"A prenuptial agreement?"Arnold was shocked when he read the top line of the document."Enough with the theatrics. Just sign it," Erica said calmly while removing the makeup from her head piece by piece. She didn't care that Arnold's face had suddenly turned bright red."No! I don't want to sign this," Arnold threw the letter onto the table.Erica noticed a change in Arnold's demeanor since they had officially become husband and wife just a few minutes ago. His face had also become more firm and authoritative."Hey! Do you think I want to go through with this marriage? If it weren't for my father, I would have refused!"Erica really looked down on him. The woman didn't respect him at all. That's how Arnold felt at that moment. He tried to contain his disappointment after hearing Erica's words. He remembered what Michael had told him before the wedding ceremony: that he had to be a firm husband to Erica. After taking a deep breath, Arnold spoke firmly."But now you are my wife.
"Erica, Arnold, I want you both not to delay giving me a grandchild!"Hearing this, Erica trembled. She felt weak and powerless. Arnold, who was beside her, immediately turned to her. One of his hands reached around Erica's waist, holding her to prevent her from falling."What's wrong? Are you dizzy?" Arnold whispered. This intimate behavior from Arnold made Erica even dizzier. Her body suddenly swayed. At that moment, Arnold was very close to her. His warm breath brushed against her cheek."Are you still unwell?" Michael asked, looking at Erica with a worried expression."No, Dad. I'm allowed to go home this afternoon," Erica tried to answer, though her heart was still racing uncontrollably. Especially since she had felt Arnold's hand squeezing her waist. That touch really made her heart feel all out of sorts."That's a relief. In that case, stay home tonight. Arnold, please take good care of Erica. Let her fully recover first," Michael advised his new son-in-law."Yes, sir." Ar
" Erica? What are you doing here?" Arnold asked after reading the clinic's name on the examination room door."Arnold...?" Erica froze, seeing her husband standing not far from the waiting area. But she quickly composed herself."That's none of your business!" Erica snapped, hoping Arnold would stop asking questions."How is it none of my business?" Arnold grabbed Erica's hand and held it tightly."Ugh, what are you doing? Let go!" Erica forcefully pulled her hand away.Arnold's heart sank; it was as if Erica was disgusted by his touch in public. A few patients in the waiting room noticed them.Arnold realized that Erica was no longer in front of him. She had already walked ahead, leaving him behind."Erica!" he growled as he took long strides to catch up with her.When he arrived at the VIP room, Arnold didn't go straight into Erica's hospital room. He stopped for a moment at the nurse's station."Excuse me, nurse. I'm the husband of a patient named Erica.""Oh yes, sir. How
"Who said my parents are coming? Don't talk nonsense, Irene!" Arnold started to panic. He couldn't bear to see Erica's face turning pale."Your brother Ray told me. He called me last night and said that your parents are coming tomorrow.""What? Tomorrow?" Erica and Arnold spoke simultaneously, their eyes widening."Hey, relax. Your eyes are about to pop out!" Irene protested, holding back her laughter."Erica, let's go upstairs. I need to talk to you.""Upstairs? To your room? No way! Let's talk here." Erica refused."Erica...," Arnold signaled with a glance toward Irene. He couldn't talk while Irene and several other people in the house were around. Arnold had employed some of his relatives from his hometown in this house."Fine, let's go!" Erica replied reluctantly.Arnold grabbed Erica's hand and led her upstairs. Erica tried to protest and pull her hand away, but Arnold didn't care; he kept holding her hand as they walked."Let go! Why are you being so dramatic here? My fa
Erica's eyes fluttered open. She had just woken up. The back of her neck felt warm. Her gaze swept around the room, and she suddenly realized she was in Arnold's room. When she tried to get up, her movement was suddenly halted. She gasped as she realized a strong, muscular arm was wrapped around her waist. She felt someone's body very close, even pressed up against her back. Something warm was on her neck, accompanied by slow and steady breaths.Erica's body was paralyzed. She suddenly felt weak and powerless. She glanced down at her waist, instantly recognizing the strong arm. The arm that had recently become her husband.This was the first time Erica had ever experienced such an intimate position. Part of her wanted to jump up and get angry. But another part of her felt a new kind of comfort. Arnold was currently holding her from behind, his entire front pressed against her back. Erica felt an overwhelming heartbeat as Arnold's lower body seemed so close and confined."Oh Erica, y
"Erica... wake up!"Erica opened her eyes, blinking. She faintly heard someone calling her name."Yea," she replied, her energy not back yet.She turned to her left side but didn't see Arnold there. Her heart grew anxious again."Did he not come home last night? Where did he go? A nightclub?" Erica mumbled to herself."Erica!" She realized it was Irene calling."Just come in," Erica replied, her voice still hoarse."How can I come in? The door's locked," Irene said from outside."What? I locked it? Oh no!" Erica jumped up spontaneously and walked to the door."Sorry, Irene. I didn't mean to!" Erica panicked. Arnold was all she could think about."It's fine. But look at him! Poor thing..." Irene gestured with her chin, as her hands were full with a tray of breakfast.Erica turned in the direction Irene was pointing. Her throat tightened when she saw Arnold sleeping on the floor with a thin foam mattress, not far from the bedroom door."Irene, what time did he come home last
