Becoming the Paralyzed Billionaire's Wife

"Hazel, why do you want to marry me?" Theo asked as he wheeled into her room.

Hazel looked at her husband through the reflection in the mirror before turning to face him.

"Theo, do I really have to answer that question?" Hazel replied.

Theo nodded quickly. "Is my question wrong? Many people wouldn't want to marry me. But you're different," he said.

"Are you just one of those women out there? Do you want my wealth?" Theo continued.

Hazel fell silent for a moment, processing what Theo had just said. "That's not important, Theo."

"That's very important to me. Are you marrying me out of pressure from someone? Just be honest. I can give you money and leave."

In an instant, Hazel went silent. Her face tensed, and she couldn't answer her husband's question.

A bittersweet smile formed on Theo's lips. "It's true, isn't it? You were probably sent by someone to target my wealth. I suspected as much," Theo said softly, then wheeled himself out of the room.

Hazel watched Theo's back with a longing gaze. She truly didn't want this to happen. However, there were reasons that made her want to marry Theo, one being her desire to escape the harsh treatment from her aunt Ellena.

"You don't have to worry, Theo. I will be a good wife and won't drain your wealth," Hazel said carefully.

Theo stopped his wheelchair and turned to look back.

"What did you say?"

"Maybe we don't know each other well yet, and of course, we have no feelings for each other. I believe we will develop feelings for one another, Theo. I've never once thought about draining your wealth."

Theo furrowed his brow, seemingly digesting Hazel's words. "Forget it. You should take a shower, and then we can have dinner together," he said, closing the door behind him.

Hazel exhaled sharply in that spot. "Theo is really worried that I'm like those women out there," she murmured.

After finishing her shower, Hazel decided to leave her room and head to the dining area. She found Theo waiting for her, with several dishes prepared by the helper named Hallen.

Hazel sat at one of the chairs and looked at Theo, who was also staring at her.

"Haven't you eaten? Do you want me to get something for you?" Hazel offered.

"No need, I can manage myself."

However, Hazel didn't just sit there. She stood up and quickly served a portion of rice on a plate for Theo.

Theo raised an eyebrow, looking at Hazel, who seemed stubborn.

"You're really stubborn. But thank you for helping me."

Hazel smiled slightly and placed the plate in front of Theo. "It's my duty, Theo," she said gently.

Theo remained silent, continuously gazing at Hazel, as if he wanted to say something. "It's been almost a day since we've been under the same roof. Aren't you thinking about giving my parents grandchildren?" Theo suddenly asked.

Hazel almost choked on her drink. She took another sip and set the glass down, then stared at Theo.

"What did you say?" For some reason, Hazel wasn't ready for what she had just heard.

"Am I wrong? Is it because you feel pressured that you don't want to give my parents offspring?" Theo asked again.

Hazel shook her head quickly. "No, it's not like that. But it seems too soon. We don't even know each other yet, do we?"

Hazel tried to change the subject.

Theo seemed to understand what Hazel was saying, and he resumed eating.

Hazel felt relieved to see Theo's reaction. They were indeed married and had become a legitimate couple. However, she didn't want to do anything without love.

"Finish your food." Theo placed his spoon on the plate. Hazel glanced at him.

"Where are you going? You haven't finished your meal."

"I'm full. I really don't eat much," Theo replied.

Hazel fell silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. "If that's the case, what do you want? I'll help you."

"No need, I want to go to my room for a bit."

Hazel sighed quietly, watching Theo's back as he disappeared from her sight.

One by one, Hazel took the leftover food and placed it in the sink. Not wanting to leave a mess, she washed the dishes until they were clean.

"What are you doing? Let me clean all of that," Theo said.

That voice made Hazel turn to the source. She shook her head quickly and smiled. "It's fine; it's just washing dishes, right?"

Hazel continued to dry the dishes before placing them on the rack.

"You're not a maid; you're my wife," Theo said, his tone disapproving.

Hazel sighed softly and placed the towel down. She looked at Theo, who remained silent. "I'm just helping with the chores. Auntie must be tired after working all day."

Theo hissed softly. Feeling unheard, he rolled his wheelchair out of the kitchen.

Hazel shook her head at Theo's reaction. She noticed something and furrowed her brow. Had Theo changed clothes?

Curious, Hazel followed Theo from behind. She quickly stopped the wheelchair before he could exit.

Theo looked puzzled as to why his wheelchair suddenly stopped and turned to look back. It turned out Hazel was holding the chair.

"Where are you going? With your condition, you still think you can go out without a guard?"

Theo paused for a moment. Then, a small laugh escaped him, surprising Hazel. "Do you think I'm a child? I'm used to going in and out of the house by myself."

