Did I scare you?

The man emerged from the car, his imposing figure towering over Mara with broad shoulders that hinted at a military background.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't young girls like you be in school?" he inquired, his tone carrying a hint of authority.

Mara quickly composed herself, fear flickering in her eyes. "No, sir. I just came to help clear the road," she stammered, before darting away to rejoin her friends.

They eventually reached Evelyn's house, where they tended to their wounds and masked their injuries with makeup.

"Mara, what will you tell your husband? Doesn't it hurt?" Evelyn inquired.

"It did, but it's getting better. Besides, my husband's out of the country for a week, so it'll heal before he returns," Mara reassured them.

"And what about your troublesome sister?" Lucian chimed in.

"I don't need to do anything. My husband's quite the character himself," Mara replied confidently, knowing Maya's clumsy nature and outspoken demeanor wouldn't align with her husband's preferences. Ethan preferred someone with a subdued spirit, cool demeanor, and a distaste for makeup.

"That guy played us for fools. Next time I see him, he'll be missing a few teeth," Lucian growled.

"Who would've thought Pablo would carry a knife?" Evelyn sighed.

"Well, unexpected or not, I need some rest now," Mara declared, before drifting off to sleep, followed shortly by her friends.

Meanwhile, Maya found herself restless at their house. With her sister absent and her target of seduction out of reach, she was left with a gnawing sense of unease.

Filled with rage, Maya nearly succumbed to her anger, teetering on the edge of reckless action.

When they awoke, the evening was drawing near, prompting them to venture out for a stroll in the cool breeze. Mara, her face concealed under heavy makeup, waited by the roadside while her friends went to grab ice cream.

But fate seemed determined to test Mara's patience once more, as yet another passing car doused her in water. Fed up with the repeated indignity, she dashed after the car, confronting the driver at a red stop traffic light.

"I don't care if you're military or the president; I'll end you tonight!" she yelled, only to have the occupants emerge from the vehicle.

To her surprise, the first person to step out was her husband. Bewildered by his sudden appearance, Mara's mind raced with questions about his supposed trip abroad. Before she could process it all, her friends arrived.

"Owlett, picking fights with military men again?" Lucian teased, using Mara's nickname, borrowed from their favorite cartoon, PJ Masks. 

As Ethan observed Mara, she bolted away, leaving confusion in her wake.

"Boss, why'd she run off? Ladies usually swoon over you," PA Lee inquired.

"They're just jumpy," Ethan dismissed, recognizing the woman's distressed state but failing to connect her to his wife. He could never equate his demure and gentle spouse with this streetwise girl.

"No need to pursue," he told PA Lee. "They're just naive girls hustling to get by."

Breathless from their exertions and weary from their wounds, Evelyn suggested they call it a night.

"Wait, Mara, did you really just run off? Why not let us handle it?" Lucian questioned.

"Let it go... I need to head home," Mara deflected, veering off in another direction.

Lucian and Evelyn exchanged puzzled glances, uncertain of Mara's sudden retreat.

>>>>

Ethan checked his watch; it was well past midnight. Thoughts of the encounters with those streetwise girls lingered in his mind, contrasting sharply with his image of his studious and obedient wife.

Grabbing his bag, he made his way home. Upon arriving, he found her seated on the sofa, engrossed in an online class on her laptop. As she noticed him, she immediately stood up, bowing her head and avoiding direct eye contact.

"Hubby...you're home?" she ventured, her voice tinged with nervousness.

"If I weren't home, where would I be?" he responded coolly.

She flinched slightly. "Your footsteps are just so quiet," she muttered, trembling.

"Did I startle you?"

"No...welcome back home, hubby," she replied, hastily taking his jacket.

He couldn't help but notice her stammering, which only heightened his suspicion. She seemed to sense his scrutiny and quickly made an excuse.

"No, not at all, hubby. You're not scary. In fact, you're quite handsome. I always miss you when you're away... You're so handsome that it makes my heart flutter, and I feel sad to see you leave," she gushed, her words rushing out in a torrent.

Ethan remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Her sudden shift in demeanor only deepened his unease.

"You can check my heartbeat if you don't believe me," she suggested, taking his hand and placing it over her chest. "Do you feel it?"

As he felt her heartbeat, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, he saw a flicker of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Mara, realizing his scrutiny, panicked inwardly. "Oops...this clueless man is studying me. Does he recognize me? I need to divert his attention," she reasoned. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a quick kiss on his lips, hoping to throw him off the scent.

Breaking away, she averted her gaze. "Hubby, you're truly handsome...I mean, incredibly handsome," she murmured, blinking innocently.

Came next morning......

