"Ah, so you curious about that hot husband too?"
Wan Chun went to see Erika only to find him standing beside the window watching someone down below with his arms crossed. That moment, his expressions were unreadable at all. His handsome poker face always has her heart beating fasting in anticipated. She tried many times to get him to acknowledge her feeling for him, but he never cares at all. At some point, she did aware his affectionate more on Camellia than his ex-wife, Sayuki.
"Then, it explained a lot." Erika still watching them without even turned to Wan Chun.
"What do you think about her newlywed husband?" Wan Chun asked playfully at him considering his feeling.
"I hate his guts. He doesn't deserve her." Bang!
*****************
"Why are you here?" Camellia approached the man standing idly beside the car. No driver. Him alone.
"Why can't I?" Shuu glanced at her and moved to open the car door letting her get into the front seat. Camellia didn't move an inch. "Get in."
"No. I won't get into the car with you," Camellia rejected his offer only to inflict annoyance glare from him. "I can drive my own car back home."
"Leave it to my driver. You, get IN." A hint of a pressed word is only Camellia need. Plus, this is not the place to fire up marriage arguments. Everyone inside the building is watching them through the windows, including Wan Chun and Erika. Shuu shut the door and get to the driver seat in silent. Nobody dares to start any conversation. The mixed of unsatisfying emotions inside her refused to start any friendly talk after what he had her went through. He didn't even call her. What makes him went to fetch her at work?
"I know I owe you an explanation of what happened." Shuu started, but Camellia just silently ignores him. "Don't believe what you have seen and heard." Camellia doesn't know what to say to that. She was looking down at her hands, trying to harden herself and accept her fate as an unwanted wife. It comes back to her now. The reason why she left the villa. That tabloids only adding the salt to the wound. He has a lover. But why should she care?
"Why didn't you tell me that you have a lover?" Camellia asked, nonchalantly. "You could just marry her."
"It's complicated." Shuu heaved a regret sigh. His reply only makes her devastating. "Just an apology won't be enough to show how sorry I am. I promise I'll do whatever I can not to hurt you."
"It's not too late. Maybe we should annul the wedding." Camellia refused to hear anymore. The sudden accelerate makes Camellia looked up in surprise. "What are you doing? This is not the way to the villa. Where are you taking me?" Camellia worriedly looks around the side windows. She aware her husband foul mood decided not to say anymore.
"We're here." After forty minutes, they reached their destination. The earlier on, after the agony discussion between them her body at its limit of tiredness from overworks and she fell asleep. Shuu turned to the woman beside him, sleeping soundly. Shuu watched her sleeping with a smile. Even while sleeping, she looks stunning and innocently cute. The first time he saw her was when his cousin asked him to accompany him to attend the blind date with a woman that his parents had set for him.
Of course, Shuu refused to help him. 'No way I will let him use my charms to attract the woman's heart just because he is such a klutz.' Shuu's only option was to set the blind date at his own luxury restaurant. That idiot lacks nothing in money nor looks. After all, only his clumsiness might not be his excellence virtue.
The woman arrived at the blind date, looking like she was not eagerly into the blind date herself. The woman looks stunning. For the first time, he prayed that Man Suk failed with this one. She deserved better than Man Suk. Someone like... him. Shuu was surprised at himself saying like that. He shook away the bad thoughts about the woman and continue to watch Man Suk as he began to sweat when she awkwardly smile at him without interest to what he says until her phone rang and she excused herself to go takes the call outside the restaurant. Shuu couldn't dare to see his cousin's humiliation, quietly escaped to the kitchen to continue his works. When he returned, there was another woman with them. Man Suk was happily chatting away with the new woman while watched closely by the first woman. An hour passed, the duo finally decided to move to another location excitedly without even glancing at him. 'What an ungrateful brat.'
Now only left the first woman. Shuu spent another more hours watching the woman doing her works after they left. It surprised him to see how her small briefcase can fit that much paperwork. In just ten minutes, the table already full with her papers and some on the seat beside her. He chuckled to himself. 'How dare this lady turning his luxury restaurant into a cafe/ library.' He shook her head. 'I'll let you go this time.'
After that first encounter, he never saw her again until that fateful day. He was always curious about what her job was. Never does he ever thought she would be the Wedding Planner of his cousin assigned to be his bride. The day he was forced into marrying someone he never met before nor dated makes him more anxious. Even Man Suk has been given blind dates to meet those candidates.