"What does it mean to be a wife if you can't help your husband? Where are you going? Let me help."

Theo looked incredulous at Hazel's words. "I'm going to the hospital to check my leg."

"Are you taking a car or a taxi?"

"I've prepared a car and will go with my assistant, Thomas," Theo replied.

"Okay, I'll help you to the car."

Without being told, Hazel helped Theo maneuver the wheelchair toward the car that had been arranged.

The assistant, Thomas, opened the car door, and Hazel helped Theo get inside.

"Next time, just let me know. I'll take you to the hospital," Hazel said.

Theo nodded, understanding what Hazel meant. "Alright. You just rest; I'll be back soon. And-" Theo's words trailed off.

He reached into his pocket and handed Hazel a black card.

Seeing this, Hazel looked surprised and stared at her husband, wanting to understand what he meant.

"Take it. This is for you. I don't keep any cash in the house. If anything comes up, you can use the money on this card."

Hazel could only stare at the black card in disbelief.

Just as she was about to thank her husband, the car door closed, and the vehicle drove away.

"This seems very excessive," Hazel murmured.

She turned to go back inside. However, a woman suddenly grabbed her wrist roughly, causing her to wince in pain.

Hazel looked at the woman and recognized her aunt Ellena.

Ellena released her grip on Hazel's wrist and deliberately snatched the card from her hand.

"Where's that card? Let me take care of it!"

"Aunt, that card belongs to Hazel! Please give it back!" Hazel said anxiously. Her face looked worried that the card would be taken by Ellena. She feared that Theo would ask about the card.

One attempt to grab the card missed.

Ellena glared at Hazel. "How dare you talk back to me now?!"

Hazel shook her head and continued to reach for the card in Ellena's hand. "Please, Aunt. It's not Hazel's; it's just a loan from Theo."

"What's wrong with you?" Ellena pushed Hazel, causing her to fall.

Ellena looked very pleased when the card was finally in her hands. "With this, I can get rich quickly, right?"

"Aunt," Hazel whispered. She was just about to get up, but her leg felt cramped.

"Just be quiet! You'd better fulfill your duty as Theo's wife! Get out of here!" Ellena said before walking away.

---

Hazel was silent, tears streaming down her cheeks. She quickly wiped her tears and tried to get up. Despite the pain in her leg, she forced herself to go inside.

Once inside her room, Hazel sat on the edge of the bed. To her surprise, her hand was also hurt from Ellena's grip.

"Why is Aunt so cruel? What should I do later if Theo asks?" Hazel murmured.

She laid her leg down on the bed and gently massaged it. The pain she felt was overwhelming.

"What should I do to get that card back?" Hazel kept thinking about the card.

After resting for a few minutes, Hazel got up from the bed and tidied her room, despite still feeling pain.

"Miss, you should just leave the room as it is. I'm sorry I went out to buy groceries earlier," said Hallen, a maid in the house, who had just returned.

"It's okay, Aunt. I'm done anyway. Do you want me to help put the groceries in the fridge?" Hazel offered.

"Oh my, Miss. You don't have to. Let me handle it. If that's the case, I'll go to the kitchen now," replied Hallen before leaving.

Hazel continued cleaning her room. After she was finished, she decided to go outside to get some fresh air. She looked at the place where Ellena had taken the black card.

Hazel sighed heavily. Honestly, she felt hurt remembering some of the events caused by that relative of her parents.

Hazel wanted to forget everything that happened earlier and decided to order some painting supplies.

She took the painting materials she had just ordered and tried to forget about the problems she faced a few hours ago. Then, she went back inside and placed the supplies on the floor.

After setting up the canvas and some drawing tools, Hazel decided to paint on the canvas that was prepared. It had been a while since she painted like this. It felt very stiff.

"Not too bad; it's a good way to sharpen my skills again," Hazel murmured.

"Hazel, is that you?" That voice made Hazel turn around. It was Theo, who had entered the room in his wheelchair. Hazel quickly stood up.

"Theo, you're back? Are you okay?" Hazel asked, placing her brush down.

Theo cleared his throat. He looked at the canvas depicting a man that was not yet finished. "You can draw? Are you good at painting?" Theo asked.

Hazel cleared her throat. "Can I see the results? I'd like to take a look."

Hazel seemed to try to change the subject and wanted to take the envelope from Theo's hand.

However, Theo held Hazel's wrist, causing her to wince slightly.

Theo looked surprised and immediately released Hazel's wrist. "What's wrong with you?" Theo asked with a worried expression.

Hazel shook her head and held her wrist again.

Theo glanced at Hazel's injured hand. Her hand was indeed hurt; he was not mistaken.

"Let go of that hand. Do you think I'm blind?"

