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11: The Wedding (I)
Last Updated:
2025-01-09 15:44:24
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Sunshine and The Beast 12: The Wedding (II)
AltheaThe wedding was over. Finally.It took a lot of my energy to meet a lot of people. I also met a few of my father’s colleagues, including Leonardo and Josh. While Matthias once told me Leo was planning for something, he was cool when we talked. He congratulated me on my wedding and asked about my experience working with big business so far.“If there is anything you need, you can reach me out. You can ask for Josh’s help too. He might know your father’s business better, since they were working together before.”“I’ll remember that, Leo.”Sure, I would remember it. But doing that? No promise was made.Maybe I started to get the grasp of living like the rich.Despite all of my energy being drained to attend the wedding–as the bride, of course–it was safe to say it all went smoothly. We expected some small annoying events, but so far it’s right on track, just as we planned. Even after the wedding was over, and we were on our way to the house. There would be no need for a hotel whe
Last Updated : 2025-01-10Sunshine and The Beast 13: No Love
AltheaTo be a wife was not easy at all.Based on my research—which was totally taken from the internet as my single source—you would know what to do when you were married. It supposed to feel natural, since you were doing it with and for the love of your life. That was why there was no fixed manual about how to be a good wife. When you knew, you knew.But it seemed like I needed that sort of manual, because Lord help, I didn’t really know what to do. The wedding was barely an opening. A prelude from the whole act.Did every couple on earth really marry for love so they didn’t need any manual or guidebook?Maybe one day, I would write this down and the first ever manual book of how to be a good fake wife. They said business was about finding an opportunity, no? Might as well use this one.But the problem was, I needed to be good first, so I could tell others how to do the same. Yet the questions still remain with no answer.I stared at the connecting door as I woke up. This was his re
Last Updated : 2025-01-11Sunshine and The Beast 14: Honeymoon to Venice (I)
MatthiasI visited Italy a few times for business trips, but this was my first time here without any business agenda.It still was business, though not like the usual business I did. This time, I didn’t need to meet any investors. I didn’t have to stay awake for late night meetings, or to have some arguments regarding the deal. I just needed to exist, to be here beside the woman who people knew as my wife.Althea Cox. That name suited her quite nicely.Our flight was 10 hours, more or less. We chose to go with a commercial airline and use our private jet as a distraction. Media would find out sooner or later, but I wanted at least the three days of this honeymoon to be shit-free. I asked Ren to use my private jet to meet my new investor in Bali, Indonesia. Two birds in one stone.I didn’t know if there was something interesting in Venice, but Althea named that, so here we were. Once we arrived at the airport and took our luggage, we grabbed a taxi and went to the hotel. The streets
Last Updated : 2025-01-12Sunshine and The Beast 15: Honeymoon to Venice (II)
AltheaI didn’t know if it was caused by Venice or my energy was drained to the bottom of the pit, but I slept so well last night.Well, afternoon, to be exact. My stomach was already full from all the airplane food when we arrived, so all I needed was to catch the lack of sleep I’ve had for two days straight. I just did not expect it to be 10 hours of sleep. It could possibly be more than that if not because of the door bell.I forced my eyes to open, then a flash of light basked me, automatically made me close my eyes again. What? Was that the call from heaven?It took me a while with constant blinking until I could adapt. The door closed again, and I saw Matthias there. He walked to my bed, then put the tray that consisted of bread, cheese butter, and a glass of milk.“Eat this and get ready,” he commanded. Yeah, husband. A good morning would be nice, but whatever.“That’s enough right? We can grab some food outside later. So get ready, fast.”“Get … what?”“If you don’t want to w
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Sunshine and The Beast 16: Honeymoon to Venice (III)
AltheaTo say that Venice was nice was an understatement. Sure, some places weren’t as nice as those mesmerizing photography you’d seen online, but Venice got what I’ve been looking for. In another life, I hoped I was born rich, so that I could go to Venicea thousand times and explore more of its beauty and arts.We have visited 3 museums and one art exhibition in total, and all he did was follow me around without protest. I almost thought I was accompanied by someone that was not Matthias Cox. I did not plan anything, all of those museums were mentioned by him. It’s like we were on a trip and he was my tour guide.Should I start to worry or was it okay for me to relax?“Now, next ….”I stopped him when we were walking out from the exhibition we’ve just seen. “Do you want to go elsewhere?”“Why?” He asked me back. “There were still a few museums left.”So he really had a list with him. SInce when? And why though?I’d love to do that again, sure, but I was not alone here, and even i
Last Updated : 2025-01-14Sunshine and The Beast 17: Honeymoon to Venice (IV)
Matthias“Are you done yet?”My gaze diverted to the bathroom door as Althea went out with a red turtleneck and a black jeans. A towel wrapped her hair, and the bathrobe was in her left arm.“Done,” I said to her as I locked my tab screen. An hour ago, Ren called and asked me to join a Zoom Meeting. CaT–Cox and Tech–had a new investor that offered a big deal, but he wanted to talk to me in person as soon as possible, hence why the sudden meeting.“In the end it’s not really a honeymoon, huh? Some people still nudge you with work.”“It’s not like we’re having a real honeymoon too.” I added, and she rolled her eyes.“But we’re pretending that we do, is it not?” “You need to do better then.” I eyed her ankle. “How is it?”“It’s fine. Thanks to the meds and the doctor.”“How about you thank me too?” I didn’t really need it, actually. “If you need a reminder, you left me yesterday.” Her eyes squinted, giving me that irritating look.“And you chose to keep walking.” I shrugged. “It’s not
