CHAPTER 5

“Mr. Joaquin Agravante, I’m so delighted to see you again…” Joaquin’s designer entered the room where Joaquin and I were waiting. She shook hands with Joaquin but her eyes were on me, not hiding the disgust that filled them. 

“Lauren…” Joaquin greeted her back. He moved and blocked her view of me. I watched Joaquin’s back as he talked to the woman who designed our attires for the party tomorrow. 

“I made the gown for your… uh…” The woman named Lauren couldn’t finish her sentence as she tried to take a peek at me but…

“Wife…” Joaquin casually finished the sentence. 

Lauren chuckled awkwardly. “Yes, uhm… the gown is fully ready. I made sure that the size and measurements were accurate. Your suit is done as well. You can try them on now…”

She ushered us to where the fitting room is and I could feel her glaring at me from behind. When we reached the fitting room, Lauren tried to push me inside of one of the cubicles but Joaquin pulled me to him. 

“I’ll help your… wife… get dressed, Mr. Agravante…” Lauren said, a little bit confused why Joaquin pulled me to him. 

“You can leave us. I’ll help her get dressed…” Joaquin said in an authoritative tone which shocked the woman in front of us. 

She chuckled uneasily. “I have to make sure that we have the right measurements so I need to be the one to help her–”

“I believe I can help her just fine. We’ll tell you our thoughts after…” Joaquin said with finality. 

Lauren pursed her lips as she found no words to counter what Joaquin said. I sighed because of the growing tension but I didn’t mean for Joaquin to notice my agitation but he did and so did the designer. 

“Are you okay?” Joaquin asked me, his voice so sweet it made my lips part. And I noticed that the woman’s jaw dropped as well. Joaquin turned to Lauren. “Please…” he said icily. 

Lauren seemed to have gone back to her senses and she immediately left the room. Joaquin faced me again, his cold demeanor slowly softened. It was such an endearing sight. 

“I’ll help you get dressed–”

“I can dress myself just fine, Joaquin.” I told him and I didn’t even wait for his response. I quickly entered the cubicle and locked myself inside it. 

I heard Joaquin sighed softly. “I’ll wait for you here…” he said as I started busying myself by removing my clothes. 

I looked at the gown and observed it. It would be the second time I’d try a gown that was solely for myself, designed for me. The first one was my wedding dress. And I couldn’t help but be in awe with the design bestowed to the dress that was in front of me. Lauren was really talented. 

The gown was long-sleeved mermaid-style with a deep neck cut in the middle. It was also backless. The design was elegantly beautiful, silver linings were embedded on the fabric like waves. The sleeves were kind of see-through but they also had the same design as the main dress. It was the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen. 

I put on the gown and it fit me, so perfectly. I sighed and didn’t spend another second looking at myself in the mirror. I quickly opened the cubicle and it revealed Joaquin who was sitting comfortably on the sofa with a sharp look on his eyes. But when I caught his attention, he shifted on his seat. He immediately stood up and went to me. 

“Gorgeous…” he sweetly said then he kissed my lips, his tongue tasting every corner of my mouth. 

“Joaquin… the dress,” I reminded him. 

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect…” he quickly uttered as he continued kissing me pushing inside the cubicle then locking the door behind him. 

“Do you feel comfortable in it?” he asked, his lips tracing the bare skin of my neck down to my chest. 

I nodded, arching my neck to give him more access to it. 

“Good. You’re so beautiful…” I was panting, sensation and anticipation pleasuring me. “So, so beautiful…” He said repeatedly like it was a matter of fact. A truth that he wanted me to know over and over. 

My cheeks were flushed while Joaquin was busy talking to Lauren. He was done trying on the suit and it was perfect for him. There weren't any needed adjustments and we loved the clothes designed and made for us. But my mind kept replaying the other thing we did in the fitting room that was entirely different from what we came here for. 

“Let’s go…” I came back to my senses when Joaquin reached for my hand and held it. My face flushed more and I could feel the warmth of my skin. All I could do was nod then he pulled me to the door. 

I noticed Lauren was staring at me. I bowed politely. “Thank you…” I said but she answered me with a roll on her eyes. Good thing Joaquin didn’t see it. 

I slept the whole afternoon while Joaquin was at his company. When we arrived at home, he told me he needed to take care of some things in his office and that he needed to leave immediately. 

I decided to prepare him dinner once he came home later. I woke up and it was already evening. I quickly cooked and prepared our dinner for tonight while waiting for Joaquin. 

When I heard the door of our house open and closed, I excitedly rushed to the door with a big smile plastered on my face only to find someone else in the foyer. It wasn’t Joaquin… or his butler. It was Claudia, his step-mother. 

My smile faded quickly as Claudia walked towards me, her steps were rushed and angry. 

“You disgusting whore!” She growled and slapped me so hard my face was forced to turn to the side. Her slap sting and it was so painful. 

I didn’t want to cry but because of the pain I felt in my skin and the humiliation, my tears reacted and quickly ran down my face. 

“How the fuck did you manage to seduce my Joaquin and made him marry the disgusting whore that you are?” Her words cut deeper than the knife. 

My face remained facing the side as I pursed my lips, not letting any sound of pain escape my trembling lips. Even my body was trembling in fear and embarrassment. 

“I will do everything! Everything! To make sure you’ll go crawling back to wherever garbage pit you came from, witch!”