Agreement Behind Her Marriage

Drew sat in the corner of the bed while Lily cried.

“I understand if you abandon me after tonight,” she murmured.

The thought angered him. He knew he was among the most awful individuals in the world, but he never imagined that anyone could be worse than him. Her past upset him. Along with that is an understanding of why Lily reacted like this. As her husband, he has the right to feel that way, right?

“Lily, you know that I already agreed to this, right? I said I do, and I’m not insane enough to change my mind simply because things aren’t going well for you.” He accepted Lily. There is a reason why his grandfather chose her.

When Drew saw Mr. Martin beat his wife using a cane earlier, he wanted to go forward and punch his face. He intended to do the same thing he did to Lily. It was as though his chest was on fire after learning what Kenneth and his friends had done to his wife. He wants to repay them for what they did to her by challenging them to a fight. He liked to cause trouble. Everyone is aware of that! Furthermore, what they did to Lily was unacceptable.

“B-but I’m not clean. You also don’t want me as your wife.”

“Lily, do you think there is nothing wrong with me? You saw me four years ago. I had a prostitute with me.” Now that he thought about it, it embarrassed him. How many women did he fuck? “And I’m sorry for earlier; I’m aware of my arrogance.”

On the other hand, it wasn’t Lily’s fault that she walked through the dark alley where Kenneth was waiting. Drew caressed Lily’s head, which flinched her. He sighed. He required a lot of tolerance for her now that he knew what had happened to her in the past. Finn is right. As a married man, he is now in charge of her.

In sickness and in health…

“Lily, you know that I am now your husband, right? I won’t compel you to do anything you don’t want to. I just-” shrugging his shoulders and continued, “I don’t know… You must rest for now. If you want some privacy, I can come out here.”

She grasped the hem of his clothing from behind as he stood up to leave the room.

“P-please stay.”

He wasn’t sure if leaving his wife here was a wise decision, but it would seem awful if anyone he knew saw him outside.

“I’ll sleep on the couch. You can take a shower.”

What he said made her afraid again. Lily clutched her chest. Drew exhaled hard air. Although he was really irritated, what could he do? Both of them are confused. He had never met someone quite like Lily.

“Lily, I am your husband and not some fucker rapist. Now, get your things and wash up,” as though he were instructing a young child.

She followed, avoiding his gaze. She headed towards the cabinet to get the things her family had prepared for her.

His rage returned as soon as she left his line of sight. Kenneth and Mr. Martin must bear the consequences of their actions. They misled the Walton Family, neglecting to look after Lily.

Even if he didn’t yet have a sensible plan for himself and his wife, he needed to speak with her and find out what she really desired. In marriage, the wife has a say, but does she want to be his wife? If she lives with him, he must make the woman aware that she must live as his wife. And like the Waltons, she shouldn’t be weak like she was right now.

***

“Welcome to your new home,” Drew said to Lily.

Lily looked around. As soon as she walked into his house, she noticed gym equipment sprawled over the living area. If she hadn’t noticed the large stairs leading up to the next floor and the kitchen not too far away, it would have been as if she had entered a gym rather than a home.

“Oh, shoot! Sorry.” Drew scratched his head. “I’ve been working out here. I will just transfer those, but let’s find a place to store them in.”

Despite having few appliances, her husband’s home is tidy. However, this house is unappealing to someone like her who studied interior design. It was huge and dark there. The lighting is not very strong. The tall windows’ drapes are also covered in dark hues. There is a large swimming pool on the side, and it is clean, indicating that he uses it frequently.

“Just let me know if you want to change something,” he muttered.

She doesn’t have the guts to make any changes to this house. What if he becomes furious and gives her back to her family?

Drew frowned because she didn’t respond.

They made their way up to the second floor. She was greeted by a foyer leading to the third-floor stairs. There are four spacious rooms. Drew unlocked the first door. “Your room is in the front; this is mine.”

He opened the room he had mentioned. There was nothing else but a single bed inside it. Drew gave his temples a massage.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t taken care of this house yet because I’ve been too busy at work. I’ll hire an interior designer to fix it. You can tell me how you want your room to be decorated.” Immediately, he took out his phone.

Lily held his arm to stop him. “Can I just fix it?”

She can do the work just as well as anyone else, so she doesn’t want to give it. Because the designer would charge them for the tiny room at twice the cost of the furniture, she didn’t want Drew to spend too much on her. Perhaps that would be the reason for him to return her to the Martins, thinking that marriage is expensive.

“I know how to design. I was taking an interior design course… before.”

“What do you mean by before?”

She swallowed. Would he be disappointed with her if she told him that she hadn’t completed school? “I-I took a design course in college. All I need is the pieces of furniture.”

“You took interior designing? That’s cool! I am free today. Let’s go visit the shop. Simply select the things you desire, and I’ll make sure they bring them today, even if it means staying up till midnight.

