The High-Rise Fortress
We stood in the polished corridor of a high-rise that looked more like a five-star hotel than a residential building. The expensive aesthetic was incomparable to the cramped, drafty apartment I had called home just yesterday.
"Are we really going to live here from today?" I muttered, my voice echoing off the marble.
"Yes! This is where we'll be starting our lives together," my "partner" chirped, her eyes gleaming with domestic pride.
As I stepped inside, the sheer scale of the place hit me. My jaw practically hit the floor as I wandered through the entryway. "Whoa... the rooms are huge! And there are so many of them? There are two bathrooms? Geez..."
I let out a low whistle, feeling like a tourist in a palace. Everything—from the recessed lighting to the floor-to-ceiling windows—was a world away from my old life.
"It's better to live in a place with a good security system," Ananya said, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me deeper into the suite to show off the layout. She seemed to notice my hesitation because she added, "You don't need to worry about money. I'm paying for the rent and everything to begin with, Yuvraj. Please, use your salary for your own things."
I blinked at her. She said it so casually, but as a rich daughter of a high-powered businessman, her "normal" was vastly different from that of an eighteen-year-old college student. Apparently, her father had even offered to buy the entire apartment as a wedding gift the moment she turned eighteen, but she had refused. I let out a silent sigh of relief at that—having my father-in-law buy my house was a level of debt my heart couldn't take.
"Well, yeah, I appreciate the thought," I started, rubbing the back of my neck. "But as a man, I really couldn't just... let you do that."
Ananya didn't argue. Instead, she pulled out her phone, tapped a few times, and turned the screen toward me.
K.O.
My pride as a man took a devastating blow to the gut. The balance staring back at me was staggering. The amount of money she had earned on her own was significantly higher than my entire annual income as a teacher.
"That you can earn so much money at your age is incredible..." I whispered, completely defeated.
"In this age, if one has talent and connections, even students can make money," Ananya said, puffing out her chest with a look of supreme confidence.
She explained it with the air of a seasoned CEO. Apparently, she had been raking in royalties from light novels she published online, and then, with her father's guidance, she'd funneled that capital into the stock market to multiply it.
I lost my words. She wasn't just a student; she was a financial powerhouse defying every expectation I had of her.
"Well, leaving that aside for now," I said, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity. "I will pay for half the rent and other costs. I do have that much money, at least."
Ananya's expression softened. She leaned in close, her scent—a mix of expensive shampoo and something sweet—filling my senses. "Yuvraj, you haven't changed in that respect. It would be better if you would just let me take care of you."
I took a cautious step back. "Well, what kind of teacher is fed by his own student? It's not just that. I'm older than you, Ananya. It's not right for you to take care of me completely."
I took a breath, trying to find the right words. "Even though this was pressured on me... we are a married couple now. I want us to be on equal grounds. Otherwise, I'm too scared to think of how things could turn out in the future."
Ananya paused, then let out a light, melodious chuckle, hiding her smile behind her hand.
"What!?" I barked, feeling my face heat up.
"It's because you are like that... that's why I wanted to be with you," she said, her laughter fading into something much more profound. She looked at me with a startlingly serious expression. "I told you before: I will support you forever. Let us be a good husband and wife to each other."
She finished her sentence with a deep, formal bow.
Standing there in the middle of a luxury apartment I couldn't afford, being proposed to by a student who earned more than me, I felt a sense of vertigo. It felt unreal. For a moment, I was certain I was still tucked in my old bed, dreaming a very vivid, very expensive dream.