Chapter 7

Last night’s incident never left Chadwick’s mind. Even when he’s inside his office and working, Adira’s reaction keeps on playing inside his head all over again.

When Isa went to their house, crying and sobbing, she hugged Chadwick. Adira was also there at that time, watching the two of them without much expression.

He’s in the verge of really believing that Adira doesn’t really care even if he hugs another woman in front of her. Yet of course, he did not do it on purpose. Chadwick doesn’t want to show that to his wife, yet he could not push Isa at that time.

Yes. It is his fault. Chadwick blamed himself for being heartless towards his wife.

“She does not look like someone who is mad,” he murmured. ‘As if she’s too tired to have time thinking about us,’ he continued internally.

In the middle of his thoughts, his secretary called for him.

“Sir.”

From the ceiling, Chadwick dropped his gaze towards his employee. “What?”

“Just to remind you of your schedule for tomorrow, Sir. You’ll have a volunteering tomorrow in the orphanage.”

That’s right. If it was not for his secretary, Chadwick would have forgotten that completely.

“Are you going to the orphanage with madam?”

Just like a tissue which fell on the wet floor, Chadwick’s face crumpled.

“Madam? Are you talking about my wife?”

“Yes, Sir. Madam will also attend for the volunteering tomorrow.”

The dream project collaboration for the two biggest alcohol companies in New York has only became possible due to Chadwick and Adira's marriage. Therefore, the volunteering was designed to make a good image for the companies.

Chadwick leaned his back on the chair and looked at the space between the air. He imagined how uncomfortable it would be to stay with Adira tomorrow, after everything that happened last night. Not only that, they both had to force a smile while pretending sweet lovers in front of the camera.

“Ahhh, sir,” his secretary called. “What present did you give to your wife?”

Straightening his seating posture, Chadwick fixed the documents above the table. The he nonchalantly replied, “Why should I give her a gift?”

Looking back on how Adira tormented Chadwick for six months, there’s no reason for him to give her a present. If it is a gift for an apology, he may consider giving one.

However, Adira already told him before that she does not care about him and Isa. So if he gave her an apology gift, he’d only embarrass himself; that’s what he thought.

“It was Madam’s birthday yesterday,” said his secretary.

The documents slipped down from Chadwick’s hands.

Rustling.

He does not have interest in his wife so it’s only natural that he’s unaware of her birth date. However, he hugged a woman in front of her yesterday! And that’s a problem!

Now, he feels worse.

“It is her… birthday?” Chadwick asked, wishing that he heard his secretary wrong.

“Don’t tell me, you did not even greet Madam on her birthday?”

Chadwick gulped.

If there’s a medal for the most stupid husband of the year, he will volunteer to step up on the stage and accept the trophy.

Taking deep breaths, he caught his throbbing head with his free palm.

“What is women preference in gift?” he asked his secretary’s opinion.

Adira is already rich. So, things he can buy for her, like jewelry or dress, Adira can also buy those.

If there’s something that she’ll like him to give her, then it’s his virginity.

Even so, Chadwick will never consider fulfilling Adira’s wish. Never, ever.

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The next day came.

Adira didn’t come home last night, so Chadwick couldn’t give her the gift he prepared. They just saw each other in the orphanage where they’ll do volunteering.

“Good morning, honey,” Adira greeted his husband as soon as she met him.

Unlike her usual provocative dress, she’s wearing a very plain peach dress.

“Good morning,” Chadwick greeted back.

Tons of cameras and reporters filled the area.

It was known to the public that Adira and Chadwick love each other so much, that many envious their majestic wedding and sweet relationship. They are both successful CEO, and they also have beautiful faces, match for each other.

To keep this harmonic image of their relationship, they had to act and move like a real life couple, a happy marriage couple.

“Mr. and Mrs. McElroy, please look here,” one of the reporter, who’s holding the camera, asked them for a favor.

Adira stood beside Chadwick and smiled.

Chadwick looked at his wife.

She’s doing great, acting apathetically, as if nothing happened between them the night before. And so, he thought it might be better to mimic her, given their situation right now.

To match her acting, Chadwick wrapped his hand around his wife’s waist. And he also smiled at the cameras around.

Adira glanced at the hand on her waist.

From the beginning, Chadwick avoided her as if she was a contagious living-virus. So, she found it very funny that her husband dared to touch her just because there were spectators.

After getting their pictures taken, the couple started their job.

Their task for today is to give food to orphans.

Kids line up, waiting for their turn while holding their trays.

Chadwick is in charge of distributing the rice, while Adira will give them the other dishes.

Of course, the cameras are still there to capture each moment, so the two didn’t forget to smile widely, even if they started to feel tired.

While smiling, Chadwick murmured something to Adira. “Why didn’t you come home last night?”

Placing meals on a child’s tray, Adira gave him a feeble response, “Why? Did you miss me? Or did you finally change your mind, and you think of spending your boring night with me on your side?”

“As if,” Chadwick snorted, still forcing a smile on his lips. “So, what is really the reason why you didn’t come home?”

“Finishing paper works. I was so busy I didn’t have the time to go home,” Adira answered.

Chadwick turned to his wife.

Is it true that Adira was just busy at work? Or it is just her excuse and she’s actually mad at her husband?

If Chadwick believes that Adira is damn mad, then he’s wrong.

“Big bro. Give me food,” a child begged Chadwick.

It was then Chadwick realized that he forgot his task and was looking for quite a long time to his wife. Others might mistake it as him appreciating the beauty of Adira. Yet he’s only looking at her because he wanted to know what’s going on inside her head.

