5:00 AM local time. This is when I wake up for about 30 minutes of weight training every morning. No matter where I go, it's a routine I can't skip. After my shower, it seemed the small figure on the bed had no intention of bouncing up. I picked up my phone, searched for a video of a wailing ghost on YouTube, cranked the volume to the max, and placed it right next to her ear.
The moment the ghost's scream erupted from the clip, my legal wife bolted upright. She panicked, looking left and right, and as soon as she saw me, she lunged and hugged me tight.
"D-did you hear that?"
"I heard it."
"Yikes! That was terrifying! It felt like something was screaming right in my ear. Someone definitely died a violent death in this hotel. Why am I so cursed? Poor I-Tim!" Now I know exactly what her weakness is. She was shaking like a leaf, her eyes darting around the room. The dim light from the bedside lamp set the perfect eerie atmosphere.
"Yeah. It's right there," I nodded toward my phone. I-Tim shook her head vigorously; she wouldn't budge. But whenever I moved, she clung to me and moved along. "That's the ghost. It's coming from right there. A digital-age ghost."
The second I said 'digital,' the ghost-fearing girl let go of her death grip on me. She stared at my phone with a look so fierce that if she had been eating something spicy, I'm sure smoke would have been coming out of her ears.
"You dared to prank me?!"
Smack!
My arm was brutally assaulted three times in a row. Even so, I remained a gentleman and didn't strike a woman back—especially not the one who is my wife. "If you're satisfied, go take a shower. I didn't bring you here just to sleep."
"Can't I sleep for just one more hour? I'm so exhausted," she said, trying to act all cute. Pure manipulation.
"In that case, we might have to engage in some 'rhythmic activities' together."
"Hmph!" She pouted and grabbed a towel, heading into the bathroom. Does she have any idea how insanely cute she is when she does that? I'm starting to think I've got it bad for her.
We went down for breakfast at the hotel's food court. After finishing, I handed a brown envelope containing 2,000 Singapore dollars—roughly 50,000 Baht—to my sons. The twins didn't complain once; they even gave me a beautiful, traditional Thai wai. Just what they wanted.
"What did you give them?" I-Tim asked while we were waiting for the car. She was wearing an A-line skirt and a white blouse topped with a black blazer. She looked quite professional and composed in a different way.
"Something important for men."
"And what would that be?"
"If you want to know, you'll have to give me a reward tonight," I whispered in her ear. She quickly pushed me away, looking genuinely creeped out. "You've been putting me off for days now. I told you, we're here on our honeymoon."
"I told you I'm not ready yet! You're so demanding. You already have sons, you don't really need another one right now, do you? I'm not ready to be a mother. Besides, we don't even know if we're compatible. Getting tied down like this... I don't think it's okay." Her reasoning sounded somewhat valid, but I wasn't okay with it.
"After coming this far, you're still thinking about leaving me?"
"I told you I'd give married life with you a shot, and I will. But I'm only twenty-five. I'm still at the age where I'm learning the ropes of my career. I want to enjoy my life a bit more. Don't be sulky with me, okay?"
I turned my face away, not wanting to prolong the argument. Just wait until this evening—I'll make sure she pays back all the 'interest' she owes me. It's not just my grandmother who wants a great-grandchild. I want one too. And that someone—the mother of my child—has to be Little Tim and only her. I've chosen her.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Sir."