Desire Play: Love You Again

"Thump!"

A signed divorce agreement was heavily dropped in front of her. How ironic! It was supposed to be their wedding night.

For a moment, Charley Su looked like one stung by a fierce bee, then she sighed a little as if to breathe away the pain, and went back to removing her make-up with a cosmetic sponge. She was determined to focus on the task at hand.

She had already taken off her glamorous wedding dress and changed into a simple, silk lace nightgown. The butterfly tattoo on her collarbone looked as delicate and real as a true butterfly that was perched on a beautiful flower for a feast of the sweet nectar. Its wings were elegantly spread like it was going to fly away at any time. The fairness of Charley's skin did not disappear even after she had removed her makeup. One was not sure whether to attribute this beauty to her youth or to the fact that she took great care of herself. As soon as she finally stopped to look up, her big teary eyes met Trevor Dongfang's gloomy ones.

She took a closer look at her so-called husband, who she had just met for the first time on their wedding day.

He was a rather imposing man. His hair was meticulously combed backward. He was at least 1.8 meters tall and the expensively tailored black suit that he wore revealed his figure perfectly. There was no smile on his stone-cold face and even though he had been drinking with many guests at the wedding, his eyes were still sharp and alert. She could tell from his furrowed eyebrows that he was not in a pleasant mood.

Did she really get married to this man? Charley's mind was spinning fast as she wondered what she had just done. A half-smile breezed over her rosy cheeks but it quickly disappeared. She was amused at the thought of actually having to sign divorce papers on her wedding night. A lump rose to her throat when her amusement got replaced by confusion and she swallowed hard to get rid of it.

The man seemed to have noticed her expression because he sat down by her side and sweetly placed her hand in his warm palms. Being so physically close, she could perceive the alcoholic smell that oozed faintly from his body.

"Hey, I know things are not easy for you right now." He was trying to get rid of the polite and aloof expression that had been on his face for the whole day. Now, his words seemed so pure and innocent. "Don't be afraid. I won't let you suffer. Sign the agreement first."

She did not move so he continued, "You can tell me whatever you want me to do for you. I will make it happen."

Without warning, he tactfully approached her ear and let out hot breaths over it, making her moan slightly. His eyes went blurred when he noticed the butterfly on her collarbone, but he restrained himself quickly and became sober again.

Charley could not resist the intense scent of the cologne that he wore. Her flushed face gave her away and she quickly swallowed to moisten her dry throat. Like one in a trance, she tilted her head and picked up the pen.

He had played his cards right by acting considerate and now, she couldn't refuse him.

Perhaps she had never even thought of refusing him.

Well, she had never been interested in him. How could she have been when she didn't even meet him until the day they were getting married? And besides, when she finally set her eyes on him, she became even less interested. Trevor wasn't the regular kind of man. His background was extremely influential and she didn't think herself capable of making a man from such a family do her bidding.

Trevor's eyebrows raised when he saw that she signed the paper without putting up a fight. Her strength and determination surprised him. A playful smile played around his lips as he wondered how her face could be so peaceful.

"Now that I have signed, can you tell me why you wanted me to sign it? I mean, you couldn't even let our wedding night pass." Charley put the pen away and turned her head towards him. She looked at him directly in the eyes, keen to understand the reason behind his actions.

"I already have a woman whom I want to spend the rest of my life with."

His answer was direct. Without mincing words, he had made it clear that she was not the woman that caught his eye.

Charley sighed in her heart. What was she expecting anyway? She barely knew him. The farce was simply a trivial episode in her life and it would pass. The man that sat before her was a lot more ruthless than she had imagined. But she had little to no say in the issue.

Taking up the signed agreement, Trevor stood up with great satisfaction while Charley remained seated on the sofa with her head down. Solemnly, he said to her, "Listen, we are still married in front of the outsiders if that's what you're worried about. Don't think too much about the paper you just signed. It won't be submitted to the court yet. I will tell you in advance when everything is ready."

His tone was emotionless as he declared that the only bond between him and her was a joke. She, as well, was only a woman waiting for the day when the truth would be revealed.

Her marriage had been sentenced to void from the very beginning and she could only accept her fate.

Charley suddenly felt cheated and feelings of anger welled up within her. How come the marriage was just a joke to him? Besides, how could he decide everything without first consulting her? She was not one of those women who was ready to marry him desperately anyway!

Of course, she didn't dare to reveal her grievance. She still needed sustenance in HY City and Trevor was not someone whose bad books she could afford to enter. She knew that the reality was harsh and that she had to be careful when dealing with Trevor.