Last Updated : 2025-01-16Sunshine and The Beast 18: Sudden (Mis)Fortune
AltheaCalm before the storm, they said.To be honest, my three days in Venice were not that “calm”, but it definitely was nothing compared to what I had to deal with today: business.I could summarize and categorize that in one word, even the fact that it wasn’t simple at all. Our newest beauty product (which was the first product of Erbeauty under me) would be released two weeks from now on, yet before its launch, someone already protested and claimed it as a plagiarized item. The first product that I had been working on was called a mere copy.Way to ruin my effort, anonymous.I knew how it felt like to be copied. As an art student, plagiarizing and getting plagiarized sometimes happened, but it didn’t necessarily mean that it was easy to deal with.In fact, it was not. And this was issued not for me personally, but for my company.“God, how foolish can they be? Their product is the one that looks like a copy.” My new assistant, Rebecca, grumbled as she offered her tab to me. “Who
Last Updated : 2025-01-18Sunshine and The Beast 19: Trial and Error
AltheaI felt like I’ve done something big today.Was it okay for me to be proud of myself? I did not want to be a narcissist, but it sure felt good to get a deal that might help me to solve my current problem. And it was C&D, most of all.I couldn’t clearly remember when was the last time I was proud about something I’ve done. Lately it was only bad decisions one after another, which was not something to be proud of. I had no one to tell me that they were proud of me. Granny, for example, wasn’t someone that would rain me with praises. She would only give me a small nod or tell me to work harder.Granny, if you could see this, would you be proud of me?Lorine Clarks and I had a deal not only for the investment of The Art Palette’s Collection, but also for a possible collaboration in the future. For once in a while, maybe becoming this happy was okay.Or at least that was what I thought, before I went home and found Matthias on the sofa. When I entered the room, he suddenly stood. It
Last Updated : 2025-01-23
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Sunshine and The Beast 59: I'm Mad, But ...
MatthiasIt was always better to say nothing than to say something unnecessary. That was what I believed.Before this shit started to happen.There were things that were better left unsaid. I lived my life long enough, learned my lesson well enough to know that speaking things might bring trouble. And I hated trouble–even when the reality was trouble liked me quite a lot to come on my way.Gwen was nothing. At least for a few years now. I didn’t like to talk about her, nor did I feel the need to do so. She was something I chose to leave in the dark, to keep in a box and throw it away as far as possible.Yet she walked in, once again, with reasons I couldn’t explain. I ignored all her messages, mails, even calls. I made sure she didn’t get any access to reach me. Some people were better to be treated that way.So how could Althea meet her? And what the fuck with that “Matthias’s dearest”? Hearing it almost made me throw up.And now, Althea wouldn’t even look at me.For three days, she
Sunshine and The Beast 58: Hurt
AltheaWas it normal to feel like you were hurt by something, but also felt guilty because you feel hurt? I didn’t know what kind of paradox this was called, or if it was only something that I made up to feel less insane–and failed anyway. I went back to the office, eating nothing, drinking nothing, speaking nothing.I stared at my laptop screen for what felt like hours, but the words blurred together into incomprehensible lines of text. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, useless, frozen. No matter how much I tried to push past it, Gwen’s words replayed in my head, over and over, an unrelenting echo.Matthias’s dearest.The way she said it, the way she looked at me—like I was an outsider in my own marriage. And wasn’t I? Wasn’t that exactly what I was? A placeholder. A name on a contract. A woman with no right to feel anything.And yet, the sting in my chest refused to fade. It pressed deeper, sharper, until it felt like I was suffocating under the weight of something I shouldn’t e
Sunshine and The Beast 57: Broke Down
AltheaThe words lingered between us, thick and suffocating. Matthias’s dearest.I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe. My grip on the coffee cup was painfully tight, my knuckles white from the pressure.Gwen’s smile remained perfectly poised, as if she were savoring the reaction she’d just pulled from me. Her hazel eyes gleamed with something unreadable—amusement, curiosity, maybe even satisfaction. She wasn’t just saying it to inform me. She was testing me.I forced myself to swallow past the lump in my throat. “Oh,” I said, my voice thin. “I see.”That was the best I could come up with? I see?Gwen hummed lightly, tilting her head as she studied me. “I thought Matthias would have mentioned me. We go way back.”Go way back.Each word chipped away at the weak wall I had built around my heart. It was stupid, wasn’t it? To feel anything at all? I was nothing but Matthias’s fake wife. A legal obligation. A name on a contract. But that didn’t stop the unease slithering beneath my skin, wrappin
Sunshine and The Beast 56: That Woman
