My Absentee Husband Dotes On Me

"Kimberly, you've lost!"

The cards laid out on the table revealed a pair of matching Ace of Hearts, indicating that the player must accept the punishment as per the rules of Truth or Dare.

"Okay, I lost." Kimberly Powell conceded with a shrug, taking a sip from her glass of martini. "What's my punishment?"

She glanced nervously at Millie Walsh, seated opposite her, and added, "Just don't make it too harsh."

Millie chuckled mischievously, swirling her wine. "Kimberly, it's a rare sight to see you at the bar, and even rarer to see you lose. Let's make this one memorable."

"What? What is it?"

Kimberly felt unsettled under Millie's gaze.

Millie was known for her plethora of tricks and her lack of mercy when it came to playing pranks.

"You need to go to the door, find a man, and ask him about the color of his underwear. And remember, you have to verify it with your own eyes."

"No!" Kimberly replied promptly, rejecting the idea outright.

Millie narrowed her eyes and stared at Kimberly.

Sighing, Kimberly pleaded, "Millie, let's pick something else. This is too much."

"Too much?" Millie raised her glass, scanning the room with a confident gaze. "Does anyone else think it's too much?"

"Not at all!"

"Absolutely not. I think it's too tame."

Their friends in the room were eager to please Millie.

Kimberly felt the urge to flip the table in frustration.

Then, a realization dawned on her, and she blinked. "Millie, I would find this punishment quite fun if it were in the past, but now..."

She offered an innocent but helpless smile. "You know, I'm married. My husband wouldn't approve."

Marriage! That was a convenient excuse!

Kimberly felt a sense of pride in her cleverness and wanted to applaud herself.

But Millie scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Your husband?"

Leaning in close to Kimberly, Millie lowered her voice. "He's been absent for six months since you two got married, and he was recently photographed at a charity event with Melina Shaw, who just won the Best Actress award."

Millie then unlocked her phone and opened a photo to show Kimberly. "I was at that event too, and I have high-definition pictures."

Kimberly's gaze immediately fixed on a tall, handsome man standing in front of a woman in a long dress. His smile exuded grace and nobility.

A sudden chill flooded Kimberly's heart, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it.

She felt a twinge of disappointment settle within her.

Standing up with determination, she declared, "Fine, I'll take the punishment. Just wait."

Millie leisurely sipped her wine, a smirk playing on her lips. "Go on then."

Kimberly approached the bar door, her pulse quickening. It was too late to back out now.

Taking a deep breath, she peeked outside and spotted a man.

Looking down and concealing her face with her hand, she approached him.

"Excuse me, what color is your underwear? Can I see?"

No answer came.

The man seemed to be stunned.

From her vantage point, Kimberly could only see his handsomely crafted, expensive black leather shoes.

Anxious, she twisted her fingers and considered asking another man if he kept silent.

Just as she was about to lift her head to look at him, she heard the man's clear and pleasant voice.

"You can if you want. But how will you repay me, Mrs. Hussain?"

What? Mrs. Hussain?

Kimberly looked up, shocked.

She saw a handsome yet familiar face. His dark, sharp eyebrows and cool gaze made him look imposing. His prominent nose highlighted his features, and his lips curved into a half-smile. It was none other than her husband, Charlie Hussain.

Kimberly felt like pretending she didn't recognize him. Better yet, she wished she could just disappear.

But Charlie had already come closer, taken her hand, and placed it near his belt.

Kimberly tried to pull away, but Charlie's grip tightened.

"Go ahead. Open it yourself if you're curious."

His voice was emotionless, as chilly as his demeanor.

"No, I've changed my mind."

Kimberly was starting to panic. She hadn't expected that picking someone at random would lead her straight to her husband.

How could such a coincidence even happen?

"No?" Charlie's sneer was unmistakable. "You're not interested in mine? Looking for another man's?"

There was a clear trace of anger in his final words.

At that moment, he gripped Kimberly's hand tighter and placed it on the buckle of his belt.

Kimberly grimaced a bit, her expression one of distress. "No, I just lost a game," she said, her voice softening. "It's merely a punishment."

With those words, she glanced over at Millie and the others in the booth.

Charlie gave them a cold look as well.

His wife was at the bar to check out another man's underwear?

Was she trying to make him a cuckold while he was gone on a business trip?

"Punishment?" Charlie said, a hint of mockery in his tone. "That's quite interesting."

He then released Kimberly's hand and whispered to her, "I'll have you know. It's black."

His breath was warm on her ear, causing her to feel a tickle.

Kimberly's heart raced.

He had never been so intimate with her before.

