The evening has come.
And I was still nervous as fuck!
There are so many gowns in my wardrobe; they're all so sexy! Well, probably too sexy; I feel like I would ruin the beauty of them. I could never be seen in this type of expensive clothing!
This wardrobe could literally buy me!
I'm rambling, I know, and I'm trying to calm the heck down...
Reiss sent me a text to get ready in 20 minutes, and I've just been fidgeting, touching one dress after another.
If I weren't married, of course, I would have chosen the first dress that caught my eye with all its beauty. I would rock it and own the damn stage and fucking flashing cameras like the businesswoman that I am, you know?
But I'm scared...
Reiss…
The thought of him touching me in public, calling me his...
… Wife… Ugh, I could just gag right about now.
The pretence is what I think would suffocate me in whatever I wear, I swear.
I could never! I could…
You know I wanted to make it on my own, work hard, and finally get to this stage with my own blood, sweat, and tears. But here I am, going as an unwanted baby doll slave wife, and that just breaks me. That just-
"Calm down…" I sighed. Bernice would never let me worry so much like this. She would say, "Go easy on yourself."
That's right, I have to go easy on myself. I didn't put myself in this situation; I never wanted all of this, but here I am, getting ready for a gala.
Not many people get this opportunity, and I can't take that for granted. Right there, I may be introduced as Reiss's wife, but I can show them that I'm much more; these are the people I've been dying to have connections with so I can make my business thrive in this city.
I paused as I took a look at that daring dress again.
It looked so exquisite, and it would definitely draw the eyes of every single person present. This is it. I'm choosing this one because if I'm going to make an appearance, I want them to know that I am no joke.
7minutes later…
I could hear their voices as they talked about football—men's talk, I guess.
I held my gown in one hand and clung to the handrail as I advanced down the stairs.
My heels clicked as I walked, drawing their attention as I stood before them with my head held high, confidence seeming to emanate from me, and I added a little smirk to be my finishing touch.
I could hurl from laughter, but instead I looked straight into his eyes. Even though Solomon's mouth was hanging open,
"No, you can't wear that," he finally said, and I scrunched my brows, finally letting my eyes dance around his body, his shimmering black suit, and his neatly fixed bow.
"Why not?"
"Why would you say that?" Solomon said it all of a sudden. He was also dumbfounded by Reiss's words.
"She looks gorgeous; you look gorgeous, Freya," Solomon praised, and I smiled back. At least someone appreciated my outfit.
"What is this?" Reiss said it again.
"You tell me because that's what I saw in the closet, and I decided to put it on. I didn't leave it there," I responded, a bit angry. At least he can compliment it, not me, but he decides to scold me instead.
"I just love the gold necklace; like, tell me how they thought about this design?" Solomon sighed as he circled around me.
"Should I describe?" I laughed
"Yes, please." Solomon nodded.
"So the most basic description that I can give is, "Well, it's a red wool dress that cuts right under the chest, which is then covered by a golden-dipped necklace in the shape of a like bronchi passing through the lungs; at least that's how it looks to me, which is also adorned with rhinestones.
I paired it with my signature 3-line pearl earrings, bangles, and ring, and tied my hair in a slick bun since I didn't have time to visit a salon. I woke up pretty late," I chuckled.
"You should have ordered Latifa's crew to come do your hair at home, though." Solomon nodded
"I can do that?" I asked, very shocked, which made him laugh.
"You're a Sukuna now!" "You literally own the whole city," he said, and we both laughed.
Reiss, who had been silent the whole time, turned and stormed out.
"We're running late," he said as he left us alone.
"What's with him?" I mumbled.
"He's just thrown away because you happen to be putting on his favourite colour," Solomon chuckled as he followed after his friend.
Well, you don't say...
To me, red is not just a colour; it's a story, an attitude. Red may be anger, which I feel towards Reiss, but it's also power, which I want for myself.
It's my time to be bloody red and seize the moment, because tomorrow...
I might not be red.
~~~
The black Tesla pulled up in front of a building that was fully lit, with people surrounding the entrance with a bunch of cameras.
A red carpet was rolled out for the invited guests to give the media a little bit of their time and outfits as they stepped into the building.
