Right when dinnertime arrived, Darwin decided to head down to the first floor. Dragging his feet lazily, the man walked slowly towards the dining area.
Just as he took his seat, Darwin could see how Veronica, who had arrived earlier, had a puzzled expression on her face. He wasn’t sure what was actually happening, but he was convinced that his wife was clearly looking for something.
“What’s wrong with you? I’ve been seeing you looking confused for a while now,” Darwin asked as he scooped some rice onto his plate.
While Veronica was busy inspecting each drawer partition in the kitchen set, she glanced over briefly. A few moments later, she chose to step forward and approach the dining table to speak with Darwin.
“Did you see my sushi box?”
Darwin could see a clear sense of desperation on Veronica’s face. Maybe she was tired or frustrated from searching for something that hadn’t been found yet.
“Sushi box?”
“Yeah,” Veronica nodded with a serious expression. “Sean brought me sushi earlier today, but I haven’t had a chance to eat it yet. Now, I want to eat the sushi so it’s not wasted. Besides, I don’t feel like eating anything else right now.”
Darwin nodded in understanding. In the end, he knew what his wife had been looking for all this time. It turns out, Veronica had been searching for the sushi gift from her ex-boyfriend, Sean, and it was driving her to distraction. This made Darwin somewhat uninterested in listening.
“I already gave the sushi to the security guard outside,” Darwin replied casually and without remorse. Even though he had heard directly from Deasy earlier in the day that his wife loved Japanese food, especially sushi, and that Sean had brought it directly to her.
“You gave it to security? Why didn’t you tell me first? That’s my food, Win,” Veronica pouted, looking disappointed.
After taking a shower earlier, she had been excited about having her favorite sushi for dinner. However, reality did not match her expectations. Darwin had openly canceled her plans.
“Whose crocodile tears are you listening to, Ve? Besides, it’s better that I gave it to security than throwing it in the trash.”
Veronica took a deep breath. She wanted to get angry, but she refrained from doing so because she didn’t want to argue with Darwin at the moment. “But why did you give it to someone else? That’s mine. You don’t have any right to give away my things without permission like that,” Veronica grumbled, disappointed. She felt like getting angry because Darwin had recklessly given away something she hadn’t even touched yet.
However, instead of explaining, Darwin just chuckled dismissively. There was not a trace of regret on his face.
“Oh, fairy godmother Veronica Ashborne, you should be self-aware. In the beginning, you asked me to stay away from Vivian and not have any contact with him for whatever reason. But here you are, being hypocritical.”
Veronica’s eyebrows furrowed. Her ears suddenly felt hot after hearing Darwin’s accusatory words.
“Me? Hypocritical? What do you mean?” Veronica demanded while pointing at herself. She couldn’t believe he was calling her that.
Darwin sighed in frustration. Veronica seemed completely oblivious to her own actions. She was so busy meddling in other people’s affairs that she didn’t reflect on her own mistakes.
“Just think about it, I have to follow your orders to take care of myself, protect our family’s reputation, and be cautious so that no one suspects our marriage. Yet, you’re the one being two-faced.”
Veronica rolled her eyes. Not everything he accused her of was true.
“How could I not find it? He’s my coworker at the office, Win. Besides, we have a professional relationship, not dating or being affectionate like you and Vivian have been.”
Darwin shrugged lazily. When it came to twisting the facts, Veronica seemed quite skilled. As a result, now he felt cornered.
“Oh, come on, Veronica. I did those things before we made that agreement. Now? I’m trying to follow it. But you’re the one who’s inconsistent. You still happily accept gifts from Sean without my permission. That’s not fair, Ve! You’re clearly being hypocritical.”
This time, Veronica burst into laughter. Looking closely, her husband seemed annoyed by his own actions. Yet she didn’t think she was being excessive.
“Okay, to be fair, I won’t accept gifts from Sean anymore. But now, I don’t want to hear it. You have to replace my sushi that you gave away to someone else.”
Darwin glanced at her. Just then, Renata approached from the front. The assistant was carrying a transparent plastic bag with several food boxes in her hands. She handed the bag to Darwin.
“Don’t worry. I bought replacement sushi. Please enjoy the sushi from your beloved husband. If needed, I’ll even feed it to you to make you satisfied,” she said, holding out the sushi box to Veronica.
***
After resting for a few days, Veronica finally decided to return to work today. She was sitting in the dining room, having breakfast with Darwin in front of her.
There was no significant conversation. While Veronica enjoyed her chocolate spread toast, Darwin calmly savored his oatmeal with bananas in his bowl.
After finishing breakfast, they both got up and prepared to leave.
“From now on, you’ll go to work with me. No need to take separate cars like before,” Darwin said, walking towards the car.
After all, Veronica had wanted a typical husband-wife relationship from the beginning. Darwin thought that if that’s what she wanted, why not do it wholeheartedly? Their goal was the same, to gain approval from others that their married life was smooth and harmonious.
So, instead of protesting, Veronica chose to comply. She got into the car and sat in the back seat, next to Darwin.
Both of them remained mostly silent during the journey. They were preoccupied with their own thoughts, not realizing when the car they were in finally arrived in front of the Infinix Group building.
Swiftly, Darwin got out first. He circled around, opening the car door and then gestured for Veronica to get out. Then both of them walked into the building. This caught the attention of some employees who happened to be there.
