“Wait here, Miss. I’ll go to the car first. Usually, there are spare clothes for Alexander in the car,” Robert said as he was about to leave, but he stopped when Casandra grabbed the edge of his jacket.
“No need.”
“Huh, why not? You’re wet. Soaked, in fact.”
“Don’t worry about me. Everything will be fine.”
“But, Miss!”
Robert clenched his fists, frustrated by Casandra’s refusal. If he continued to let her stand by the edge of the swimming pool, soaking wet, there were only two possible outcomes: catching a cold or getting a fever.
“No need to give me extra attention. I don’t deserve it.”
“Ugh, Miss, this is so strange. I’m treating you like a living being, not giving you special attention. If you were a chair or a table, I would just leave you alone. Whether it’s raining or hot, wet or diving into a whale pond, I wouldn’t care at all.”
Casandra took a deep breath. “Please help me to the car. I’ll just sit there.”
Robert shook his head. “No. If you sit there in this wet condition, then…”
Robert paused. “Ugh, Miss. Your clothes will make the car wet. We’ll get scolded!”
Casandra didn’t care. She kept running, distancing herself from the crowd of people who made her the center of attention, mocking and laughing at her. Whatever mistake Casandra had made in the past, it had led her to live such a complicated life.
Instead of living peacefully, focusing on her work and her father’s health, she was now confronted with problems that seemed never-ending. After this, Casandra no longer needed to think about treatment. She didn’t have to work late to greet people, but it was still better than becoming the wife of Alexander.
He was too high, out of reach. He was too perfect for a maid like herself. Moreover, Alexander despised her, even before they got married, let alone after they got married.
“Getting angry, no matter what, she’s still Alexander’s wife. If she doesn’t get angry, people think she has a boyfriend or a crush,” Robert complained. He felt like letting Casandra go, waiting wherever the girl wanted, so he could get closer to one of Alexander’s business partner’s secretaries.
However, Casandra was Alexander’s legal wife. That was his top priority now. It was better to avoid being fired because something happened to Casandra.
“Miss, not here. It’s cold, dark, and full of mosquitoes. Do you want to get dengue fever? End up in the hospital and…”
“Die?” Casandra interrupted. She lifted her face. “That’s what I want.”
“W-what? No, you won’t die from dengue fever, right? Once you’re in the hospital, you’ll recover.”
Robert rubbed his temple. Talking to Casandra felt like interacting with a ghost, as if there were no signs of life in her.
“Fine, if you want to stay here. I’ll accompany you.” Robert squatted down, resting his chin as he looked at Casandra, who was sitting in a chair. She gazed at the luxurious house in front of her.
The girl seemed to curl up one corner of her lips, laughing at the fate she was experiencing. In her heart, Casandra wondered when all of this would end.
Seeing Casandra silent like this, Robert’s heart squeezed. He could imagine how much pain Casandra was feeling. Getting married to fulfill her mother’s demands to gain financial support for her father’s treatment. Trapped in a horrifying marriage because Alexander was not a kind person when dealing with just anyone.
“Let’s go home!” Alexander suddenly appeared in front of Casandra and Robert. His jaw tightened, showing his displeasure at the closeness between Robert and Casandra.
The dinner he had just eaten had lost its taste entirely because the chair he sat in made it easy for him to look towards the backyard. Specifically, towards Casandra and Robert.
From a distance, they looked very close. Sitting face to face, they seemed like a couple discussing their future. In reality, Robert was worried that his crush misunderstood him and he pretended that nothing had happened, even though he felt uneasy accompanying Casandra, who didn’t want to be disturbed.
Casandra stood up and nodded, ready to move when Alexander turned and walked towards the car parked in the front yard. She was ready to become a lifeless robot, devoid of emotions and pain.
“You go ahead. I still have some business to take care of. There’s a misunderstanding I want to resolve.”
Robert hurriedly moved, as outside of Alexander’s office, they were friends, while inside the office, they were boss and employee.
Although sometimes Alexander displayed his arrogant side, he didn’t like Robert treating him like a friend. But when Alexander was being a good person, Robert didn’t want any boundaries between them, both outside and inside the office.
Robert understood that. Alexander had changed like that since Cesilia’s career skyrocketed, making her arrogant and considering her job as a model as the source of her life and happiness in this world.
Alexander tightened his jaw. He wanted to drag Robert home together, but the man had disappeared. Reluctantly, he had to go home alone with Casandra. Instead of facing his mother’s scolding for not returning home, Alexander chose to avoid all that.
It was okay to be alone with Casandra in the car rather than receiving his mother’s scolding later. He wasn’t even sure he would survive the current situation, seeing Casandra coming home completely drenched, while earlier the girl had left in perfect condition.
The journey back home was the same. Alexander was willing to look like a chauffeur, sitting alone in the front. Meanwhile, Casandra sat in the back, with the window open to see the traffic at night.
Through the rearview mirror, Alexander saw Casandra lost in thought. It seemed as if nothing had happened to her, even though Casandra was now feeling cold. Her head was also hurting, and her clothes had been wet since earlier.
There was no choice but to endure and live the life she was currently leading.
“There’s Mama, please…” Casandra began.
“Calm down, I won’t involve others in the problems I’ve created myself,” Casandra interrupted Alexander’s words before getting out of the car and meeting Meri, who was waiting for them. The woman willingly followed them to the main door as soon as she heard Alexander’s car horn and asked the security to open the gate.
Alexander took a deep breath. “Ugh, you village girl!” he cursed, annoyed because Casandra always dared to defy him when it came to his mother’s section.
“Oh my, Casandra… Why are you so wet like this? What did Alexander do to you? You’re his wife!” Meri blocked Alexander’s path.
“Ask her, Mom. I’m tired!”
“Okay, but don’t go upstairs yet!”
“And then?”
“Wait here, Mom wants to hear Casandra’s story first.”
Alexander just nodded, waiting as instructed by his mother. It was useless to argue; there would be no result at all.