“Ahhh, yes. I’m sorry,” Chadwick apologized to the kid. He scooped up rice, and gave it to the kid, and the next kids after him.

Almost an hour passed by.

Finally, the two finished their job. The work wasn’t heavy but a bit tiring, given that they had to stand for an hour while smiling. Their legs and mouths went numb.

“Ma’am, Sir, you can go and eat,” one of the orphanage’s employees told them.

“Sure,” Adira agreed with a sweet smile on her face.

In and out of the house, Adira acts so differently. She pretended to be quiet and gentle outside. But for Chadwick ,who is living with her under the same roof, he won’t get fooled.

“Honey, let’s go eat,” Adira offered Chadwick. She held his hand and gently pulled him. Then she whispered on his ear, “Or eat me?”

Heat arose to Chadwick’s face! He really wanted to push her away and to tell her to shut up! But there are many people around which stopping him from exploding.

Seeing his reaction, Adira secretly laughed at her husband. He looked so pitiful that she stopped teasing him at that point and continued pulling him to the available seats for them.

The two sat across from each other with round table between them. Food which were served are the same foods given to the young kids. With this, an article like:  ‘The two humble CEO ate the food that they served to the orphans.’  will be published soon.

Adira and Chadwick ate in peace.

As they munched, Chadwick stared at his wife who’s eating the food without complaints. Since Adira was born with golden spoon in her mouth, he expected to see her uncomfortable eating commoner’s food. But he’s wrong. She eats well with anything, and Chadwick praised her for being adaptable.

“What will you do after this?” Chadwick asked her in a faint voice, making sure no one will hear him but only Adira.

“I will go back to my company and work,” Adira answered.

“Then before that, meet me inside my car after this.”

Adira placed her spoon down, then looked at her husband while chewing at a slow pace.

The reason why Chadwick wanted to meet her after this is because he wanted to greet her a happy birthday and to give the gift he bought yesterday. There is a possibility that Adira won’t go home again since she said before that she had to finish more paper works.

Adira gulped her food. For a long time, she stared at Chadwick. Next, she leaned a little closer and whispered, “Sorry. But I am not a fan of s*x in the car.”

The food he was gulping seemed to enter the wrong tube. He choked, and coughed severely, that his eyes went teary.

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!”

He was about to shout at her.

“You…!”

But Adira kicked his feet beneath the table.

“Ugh!”

She pointed at the reporter and cameras around, as if telling Chadwick that he had no choice but to shut his lips and suppress his anger.

Chadwick gave a fake smile to the reporter. With a smile on his lips, he gritted his teeth and murmured, “Why is it hard to have a serious conversation with you?”

“I’m serious though,” Adira said, chuckling. “Anyway, do you think our pictures together are enough to show that we’re really close?”

“We are eating together right now. This is enough,” Chadwick said, shoving a spoonful of rice inside his mouth.

“I think we need to put more effort, honey. So, we can look like a wife and husband who are really in love.”

Adira grabbed a tissue. She used that to wipe her husband’s clean lips.

“Dear, why are you so clumsy? You have something on your lips,” Adira acted.

Cameras shuttered from here to there. One of the reasons why they volunteered together is to secure their relationship as business partner, since there are some rumors which say that the couple’s relationship is face.

Chadwick forced a smile on his lips while Adira wiped it. “That’s enough,” he whispered.

“Hmmm? You’re thankful?” Adira asked, pretending deaf. “Why are you so cute?”

Suddenly Adira pinched Chadwick’s cheek so hard.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Chadwick winced in pain, but he needs to keep the smile on his lips.

“You are so cute, honey,” Adira continued, pressing his cheek even more.

Adira did not listen. She just pinched him hard while sneering like an evil.

“What should I do? I can’t stop adoring my husband.”

“Don’t f*cking kid me,” Chadwick whispered. “You’re doing this because you’re mad, right? For the thing that happened last last night?”

His wife quickly admitted. “Yup. You’re so annoying that night.”

As soon as Adira let go of his cheeks, Chadwick’s mouth hanged loosed. A part of his face felt so numb, he rubbed and squeezed it until it went back to its normal color. Then he glared at his wife.

Chadwick admitted he wronged Adira.

‘But still, this is too childish,’ he complained inwardly. ‘I will take a revenge.’

He just said that it is childish, but he’ll take his revenge?

So, who is childish again?

The answer might be… both of them.

Chadwick got a piece of chicken nugget. He dipped it into the ketchup. His revenge plan is really simple. He will feed Adira, while acting as a sweet husband, then he’ll praise her for her beauty. Then, he will also pinch her cheek the way she did.

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth and cheek for cheek.

“Darling, say ahhhh,” Chadwick offered the chicken nuggets.

Looking alternately, Adira stared at the nugget and her husband’s playful expression.

She knew right then that Chadwick wanted to get his revenge. Of course, this won’t work for the unbeatable lady.

Everyone who knows her always tries his/her best not to play a game with her. She’s too smart to think of a cheat plan in every game. Unfortunately, Chadwick isn’t aware of his enemy’s specialty.

Adira opened her mouth.

Chadwick thought he’ll succeed on his revenge, not until…

“...!”

Chill creeps on his skin as soon as Adira ate the nugget, bit his finger and even licked the ketchup on his finger!

“Delicious,” Adira whispered in husky tone.

In Chadwick’s reddened face, it’s clear that Adira won the acting game.