"I work at the office every day, ma'am. So I don't have time to cook," Erica replied, her chest tightening. She had never felt so belittled before."Even if you work at the office, you should still know how to cook." Drew retorted, looking Erica up and down.Erica wanted to respond to Drew's words, but Arnold appeared at the stairs with a broad smile. He was already dressed and fresh."Dad, Mom!" Arnold hugged his parents."Are you well? Hey, what's this? Why do you look so pale?" Drew scrutinized Arnold's face intensely, her hand brushing over his face and head."Hey, Erica, haven't you been taking care of your husband? Look at him, his handsome face is so pale," Drew glanced briefly at Erica, then refocused on her son."No, Mom. I'm not sick. Actually, Erica has been sick. She was just recently discharged from the hospital." Arnold moved closer to Erica and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.Erica remained silent. From the beginning, she had been bothered by her mother-in-l
"What do you want to talk about?" Arnold was now sitting in the living room with his parents."Where is your wife?" Drew asked, glancing toward the stairs."Erica is resting, Mom. She was just in the hospital. Coincidentally, my father-in-law is also being treated at the same hospital.""Arnold, explain clearly about this marriage of yours. I can't wrap my head around it. You say you just got married, but your wife was just in the hospital. What's going on?" Freddy looked at his son intently."Yes, Dad, Mom, I apologize for not explaining everything sooner. So, actually, Erica is the only child of Mr. Michael Lewis, the man who helped me when I came to Jaketon and who made me his right-hand man in the company. Recently, Mr. Lewis's condition took a turn for the worse, and he requested that I marry his daughter. As a way of repaying him, I agreed. Besides... um... I've been interested in Erica for a long time," Arnold explained in detail."Since Erica's father fell ill, Erica, who
Arnold and Erica's faces became tense as they saw the doctor standing in the doorway."How is she, doctor?" Erica couldn't wait to hear about Irene and her baby."Congratulations, sir. You have a healthy baby girl," the female doctor said, and for a moment, Arnold and Erica breathed a sigh of relief.But their faces remained anxious, as they still hadn't heard about Irene's condition."How is the mother, doctor?" Arnold asked, his voice trembling."Are you her husband?" The doctor looked at Arnold intently."Y-yes, doctor," Arnold stammered, feeling guilty for never accompanying Irene to her hospital visits."Sir, Irene's condition is... critical. We are still trying to stop the bleeding. Please pray for her."Arnold was stunned by the doctor's words. He couldn't say anything as the doctor turned and left him and Erica in the waiting room."Oh God, what kind of husband am I? Erica... Erica... Irene is critical. What should I do?" Arnold shook Erica's body in frustration."All
"Irene, are you okay? Is Arnold taking good care of you?" Erica asked in a panic when Irene contacted her. Irene's voice sounded hoarse and rough, making Erica worried."When are you coming back to Jaketon? I want you to be here when I give birth.""Wait, where's Arnold? Is he still not paying attention to you?" Erica's concern grew. She rarely received calls from Arnold, except when there was a work-related issue that needed to be discussed."Arnold... he says he's very busy with work."Erica let out a heavy sigh. From Irene's voice, she suspected Erica was in trouble. But it seemed that the heavily pregnant woman was still keeping things to herself."Alright, Irene. I'll finish my work here. I'll try to come back before you give birth. You and your baby need to stay healthy, okay?""Thank you. Thank you!"After hanging up with Irene, Erica sent a message to Arnold, urging him to be more attentive to Irene. However, Erica did not answer Arnold's calls when he tried to reach her
Sarah squealed as Troy lifted her. Her husband's strong arms carried her bridal-style toward an enormous bed. The beautiful bed was surrounded by thin yet lovely curtains, and sprinkled with rose petals that filled the room with a fragrant aroma."The doctor said we're allowed now, ahem... so, it's okay, right?" Troy gently laid Sarah's body on the luxurious and comfortable bed.Sarah smiled, her face blushing as Troy hovered over her. His face was so close to hers."I've missed you too, Troy!" The beautiful woman wrapped her arms around Troy's neck, and he couldn't wait any longer. He began planting kisses on Sarah's face, which soon turned into passionate lip-locks that he couldn't get enough of.It was unclear who initiated it, but a few minutes later, they had both discarded everything that was on their bodies. Like their first night, they were eager to satisfy each other. The intense expression of love and the deep longing drove Troy wild. He didn't want to miss even an inch o