It surprised Lily. The quickest way to purchase furniture takes three days, right? She then realized that he was the owner of several huge shopping malls throughout the country.

“Before anything else, can we talk downstairs?” he asked.

With a flutter in her chest, Lily nodded. She followed Drew into the kitchen. He asked her to sit on a chair. Various things entered her mind while waiting for what he had to say.

Has Drew had a change of heart? Or maybe he will warn her not to dream of becoming a Walton because she doesn’t deserve it? Her body shivered once again as she continued to think negatively. After a few hours with her husband, her life started to get a little better. He watched over her all night long, keeping his distance, making her feel safe.

She was in the middle of contemplating when he interrupted, “Someone has been shopping for me, so this fridge is full. Do you want juice or coffee?”

A voice entered her mind.

Anything more than water is luxury, Lily. You have to pay the price if you ask for more…

“J-just water,” she replied with her fingers shaking.

“Lily?” Drew approached her. She looked up and saw his expression was serious. Her husband’s expression changed as she began to cry, making him unhappy. “This is your new home. You are not a visitor, but my wife! So, anything you see in the fridge, or touch, or eat in this home-is yours! Now, do you want coffee or juice?”

Her lips parted. She wasn’t prepared for what he said. As though about to lose patience once more, Drew exhaled and then closed his eyes tight. “I told you, for God knows how many times, I am not a monster. Actually, I’m insulted that you think of me as one.”

Lily was aware that he had a lot of patience for telling her that.

“I want juice,” she said. She didn’t want him to be angry with her.

“Good.” He poured fresh orange juice into two glasses and then placed one in front of her. The man sat by her side.

“Alright, first, if you want to live in this house, it means you will see me as your husband and not some fuckwit, asshole, jerk bastard. In return, you will live here as a wife… My. Wife. Do you understand?”

A wife… She still hasn’t gotten over the fact that the life she has now is different.

“Talk, Lily. Because if you are not ready for this and you will continue to be afraid of me, we will ignore this discussion.”

“I will live here,” she replied.

“Good. I’ll now describe how I spend each day. We must know the whereabouts of others. Every morning at seven, I leave this home. Depending on whether I have a dinner meeting, I stay in the office until six o’clock. If I’m ever running late, I’ll make sure to call you. How about you?” He gulped his juice as though the explanation had worn him out.

“I’m just staying home.”

He frowned. “You don’t have a job? Or perhaps you’re still a student?”

Drew scowled again as Lily’s eyes welled up with tears.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“You don’t have to answer.” It seemed he predicted her situation. “You previously mentioned that you were enrolled in a designing course; do you mean you didn’t complete it?”

Lily gave a nod. She could not look at Drew. She is terrified of her circumstances. After all, it is pretty distant from the situation of her husband. He had been living like a prince. After all, he is Drew Walton.

Drew finished all his juice while Lily still didn’t touch her glass. He blew out a heavy sigh.

“Do you want to continue your school?” he asked.

Lily’s lips parted. Drew had been taking her by surprise with plans that were far from her thoughts. Her fist tightened. But what about the bullies at school? What had happened four years ago still bothered her.

“She’s a wh0re.”

“She’s sleeping with the m@gic five.”

“Hey, slut! What does a g@ngbang feel like?”

“I heard she’s pregnant.”

She could still hear those voices. The laughs. The whispers. They placed the word S-L-U-T in big, bold, and black letters on her locker!

Lily flinched when Drew held her hand. He stared at her carefully.

“You didn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you finish your college?”

She wanted to lie, but in her experience, every time she does, she gets slapped. “Because Kenneth and his friends got mad at me the night you saved me. They were pissed. One of them spread rumors about me in school.”

“Those fucking pricks!” Drew gritted his teeth. “Let’s forget about them, okay? I will find you a sensible school.”

“But I have nothing to pay,” she protested.

“You’re now being cute!” he simply commented, deadpanned. How much is the school tuition? Even if Drew were to serve her ten courses at once, he could definitely pay for it.

“Do you know how to cook?” Drew asked as a long silence passed between them.

“Yes.” If there was something she’s good at, that’s household chores. If not, her stepmother will definitely beat her.

“Three times a week someone cleans this place. So, cleaning this house won’t be a problem for us. Is there anything else you need to clarify?”

Lily swallowed hard and hesitated. Something was bothering her.

“H-how about your needs as a man?” she asked. Her question isn’t a surprise after hearing him acknowledge he uses a prostitute.

At that point, Drew appeared to have been cut by his own tongue, looking at Lily as if she had three heads.

“Lily, I’m not sure. I am expecting you to cooperate. That is part of your wife’s duties. I could simply hire women, but doing so would make me feel… bad.” His eyes pondered hers.