They knew that Darwin and Veronica were a married couple. However, this was a rare sight, as previously the two bosses used to leave separately more often than together like now.
Ignoring some curious glances, as they passed through the lobby, Veronica and Darwin were surprised by Damian’ sudden presence. It was unclear whether he was there for a purpose or if he had some business, but the middle-aged man was seen visiting the Infinix Group early in the morning. Currently, he was engaged in a conversation with Sean in the guest lounge.
“Father,” Darwin and Veronica greeted in unison as they intentionally approached Damian.
“Finally, you’ve arrived. Papa has been waiting here,” the middle-aged man replied. Then, he raised his hand, waving as a signal for his daughter and son-in-law to sit in front of him. “There’s something I want to tell both of you.”
Veronica gave a puzzled look. She was wondering why her father had gone to the trouble of visiting so early in the morning just to convey something. Usually, if there was something urgent, Damian would call first.
“What is it, Dad? It’s quite unusual for you to visit like this.”
Damian smiled. Seeing his daughter getting anxious, he quickly responded before Veronica could jump to any conclusions.
“Initially, Papa intended to visit you at home. But after thinking about it, if I went there, we might argue along the way. That’s why I decided to wait for you here.”
Veronica let out a relieved sigh. She had been overthinking things. She was worried that there might be something emergency or very important that her father had come to her office for.
“Veronica thought there was going to be some big news. Turns out, Dad just wanted to check on Veronica.”
Damian chuckled this time and then added, “Actually, there’s another piece of news that I need to share with both of you.”
“What news is that, Dad?” Darwin asked, intrigued when he heard his name mentioned out of the blue.
Damian looked at his daughter and son-in-law alternately. Then he began explaining the other reason why he had gone through the trouble of coming to the Infinix Group early in the morning.
“Yesterday, I received an invitation from Leighton in Malaysia. They’re offering a partnership to run businesses in white tin, oil, and coal. Before the deal is finalized, they’re inviting us for a visit. This visit would also involve seeing the mining locations firsthand.”
Darwin seemed genuinely interested in what Damian had just explained. As a businessman who had been involved in the mining industry, he was naturally pleased to be invited to meet significant players in the mining field, especially a well-known entity like Leighton.
“So, Darwin, Veronica?” Damian asked. “Are you willing to go on a week-long business trip to Malaysia?”
Darwin nodded immediately. Unlike Veronica, who didn’t immediately agree.
“If Veronica and Darwin both go, who will oversee Infinix Group, Dad?” Veronica asked with concern. If both leaders were absent, she was worried that there wouldn’t be anyone to back up important work during their absence.
“Don’t worry. Your father-in-law will help handle the work at Infinix Group while you’re on your business trip to Malaysia.”
Veronica nodded in understanding. Believing that there wouldn’t be any issues, she agreed to her father’s request to travel to Malaysia together.
So, after the decision was made, two days later, Veronica, Darwin, and Damian truly traveled to Malaysia. Sean was also included in this business trip because his expertise was needed.
Upon arriving at their destination, they were immediately welcomed by Leighton representatives. Once they left the airport, they were taken straight to a hotel to rest.
“You both can rest for now. Tomorrow morning, we’ll visit and meet with the people from Leighton. I hope you’ll prepare yourselves to perform your best so you can present yourselves effectively in front of them.”
After parting ways, each of them headed to their rooms. Awkwardness ensued because it was the first time Veronica and Darwin were assigned to the same room. They used to sleep separately at home. And now? They had to share a room, or even a bed.
“Are we seriously sharing a room?” Darwin asked, looking uncertain. He was still standing near the sofa, while Veronica was sitting on the bed.
“Do you think it’s possible for us to sleep in separate rooms? Are you trying to commit suicide or what? Clearly, Dad is here.”
Darwin sighed heavily. It wasn’t possible for them to sleep separately like they usually did. It might even raise suspicions.
“Then where should I sleep?” Darwin asked with an innocent tone. This made Veronica laugh, whether she wanted to or not.
“It’s up to you where you want to sleep. On the sofa is fine. On the floor is fine. Sharing the bed with me is also fine,” she replied teasingly. “Besides, married couples are supposed to sleep in the same bed, right? If you disagree, I can secretly go sleep in Sean’s room.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Darwin was not pleased. Veronica was leaving him alone in the room, while she was having fun with a man who, notably, was her ex-boyfriend. “That’s truly hypocritical, Ve. If you sleep with Sean, I’ll call Vivian to come over.”
“If you dare do that, be prepared for me to make you broke,” Veronica threatened, not pleased.
“You’re so hypocritical!”
“Well, then, don’t complain about us sharing a room. Don’t make a fuss over something like this.”
Darwin sighed deeply. He was simply not in the mood to share a room with his legally wedded wife.
“But are you sure about sharing a room and even a bed with me?” Darwin asked once again, sounding uncertain. But then he quickly spoke again. “But, I guess it’s not a big deal to share a bed. After all, you’re not my type. So, I’m definitely not tempted by you,” he said nonchalantly.
Veronica rolled her eyes. Looking uninterested, she replied calmly, “No need to boast. You never know if you might lose control. Just beware, don’t you dare touch me.”
Darwin grinned. Approaching Veronica, he whispered in a firm tone.
“In your dream, Veronica! As long as I’m sane, that will never happen.”