Ariel, you must be out of your mind.
“If you want to go on a date with me, why are you giving the tickets to Andrea Anderson’s secretary? This restaurant seems to be a five-star restaurant”
“The thing is, I have a party tonight, since your uncle is on a business trip, Andrea Anderson told me a while ago.”
She seized the tickets, “Besides, I only said that I wanted to go to a restaurant with you so she wouldn’t be wondering why I booked a table for two, the other table is for my very handsome boyfriend.”
Rex Anderson let out a soft chuckle.
“Do you know that you’re really bad at lying, Ariel Ann, what’s up with the pretense we are husband and wife”
Husband and wife
Ariel felt awkward each time she heard him saying this term.
Don’t make it sound like we’re into each other, we like different people.”
“Really, but that doesn’t stop us from having sex anytime we want to, right?”
“….”
You sound like a pervert.”
“Do I?”
Stop delaying my work, call Pius to send you back or you wheel yourself back.”
Rex Anderson liked her nervous expression and smiled. “Ariel, I told you not to fall in love with me. What will you do if you do fall in love with me?”
“How could I fall in love with you? What a joke! Falling in love with you is a future impossible tense. It is simply impossible.”
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely, like I said, I have someone I love, not you.”
Rex smirked, Ariel could have seen the mocking gaze on Rex’s face but, unfortunately, it was hidden by his mask.
“How can you be so sure that the man you love isn’t me?”
“He doesn’t need a wheelchair to walk around pretending to be totally handicapped”, Ariel spoke up without thinking.
“…..”
Rex Anderson glanced at her and pursed his lips without saying anything.
After Ariel was done blabbering she realized she had said something wrong, he had been hiding his ability to walk from people.
“I didn’t blow your cover on purpose! I promise not to talk about it ever again.
Ariel help her ear ” I’m sorry”
“Apology not accepted ” Rex rolled his eyes, “I will leave since you have nothing to do with me.”
Taking a deep breath, she hesitated a moment before gently placing her hand on his shoulder, causing a surprise etched on his face. Rex looked at her, his expression a mixture of scepticism and curiosity. Giving her his full attention, “Tell me, what did you want?”
“I said I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have said anything concerning your sitting in the wheelchair. I only got carried away. I never meant it to get you angry. I’m sorry”
There was a moment of silence between them.
“OK fine, I will just go eat the meal alone.”
Ariel looked at Rex stunned. Was he serious? She imagines a scene where he goes to a restaurant, sitting alone at a table for two to have dinner.
“I’m leaving.” Rex slides his wheelchair away.
Ariel quickly grasped the handle of his wheelchair behind him. “Let me give you a hand, is Pius waiting for you downstairs?”
Rex raised his head and looked at her. “You are just too kind”, he paused and then continued again “Could it be that you want to push me off the roof?
“I wouldn’t be so stupid to try that, knowing you can stand on your legs, if I wanted to kill you so badly I’d find someone to do it all I have to do is pay the person.
“…”
Rex blanked out, as his body was covered in sweat. If he didn’t know how naive Ariel was he would have said like father, like daughter, he clenched his fists tightly. If it wasn’t for her mother, who had saved him by receiving the bullet and hiding him when they burned down the house where he was kidnapped and kept, how could he be alive sitting in a wheelchair?
“Devil Anderson, what’s wrong with you, are you sick?” she reached out to touch his forehead “what’s the problem? Your body temperature is just fine, but right now you’re not looking well. Have you not been feeling well lately? How can I be this careless?” she hovered around his fetching him water and making suggestions for a remedy, all while silently chastising herself for not being able to detect his fever sooner.
Little did Ariel know, Rex appreciated her concern and attentiveness. But the man wasn’t going to show that to her after she triggered that emotion innocently.
“Stop worrying, I’m fine. It’s just that this place is too hot, thanks for your concern”. Ariel also clapped back “You’re thinking too much, it’s not that I wanted to care so much about you, besides, why should I care?”
