Falling For My Husband

"Bethie, are you avoiding me?" Nathan advanced step by step, his slender fingers tugging lightly at his tie, an elegant yet seductive gesture.

My heart raced uncontrollably.

"Nathan, let's talk this out, don't..."

My voice was hoarse and lacked any authority, and my face flushed instantly.

"Bethie,"

He murmured softly, a glint of triumph in his eyes, "we are legally married."

Well, my plan to run away from home had failed.

I conceded.

1

Nathan is indeed my husband, but initially, we weren't a real couple.

It all started from the first time I had sex with him.

That day, I woke up from a hangover to find a man lying beside me.

His features were youthful, his physique equally so...

Before I could recall the absurd events of the previous night, the man furrowed his brows, slowly waking up. His hand unconsciously wrapped around me, and his lips brushed my forehead in a good morning kiss.

The whole process was smooth and natural, as if this scene had played out countless times before.

I shook off his hand, sat up, and squinted at the curtains, trying hard to maintain the composure expected of someone older.

"About last night, I drank too much. I violated the contract first, and I'll remit the penalty fee to your account within seven working days.

You can terminate our cooperative relationship anytime, and I have no objections."

As expected of me, I was clear - minded and showed perfect propriety.

Finally having sexual intercourse with my husband three months after marriage would probably be a happy event in a normal family.

But things were different between Nathan and me.

Thinking about the prenuptial agreement I painstakingly drafted, my heart ached.

Is there anything dumber than digging your own grave? If I had known we couldn't avoid the inevitable, why did I include a penalty clause?

Alcohol truly is a menace.

I'm about to lose a lot of money.

"Hmm?" His voice, still tinged with sleep, was deep and husky, particularly evocative.

The atmosphere suddenly turned intimate and ambiguous.

I wished I could find a hole to crawl into. "Bethie, I was really happy last night,"

he leaned in, his tone sticky sweet.

My body stiffened, and I forced a laugh, "Nathan, behave yourself..."

"I'm perfectly normal."

His clear eyes sparkled with light, his tone aggrieved.

I averted my eyes from his. Well, it was all very normal. My face flushed even more, and I quickly jumped out of bed.

While hurriedly dressing, I said, "Sorry for the disturbance, I'll be leaving."

He propped his face on his hand, lying on his side, his tone sincere, "Bethie, can I make a suggestion?"

I glanced at him in confusion.

"Next time, don't keep asking me..."

He sat up, looked into my eyes, and said something that made me blush.

Oh my god.

I'm such a fool.

2

My marriage to Nathan stemmed from a moment of impulsiveness.

At the time, the man I had pursued for years hinted one day for me to keep trying, only to get engaged to a girl I disliked the next.

Regret, unwillingness, grievance, and anger intertwined, consuming my rationality.

Coupled with the fact that my parents and relatives pressured me to go on blind dates and urged me to get married one after another.

In a fit of pique, I embarked on the path of a marriage of convenience, hoping to get some peace.

The wedding was scheduled a day before my crush's, satisfying my childish sense of competition.

The fact that I lost my mind and crossed the boundary by having a sexual relationship with Nathan was also associated with the man I had a crush on.

Recently, my crush returned to the country and wanted to reminisce with me. I sadly realized that I still harbored some unrequited feelings that just won't go away, secretly fantasizing about him getting divorced, regretting, or being unhappy...

But reality was the opposite. He was successful in his career and had a happy family. Catching up was just that—catching up.

Feeling down and ashamed, I bid farewell to my crush and went to a bar to drown my sorrows.

Unconsciously, I had too much to drink. When I got home, I vented all my fierce emotions on the poor and innocent Nathan, thoroughly shattering the peaceful and stable life of our marriage of convenience.

3

After freshening up, I left the hotel room without saying goodbye to Nathan.

While waiting at a traffic light, I noticed an unread message on my phone.

It was from Nathan:

"Bethie, last night's memories were especially beautiful."

I quickly turned off my phone, my cheeks burning like fire.

Nathan had just turned 22 this year, three years younger than me.

His family condition wasn't good as his parents were divorced. He has never explicitly stated the reason for choosing a sham marriage with me.

He only told me that he would strictly abide by the agreement and respect me 100%.

According to my best friend Lana's analysis, he might have some unspeakable preferences, hence the need to marry me to cover it up.

I once believed that was the truth and never thought to pry into his privacy.

But now, seeing his greedy - looking little expression, I felt I might have been too rigid with gender roles.

He might actually be open to anything.

If it weren't for various loans and my unwillingness to part with the money for the breach of contract penalty, how could I have agreed to use myself as collateral?

The more I thought about it, the more complicated my feelings became.

What exactly is this transaction between us?

Am I at a loss?

"Don't mention it again."

To better focus on work, I messaged Nathan as soon as I arrived at the office, my tone leaving no room for argument.