Juliet took a deep breath, telling herself not to get angry. After all, she needed his help right now.
"Mr. Bill, I have three requests for living here for just one month so we can get along. First, I want to bring my brother with me. When I'm at work, can I leave him at the tea shop for Maha to look after? I'll pay for it myself. Second, let's keep our marriage hidden for now, as I haven't figured out how to explain it to my friends and colleagues. Third, even though it's just a one-month trial period, I don't want to take advantage of you. Let's split the household expenses evenly."
As Juliet spoke, she was already pulling out her phone, ready to transfer money to Bill via mobile banking.
"I'll first transfer half of the monthly utilities, water, gas, and property fees to you. How much do these usually cost per month?"
"No need," Bill responded coldly. "I need to get back to work. I don't want to get fired by my boss."
For Bill, who dealt with billion-dollar projects daily, the thought of calculating utility bills seemed absurd. His assistant handled such matters, and he had no idea what the costs were.
"I agree with your first two conditions. Especially the hidden marriage—I'm not interested in a wedding either. As for your brother living here, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks. But splitting expenses is unnecessary. I want to try living with you, and my salary can cover the costs. You just buy what you need, and I'll cover the bill—but make sure to keep track of the expenses."
With that, Bill slammed a bank card onto the shoe cabinet by the door. "Here's my salary card."
Seeing the card, Juliet suddenly felt that this vain man might not be as insufferable as she had thought. Despite the scolding from her family, here was someone who cared about her, even if they weren't close.
"I…"
"I only took an hour off work. The car earlier belongs to the company, and I have to return it. I was only driving it to pick up a client."
Bill left right after explaining about the business car, wanting to ensure Juliet didn't think he was too rich.
"Then take the car keys you gave me before," Juliet called after him.
"I'm in a hurry! No need!" Bill, deep down, hated the old, near-junk car with its rusty key that gave off a metallic odor. He didn't even want to touch it.
Juliet chased after him, forcing the keys into his hand. Her fingers were warm and delicate. At the moment of contact, Bill frowned and pulled his hand away, shaking it off as if she were contagious.
"I said I don't want it!" he snapped.
Juliet's blushing face darkened in response. Frustrated, she just wanted a glass of water before confronting this irritating man again. The room was thick with tension. Juliet kept her head down as she filled her small ceramic cup with water. Unhappy, she lost grip, and the cup fell, shattering on the floor, spilling water everywhere.
"Damn it!" she cried, quickly crouching to clean up the pieces.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Bill snapped as he turned around. "Watch out—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he stepped on the wet floor and slipped. At the same time, Juliet's hand touched the wet tiles, and they both lost their balance. In the blink of an eye, they were down on the floor together. Juliet fell right onto Bill's chest, her face mere inches from his, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath.
The atmosphere thickened with an indescribable tension. Juliet's face was pressed against Bill's chest, his warmth radiating through his firm body. Her heart raced, and a blush quickly crept up her cheeks.
Bill froze for a moment, his arm still resting on her back, as if to protect her. Their eyes met, locking in a gaze that made time stand still. Only their quickened breaths broke the silence.
Juliet could barely move, feeling awkward as she tried to wiggle away, only to find herself pressed even closer against him. She quickly lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
"Are… are you okay?" Bill's voice was deeper than usual, laced with unease.
"I'm fine," Juliet mumbled, quickly pushing herself off of him.
Desperate to shake off the suffocating tension, she grabbed a cloth to mop up the water and gathered the broken ceramic pieces to throw them in the trash.
As she approached the trash can, something inside caught her eye—two small packets. She picked them up, her heart skipping a beat. Were these condom wrappers?
She froze, her mind racing, and her face turned bright red. She shot Bill a look of accusation, her heart pounding. Could he really be a playboy who had been plotting something all along?
Bill stood up, dusting off the water. He noticed Juliet's puzzled expression as she stared into the trash, eyes fixed on the two packages. His brow furrowed.
"What are you looking at?" he asked sharply, quickly tying the trash bag shut.
Juliet pointed at the bag, her voice filled with suspicion and anger. "What are those? You slept with two girls? If you've committed rape, I'll make sure you end up in jail."
Bill's brows furrowed for a moment, then relaxed as he chuckled, amused by the situation.
"Those are glove wrappers," he explained, exasperated. "What did you think they were? I made curry rice last night, and yeah, the wrappers do look like condoms."
He then added with a smirk, "And hey, I've slept with more than just two girls."
He opened a drawer, revealing even more glove wrappers that looked strikingly similar to condom packages.
Juliet's heart dropped in relief, realizing how wrong she had been. The glove wrappers did look shockingly similar to condom packages. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, she quickly lowered her head, her face flushing even more as she handed the wrappers to Bill.
"I… I thought…" she stammered, her voice growing quieter, unable to justify her earlier accusation.
Bill, clearly amused by her mistake, smiled even wider. He leaned in slightly, his gaze filled with playful mischief. "Did you really think I was that kind of guy?"
"N-no," Juliet stammered, waving her hands dismissively. But the heat on her cheeks only deepened as her heart raced uncontrollably.
She realized how absurd her misunderstanding had been, and her mix of shame and nervous excitement only intensified. In that moment, she felt an undeniable pull toward Bill, a growing attraction that she couldn't quite shake. His smirk, once cold and distant, now gave her a sense of unexpected warmth and safety.
As Bill tied up the trash bag, his smirk turned into a subtle grin. He quietly untied it just long enough to ensure she hadn't noticed the marijuana ashes hidden beneath the glove wrappers, then tied several tight knots to secure the bag.