Beyond a brief exchange of words on their marriage registration day, he had left for an overseas business trip soon after, leaving them with barely any communication.

If not for their chance meeting today...

Noticing Kimberly's puzzled look, Charlie offered a smile. He gently pushed her hair aside and said in a low, enticing voice, "I've got things to handle. Once I'm back, you'll get a closer look."

With that, he removed his hand from her shoulder, straightened his face, and headed deeper into the bar.

Kimberly paused for a moment, the dim bar lights playing tricks with the shadows, obscuring her face and emotions.

She returned to her seat, grabbed her martini, and quickly swallowed it in one go.

Everyone was shocked.

Millie cleared her throat and asked, "What did that guy say to you? You seem scared."

"He wasn't wearing underwear." Kimberly bit her lip, setting her glass down a bit too forcefully, her voice rising slightly.

"Really? Did you catch a glimpse of something you wish you hadn't?"

"No way! Ha-ha! I'm tempted to take a look myself."

"Feel free to check it out. I need some air." As the conversation buzzed around her, Kimberly got up and tapped Millie on the shoulder. "Give me a call when you're heading out."

Outside the bar, the cool breeze felt soothing, easing the warmth off Kimberly's cheeks.

She strolled down the street, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a car pulled up next to her.

The window lowered gradually.

Charlie, with a blank expression, said coldly, "Get in the car."

Kimberly stood still, squinting at the man seated in the car.

His face was expressionless, giving off a sense of detachment.

She tightened her fists and stepped back, a clear signal to Charlie that she was not about to get into the car.

Charlie's expression turned stern, his gaze intense, and his voice dropped to a chillier tone. "Kimberly Powell!"

When he used her full name, it was a clear sign he was not in the best of moods.

Neither Kimberly nor Charlie moved; they just stared at each other in silence from afar.

After a tense three minutes, Kimberly found herself overwhelmed by his imposing presence. Reluctantly, she opened the door and climbed into the car.

Given that this man was both her husband and the one she owed money to, she figured it was best not to provoke him at this moment.

"Could you drop me off at the Riverside Apartments, please? Thanks!" she requested.

The moment the words left her mouth, she noticed Charlie's brow furrow in confusion. "Where's that?" he asked.

"It's where I'm living now," Kimberly blurted out impulsively.

Immediately after, she mentally kicked herself, wishing she could retract her words as if they had never been said.

Charlie's eyes narrowed slightly. Was she living there now?

So, during his trip, she hadn't been staying at their place in Skyline Apartments.

With that thought, his gaze filled with irritation. He said with a hint of displeasure, "Let's head to Skyline Apartments."

Kimberly quickly turned to face him. Under the man's intense look, she conceded and decided to keep quiet.

The car became silent.

Kimberly pulled out her phone and messaged Millie, saying she wouldn't be coming home tonight.

As she was absorbed in her phone, Charlie's keen eyes glanced over her.

Her chestnut hair fell softly around her shoulders, slightly curled at the ends. Her profile was striking. She had a smooth forehead, a straight nose, and full, red lips.

She wore a white tank top and light, very short jeans, revealing a glimpse of her chest and her long legs.

Charlie looked away, a sneer forming. "You seem to enjoy yourself when I'm away."

Suddenly, the driver braked hard, and Kimberly was jolted forward, hitting the seat in front of her.

"Ah!" she cried out, and then quickly regained her composure. She rubbed her forehead, her face showing a bit of discomfort. "No, I'm not having fun."

Charlie looked at her coolly, teasingly tugging at the edge of her top. "Dressing like that to go to a bar and check out men's underwear, huh? You really know how to enjoy yourself."

He gave her a mocking and disdainful look, with a slight smile playing on his lips.

Kimberly felt a sting from his harsh words and was speechless for a moment.

She edged away slightly, hugging herself, her voice uncertain. "That's just playing games."

"Kimberly, you've got to realize who you are now."

His tone was icy, laced with a touch of accusation.

Who was she, really? Charlie's wife?

But who would actually believe that?

They'd been married for six months. Her husband was always on business trips, often seen with other women.

If she looked up at the rearview mirror now, she would surely see the bitterness and unhappiness on her face.

But why was she upset?

She had known from the start that their marriage was merely a convenient arrangement.

Charlie's grandfather, Kellan Hussain, had agreed to settle her father's hefty debts after he died. Why Charlie had agreed to this marriage at Kellan's urging was beyond her.

Was it because he couldn't marry Melina, so the bride's identity didn't really matter to him?

Kimberly shut her eyes and balled her fists in secret, concealing her discontent.

Finally, she opened her mouth and whispered a single word, "Okay."