Waking up next to her handsome husband was something Mara wasn't always accustomed to. Sometimes he'd awaken before her, but this morning, Mara stirred at the sound of her grumbling stomach and the ache in her cheeks. She remembered being slashed the day before, yet the makeup she applied still concealed the injury flawlessly.

Feeling tired, her head throbbing, and hunger gnawing at her, Mara refused to compromise on her breakfast routine. She always made sure to eat something first thing every morning. Rising from bed, she headed towards the bathroom but paused as she heard running water.

"Hasn't this imbecile left for the office?" she muttered to herself.

Ethan emerged from the bath looking refreshed, while Mara, having already bathed in the guest bathroom, was fully dressed in a rather imposing dress. Spotting him, she rushed over.

"Hubby... Are you heading to the office soon? Would you like breakfast now? Shall I prepare your clothes?" she asked, avoiding direct eye contact.

He noticed her eagerness to get him out of the house and sensed she was hiding something.

"What could she be hiding?" he pondered silently. 

"I didn't marry you so you could become my slave, or so you could resent me later. As long as you remain true to yourself and stay humble, you'll remain my one and only wife. So, you don't have to hide anything from me or try to please me, as long as you keep things honest, we'll terminate our contract and go our ways for now, let's stick to each other Grandmother has people that are monitoring us" Ethan said firmly.

Mara was startled; despite her efforts to conceal her true feelings, he had seen through her facade of trying to please him to hide her true self. "No, I wasn't..." she stammered.

Mara found it relatively easy to pretend to be an obedient wife, as her husband was rarely at home. They seldom had conversations or shared private moments, except for their time in bed. After preparing his clothes, she left the room, leaving Ethan with the unsettling feeling that she was keeping something from him, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

"Well, she's bound to be shy and quiet because she feels insecure with me... we never date anyway," Ethan reasoned as he dressed.

As Mara descended the stairs, she bumped into Maya, who was carrying a basket of oranges and a knife.

"You slut! You've been using your noodle-like fingers to seduce my Ethan again, haven't you?" Maya accused angrily.

"Wait... Did you just say 'your Ethan'? I mean, yours? Are you insane? Living here isn't enough; you still have the guts to claim my husband as yours?" Mara retorted in her streetwise manner.

Maya scoffed. "Just hook me and Ethan, or else your wretched nanny is dead meat," she threatened before storming off.

"Just dream on. Do you think you can get close to Ethan with all this shouting? Just go and apply your makeup before he comes down," Mara added, fueling the already raging fire.

Despite Maya's anger, upon hearing that her dream husband was coming down for breakfast, she hurried to her room, happily drenching herself in sweet-smelling perfumes and applying layers of makeup.

Though she had met various celebrities and handsome men before, her only dream was the male god her illegitimate sister had married. Initially thinking he was an imbecile, Maya's perception changed upon discovering that he was cured.

Seated beside him at the dining table with Mara across from them, Maya leaned over, purposefully letting her cleavage show through the V-neck of her dress as she delicately picked at her lettuce with chopsticks.

"Ethan, would you like some?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness and seduction.

Ethan glanced over at Mara, ignoring Maya's attempt at allure, silently conveying to Mara, "Is your sister mentally stable?" Maya caught his signal and smiled, albeit disappointed.

Maya persisted, moving closer to Ethan and asking, "Do you need carrots, hubby?" as she picked at the vegetables.

Ethan shot her an angry look. "Ms. Maya, do you realize I am your brother-in-law? I am Mara's husband, and no woman has the audacity to call me 'hubby' except my legal wife," he stated firmly.

This time, Mara remained silent, focusing on her food, her stomach being her primary concern. When she looked up, Maya shot her a glance, and Mara returned it with a smirk that seemed to say, "Didn't I warn you?"

But Maya didn't relent. She deliberately dropped a cup, causing it to shatter on the floor, and then pretended to pick it up, pricking her hands in the process.

"Ouch, brother-in-law, it hurts," Maya exclaimed, moving towards Ethan. Ethan, who disliked the sight of blood, turned away. Mara went to her sister.

"Maya, are you alright?" she asked, reaching out to touch the wounds.

Ignoring her sister's concern, Maya attempted to approach Ethan, but he stood up abruptly.

"Ms. Maya, tell Butler Wang to take you to the doctor to treat your injuries," Ethan instructed, before turning to Mara. "Meet me in my study," he said, then left the room.

Maya laughed heartily once he was gone, inwardly praising Ethan for understanding her intentions with just a glance. But soon, her laughter turned into rage.

"You bastard, Mara, did you speak ill of me to Ethan?" Maya accused.

"I don't need to do that, dear sister," Mara replied calmly, focusing on her food. "To me, it's stomach first."

After satisfying her hunger, Mara went to meet her husband in the study room.