AltheaIt seemed like I needed a tutorial about how to not overthink things.Days had passed, and by this time, I should have stopped thinking about that name: Gwen. And yet, I couldn’t.Every time I looked at Matthias—when we had breakfast together, when he returned home late at night with that same unreadable expression—her name echoed in my mind like a whisper I couldn’t silence. Who was she? Why hadn’t he said anything about her? Was it because she was just another person in his long list of acquaintances, or was it because she was someone I was never supposed to know about?The worst part was, I knew I had no right to ask. I was his fake wife. Nothing more. We had a contract, an agreement built on necessity, not love. If there was another woman in his life—someone he truly cared about—what place did I have to question it? And yet, knowing all this didn’t make it any easier to ignore the gnawing unease that clawed at my chest.Matthias, on the other hand, remained as composed as e
Sunshine and The Beast 55: The Blackmailer
[Folded page, extra POV]The dim glow of multiple screens illuminated the darkened room, casting jagged shadows against the walls. The only sound was the faint hum of machines, a steady pulse in the silence. Rows of code scrolled down the largest monitor, lines of encrypted data shifting in real time. Another screen displayed a series of documents—emails, phone records, confidential case files. Each one meticulously compiled, each one tied to a single name: Matthias.The blackmailer leaned back in their chair, fingers tapping idly against the desk as they scanned the information. Matthias had taken the bait. He was cautious, but that was expected. He was a man who thrived on control, on understanding the rules of the game better than anyone else. Which made it all the more satisfying to shift those rules beneath his feet. The misdirection had worked, at least for now. New York had been too easy, too obvious. But it served its purpose—it forced Matthias to react. And a man in motion wa
Sunshine and The Beast 54: Digging Secrets
MatthiasThere’s a reason why dealing with idiots is exhausting.Sure, expecting too much often leads to disappointment rather than satisfaction, but I’m fairly certain every person is at least given a brain to think. Some just choose not to use it, letting it rot into nothing more than dead weight in their skulls. And the worst part? They don’t even realize it. They move through life making the same mistakes, refusing to take responsibility, blaming everything and everyone except their own incompetence. It’s almost impressive—the mental gymnastics they go through just to avoid admitting they’re the problem.I tended to stay far from those types. I’d rather deal with nobody than waste my time getting mad over someone’s stupid and questionable behavior. But unfortunately, in business, avoiding them entirely wasn’t always an option. Some of them were clients. Some of them were investors. Some of them were people who, for whatever reason, had power they didn’t deserve.And people like me
Sunshine and The Beast 53: Ask Him (Or Not)
AltheaThe morning light seeped through the kitchen window, casting a soft glow over the table. The scent of coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the faint crispness of toast and the subtle warmth of eggs fresh off the pan. It was quiet, save for the occasional clink of silverware against plates and the low hum of the coffee machine.Matthias sat across from me, his fingers wrapped around a steaming mug, eyes still heavy with the remnants of sleep. His shirt was slightly rumpled, his hair still damp from a shower, a few strands falling over his forehead. He wasn’t reading the newspaper or looking at his phone like he usually did. Instead, he was watching me.I didn’t know if he was waiting for me to say or do something, but I didn’t feel like doing anything at all.Maybe it was because of the lack of sleep. Last night was tiring, sure. I had barely had enough sleep or food since my aunt’s funeral. My body was tired, I couldn’t lie. Yet as I lay in bed, I couldn’t get myself to slee
Sunshine and The Beast 52: New Message
MatthiasThe drive home was steeped in silence, broken only by the low hum of the engine and the rhythmic pattern of rain against the windshield. The darkness outside stretched endlessly, mirroring the weight pressing against my chest. My mind was a battlefield, tangled in the web of revelations Cyan had unearthed—threats that had never truly disappeared, ghosts from a past I had fought to bury.Fenny’s death wasn’t random. It wasn’t some tragic accident or an unfortunate coincidence. It was deliberate. A warning. A message.And somehow, all of it led back to the past—the one I had tried so damn hard to leave behind.By the time I pulled into the driveway, exhaustion was gnawing at the edges of my mind, but the tension in my body didn’t ease. The house stood still, bathed in shadows, save for the faint glow bleeding from the living room window. I lingered outside for a moment, breathing in the crisp night air, letting the rain soak into my skin. The cold did little to ground me.Insid
Sunshine and The Beast 51: Same Suspect
MatthiasI drove through the quiet streets, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. The rhythmic tapping of rain against the windshield did little to drown out the thoughts hammering in my skull. The blackmail letters sat on the passenger seat beside the laptop I had retrieved from Fenny’s apartment, a silent accusation in the dim glow of the dashboard. The weight of them pressed against me, heavier than paper had any right to be. My mind churned through possibilities, each one darker than the last. Every turn of the tires felt like it was carrying me deeper into something I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.Fenny was dead. And now, staring at the threats she had received, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about her. This was bigger. A tangled web I had somehow been caught in long before I even realized it.I pulled up to a nondescript building in an industrial district, killing the engine and stepping out. The air was thick with the scent of rain-soaked pavement and