Of course, he was pissed off with the arrangement at first but Man Suk well-played it had invited all the elders from Japan and Korea. Cancelling the whole wedding will only mean disrespectful to them. The only way to get it going was to get it through with another groom. But, upon revealing her veil how he felt relieved beyond words nearly kiss her there and get it done before she runs away. He wouldn't ever think the bride will be the same woman that Man Suk had the last blind date with. Shouldn't he be grateful?
Now, she was telling him to annul the wedding. This is the second time she asks for it. It pissed him off like hell. He distances himself from her and gets out of the car in anger. Leaving his wife awake from her slumber.
"My lady, please." A servant opens the car for her. "I'll lead you to the powder room to refresh yourself." Camellia awake only to find her husband already outside the car ignoring her. She awakens state still not able to grip what, where she was that very moment at all. She turned to the polite servant beside her and survey the surrounding now aware the raining already stopped or there were no rains on this area at all. However, she can see that it was somebody's home. It looks like a traditional Korean house with all wooden from the outside, but it was made a modern touch on the inside with some of the room was rather more Japanese on the inside. Camellia followed the servant to a powder room to refresh herself from the long journey and the prolong tiredness. Several things inside the powder room were not normally done or have in Korean Hanok(house). When she exited the powder room with a fresh vibe. The servant nowhere to be found.
Camellia saw Shuu was there standing not far from the powder room. She hasn't seen her husband for a week. Now, she finds that he looks breathtakingly handsome with his simple yet expensive clothes. His height and body built, suggesting that he always do a workout. Or maybe a basketball player. Even his long and slim fingers look masculine, strong and suit him really well. She recalled that hand touches, grabs and rubs her hands before, but she already forgot how it feels overruled with the other mixed emotions from that time.
"Ah, you finished?" Shuu calling out to her. Camellia nodded. She walks to him in silence.
"Is this one of your family's home?" Camellia sounded reluctant to go on.
"It's fine. Don't worry," Shuu re-assured her as he grabs hold her hand tightly in his hand like a couple. She was surprised trying to pull away, but he held it on. "They're my friends. You met them before." That gave her a calm and relieve feelings. Shuu chuckled at her reactions. "Are you that afraid of my family?"
"Don't dare to laugh. I am not from a traditional family like yours." Camellia urged with annoyance. 'It just normal for someone like me to react to such treatment.'
They reached the common room where the noises of someone talking excitedly. Mostly in foreign languages - Japanese.
"There they are! The newlywed couple is here!" Yamato was the first person that spotted their arrival. The common room quite large to support a couple of dozen people altogether. At one of the corner was snooker table where the guys were hanging together and chats. Some faces were not that familiar. Another corner, there were a group of children playing with online games or something with a huge flat-screen TV. She looks around for someone else, but she was nowhere to be found. Shuu didn't let go of her hand. He just waved at his other friends.
"Hey, congratulation on the wedding!" a woman came along to greet her after Yamato gave her a bear hug. The rest of the guys one by one left the table and surrounded them. She shared another hug with the woman. "I'm Lisa by the way." A Korean woman. Camellia wants to introduce herself. "I know your name. Song Cha Mii right." Camellia smiled at her chatty way. "Let me bring you to Emily. She just gave birth to a baby girl." Camellia's eyes enlighten at Emily's name mentioned. She nodded to her, and this time without signal, he let her hand go. She followed the excited looking Lisa while Shuu tagging along quietly.
Lisa knocked on the room, and a low sound from the inside answered.
"Hey, Cha Mii Ssi. You here! I've missed you since our last met. How are you?" Emily gave her a warm bear hug. A long one hug. Camellia smiled with a mixed emotion at their acceptance her into their circle. Shuu watching them the whole time finally get noticed by Emily only get waved with a smile. Emily pulled Camellia's hand towards the baby cradle.
"Congratulation on giving birth to your baby girl." Camellia amazed at the wondrous scene. The baby looks so tiny are now sleeping appeared in peace with her cute lips in sucking movement. Super cute! She was unconsciously imagining herself having a baby together with Shuu. Her face reddens and warmth at the thought.
"Thank you." Emily smiled at her new friend.
There was another knock on the room door and Shuu excused himself. The room vibe suddenly turned to sorrow and depress. The other women knew what happened to the new couple. Although they were aware of the whole situation with Shuu and the other woman, they still think Camellia more worth their trouble to help her.
The dead silent in the room worried Emily to see her quietly watching the baby.
"You should quickly make one with Shuu." She giggled at her own quip watching her friend all along. "We will start a mother club with that." Camellia smiled drily, nodded weakly at her. But, truth be told she was planning on ending the fraud marriage. 'To hell with the inheritance.'
"I wonder if I should keep..." Camellia halted halfway to her words.