing she saw was Anthony's handsome face with clear blue eyes looking at her coldly. At such a close distance, Shanon could see the faint surprise on Anthony's face which was covered by his coldness.

Anthony knows I'm not Avery. Anthony recognized me! God, what should I do? Shanon screamed frantically in her heart, waiting for what would happen next. She had prepared herself in case Anthony called her a fraud and kicked her out of City Hall right then and there.

But, the next thing that happened really surprised her. Instead of throwing her away from that place, Anthony grabbed her nape and kissed her gently on the lips.

Geez! I kissed my professor!