Reiss was quiet throughout the drive here, which made me a bit worried that our pretend chemistry would be ruined on the carpet. So I had to do something about it immediately after he pulled to a stop in front of the gala.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know red was your favourite colour; I should have chosen another gown since I'm unfit to wear this one."
"It's fine; let's just get this over with," he said, not looking at me. He stepped out and walked over to open my door.
I at least thought we would have a short conversation about this; maybe he could give me a tip about answering questions from the press. But he's proving to be a douchebag through and through.
I smiled as I placed my hands in his and braced myself for the world.
"Mr. Reiss! "Mr. Reiss over here!" I heard almost everyone with cameras and microphones shout, but he just pulled me closer and walked towards the carpet.
"Lean into me," he whispered as we posed for the camera. His hands were on my waist as I placed my left hand on his chest, my wedding ring glistening under the lights.
I looked at the cameras, giving my best sexy smirk and smiling as we changed poses from time to time.
"I see a ring on her finger!" Someone from the crowd shouted:
"Does it mean business tycoon playboy Reiss has decided to settle down? SIR, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THIS?" A female reporter fired as we walked past her.
I was able to see a familiar face as Reiss guided me towards him.
It was Han.
"Lovely dress you have on, Mrs. Reiss; quite daring, I suppose. I didn't think you were the daring type." He smiled.
"I just decided to try something new." I smiled as he got his camera rolling.
"I'm live at the most anticipated gala of the year. Here with me is business tycoon and billionaire Reiss Sukuna. How are you?" he asked.
"Good, as you can see; a bit flustered, though." I was so lost in his face because I had never seen him smile like that since I met him. He looked truly handsome.
"And who are you here with?"
"My wife, Mrs. Freya Park Sukuna," he said as he placed a hand on my waist, and I came back to reality.
"Getting married out of the blue? Who would have suspected? Now where have you been hiding such a beauty?" He said that, and I chuckled.
"We met in my province; Reiss had to get gas for his car, and I also wanted to get gas. We just happened to meet, and the rest is history. I just got so in love that when he popped the question, I said yes right away." I blushed.
"Really? " It sounds like a fairy tale," Han chuckled.
"I wouldn't have thought in a million years I would fall in love, and it would sound like a fairy tale. She was just so down to earth. I just knew at that moment I couldn't let her go," Reiss said, all the while his eyes were focused on mine, and his words made me feel a bit giddy in my stomach.
"So she's the one?" Han asked
"He liked it, so he went and put a ring on it." I laughed as I dangled my diamond ring in front of the camera.
"Okay now, I won't hold you back; go enjoy yourselves." Han laughed as we walked over to another reporter.
I don't know if he did this on purpose because I was feeling nervous in the beginning, but after talking to Han, I became confident enough to answer other reporters. So far, so good. They loved me, which I thought would be difficult at first, but it wasn't.
"Mr. and Mrs. Reiss, give us a little something, huh?" A cameraman shouted as we finished with our last reporter.
"You heard them," Reiss said before turning me back to the red carpet. This time he led me so close to his chest and looked deep into my eyes, as if I really were his all-in-all.
If only this were true, my heart would say... He slowly reached for my chin as he closed the gap between us with a kiss on my lips.
The crowd went wild, but I couldn't hear their screams because my whole brain was in shambles, and my heart was saying something I would never in my life think to be true.
Am I developing feelings for him?
He pulled away and intertwined our hands as we walked up the stairs, all looking loved-up.
At least we managed to deceive these people into thinking we were happy.
"I heard Araceli would be making an appearance tonight," I heard someone whisper as we walked past.
"No way!" She's out of the country; I don't think she will," another said.
"Who's this, Araceli?" Someone asked
"You don't know her? She was Reiss's on-and-off girlfriend for a long time. They were on a break, but I guess they're ex's now."
My breath hitched as I turned to look at Reiss, who also heard what they were saying.
"Who is Araceli?" I asked
He tightened his grip and answered, "No one." "You shouldn't worry about it."
Okay. At least she's not-
"THERE SHE IS!" someone shouted, and I whipped my head just to see red heels step out of a Rolls Royce.