"Honey, are you awake?" Troy gently caressed Sarah's face. She blinked, just waking up from her sleep. Sarah turned onto her side to face Troy."What time is it?""It's six in the morning. We're still going to the office today, right?"Sarah sat up. "Of course. You're going to the office too, right?""Yes, darling. Oh, by the way, how's the breastmilk stash for Kingsley? Do we have enough?""More than enough," Sarah replied, hurrying to the bathroom to freshen up. Unbeknownst to her, Troy quietly followed her into the bathroom, which she had forgotten to lock. Ever since giving birth to Kingsley, Sarah usually remembered to lock the door."Troy!" Sarah squealed, surprised to see Troy standing behind her just as she was undressing.Troy's heart raced at the sight of his wife's body, which he hadn't touched in almost two months. This morning, Troy felt bold enough to approach Sarah, especially after the doctor confirmed yesterday that she had fully recovered. She had also complete
"Are we going home now, honey?" Irene asked as she sat up on the gurney. The IV needle had just been removed from her hand. Her face still looked pale."Just a moment," Arnold replied curtly without turning to look at her, making Irene take a deep breath to ease the pain that kept gnawing at her. Since Erica left, Irene noticed that Arnold had been pacing back and forth, trying to call someone on his phone. She guessed he was trying to reach Erica, but she wasn't answering.Irene sat silently, waiting for Arnold, who was still pacing in front of her. Theresa, who had promised to return, ended up not coming back."Alright, let's go home. Can you walk?" Arnold asked as he watched Irene, who was struggling to get down from the gurney with her weak body."Excuse me, ma'am, please use this wheelchair. Your body is still very weak." An ER staff member offered a wheelchair. Irene, who had just stood up from the gurney, slowly sat down in the wheelchair. The staff then pushed the wheelchai
"Yes, congratulations again on your wife's pregnancy. If the observations go well, she can go home this evening."Arnold only nodded at the doctor's explanation. He remained silent even after the doctor left the room. What he had just heard was completely unexpected."H-honey, aren't you happy that I'm pregnant?" Irene asked in a trembling voice. Her chest felt tight, unable to find any trace of happiness on Arnold's face after hearing about her pregnancy. Instead, she saw confusion and surprise. Irene tried to suppress the sadness and disappointment she felt."Is it because it's not Erica who's pregnant?" Irene asked again, this time steeling herself to hear Arnold's response."Don't overthink it. Mom and Dad will be thrilled. I'll go out for a bit." Arnold quickly left Irene and headed to the waiting area in front of the ER.'It's only his mom and dad who are happy. Arnold isn't.' Irene clutched her chest, which felt overwhelmingly tight, trying to hold back her tears. She strug
Diego hugged Carrie tightly. His heart was finally at ease. The different traumas they had both been struggling with had finally been overcome.The same was true for Carrie. Since she had been secretly seeing a psychiatrist a month after marrying Diego, the trauma from her past had gradually faded. The beautiful woman with reddish hair had slowly been able to forget the painful memories of her past after several months of treatment. However, she was reluctant to be upfront with Diego about her recovery. She also felt too proud to make the first move or ask Diego not to leave her in bed."Where are you going, honey?" Carrie clutched her husband's strong arm one night while they were being intimate. But Diego still got up and left her."Sorry, Carrie. I-I just can't..."Carrie was stunned by her husband's rejection. She couldn't understand why Diego kept choosing to satisfy his desires in the bathroom."Should I just tell him that I'm better now? Shouldn't he realize that I'm no lon
"Why are you in such a hurry, honey? Weren't you supposed to stay here for three days?" Irene had been watching Arnold eat quickly since he left the bedroom. Her husband hadn't said much since then. The sweet words or loving gestures that should be present between newlyweds were completely absent for Irene. It was as if Arnold had already forgotten what happened last night.Arnold didn't answer. He only glanced briefly at Irene, who was sitting across from him. A few minutes later, he got up, grabbed his car keys from the table, and said, "I'm leaving. Don't wait for me!" Without waiting for Irene's response, Arnold hurried out to his car. He only gave a brief glance at Irene, who was watching him leave with an unreadable expression. But Arnold didn't care. His mind was entirely focused on Erica. He felt guilty about his first wife.'Erica, forgive me. What did I do last night? What if Irene really gets pregnant? It will be difficult to divorce her later.' Arnold ran his hands thro
Irene was still sobbing, her back turned to Arnold. She lay there, trying to endure the pain, not just physically but also emotionally. Without realizing it, Arnold had mentioned Erica's name at the end of their bedroom session, which made Irene's pain multiply tenfold.Arnold quickly fell asleep from exhaustion beside Irene. He felt relieved that the desire he had been harboring since that morning was finally satisfied. Although it was Erica he truly wanted, Irene was still legally his wife.After crying her heart out, Irene tried to get up and clean herself. Slowly, she sat at the edge of the bed, reached for her clothes, and put them on again.She remembered her mother-in-law's request earlier that morning. Drew had called her and spoke over the phone."Irene, you need to get pregnant as soon as possible! We know Arnold hasn't touched you yet. You have to make him sleep with you!" Drew's words over the phone had shocked Irene."Mom... how do you know... that I haven't been... t