He was a legend in HY City and everyone knew it. The family he came from was famous for their wealth and power. His father and uncles held top positions in government. Even his grandfather used to be the general director of a state-owned factory. Amid all those successes, Trevor himself was a mystery. Even till that point, no one knew exactly what he did for a living.

Charley couldn't believe that she had agreed to marry such a man.

It had all happened overnight like a ridiculously bad dream. About a week ago, she got an offer from A University as well as the shocking news that she had to marry Trevor in three days.

Her tuition fee was huge and she was told that if she agreed to marry Trevor, everything would be cleared. Moreover, Trevor had sent her some sweet talkers who were able to persuade her until she agreed to sign the agreement.

Her naivety was so chronic that she didn't even think of how her action would affect her in the future.

Originally, she thought that she was going to be suspended from the university as she was short of money. But, Trevor had sent someone over again to explain that if she married him, she could continue to go to college without paying a dime. She just needed to be his nominal wife.

She didn't know what a nominal wife was then, but now, she realized that their marriage only existed on paper.

After discussing a few more issues, Trevor took the divorce agreement and left. Charley pressed her lips into a thin line as she watched him go. She didn't even get the chance to see their marriage certificate and now he had gotten her to sign a divorce agreement. It was so ridiculous.

She heard him close the door and then heard his car start in the garage of the villa.

After a while of thinking, she picked up her phone and called her grandmother.

"Hello, Grandma," she said cheerfully into the receiver. Despite the pain she felt, she tried to sound relaxed and pleasant.

"Grandma, I'm very happy.

He is fine. He's in the shower now and can't answer the phone. Don't worry about me. All the people here are nice. Of course, I am fine. I'll bring him with me to visit you soon."

No matter how bad things were, she had to tell her grandma that everything was perfect. She needed to keep up appearances because she didn't want her grandma to worry about her. The woman was too old to worry.

Since her father died, she had been living with her grandmother. The only person who was good to them was her aunt. All the other relatives had turned a blind eye to them. Although her aunt was doing her best to support them at the time, she couldn't afford Charley's university tuition. And even though she had sold her marriage for her dream, she still had high hopes of finding true love someday.

The entire marriage was a deal. It was impossible for her to fall in love with Trevor as it was all business. At least she had the courtesy to cooperate with him in public.

After hanging up the phone, she toured the villa. It had two floors and was very well decorated. The ground floor had a magnificent living room, a large modern kitchen, and a spacious bathroom. As she walked up the spiral staircase, she noticed a cozy master bedroom and a wood-paneled study right next to it.

She also noticed a bunch of dozen keys on the table. Obviously, Trevor was a rich man.

Rumors had also gone around about how he was a very busy man that hardly came to the villa. She held the bunch of keys and felt relief coursing through her. She chose to look at the bright side of things. If it was true that he didn't come to the villa often, then she didn't have to bear his presence all day long. She had all the time to herself and that was a good thing.

Charley was still sleeping soundly when Gemma Lin, her best friend, called. She was still in a daze when she answered her phone, but Gemma's loud and cheerful voice instantly drove her sleepiness away. She rubbed her eyes as she listened to Gemma's chatter. "Hey Mrs. Dongfang, what are you waiting for? Go change and come out quickly. You have to accompany me today, and we'll go shopping together."

Gemma had been calling Charley "Mrs. Dongfang" since she found out that Charley was going to marry Trevor. Charley was slightly annoyed but had no way to deal with her.

Only her aunt and her grandmother knew about her marriage. And her only friend who knew about it was Gemma. She and Gemma had been friends for seven years. They had become so close that she didn't hide anything from Gemma. She didn't want to keep any secret from Gemma anyway.

Actually, when Gemma found out that Charley was going to marry Trevor, she was utterly shocked. They had just graduated from school, so it never occurred to her that Charley would get married so soon.

As soon as she hung up, Charley looked at her surroundings. Until now, it seemed that everything hadn't sunk in into her yet. Was she really married? Then some memories gradually flooded in her mind. She was a young woman, full of dreams. Of course, one of them was her dream wedding. For her, a wedding ceremony should be held between a man and a woman who deeply loved each other. So she dreamed of being married to the man she loved and loved her the most. Charley slowly shook her head and thought, 'How did I give my hand to that man?'

Two days ago, a private wedding ceremony was held in the biggest church in HY City as scheduled.

"Trevor, do you take Charley to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness..."