Hazel paused for a moment and removed her hand that was covering her bruised wrist.

Theo looked sharply at Hazel. "Who did this to you?"

Hazel fell silent and quickly pulled her hand away. "It's nothing; I had an accident earlier. That's why my hand looks like this," she said.

Theo was silent for a moment. It was unlikely that Hazel's hand was bruised from an accident. Someone must have done this.

"Forget it, Theo. I want to see how your leg is doing," Hazel said, then sat at the edge of the bed to examine Theo's leg.

Theo moved closer to Hazel and remained silent, watching her read.

"It looks like it's improved since yesterday, right?" Hazel compared it to the X-ray results from two weeks ago.

Theo cleared his throat. "Get me a drink. I'm thirsty."

Hazel glanced at Theo, then placed the paper on the table. "Alright, Mr. Generous Theo, let me get you a drink. You must be tired, right?" Hazel said before walking out.

Theo continued to watch his wife. He felt that Hazel's movements were not like usual.

"It seems she's hiding something from me," Theo murmured. Curiously, he pushed his wheelchair outside.

Meanwhile, Hazel, who was in the kitchen, was making hot tea for Theo. She didn't realize that Theo was watching her every move from behind.

After finishing, Hazel brought the drink and stepped forward. She stopped when she noticed Theo's presence there.

"Theo? Since when are you here? Wait, I'll help you guide your wheelchair," Hazel said quickly, putting the glass on the table. Then, she assisted Theo in pushing his wheelchair into the living room.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Theo asked suddenly.

Hazel frowned. She looked at Theo and tried to hide her nervousness. "What? Do you sense it? Besides, I'm not hiding anything from you."

Theo sighed softly. He picked up the drink from the table and stared intently at the hot tea.

"You're not poisoning me, are you?" Theo asked with a wary look.

"What are you talking about, Theo?" Hazel sat in the chair. "I just made you a drink, not poisoned you."

Theo sighed softly. Not wanting to waste time, he finally drank the hot tea. It felt warm and just the right amount of sweetness. "This tea is good; it might be the best tea I've ever had."

"Thank you. If you want, I'll make you hot tea again sometime."

Theo nodded slightly. "If I feel like it. I actually prefer drinking plain water."

Theo placed the glass back on the table.

Hearing that, Hazel understood that she also needed to learn more about Theo.

"Tomorrow, I want to go to the mall. Do you want to accompany me?"

Hazel blinked and looked at Theo with an awkward expression. "Uh-yeah, sure. Once I finish preparing everything with Aunt and clean up, I'll accompany you," Hazel said with a small smile.

"Hmm, you'd better keep that smile for others," Theo said before leaving Hazel.

Hazel looked confused and stared at Theo's back as he disappeared from her sight. She got up from her seat and hurried to her room.

Inside her room, she found no one. "Is Theo in the next room?" Hazel murmured. She closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Huh, I guess I need to keep moving to avoid cramps." Hazel stretched her legs on the bed, occasionally rubbing them gently.

The pain was still there. "What if I can't walk tomorrow? Should I tell Theo the truth?"

"What are you talking about? Just say what you want to say."

That voice startled Hazel, and she turned to look for the source of the sound.

Theo grabbed Hazel's hand and looked at her intently. "Are you playing with me?"

"Playing with you?"

Theo clicked his tongue softly. He glanced at Hazel's legs. "I heard everything. Let me massage it; it must be very painful."

Hazel was momentarily silent, unable to believe that her husband had heard what she had just said.

"Your hand is red too; I'll get a compress first."

"But, Theo, I ...."

"You were about to say it's nothing, right? I saw you walking like you were limping. Is that what you call nothing?" Theo hissed.

"Wait, don't move too much. Let me get the compress first," Theo added before leaving the room.

Hazel found herself silent, listening to Theo's words. A gentle smile appeared on her lips. "It turns out being married to Theo isn't that bad," she murmured.

Not long after, Theo returned with a compress. Hazel remained quiet and allowed Theo to compress her hand.

"This isn't too severe. But it's better to compress it so it doesn't hurt."

Hazel stayed silent, not responding to her husband's words. She felt as though she was receiving genuine care from Theo.

Next, Theo gently pulled Hazel's legs and began to massage them slowly.

Hazel never refused. However, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to trouble you," Hazel said softly.

"I'm just helping you. I'm your husband, and that's my duty," Theo replied without considering Hazel's response.

Hazel remained silent. She continued to gaze at the man treating her. Her heart felt at peace. It was different from when she was at her aunt's house. Her aunt would always force her to work even when she was unwell.

Hazel winced slightly as the pain intensified, causing Theo to look at her. "What's wrong? Does it hurt? You should tell me."

Hazel blinked and quickly shook her head. "Just a little."

