Arielle leaned back in her seat, pretending everything was normal, even though her heart was pounding inside her chest.
"Perfect timing. Venessa and I are starving," she said with a sweet smile, raising her eyebrow at her best friend, who was still trying to signal her to leave.
Cassian sat across from her, quiet and tense. "What would you like to eat, ladies?" he asked, his voice serious.
Before Venessa could speak, Arielle reached across the table and snatched the menu from Cassian's hands. "Let me do the honors, sweetheart," she said, smirking as she waved over a waiter.
The waiter rushed over politely. Arielle didn't waste a second.
"We'll have two platter rice, four bottomless iced teas, one beef broccoli for Cassian, braised beef, calamares, and buttered prawns," she said confidently.
The waiter nodded. "Anything else, ma'am?"
Arielle tilted her head. "Oh! I almost forgot. Cancel the prawns, I don't want to get itchy." Then she turned to Tessa. "Tessa, you can have them instead. You seem like you're already used to getting itchy."
Tessa's face twisted, clearly confused and irritated.
"Waiter, never mind," Arielle added quickly. "The prawns are fine. Give them to her." She pointed at her cousin, who was now turning red with embarrassment.
Cassian leaned toward her and whispered harshly, "Don't cause a scene, Arielle Seraphina."
Arielle leaned in too, her smile gone. "Then don't disrespect me in front of your mistress, Cassian. I still have every right to speak. Be a good husband. Ten more months, and I'll sign those papers. Behave, and maybe I'll sign them next month."
The waiter was still standing beside the table, clearly uncomfortable. "Any more orders, ma'am?"
"Nothing else," Venessa answered quickly, giving the waiter a look that said run.
"Do you have soup?" Tessa suddenly asked, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
Arielle turned her head slowly toward her. "Tessa, let's skip the soup, please. I might spill it on you, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" she said with a fake smile.
The waiter blinked, nodded awkwardly, and hurried away from the table.
"I'm just joking, Tessa," Arielle added, grinning like a cat who'd just found her prey.
She looked at Cassian, who was clearly not amused. His jaw was tight, eyes cold, lips pressed into a thin line.
But Venessa? She looked like she was watching her favorite drama. She leaned back in her chair, enjoying every second, eyes twinkling with approval.
Arielle knew she had stirred the pot, but to her, it was nothing. What she said was mild compared to what she really wanted to do. If she wasn't trying to act civil, she would have dragged her cousin out by the hair.
*******
By 7 p.m., Cassian and Arielle were back home. They had ridden together, but she made sure he dropped Tessa off at her house first. No way was that woman entering her home again.
As soon as they walked in, Arielle headed straight to the bathroom. She needed to wash away the day, the heat, the tension and the sight of them together.
After her shower, she stepped out in a fresh robe, towel drying her hair.
Cassian was already in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. His expression was blank, but she could feel the storm coming.
"I don't like what you did today, Arielle," he said coldly.
She looked at him, dripping hair, clean skin, calm face, but inside, her heart had already built its armor. And this time, she wouldn't back down for a second.
"What? Oh please, Cassian, stop acting like the victim. She deserved that. As long as I'm still your wife, I have every right to embarrass her if I want. She is just your mistress. And if you break our deal, then she will remain your mistress forever."
Cassian went silent.
"Twelve months, Cassian. That is all I ask. After that, you are free. You can marry her if you want. But for now, just be the husband I need you to be. Even for a little while. Show me that you are still capable of being decent," she said, walking toward him and wrapping her arms around him.
Arielle kissed him gently on the lips and he kissed me back. Soon, one kiss turned into more. He pressed her down on the bed, and they ended up doing what they had not done regularly before.
Later, as he slept soundly beside her, Arielle smiled faintly. She remembered what she kept whispering as he held her earlier, he kept calling out her name.
"I hope, Cassian," she whispered, brushing a hand over his face, "that one day, you will realize my worth. And I hope… when that day comes, I am still here. I hope it is not too late. I hope my heart is still yours by then."
Sometimes, Arielle wants to give up on Cassian. But every time she thinks of the promises they made at the altar, she reminds herself to keep fighting. And she will fight… for as long as she still can.
