I sank into the chair and closed my eyes. I was exhausted.
An hour later, the car stopped. I opened my eyes.
"Here we are."
I got out of the car immediately.
"Wow." The building was beautiful — exactly how I imagined it to be.
The interior of the house was to my liking. I stepped inside and saw two people — one dressed as a chef.
Oh, workers already.
"Welcome, ma'am, and congratulations on your wedding. I'm Grace, your new housekeeper."
"Please, call me Maya."
Grace glanced toward the door. "What about your husband?"
Husband? Ugh, I need a break.
"He's in the car."
The chef stepped forward. "I prepared pasta for you," she said, opening the meal.
My stomach rumbled again.
Both of them looked at each other. Mere looking at the pasta caught my attention, and my mouth watered. I could really use a meal right now.
"You can eat now if you want," Grace said.
"Uhm… I still need to freshen up."
Or maybe not. I'm feeling dizzy at this point.
"You know what, I'll eat some. I'm starving."
"Let me help you." Grace removed my heels while I sat down to eat.
"Thank you so much," I grumbled, my mouth full.
"Uhm, this is one of the best pastas I've ever eaten."
The chef smiled softly, watching me eat the food like my life depended on it. I was really enjoying the meal. I took a sip of fruit juice, finished everything, and sighed.
Now I feel energized.
I relaxed — then suddenly, my body felt hot, like I'd been standing in the sun for hours.
What the hell?
A creeping itchiness spread across my skin, like tiny pins and needles. I reached for the glass of water, but it slipped from my hand, hitting the tiled floor and shattering.
Grace and the chef came running.
I looked down at my hands — my heart sank as red, itchy hives began to appear, spreading rapidly.
"Ma'am, are you okay?!" Grace shouted, holding me upright.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My whole body was on fire. I tried to stand, lost balance, and fell face-first onto the floor.
I gasped for air — and then I heard footsteps. I knew who it was before even seeing his face.
August? What great timing.
My vision blurred, but I could feel his hands unzipping my wedding dress. His cold fingers brushed against my bare back, and I gasped when he finally finished. Despite the pain, I felt a small sense of relief.
This isn't what I envisioned for the night. I should be kicking ass, not being treated like a patient.
"I'm gonna carry you now," he said, lifting me from the living room as the ambulance arrived.
Am I going to the hospital in this wedding dress?
They treated me immediately. The pain dulled, and I passed out.
The next day, I woke up feeling better.
"Maya!" My mom rushed to the bed and hugged me tightly. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm okay, Mum."
I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
"You'll be fine, dear. I'm going to get the doctor."
"Okay."
The doctor came to check on me, and I freshened up afterward.
"Your grandpa isn't comfortable with you staying in that house anymore," Dad said, pausing to glance at my swollen face. "He feels it has a bad omen. You'll be moving into one of his newly built penthouses."
What a dramatic old man.
"It was just an allergic reaction, Dad."
"Yeah, I know," he said, sighing. "But the fact that he's even interested in your life now is a blessing, so just do as he says."
"I hope Grace and the chef are okay?" I asked, picking up my phone. Neither of my parents answered.
"Why is no one answering me?" I looked up and caught their faces.
"They were arrested—"
"What?!"
"Calm down," Mom said. "They were interrogated but got released immediately. August went to the station instead of coming to the hospital." Her tone was laced with scorn.
I sat upright. "For what it's worth, I'm glad he went there instead, because why would they be arrested?"
Dad sighed. "We had to investigate it. The chef was aware of all the things you're allergic to, so we had to make sure there were no ulterior motives behind it."
"C'mon, Dad."
"Maya, it's been solved already," he said. "She didn't know you were allergic to tree nuts, and it was in the pasta you ate." He ran his hands through his hair. "You didn't even take off your wedding gown."
I smirked a little. "Did you guys see that pasta? And I want them back — I like both of them already. That's my condition if you want me to live in that penthouse."
I loved the confused look on my dad's face. Right now, I wasn't about to follow him blindly without putting up a fight. And I had a feeling it would be a long one.
In the afternoon, while I was sleeping alone, I felt a presence. Slowly, I opened my eyes — and gasped.
It was Ty. My ex-fiancé.
His arms were folded as he stared at me coldly.
"You've been released?" My voice came out louder than I intended, edged with irritation.
"Hell yeah." He strolled casually around the room. "Heard you got married yesterday."
"So?" I snapped, too tired to pretend I cared.
"So?" He chuckled, shaking his head. Then his eyes locked on mine — sharp and unblinking.
"So, how was the pasta?"
I froze. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean…" He leaned in close, voice low. "Did you really think I was going to let you enjoy a perfect wedding night?"