“Listen, I only promised to marry you. An official statement wasn’t included in our deal. Also, since I’m now your husband, you should now start listening to everything I say, correct? Especially since it’s rather humiliating for me to have a wife of such lowly status. Of course, if you’re not happy with those terms, you’re free to divorce me whenever. I’ve already been kind enough to play along with all this, so don’t test my patience, alright?” …Fuck. Somehow, he had taken the lead in their relationship now, and she had to admit that she should’ve given more thought into the conditions before their marriage! Actually, hold on. Hadn’t she already planned to do that back when Jenna told her about Zivon’s method of doing things? She must have gotten so invested in marrying him that she forgot about it! Of all the things to forget! Her train of thought was cut short when she heard him add, “Why the silence? Feeling pissed? If so, we may as well have a divorce right now to save you th
With how harsh Wendy’s words were, Whitney clenched her fists and was just about to leave… when she suddenly heard Zivon say, “Stop right there. Is that how you treat my mother?” “…But Zivon, she clearly doesn’t like me at-” Before she could even complete her sentence, she found herself on the floor, a searing pain on her right cheek! This was the second time he had slapped her today…! Hell, even Hershel and Wendy were shocked. Sure, they knew he wasn’t the most sociable, but to think that he would hit a woman that hard! Following a sneer, Zivon grabbed the top of her head before scoffing, “She? Is that what you should be calling my mother?” …Though it was true that she was slightly rude about that, that didn’t warrant a slap! Feeling wronged, Whitney retorted, “…Zivon, at the end of the day, I’m still the one who saved Xavia’s life! Would it kill for you to be less heartless?!” Snickering in response, Zivon simply replied, “I already told you that marrying me would come at
Whitney aside, Hershel was feeling slightly irked too. After all, he had watched Zivon grow, so he knew for a fact that Zivon didn’t normally treat women this way, not by a long shot. However… Since he was now willing to do this to Whitney, Hershel couldn’t help but wonder if this was Zivon’s indirect way of telling him to continue behaving… Sure, he could easily interfere, but doing so would land him in a position like Whitney’s and that was the last thing that Hershel wanted! Then again, he was now on the Frankstons’ side, so he had even less reason to help Whitney! Yeah, as long as he didn’t get involved with her, things should probably end fine! Meanwhile, Xavia was having trouble sleeping as she lay between the kids… Not that she doubted Zivon, but this was the first time in a while that she knew that they were going to be apart for quite a while… What’s more, Whitney was a bit sick in the head, so who knew what kinds of tactics she’d use on her man… Maybe she’d successfully s
...How on earth had he jumped to that conclusion?! She really needed to go…! What the hell was with this situation…?! Fast forward to the next morning, Xavia awoke with a groan… Looking around, she realized that Zivon had left… and though she could’ve chalked up last night as nothing but a dream, that definitely wouldn’t explain why she was feeling so sore all over… Her train of thought was cut short when her message notification tone rang… It was Zivon. ‘Morning sleepy head, I’ve sent the kids to school. Remember, the kids don’t know about all this, so be sure not to accidentally blurt things out. Also, I’ll be busy conducting experiments after this, so it may take me a while to reply.’ It was evident that he was trying his best not to let this drama impact the kids, and Xavia couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. How silly of her to be worried that his marriage with Whitney would affect their current relationship… She had just been overthinking after all. Well,
Upon hearing those compliments, Whitney couldn’t help but crumple the clothes in rage. For fuck’s sake…! To think that he was flirting with Xavia online while she was left here to suffer his mother’s wrath! No! This couldn’t do! Tossing the clothes into a pail, the infuriated woman then strode off to find Zivon! Zivon himself had just completed a project that he had been working on in the past few days, and he had been meaning to get some rest so that he could visit Xavia again tonight. Alas, just as he was about to leave, the loud slamming of a car’s door could be heard. It was so loud, in fact, that everyone in the area immediately turned to face the sound… “…Hey, why does she look so familiar…?” “Don’t you remember? That’s that bitch Whitney who tried to prevent Xavia from marrying our teacher!” “That’s her? I thought she left Darlsbury!” “Right? Regardless, just looking at her feels unpleasant…” Though their comments were filled with disgust, none of them could rival th
“First of all, it’s a daughter-in-law’s duty to take care of her mother-in-law. Secondly, I clearly told you from the very beginning that you wouldn’t be satisfied once we were married. You only have yourself to blame for not heeding my warning.” “And lastly… I only promised to marry you. I didn’t say I’d shoulder the responsibilities of a husband. Also, come on. Doesn’t a man like me deserve to have more than one woman? That woman just so happens to be Xav.” …To think that he was able to sound so justified while saying such immoral things…! Even Nathan was slightly taken aback by how much he felt that Zivon had the right to do all that! Trembling in fury, Whitney retorted, “Stop trying to twist things in your favor! Even if you don’t love me, shouldn’t you refrain from meeting other women now that you’re married?! Also, you’re allowed to have mistresses as long as none of them are Xavia! I specifically wanted you to divorce her so that you two would be apart! What good was that
‘If Zivon Burton is unable to meet Whitney Baun’s standards, then she will have the right to ask him to return the antidote.’ The words were in fine print, and since Zivon had been desperate to save Xavia back then, he hadn’t noticed them… Though he would’ve still signed the contract anyway to save Xavia’s life, the fact that he only found out about it now was going to make things a bit more difficult… Squinting slightly, he paused for a moment before saying, “Standards? The only requirement I have in this contract is to marry you. It says nothing about having to be a good husband. With that said, your ‘standards’ can’t be applied here.” She knew that she wouldn’t be able to outtalk this great man, so she took a deep breath before replying, “…Though that is true, the contract clearly states that you have to divorce Xavia! With that in mind, I think it’s pretty clear that you shouldn’t be having a secret relationship with her! Also, I think it’s a given for a husband to at least n
“Three conditions instead of one? Did you think that I’d be too stupid to notice…?! Seems like we have nothing to discuss after all!” “W-wait! I don’t think I’m asking for too much… I just want to get along with you normally, and… until I die, just promise not to contact Xavia…? And at least come home on time every day…?” pleaded Whitney who knew that Zivon was now willing to reconsider things given her short lifespan… Staring at the pitiful-looking woman, Zivon couldn’t help but sigh. True enough, as long as he preoccupied himself with work, this shouldn’t be too much to handle, but… The thing was, he needed to be sure that she only had a month left to live. Otherwise, she would surely try to drag things on! With that in mind, he ultimately asked, “…And how will things proceed if you continue to live for more than a month?” Naturally, Whitney almost spat a mouthful of blood when she heard that! Did he really want her dead that much?! Before she could reply, Zivon added, “I’m f
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a