Chapter 3 Let's Get Married

A tall man in an expensive suit stepped out of the car elegantly and walked over to Lesley. He looked at her disdainfully and then took out a wad of money from his wallet, and pressed it into her hands. "Watch where you're going the next time!"

The words churned up a sea of memories in Lesley's mind, as David often said this to her. All the grief accumulated within her heart exploded.

She cried silently at first and then burst into hysterical tears.

Michael, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks. He was shocked by Lesley's reaction. Perhaps he felt bad for the sad, lonely girl, so he took her home with him. Whenever Lesley's mind turned to the events of that night, beads of sweat formed on her face.

Something happened in her inebriated state that night that shouldn't have happened.

When Lesley woke up the next day, she didn't regret it. Instead, she foolishly thanked him. It was ridiculous when Lesley thought about it in hindsight. It seemed that the purity that was so valued in the world was actually worthless.

Standing in front of the French window, the man was smiling contently. He was half-naked, and smelled faintly of stale alcohol, which must have rubbed off on him from Lesley last night.

After putting on her clothes, Lesley was about to leave but she was stopped by Michael. He said the one thing that had terrified her so far. "Let's get married."

His tone was flat. His voice held no emotion and his words did not sound arrogant either, but they stuck in Lesley's mind.

When Lesley was in a vulnerable state, she had a tended to make mistakes. So true to character, she nodded and went to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Michael the next day. Before she got the marriage certificate, she didn't even know the man's name!

If it weren't for the fact that Michael was so handsome, Lesley would have thought that he was a maniac who desired to get married.

Her phone rang suddenly, bringing her back to the present. She took it out of her bag, stared at the screen, and answered it immediately.

"Where are you?" Came a curt voice from the other end of the line. That simple inquiry stopped her heart from beating.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe whispered in Lesley's ear.

After hesitating for a while, Lesley answered, "I am outside with a friend. I will be back soon."

"Tell me the address. I'll pick you up." His low voice held an unmistakably authoritative tone, which left no room for refusal. She had no option but to give him the address.

After hanging up the phone, Lesley was completely flustered. She wondered why Michael wanted to pick her up today. Although they had legally married in a hurry, they had talked less than ten sentences in the past three months. Even the maid at home was wondering if they were a couple. So it was natural for her to feel uneasy when he was being so nice to her suddenly.

"Phoebe, he's here to pick me up. Let me get you home first," said Lesley hurriedly. She stood up in a panic.

Phoebe also stood up and said cheerfully, "Isn't his timing perfect? I need to see whether this man is reliable or not!"

Lesley couldn't prevent Michael's sudden arrival. With Phoebe waiting to create trouble, Lesley felt the dark clouds looming over her. While she was lost in thought, Phoebe quickly paid the bill. Then she grabbed Lesley's arm and said, "Let's go to welcome your husband!"

To discourage Phoebe from making a scene in the quiet cafe, Lesley lowered her head and followed her out.

Dusk was falling rapidly and the dim light made Lesley feel a little depressed. When she looked around, a silver-gray luxury car stopped at the door of the cafe.

"Lesley, is that your car?" Phoebe turned around and eyed the car keenly. After all, the flashy car revealed the owner's financial status.

Without responding, Lesley peeped into the car and suddenly realized something. She turned around quickly with an embarrassed look and whispered, "Phoebe, can you leave? We'll catch up another time."

Lesley hurriedly pushed Phoebe away.

Phoebe reflexively took two steps back and stood still. She blinked her big eyes, looking confused. "What do you mean, Lesley? We've been friends for so many years! And now you have gone missing for so long. Shouldn't you at least let me meet your rich husband and see how he trapped you?"

Phoebe was in high spirits and her voice was even higher. Hearing Phoebe's tirade, Lesley blushed and lowered her head shyly.

"Oh, the mysterious guest is finally here!" remarked Phoebe when the car door opened. Lesley turned her head to look at Michael.

He looked dapper in his sharp suit and leather shoes, leaning against the car casually. He always wore an indifferent expression, but it could not hide his gentle temperament.

"Wow, Lesley! You must have done some good deeds in your previous life to meet such an outstanding man!" gushed Phoebe, who was standing behind Lesley. She couldn't help but sigh when she saw Michael's face.

With an embarrassed smile, Lesley turned around and covered Phoebe's mouth with her hand. Then she said to Michael, "Phoebe likes to joke. Don't take her seriously..."

Phoebe pulled Lesley's hand off her mouth and complained, "You've forgotten about your friends for a man!" A happy smile appeared on Phoebe's face when she saw Michael approaching them.

"So, you're Lesley's mysterious husband. You're so handsome!" she squealed excitedly. Phoebe couldn't help praising him. She also nudged Lesley's shoulder and winked at her.

Lesley was mortified by Phoebe's comments. She felt awkward and the panic in her heart was growing.

Lesley was used to Phoebe's straightforward and blunt ways, but it was unlikely that Michael, who was a man of few words and smiles, would like it. "Phoebe is just joking. She just wants to say hello to you," Lesley explained quickly.

It was evident that this explanation was a weak one as Michael's cold expression did not change from the beginning to the end. On the contrary, when he heard Lesley's voice, his eyebrows furrowed deeper. Lesley put two and two together and realized he regretted what had happened that night. He had said that he was responsible for her, but maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Maybe he was worried about his image being tarnished as someone who had sex with a woman and didn't marry her. Of course, she was only speculating.