"I do," Trevor interrupted indifferently. It seemed that he had gotten a little impatient with the lengthy ceremonial script of the priest.

The priest felt embarrassed, so he quickly turned to Charley and asked the same question. Charley was very nervous at the moment. Not only because the wedding gown she was wearing was way too expensive, but also because the man beside her was giving her so much pressure.

She heard that her wedding gown was a masterpiece of the world-renowned designer who designed clothes for the royal family in the UK. So it was not surprising that it was perfectly tailored. Its delicate embroidery was definitely very time-consuming, so the designer must have spent countless hours on it. As a whole, it looked noble and elegant, with no sense of vulgarity at all.

Charley didn't have much time to sleep the night before her wedding, as it had taken around five hours to have her hair and makeup done.

Her long hair was black and shiny. A long curtain-like hair net adorned with elegant pearls held her silky hair gracefully together, extending all the way down to her waist.

She looked so dazzling that she took everyone's breath away when she walked down the aisle. Even Trevor's serious face showed an undeniable trace of appreciation upon seeing her.

Who would have thought that she didn't have an astonishing family background? She didn't look humble or homely at all. Standing next to Trevor, she was just as fabulous as him.

It was Charley's first time to see Trevor. But he was exactly what she had imagined. He was handsome, but he always wore an indifferent look on his face and a distant smile.

After the wedding ceremony, many people came to Charley to congratulate her. But she felt the hostility of some women from the upper class dressed in fancy and expensive clothes. They seemed to be jealous of her. Their eyes were filled with admiration when they stared at Trevor, who was chatting with his friends in the crowd. But when they saw her, they deliberately pursed their lips and turned their heads away at once. They must really hate her for stealing Trevor from them. Before she appeared, they all thought that they could have a chance to marry him. She couldn't help but sneer in her heart. Yes, she married Trevor. But she could never consider herself lucky. Instead, what she could foresee was endless trouble coming her way.

"It's just a wedding ceremony, Gemma." That was what Charley told Gemma. For her, there was nothing to cherish at that event.

She had her own reason for marrying Trevor at such a young age. He was capable of easing her grandmother's pressure, letting her live a peaceful and well-off retired life.

"Charley! Oh my gosh! Finally! I miss you so much!"

Gemma's loud voice rang out before Charley could even see her. She could only sigh helplessly. There was nothing she could do to change Gemma's way of talking.

But she couldn't help praising Gemma's ability. Gemma found out where she lived and directly came to her door to pick her up.

Gemma was in her father's BMW X5, looking all excited and thrilled. Of course, she was so delighted to see Charley. She stuck her head out of the window and rolled her eyes. "Hello, Mrs. Dongfang. It seems like your taste in clothes still hasn't changed even though you are now officially married. I mean, just look at you." She then looked at the villa in front of her and clicked her tongue. "Wow! Your husband is really rich. I'm so lucky to be your best friend."

Charley laughed at Gemma's remark. But actually, Gemma was never short of money.

Her family was also wealthy, although quite complicated. Her father was a playful businessman engaged in the real estate business. He was a certified womanizer. Aside from her stepmother, he had a lot of mistresses. She called them greedy bitches because she knew that they were only after her father's money. What was more, a lot of women were still waiting in line to be his mistresses.

Today, Charley chose to wear a long dress that she had worn last year. Actually, her wardrobe was full of fashionable and expensive clothes bought by Trevor. But she didn't want to wear any of them. She preferred to wear the one she brought herself. Besides, she didn't want to change her looks in front of her best friend.

Contrary to Charley, Gemma looked quite mature and attractively sexy. She had honey-toned skin, chestnut wavy hair, and curvy features.

Charley looked at herself in the rearview mirror. Her long black hair casually hung loose on her back. Her thin eyebrows and her big eyes looked quite plain because she was not wearing any makeup. But of course, her skin was fair and smooth. However, she didn't look elegant at all. And the simple cotton dress she was wearing made her look more ordinary. Thinking about how glamorous she was at her wedding and looking at herself now, she couldn't help but sigh. "Sure enough, fine feathers make fine birds."

Gemma came to see Charley so early just for one thing --- to go shopping for more beautiful dresses. She drove steadily and quickly, and within ten minutes, they arrived at the mall not far from the city center.

"Hey, Mrs. Dongfang. How about we have coffee together? I mean... with Trevor. What can you say?" Gemma said while looking at the dresses on the rack. She winked at Charley playfully.

