Waiting for a Husband

At Values Airport, Clara Clark stood nervously in the waiting area, a large suitcase at her feet.

She glanced at her watch again. It had been forty-five minutes since she disembarked the plane. Yet, her husband, the man she had married a year ago, was nowhere to be seen.

She frowned, smoothing her dress with her fingers, already harboring a bad feeling about a man she had never met.

This was supposed to be their first meeting. How could he be so late?

As she watched people come and go, she couldn't help but recall her rushed marriage.

It had happened a year ago, after her grandfather had fallen critically ill.

Clara, who had been abroad at the time, rushed home to see him. Her grandfather expressed his wish to see her married before he passed.

Clara had wanted to refuse. But remembering how her grandfather had adopted her from a destitute family and raised her to be the woman she was, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint him.

And so, Clara married the man her grandfather had chosen for her; a man she had never met.

The groom hadn't even been present on their wedding day. The marriage registration was handled by someone else.

Clara didn't know her husband at all. All she knew was his name and that he was a businessman.

Even today, Clara wasn't sure if her compromise had been the right choice. Her husband hadn't given her any reason to like him.

She glanced at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Another ten minutes of her precious time had slipped away.

Clara sighed in frustration. As she pulled out her phone to call her grandfather, a hissing sound pierced the air, almost deafening in its suddenness.

A silver SUV screeched to a halt in front of her. The driver's side window rolled down.

Clara took a step back. The moment she saw the familiar face, she blurted out, "Why are you here?”

Behind the wheel was the last person she expected to see right now—her close friend, Raffaele Atkinson.

“Ouch! You really hurt me!” Raffaele clutched his chest as if he were genuinely injured. After getting out of the car, he glared. “Your arrival is so important. We haven't seen each other in ages. As your friend, I came to pick you up. But you're so rude to me. It's not fair!”

Clara wasn't surprised or fooled by his bad acting.

Clara shook her head, refusing to speak.

“Get in, Clara. You must be tired and hungry. I'll take you to lunch.” After grabbing Clara's suitcase with one hand, Raffaele placed his other hand on Clara's shoulder and pushed her towards the car.

“Wait! I can't get in with you.” Clara stopped him.

“Why?” Raffaele paused. He smirked as something crossed his mind a moment later. “Is it because of your husband? You still want to wait for him?”

Clara didn't answer a word, but her gaze spoke volumes.

Raffaelle snorted. “Don't wait for him anymore. Should I remind you that he hasn't contacted you since you got married? Isn't that enough of a signal for you?”

Clara was speechless.

“If he wanted to pick you up, he would have shown up before I did. How can you trust a man who has ignored your existence for a year?” Raffaelle added with a more cynical tone.

Realizing this, Clara defended herself, “But Grandpa said Jordan would come to pick me up.”

She thought her husband would keep his promise because he had promised her grandfather.

Raffaelle pinched his nose with his finger and sighed in exasperation. “Even if you still want to wait for him, you don't have to stand under the sun. Get in the car, it's hot out here.”

As they were arguing, a tall figure emerged from the crowd and walked towards them.

Adrian was talking on the phone. “I'm at the airport. Take your medicine now.”

A soft female voice came from the other end of the phone. “Remember, Lara is wearing a maroon dress today. She has long straight brown hair. Also, her black suitcase…”

“I already saw her, Grandma. Now, can you stop worrying?” Adrian’s eyes fell on the figure standing a few meters away from him. He hissed.

There was a woman who matched the description his grandmother had given, even the color of her suitcase.

However, she was getting into a man's car as he helped her open the door.

Adrian's tone suddenly turned cold. “I have to go, Grandma. I’ll talk to you later.”

His face darkened. At the same time, a cold glint appeared in his deep eyes.

He put away his phone, turned, and walked away.

Back in his car, Adrian's grip on his steering wheel tightened as he watched the two people in the SUV.

The man was handing the woman a bottle of water. As she drank, the man lovingly straightened her hair. Even though Adrian couldn't see her face, it no longer mattered to him.

He was boiling inside.

Suddenly, he laughed to himself.

Why was he surprised? He should have known this all along.

His so-called wife had left the city for a year after their marriage. They had never met or gotten to know each other through phone calls. It was natural for him to seek a lover.

Adrian straightened his lips. He pulled out his phone and typed a message.

As soon as he sent it, he started his car and accelerated.

***

Later that afternoon, Clara, dressed simply and elegantly in a bright business suit, went to Founderflash Group.

It was one of the leading companies in Values City. The employees there were, in a way, the chosen people of the city.

Clara entered the magnificent building that served as the group's headquarters. With her excellent resume, Clara had secured a job as a senior personal public relations professional for the CEO, Adrian.

The public relations department director, Sheina Moza, brought Clara to meet Adrian.

Unbeknownst to Clara, the man who would become her boss was actually her husband, Jordan.

Adrian didn't trust people. He used his real name when his marriage was formalized. Only those closest to him knew his real name—Jordan Halle