He couldn’t help but look at her.
“One more thing, if you go to a social gathering at night, it won’t end early. I will go back to the flower garden villa.
He turned his wheelchair and made his way out of the company.
Ariel was brought to the dressing room by Maria. She looked at the makeup kit. There were various dazzling cosmetics inside, she as a woman, didn’t even know how most of them were being applied. She had always had light makeup.
“Vice president Ann, please have your seat. The makeup artist will be here soon”
“Alright” Ariel nodded as she took her seat. “By the way, what time will the party begin?
“The party is set to kick-start by seven; Manager Anderson is currently in the middle of a business meeting. Once he’s done he will dress up so you can set off for the venue.”
Not long after the makeup artist arrived, seeing Ariel she smiled politely and said “Hello, I, will be your makeup artist for today. You can call me Serena. Do you have any style of makeup you would like me to fix for you” she asked.
“What! No, I’m actually not a fan of make-up. Whatever you fix for me would be okay”
“Alright, I promise to do a good job” Serena said as she sat down and began to arrange the makeup tools in an orderly manner.
Seeing the types of tools Serena arranged, Ariel was surprised, she smiled sweetly at her. “Make-up seems not to be different from art.”
Serena glanced at her, “Yes, it was almost like; I’ve actually worked as a makeup artist for almost twenty years.”
“Wow, you look so young in your forties, you look younger. Your skin maintenance routine is really good”, Ariel said with all sincerity.
“Vice president, if there’s one thing I have learnt, it is that women should learn how to take care of themselves to keep their husband’s heart”
Ariel couldn’t help but glance at herself in the mirror; she touched her face a few times.
Would Rex Anderson’s estranged lover be more beautiful than her. Will Rex leave her to go out to play with a beautiful face?
If she could take care of herself to keep the man’s heart for herself, maybe their relationship would work out and they might even end up having a happy ending.
Ariel come back to your senses, she thought, as she swallowed hard on her saliva bitterly.
Ariel’s mind was filled with a lot of thoughts as she had hopes that her marriage with Rex Anderson would work out.
After spending several hours in the dressing room finishing her makeup and seeing the flawless beauty in front of her, Serena nodded in satisfaction.
“Vice president Ann, you look beautiful. Every time you need me for your make-up, I’m just a call away”
“Thank you very much Serena”
“Vice President Ann, you don’t have to be so polite. Actually I work for the Anderson Company.”
“You work for the Anderson Company, as an exclusive make-up artist?”
“Exactly”
Ariel knew Anderson to be rich but she never imagined they would have an exclusive make-up artist, as she didn’t see one at her wedding, how was she supposed to know?
Serene helps her get into her dress. “Vice president Ann the dress is gorgeous” Ariel only smiles at her compliment.
Not long after Serena left the room, Andrea came over. He was dressed in a suit and Italian leather shoe; he looked quite serious like a business man.
“You still went and wore this dress, like I said you need to watch your image…” Ariel countered attack.
“Andrea Anderson, watch what you say. I’m your sister-in-law and, on top of that, I’m your superior.”
“You don’t have to attack me like that, I didn’t say anything wrong. I know you are my sister-in-law and superior. After all, my cousin put you in the position. All I wanted to say was that the clothes weren’t that bad and you looked pretty.”
Ariel was shocked and immediately glared at him “Bast**d”
Andrea looked her up and down, his eyes not leaving her body. “We should head to the banquet.”
Ariel pouts her lips and follows suit.
…………..
“You mean your wife abandoned you to follow Andrea to a banquet?”
Rex Anderson raised his head and nodded slightly.
“Is it inappropriate to allow her to go out with him like this knowing Andrea has eyes for her”
“I’m not scared of anything; do you think Andrea would be so stupid to seduce her sister-in-law outside? He knows better than to ruin his reputation.”