Charley didn't know how to respond to such an abrupt invitation. Gemma seemed to be more interested in Trevor than she had imagined. In fact, she kept on talking about him while they were checking all the shops inside the mall.

"Why do you have to meet him? I'm not even familiar with him." Hearing herself saying it, Charley thought it sounded odd. But it was the truth. Who would have thought that they got married without even knowing each other? As a matter of fact, they didn't even sleep together on their wedding night.

But she didn't tell Gemma about it. She knew Gemma too well. It was hard to guarantee that Gemma wouldn't come up with some tricky ideas.

"Because he is your husband, and I am your best friend. We should become friends too. And, you know that I am good at reading faces. Once I see him, I can tell if you will divorce in the future." It seemed that Gemma wouldn't stop until Charley agreed. She must be really curious about Trevor.

'No need to tell. We're really going to divorce, ' Charley thought bitterly. She shook her head helplessly. No matter how hard Gemma tried to persuade her, she firmly refused. "You carry on with your shopping. I'll just go outside to breathe some fresh air."

Charley stood outside the clothes store, fanning herself with her hand and inhaling some fresh air. When she turned around, a figure instantly caught her eyes.

How come he was here? But then, she realized that she was in a luxury mall. He could come to this kind of place.

With his tall and slim figure and well-defined face, he had an outstanding temperament. His lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were full of coldness. Only when he looked at the woman beside him that the coldness in his eyes was slightly relieved. She looked so sweet. She had gorgeous long black hair and a tall and slender figure. Charley was so stunned upon seeing them that she even forgot that she should avoid them.

"Charley, are you not going to buy a dress?" Gemma said as soon as she walked out of the shop with some shopping bags in her hands. She had already paid for the dresses she liked. When she thought that Charley didn't hear her, she patted Charley gently on the shoulder and was about to drag her back inside. She didn't notice Charley's uneasiness as she shouted, "What's wrong? Why don't you buy something here? You have a very rich husband. Are you scared of spending his money?"

As soon as she finished her words, she noticed that Charley's face turned red and she kept winking at her.

"What's wrong? Let's go back inside. You have to buy some expensive clothes. Is your husband not giving you money?" While Gemma was chattering, Charley noticed that he was already looking at them. She was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole, right there and then, and hide.

Who would have thought that she would run into him here? And the woman clinging to his arm also looked at them with contempt in her eyes.

The dress that Charley was wearing looked rather plain and simple. It was a cotton dress that she felt comfortable in, but Trevor looked at her as though she was wearing a sack.

She tried her best to ignore his contemptuous gaze. Shouldn't she be the one looking down on him? Shouldn't she be the one asking questions? They had gotten married not too long ago, and yet, he had the nerve to hold another woman's hand in front of her. Despite all her thoughts, there was no touch of jealousy in her heart. Charley only felt embarrassed to stand in front of them. Just as always, Gemma was so loud that it was impossible for Trevor to ignore her words.

Afraid of confronting them directly, Charley grabbed her friend's arm and dragged her out of there. Gemma was confused, but she kept talking, eager to know what was going on. Charley's face went as red as a berry. She just wished that she could strangle Gemma and make her shut up.

Once they were alone, she told her that the man they had seen was none other than Trevor. As they sat in the car, Gemma buried her face in her palms as she cried out loud, "Oh my God! So embarrassed! Somebody, please kill me."

"Come on, I am the one who was embarrassed!" Depressed, Charley wondered how much of their conversation Trevor had heard. How was she ever going to face him again?

"To be honest, I was saying that you would feel embarrassed. I saw how he looked down on you, and I felt sorry for you," Gemma said with a sigh.

Charley was rendered speechless.

"But I am more curious about the woman who was with him. How can he dare to have a mistress soon after you guys got married? Your life is going to be harder than you think, Charley."

Charley still didn't know what to say. She was stunned. Although she was aware of Trevor's scandalous private life, she had never thought that she would see it in person. Moreover, Gemma was with her, so now, she knew about everything, and there was no way she would let it go without giving her a piece of her mind. "Honey, if you don't know how to deal with problems of that sort, you need to ask me. I have a lot of experience in chasing away a man's mistress, as I was successful in making my dad's mistresses leave us alone. Don't hesitate to ask me for help. I shall come up with a plan to get rid of your husband's mistress. However, we were so embarrassed just now."

"You know what? I don't know how to face him from now on. To be honest, I did not want to use his money to begin with," Charley said with a pout. However, it was Trevor's indifference that pissed her off the most. When she had passed by him just now, he had given her a cold glance, as though she was just another customer there.

