Chapter 2

The wedding took place in a tiny church, nothing like the lavish affairs one would expect from the wealthy.

After the priest recited the vows, we exchanged rings.

Simon's hand was a bit cold, and he hesitated for a split second when our fingers met.

I didn't think much of it.

It was only a formality anyway.

The day we made got our marriage license, I moved into Simon's place.

It was a three-story house. He stayed on the third floor, and I settled on the second.

It was great. We could keep out of each other's way.

On our wedding night, Simon didn't come home.

The maid, Larissa Baker, told me to give him a call and ask.

I did, but he didn't pick up.

I told Larissa there was no need to wait up.

He still hadn't come home by breakfast the next morning.

I didn't really care if he came home or not, but him not showing up on our first night as a married couple upset me slightly.

I texted my bestie to vent.

Her name was Hannah Cox, my college buddy, and she had the sharpest tongue ever.

I hadn't told her I was married yet, only said I was following some juicy gossip.

She got super excited and started spilling all the tea about Simon's love life.

Hannah wrote: [You don't know, do you? That rosary Simon always wears? Supposedly, his first love got them for him, and he's been wearing them for over ten years.

[People online call him the most aloof man of high society.]

The most aloof man of high society?

Acting all deeply sentimental with that rosary? Give me a break.

If he was so hung up on his first love, why not chase after her? He couldn't let go but still married me. What a jerk.

I texted her back, [Such a scumbag.]

*****

That night, the scumbag finally showed up.

And he brought a bouquet of flowers.

I took the flowers and handed them to Larissa to put in a vase.

When I took the bouquet, I deliberately checked his wrist. Yep, he was wearing those beads.

Those beads looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen them before.

Larissa had made a whole spread of food, all my favorite dishes.

We sat at opposite ends of the table.

He didn't pick up his utensils, so I felt awkward starting to eat before him.

We sat there, awkwardly staring at each other.

After a long, tense moment, he finally picked up a shrimp with his fork and dropped it on my plate.

With a fake smile, he said, "Eunice, just spit it out."

I grabbed a piece of meat with my fork and put it on his plate. "It's nothing, really. Just thought you look pretty sharp today."

I was only being polite.

But he took it the wrong way.

His face darkened. "Miss Murphy, please show some self-respect."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Seriously, how full of himself could this guy get?

But then it hit me. I was living under his roof, so I'd better not get on his bad side.

I put on my best fake smile and bowed a little. "Alright, princess."

Crap, I totally slipped up.

I snuck a glance at his face. Yep, he looked totally awkward and annoyed.

He gave me the silent treatment and focused on his food after that.

Honestly, that worked for me. I couldn't be bothered with him either.

*****

That night, I took a relaxing bath, lit some scented candles, watched a movie for a bit, and then crashed.

In the middle of the night, I woke up feeling way too hot.

When I opened my eyes, I realized someone was pressed right up against my back.

A chill ran down my spine. I thought it was some creep.

Then I slowly turned my head, and saw Simon.

He had somehow snuck into my bed without me noticing.

Once I realized it was him, the fear vanished. But, honestly, this was absurd.

I reached over and switched on the bedside lamp.

He had his arms wrapped around me, his head pressed against my back, sleeping like a log.

Wow, how original.

Mr. "Please show some self-respect" himself, sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night. Classic.

"What a hypocrite," I muttered as I tried to shove him off.

But he wouldn't move an inch.

Instead, he tightened his grip around me.

I seriously couldn't take the heat anymore, so I slapped him across the face.

That finally woke him up.

He let go, and I shot out of bed, flipping on the overhead light.

He rubbed his eyes, looking completely confused as he stared at me.

His cheek was red.

I rubbed my palm. It was still stinging. Guess I had smacked him harder than I meant to.

I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, but seeing him all confused, I felt a little guilty.

Looking totally clueless, he said, "Wifey, what's wrong?"

Wifey?

Who was he calling wifey?

I frowned. "Simon, don't be so shameless. Who is your wifey?"

But as soon as I said it, it hit me that I actually was his wife.

My words snapped him awake, and he shot me a fierce look at once.

"Did you hit me?" Simon asked.

I shook my head quickly. "No, I didn't."

"Really? You didn't hit me?"

I was about to keep protesting when I suddenly remembered I was the one who should be pissed.

"What are you doing in my room?" I shot back.

That was a total knockout.

He went quiet.

Then he got out of bed and left without another word, smooth as ever.

*****

The next day, I was chatting with Larissa.

"Sleepwalking?" I asked, munching on an apple.

Larissa sighed as she arranged the flowers. "Yeah, Mr. Reed has this problem since he was a kid. Whenever he's stressed, he starts sleepwalking. He'd seen many doctors, but no one could fix it."

Well, mystery solved.

It seemed he had a sleepwalking problem.

All that panic last night was for nothing. I really thought he was some kind of creep.

I said casually, "Poor guy."

Suddenly, I heard Simon's voice right behind me. "Poor guy? Really?"

I was so startled I fell off the couch, banging my knee against the coffee table.

The pain was so sharp, my eyes filled with tears.

He walked over, scooped me up, and gently set me back on the couch.

The moment that woodsy smell hit me, I knew right away it was Simon.