My stomach lurched as I nearly retched up everything I'd eaten. That devious woman—she actually dared to pull a stunt like that. I had seriously underestimated her. She looked like the type who would give in easily, but she was sharp in all the wrong ways.
After showering, I tried to unlock the door connecting to the smaller room. The moment I pushed, I felt resistance—as if something was heavy-duty blocking it. The edge of the bed made it obvious: that teacher had shoved it there to keep me out. If I couldn't take the shortcut, I'd take the direct route.
I opened the door to her room slowly. It was empty, so I moved quietly toward the bathroom. The little menace was reclining in the jacuzzi, humming along to music blaring from her phone. Her eyes were closed, looking perfectly content—or perhaps her senses were so dull she didn't even realize I was standing there, watching. As the foam thinned, it revealed the skin beneath the water, and I was acutely aware of just how tempting she looked.
"Next time, may I join you?" I whispered near her ear.
Her soft body jerked in surprise. As she tried to bolt upright, I pressed her shoulder back down. Her slender face snapped toward me, eyes blazing.
"Are you going to kill me just because you didn't like my cooking?"
"Why would I kill my own wife? You're exaggerating," I replied calmly. I reached for the towel on the rack and unfolded it for her. "I don't mind holding this for you all night."
She splashed the water angrily before turning her back and standing up. Just the sight of her curves was enough to test my restraint.
"I'm going to get dressed," she said pointedly.
She walked toward the wardrobe. I followed and sat at the foot of the bed—the very one she had used to barricade the connecting door.
"I'm not stopping you," I said. "Though sooner or later, you'll have to take them off again. You might as well not bother."
"What exactly do you want from me?!" She threw on a shirt hastily—just the shirt—and stormed toward me, furious. "I married you, but I'm not your servant. I'm a person, too. I don't like being controlled, and you wouldn't either. You could speak nicely to me instead of constantly provoking me. If you talk to me like that again, I'll pack my things and leave for real."
"Go ahead," I said, standing up and stepping into her personal space. "And don't forget to return the shares and the ten million baht to my grandmother while you're at it."
"You already gave it to us—why ask for it back? You people are the fools for giving my family that much in the first place."
I raised a finger to my lips, signaling for her to lower her voice.
"If you want the twins to hear, that's your choice. I wonder what they'd think—finding out their homeroom teacher married their father for his fortune. And another thing—my grandmother is not as foolish as you think. Go ask your parents again what kind of binding agreement they signed with her."