So-Called Happiness

...

Gideon Strathmore was taken aback by my refusal.

It was normal since I had never said no to him for a whole eight years.

He sized me up, scoffing, "What's your problem? Last night messed you up?"

I stayed silent, and he got annoyed. "Fine, whatever. Stop looking at me like that."

He waved for the butler to handle breakfast instead.

The young woman from last night, Vesper Quinn, sauntered over.

"How was it last night? Pretty wild, huh?" She grinned at me.

Gideon yanked her back. "Alright. Go wash up for breakfast."

Vesper shot me a smug look and walked away.

At the table, they flirted openly, while I kept my head down, planning my future.

After a while, someone tapped my arm. I looked up to see Gideon's sullen expression.

"What's up?" I asked, confused.

He studied me. "Something on your mind?"

I paused, answering frankly, "Just thinking about what to do in the future."

"Cleaning and cooking. What else can you do?" he scoffed.

His casual jab didn't rattle me. I was used to it.

For eight years, I had dropped everything for him. My life had been centered around him. I had forgotten the dreamer I once was.

Eight years back, my mom was dying.

When I desperately needed money, Gideon showed up with a contract, offering five million dollars for me to marry him and help him deal with the opponents in his family.

To save my mother, I agreed. But after our marriage, he brought home different women.

One day, he got drunk and stared at me seriously. He slurred, "We're from different worlds. Don't get any ideas."

At first, I thought he didn't know how to love.

Last year, I learned that his first love died from illness, and Vesper looked a bit like her. So, it wasn't surprising that he brought her home and had breakfast with her.

Unbothered, I started planning my exit.

Gideon called out to me, and I snapped back to reality.