Then, Theo continued to massage Hazel's legs.

"I just feel bad for you."

"Forget about feeling bad for your husband. You've helped me too," Theo said.

Hazel nodded and offered a faint smile. It seemed that what Theo said was true. She needed to get used to her husband's help.

"Tomorrow we won't go to the mall. It's better for you to rest," Theo said as he put the massage oil back in the drawer.

Hazel furrowed her brows and kept staring at Theo. "I already agreed with you earlier. I don't want you to be disappointed."

"You're sick. I can't force someone who's ill like you."

Once again, Hazel exhaled softly and nodded. "Alright."

Theo cleared his throat softly. "Get enough rest. I'll be back."

Just as Theo was about to roll his wheelchair out, Hazel called his name, making him stop and turn back.

"Thank you," Hazel said with a small smile.

Sweet; that was one word that came to Theo's mind. He briefly smiled before leaving the room and closing the door.

"It seems that Hazel is a good person. I shouldn't think badly of her," Theo murmured.

The next day, Hazel decided to help her aunt prepare breakfast for her husband. Although her legs still hurt, it was her duty as a wife.

"Let me do it, Miss. You'll get scolded by Mr. Theo."

"It's fine, Aunt. I'm just helping, right?" Hazel prepared the food on the table.

Hallen, the maid, looked uncomfortable as she watched Hazel help her.

"Hazel?"

Hazel turned toward the voice, realizing her husband was already awake. "You're awake? Come here; I and Aunt have prepared breakfast for you."

Theo furrowed his brows and rolled his wheelchair over. He looked at the dishes on the table while occasionally glancing at Hazel, who was still eager to help her aunt.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I tried to stop Miss Hazel, but she insisted," Hallen said, lowering her head slightly. She looked scared and uneasy around Theo.

"Theo, don't scold Aunt. I didn't want to stop," Hazel said while serving Theo's portion.

Theo cleared his throat softly. "It's okay. Let my wife do as she pleases. I won't cut your salary, don't worry."

"Thank you, Sir."

Theo smiled slightly. "You can continue with your other work."

Hallen nodded and then left the room.

All this time, Hazel was amazed by what Theo had just said. Secretly, she smiled to herself.

"You sit down. Keep me company while I eat," Theo requested.

Hazel snapped back to reality and sat in the chair next to Theo. Then, she served him a portion of food.

"This is for you."

"Thank you." Theo gladly accepted the portion Hazel had prepared and began to eat.

Hazel did the same, taking her own portion and eating slowly.

"Ah, by the way, how's your leg? Is it better?"

Hazel swallowed her food before responding. "Um... it's getting better. Thank you for massaging me yesterday."

Theo cleared his throat softly. "After this, we'll go to the pharmacy. I'll buy you some medicine."

"No need. I'll recover soon."

"Are you sure? If so, I'll massage you again later."

"No, Theo. I already told you."

"There's no refusal in my dictionary."

Hazel exhaled sharply. She looked at Theo while he was eating. It seemed her husband was overly concerned about her.

Hazel continued eating. Silence enveloped the room. There was no sound except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"I'm full." Theo gently pushed his plate to the center of the table.

Hazel noticed the plate still had leftovers. She looked at Theo seriously. "That doesn't seem like your portion."

Theo stared at Hazel and furrowed his brows. "So?"

"I'll prepare a proper portion for you next time."

Theo exhaled softly and nodded. "Alright, I won't refuse."

Hazel smiled slightly, then stood up to take the remaining plate to the kitchen.

Theo continued to watch Hazel until she was out of sight. "It seems I need to get to know Hazel better."

Meanwhile, Hazel was washing the dishes.

Unbeknownst to Hazel, Theo kept watching her back, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

When Hazel turned around, she looked surprised to see Theo at the doorway. "Theo, what are you doing there?"

Hazel quickly wiped her hands and approached him.

"No, I just wanted to see you."

"What? You think I'm going to get hurt here? Come on, let's go outside; you need to get some sun."

Hazel slowly pushed Theo's wheelchair. Theo remained silent, glancing at Hazel occasionally.

"Don't you want to draw for me? Your painting isn't finished yet, is it?"

"I'm just not in the mood to paint."

"But I want you to paint for me."

Hazel halted her steps when they reached the backyard. She exhaled softly. Not wanting to argue, she finally chose to give in.

"Okay then, Mr. Theo. I'll go get my painting supplies. Wait here," Hazel said before walking away.

Hazel gathered some painting supplies. After that, she hurried back to the back of the house.

Just as Hazel was about to approach Theo, she nearly slipped, causing her painting supplies to almost fall.

Hearing this, Theo quickly approached Hazel in concern. "Hazel, are you okay?"