Chapter 3
I smiled.
"Of course," I replied.
Aisha thought getting rich would be easy. Darryl was clever, but he didn't have much of a knack for business. It would take two years just to improve their lives.
In my previous life, Aisha saw me dressed in silk and satin in less than a year and thought she could easily surpass me.
After bragging to everyone for half a year, Aisha was convinced that once Darryl's business took off, she'd finally be living the high life.
Even Darryl's confidence soared, and he started strutting around like he owned the place.
Aisha couldn't wipe the smirk off her face.
She scoffed, "You better make the most of your time with that short-lived Javier. Your luxurious life could vanish before you even know it."
She tried to walk away, but I wasn't about to let her get off that easy.
I hiked up my skirt and sent a solid kick her way. "With that filthy mouth, you're just asking for it."
Aisha crashed to the ground and shrieked, "You bitch! How dare you hit me."
She wasn't about to let that slide and tried to swing back at me.
Darryl, standing right beside her, rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump in too.
But the were-dragons were the real aristocrats. No way they'd just stand by and watch me get pushed around by some mangy werewolves.
After a few casual remarks, Darryl's family grabbed him and made him apologize to me.
Aisha looked like she was about to lunge at me and rip me to shreds.
"Just wait till Javier's dead. Let's see who'll dare stand up for you then. Everything you did today, I'll pay you back a thousand times over," Aisha spat, her eyes blazing with fury.
On our wedding night, I sat cross-legged on the bed, counting my money.
Javier slipped his arms around my waist from behind, looking all pitiful.
"Honey, it's late. Aren't you tired?" Javier whined.
He was basically begging me to call it a night.
I pushed the ledger away, wrapped my arms around his neck, and leaned in to kiss him.
He froze, startled.
"Whoa, hey! What are you doing?" Javier blurted out.
I laughed at him.
"Just going to bed, obviously," I teased.
Javier blushed so hard, it looked like the color went all the way down to his neck.
"O-of course I knew. I was just testing you," he sputtered, trying to sound confident.
I couldn't help but laugh. He was too funny.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and playfully pushed him down onto the bed.
To my surprise, Javier swallowed, then flipped me over and pinned me down instead.
"Leave this to me," he said.
That night, I finally understood how terrifying a young man like Javier could be in bed.
At first, I thought I had everything under control, but by the end, I was pleading for mercy.
But he wouldn't let me off the hook. He kept going until I was nothing but a puddle on the bed.
By the end, I was completely spent, and Javier, utterly satisfied, scooped me up into his arms.
"Thanks for tonight, darling," Javier teased.
I could only kick him in mock annoyance, but he simply playfully grabbed my foot.
What a shameless rogue!
The next morning, I glanced at myself in the mirror and my jaw just about hit the floor.
Was that a freaking dragon's mark between my eyebrows?
Javier was feeling pretty pleased with himself.
"You're looking at the dragon's mark?" he asked. "That's something only us were-dragons have. You only get it after you've spent the night with one of us."
Realization shot through my mind, and my eyes flew wide in shock.
Why didn't Aisha ever have the dragon's mark? Did she and Javier never hook up in the previous life?
Feeling over the moon, I threw my arms around Javier and kissed him hard.
He was so giddy he looked like he'd just hit the jackpot.
But what really blew me away was that Darryl's business had hit it big. He was raking in cash like crazy these days.
Aisha hosted a lavish party, and when we arrived, Darryl had his arm around her waist, making the rounds and toasting the guests.
"I'm so blessed me to land a wife like Aisha," Darryl bragged. "Ever since she came into my life, my luck's been off the charts."
Even the folks who used to look down on him started sucking up. Nobody was gonna say no to money.
With all the flattery coming her way, Aisha's smugness was written all over her face.
She skipped right past everyone else and beckoned me over with a finger.
Aisha called out, her voice all sugary-sweet, "Denice, why aren't you sitting next to me?
"I heard Javier's heading off to war. Oh, I'm really worried about you. What'll you do if something happens to him?"
Javier really was leaving, even though he promised he'd be back next month.
But I knew, chances were slim he'd come back safe.
Before heading out, Javier took the bracelet my mom had given me.
He said that every time he looked at it, he'd think of me, and that would give him the guts to face whatever came at him on the battlefield.
No matter how much it hurt inside, I kept my feelings locked up tight. I merely glanced at Aisha's luxurious gown.
"The fabric on your dress probably costs a hundred gold coins. Even with Darryl's new wealth, could he really afford something like that?" I said.
Aisha flipped her hair smugly.
She said, "Guess you've got an eye for quality. I got this dress on credit, but for Darryl, paying it off is just a matter of time. It's nothing to stress over."
I let my fingers wander over the embroidery on her dress, drawing out my words.
"Is that so? Darryl's used to scraping by. He's not the type to blow cash on fancy stuff. I bet he doesn't even know you bought this dress on credit," I said with a knowing smirk.