Chapter 2
By the time I finally made it to city hall, it was already 9:40. I'd kept them waiting for a whole two and a half hours.
Micah was standing on the steps outside the entrance.
The sun was already scorching, and his forehead was slick with sweat, his shirt collar soaked through.
The cup of coffee in his hand looked completely hot now.
Micah's face darkened with anger the moment he saw me. But it disappeared just as quickly.
He smiled right after. "You finally made it," he said.
Micah came over and reached out to take my hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I sidestepped him.
His hand froze in mid-air. "What's wrong?" he blinked, surprised.
"Your hand is sweaty and sticky," I said.
Hearing this, he wiped his hand on his pants and offered it again.
I still kept my hand to myself. "Let's go. Let's get this over with," I said, walking right in.
Micah followed behind, his steps faltering for a moment.
I could feel his eyes on me.
In my previous life, I would smile the second I saw him, always wanting to cling to his arm.
Therefore, he must think I was acting weird today.
Inside the hall, not many people were waiting in line. The staff asked us to fill out some forms.
I picked up the pen and wrote out each letter slowly, taking my time.
When I got to the "Emergency Contact" section, I paused.
Last time, I wrote "Micah Avery." This time, I wrote "Winona Fairmoor."
Winona's name.
Micah leaned over to take a look. "Why didn't you write my name?"
"It's all the same to me," I replied.
Micah just frowned, staying silent.
All done with the forms.
Then Micah slipped his arm around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The moment his hand touched me, goosebumps broke out all over me.
It wasn't my heart skipping a beat. It was nothing but disgust.
In my previous life, those hands had signed the property transfer papers. Those hands had held Briseis's child.
And in the end, those hands had held mine as I took my last breath.
Micah grinned at me, and I stayed stone-faced.
After a while, the marriage certificates were done.
Micah kept turning them in his hands, grinning like a kid. "Nicole, we're married," he said.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Why aren't you even a little happy?" Micah asked.
I looked into his eyes. His eyes still had that light in them when he looked at me.
But I knew that light wouldn't last.
When Briseis came back, those eyes would look at me like I'm nothing more than an old rag.
"I'm happy," I said. "So happy I don't even know how to put it into words."
Micah totally believed me. He grinned and took my marriage certificate as well.
"I'll hold onto it for you," Micah offered.
In my previous life, I just let him take it. But this time I said, "No thanks. I'll keep it myself."
With that, I took the booklet.
Micah's smile stiffened for a moment. "What's wrong? You don't trust me?" he asked.
"It's safer if we each hang onto our own certificates. You never know, one of us might misplace it," I replied.
Micah's expression changed as he looked at me.
He wasn't angry, and he was confused. He was probably trying to figure out why I was acting so strange today.
Once we stepped out of city hall, Micah suggested we go out for lunch to celebrate.
"I've got plans this afternoon," I said.
"What plans?" Micah asked.
"Just some paperwork," I replied.
"What kind of paperwork?" he pushed.
I looked at him and smiled. "Just some stuff about the house."
Micah's expression changed, ever so slightly.
It happened so fast that in my previous life, I never would've caught it.
But this time, I caught it, clear as day. I caught a flash of nervousness in his eyes.
"What's up with the house?" Micah asked, trying to play it cool.
"I just want to double-check the place my mom left me. Make sure the deed's in my name," I replied.
"What's there to check? Isn't it yours already?" Micah said.
"That's why I want to confirm. It's only mine," I said.
Micah stayed quiet after that. But I saw his fingers clench tighter around the bag of coffee.
Micah, what was he so worked up about? This was only the beginning.
That first week after we got married, Micah was absolutely flawless. There wasn't a single thing to complain about.
He handled the groceries, cooked meals, cleaned up the place, and every evening he'd surprise me with something new and tasty when I got home from work.
At night, he even brought over water for me to soak in the bath.
In my previous life, I would've been moved to tears.
This time, as I poured out the water from the bath, all I could think was, When was he going to bring up the house?
On the eighth day, Micah finally brought it up.
After dinner that night, he sat on the couch and, acting all casual, said, "Nicole, one of my coworkers is trying to get a car loan, and the bank told him it's way easier if you have a property deed.
"So I was thinking, if we ever want to buy a car, shouldn't we make sure our property deed is in order too?"
Here it came.
I set down my fork and asked, "What do you mean?"
"So, now that we're married, should we put my name on the house deed? It'll make things easier for us in the future," he explained.
Micah said it so casually, like he was just commenting on the weather.
In my previous life, I would've said yes without even thinking.
This time, I said, "No."
Three seconds of silence hung in the air.
Micah froze, surprised.
I repeated, "I said, 'No.'"
"Why?" he asked.
"No reason. My mom left it to me, so it's under my name," I replied.
His smile faltered. "Nicole, what's that supposed to mean?
"We're married now, and you won't even add my name to the deed? Is it because you don't trust me?"
"It's not about trust," I said.
"Then what is it about?" Micah replied, his voice louder.
I looked at him. His face was almost too handsome for its own good. Striking brows, bright eyes, and a straight nose.
Back in school, practically every girl had a crush on him.
But now, when I looked at him, all I could think about was that picture of him and Briseis together on her Facebook.
I said, "Micah, my mom gave her life for that house. I'm not putting anyone else's name on it.
"If that bothers you, then just tell me straight. Are you marrying me, or is it just about the house?"
Micah froze. He was utterly speechless.
He probably never imagined Nicole, always so meek, would say something like that.
"What... what are you even saying?" Micah's face turned bright red. "Am I really that kind of person? You think I'm after your house?"
"Then don't bring it up again," I said.
Micah got up, took a couple steps, then came back. "Nicole, what's going on with you today?
"You've been off ever since we got married. Are you regretting it?
"No," I said.
"Then why are you so defensive around me?" he pressed.
"I'm not being defensive. I'm just protecting myself," I replied.
Micah opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
That night, he ended up sleeping on the couch.
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Step one, completed.
In my previous life, by this point, his name was already on the house deed.
Three months later, he'd sign the house over to Briseis.
Because Briseis would come back in two months. She'd show up claiming she was "pregnant."
And Micah would do whatever it took for her, things I never even dreamed of.
But this time, Micah was not getting my house.
Next up: just waiting for Briseis to make her entrance.