*****
Cassian had been acting like a proper husband lately. He drove her to and from the university every day and made sure to come home at night. Maybe he was afraid she would not sign the annulment papers if he didn't keep up the act.
It had been two weeks since Seraphina started teaching at Knightley University. She handled sophomore students under the English Department and had already made friends with two fellow professors, Dina and Mercy. The two were talkative, loud, and full of energy, but they made her days brighter.
There were fewer fights between her and Cassian now. Every night, she would flirt with him, and it was working. He gave in to her advances, and why wouldn't he? She was his wife after all.
At home, she acted like a chef in the morning and a queen in the bedroom at night. She cooked all of his favourite dishes, pampered him from head to toe, and doted on him like he was royalty. Her body had slimmed down from all the housework and the effort she put into taking care of him. She had always taken care of him before, but now? Now she was on another level. If she could, she would wear a maid's uniform just to make the performance complete.
And at night? Let us just say she made sure Cassian was so exhausted, he would not have any leftover energy for Tessa. Bwahaha! She even laughed like a villain just thinking about it.
"You are so naughty, girl! You might end up pregnant again!" shouted Venessa from the other end of the line.
It was lunch break, and Seraphina had decided to call her best friend.
"Well, bestie, I just want to make my husband happy. Not just with food and chores, but also in bed!"
"And then what? Did he say he loves you again? That he is dropping the annulment?"
"Well… not yet. But we are getting there!"
"Delusional. You are dreaming too hard!"
"Watch me, girl. One day, he will drop to his knees and beg me not to sign those papers."
"Hmmm. Do not expect too much or you might break your heart and lose your mind too!"
"Believe what you want," Seraphina said playfully.
"Oh! By the way," Venessa suddenly remembered. "I am picking you up later, okay? It is Mom's birthday. You're invited, sorry I forgot to tell you earlier!"
"Wow, bestie! Out of all the people invited, I'm the one you forgot?"
"Just be ready at home. Change your outfit and glam up!"
"Alright, I'll be ready by seven."
"Cool! Let's catch up later. Bye!"
After the call, Seraphina got dressed. She wore a black body-hugging dress with a low v-neckline that showed off her curves. The spaghetti straps showed her glowing, fair skin, thanks to her trusted Beauty Vault Kojic soap. She fixed her eyebrows, applied waterproof mascara to enhance her already beautiful eyes, and checked herself in the mirror.
She still wondered what Cassian saw in her cousin that she didn't have. Maybe it was just lust. Her cousin was shameless and flirted like it was her full-time job.
Seraphina messaged Cassian, letting him know she would not be home that night because she would be attending Venessa's mom's birthday party, and might sleep over at the hotel with her best friend.
Venessa's family owned one of the most popular hotels in the city, and they usually held birthdays there. Seraphina also knew she would be staying in Venessa's executive suite like she always did during big events.
When Venessa arrived to pick her up, she whistled loudly.
"Wow! My best friend looks like a goddess tonight, too bad she is still hopeless when it comes to her husband!"
Seraphina smiled sweetly. "I won't argue, bestie. I'm too pretty to waste energy on you!"
Seraphina did not expect the birthday party to be that grand. The moment they arrived at the venue, her eyes widened at the large crowd.
"Hey bestie," she nudged Venessa. "This is way more people than last year!"
"Yeah, Bess. Most of them are business partners. Mama recently invested in a new company, so I think all the major investors showed up."
They made their way to Venessa's mom, who was sitting in the center of a raised platform, chatting with a man whose back was facing them. He held a glass of wine and looked completely at ease.
"Hi Aunt! Happy birthday!" Seraphina greeted with a bright smile.
"Oh my! Arielle Seraphina, you are looking so beautiful, hija!" the older woman beamed.
"Thank you, Aunt! You're still glowing too!"
"By the way," Venessa's mom said as she gestured to the man beside her, "this is Mr. Rafael Knightley Carrington, the CEO of the company I invested in. Rafael, meet my daughter Venessa, and this is her best friend, Arielle Seraphina."