"I am sorry for talking so loudly in public. How about I treat you to a good meal as an apology?"

"No, thanks. A meal isn't going to change a thing, and I am still mad at you."

"Oh, come on... It's not that big a deal! Can you please just forgive me this once?"

That night, Trevor called Charley.

Although he sounded calm, there was a coldness in his tone. "My parents have asked to meet you, so we're going to their house tomorrow morning."

The next morning, the alarm woke Charley just after sunrise. When Trevor walked in, he saw her at the dining table, eating a slice of toast with her head hung low.

Charley had waist-length hair that she had curled with an iron. Her dark hair was shiny and beautiful, and did not require much maintenance. As she stuffed her mouth with toast, her cheeks flushed, making her look pretty.

However, when she saw Trevor watching her eat breakfast, she almost choked on the toast that she was eating.

How long had he been watching her? 'Why is he watching me eat breakfast?' she wondered as she wiped her mouth, blushing.

"Take your time. We're in no rush, so finish your breakfast," Trevor said flatly as he handed her a glass of milk.

'When did he even warm the milk?' Charley thought to herself. Although she was just having breakfast, she felt really nervous around him, as though she were sitting on a chair with pins and needles poking out of the seat.

Since it was hard for her to eat while he watched her, she quickly finished her toast, picked up her bag, and ran out the door. She was embarrassed to be in the same room with him. However, she had to wait for him so that they could get into the car together.

"Are you afraid of me?" Trevor asked with a frown as he glanced at her sitting awkwardly in the backseat.

She held her bag closer to her chest as she replied, "No, I am not."

She was too scared to admit that she felt shy to sit next to him.

Trevor stopped asking questions and focused on driving as he stepped on the gas. The sudden movement caused her to move forward and hold the back of his seat. Once she settled down, she cursed to herself about how unpredictable he was.

When they finally arrived at his parents' home, she was stunned by the scale of the place.

Speechless, she gazed at the beautiful house and the lush gardens that surrounded it. The place looked simple, yet elegant.

It was far from the city, and just next to the house was a tea plantation that was owned by the local farmers.

The house was not a concrete structure. It was actually made out of bamboos.

"Let's go!" Trevor gave her a faint smile as he held her hand and walked in. The wooden floor creaked the moment they stepped inside, but the room was filled with a soothing aroma of bamboo, which relaxed Charley.

Although the house looked not very big from the outside, it was quite spacious. It even had an attic and a basement.

They were quite wealthy, so it was possible for them to live as they pleased. After all, money could make anything happen.

Charley was lost in thought when she heard a creaking sound and saw a woman walking down from the attic. She immediately looked up, wondering what kind of person she was going to meet.

The woman seemed rather simple in her plain dress. Her clothes did not look too expensive, and there was nothing special about it. However, Charley noticed the expensive-looking diamond ring on her finger and figured that she must be Trevor's mother, Michelle.

All of a sudden, Trevor held her hand as he asked, "Mom, where is Dad?"

"He is upstairs," Michelle answered with a gentle smile. Her eyes were fixed on Charley. Ever since she saw Charley, she couldn't take her eyes off her. Charley thought that she must have made a good impression. "So, are you my daughter-in-law?" Michelle asked with a smile.

"Yes, M... Mom," Charley stammered. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse. Although she had told herself that it was the only right way to address her, Charley felt odd addressing her mother-in-law as "mom."

"Good. You must be tired after the long journey. Why don't we all go upstairs? It is rare to see Trevor's dad cooking, but don't tell it to his face if the food isn't good, okay?" Michelle joked as she guided Charley upstairs and motioned to Trevor to follow them.

The moment Charley felt Michelle's touch on her wrist, she felt the warmth of her heart. She thought that Trevor was lucky to have a mother like her.

She felt as though life had been unfair to her. Compared to her, Trevor had been dealt much better cards in life.

Despite her kind mother-in-law, her visit here was doomed to make her feel uncomfortable as someone was trying to give her a hard time.

"Oh! She must be the one that Trevor married, right? She doesn't look that good," came a loud woman's voice. Charley turned around and saw a young woman. She had heavy makeup on, and was scanning her from head to toe.

"We invited you to join us, but you were the one who turned us down." Saying that, Michelle frowned and her expression turned cold. It was obvious that she did not like the way the woman was talking to Charley.

However, the woman was unmoved by Michelle's coldness and walked towards Charley with a fake smile.