My Surrogate Wife

"Aleta, you must be willing to be a surrogate wife because your older sister ran away from this marriage!" Darian said with a stern look.

Suddenly Aleta widened her eyes at what her father said. "What?! That's impossible, isn't it?" Aleta asked with an incredulous look.

"Aleta, I has no other choice but this. You have to do it. If we don't, they will take our company. I have a lot of debt with the Desmond family. The company is the result of me hard work. Do you want your father to go to jail because I can't pay back what I owe them?!"

It all started when Darian unsuccessfully bid for a tender for his company a year ago. The funds involved were huge. Damian was not afraid to spend a lot of money because he was confident that he would win the tender.

But in fact, he failed to get the tender. As a result, Darian was forced to go into debt at the bank. Even now, his company was in a critical state. The company's finances are always slumping, leading Darian to ask the Desmond Group, Asia's number one company, for an injection of funds.

Of course the owner of the company, Aditya Maverick Desmond, put forward conditions for the deal. The condition proposed was that Darian must give his daughter in marriage to his son. Without another thought, Darian immediately accepted the condition and ordered his first daughter, Zanna, to marry First Young Master Desmond. Zanna, who was asked to marry Young Master Desmond, of course did not want to because she already had a crush.

Aleta of course could not see her father go to prison. She also did not want to see her family destroyed. She knew how hard her father had worked to build the company. Maybe this was the only way for everything to run smoothly. Even though she had to sacrifice her desire to go to college, it was okay. The most important thing was that her family was safe.

With tears in her eyes, Aleta finally nodded in agreement with her father's request.

Quickly, the marriage was arranged. Now, Aleta is officially the wife of Ansel Clovis Desmond.

***

After drying her hair with a hair dryer, Aleta came out of the bathroom in her white bathrobe. She was already at her husband's house after the wedding. From the moment she arrived at the house, Ansel did not greet her at all. He only told her where her room was and immediately waltzed into the room next to hers. She had expected this. There was no way Ansel would want to share a room with her. She was just a surrogate wife.

"For your family, it might just be an interesting game. But, one thing you need to remember. You will be punished for this." The sharp growl made Aleta scream out loud.

Ansel, who was near the bed, was silent as he heard Aleta screaming at him. He looked coldly at Aleta. But, for some reason, he could not take his eyes off Aleta who was wearing the bathrobe.

"What are you doing there?" asked Aleta with her hands still cupping her face.

"What's wrong with me being here?" Ansel asked back as he walked closer to Aleta.

Aleta took a step back. "You don't want to share a room with me," Aleta squeaked, lowering her head for fear of seeing the cold expression in Ansel's eyes.

"I don't want to share a room with my surrogate wife," Ansel sarcastically said, causing Aleta to raise her head with a surprised look. "But, even so, you still have to fulfill your responsibilities as my wife, don't you?" Ansel added, stroking Aleta's face lightly.

"B-But, i am, hmpphhh!"

Aleta's words were stopped in their tracks when her lips were sealed by Ansel's. The man kissed her lips. Not just kissing, Ansel even crushed them quickly and roughly. Aleta became overwhelmed. Because honestly, she has never had to do this. In fact, she had never even dated anyone. All these things were new to her.

Aleta smacked Ansel lightly on the shoulder as her air supply ran out. Ansel released the liplock.

Aleta's breath hitched when the lips parted. Aleta being like that somehow made Ansel even more horny. He quickly picked up Aleta's body and dumped her onto the bed.

"Ah!" Aleta squealed.

Aleta looked nervously at Ansel who was looking at her deeply. "Ansel?"

Ansel unbuttoned his white shirt one by one, revealing his broad chest and six-pack abs.

"Do we have to do this?" asked Aleta with her face downcast.

Ansel's voice was heard cooing. He lifted Aleta's face so that she could look at him. "You have to do your wifely duty, don't you?" Ansel asked.

Aleta shook her head softly. "I"

"Didn't I tell you that you would receive punishment from me?! How dare you and your family deceive me! Because of you, I have to endure shame?!" Ansel fumed with a sharp glare.

Aleta shook her head quickly. "You misunderstand! We had no intention of deceiving you at all. That incident was completely out of control. We didn't want to."

"Never mind! I don't want to listen to your explanation. Right now, you have to pay for what you and your family have done to me. You just need to remember that you are just a surrogate wife. Don't think of yourself as anything more," Ansel hissed with a lopsided smile.

Ansel kissed her lips again. Just like before. Ansel kissed her passionately. He even bit her lip. Aleta tried to escape by pushing Ansel's body away. But, because her strength was not comparable to Ansel's, Aleta finally surrendered to what Ansel was doing to her.

Ansel's hands had already begun groping her body. Squirming her body here and there. He had even made marks on many parts of her body.

Until

"Akhh! It hurts!" cried Aleta as she felt her underbelly being forcefully ripped off. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.

In the next second, she could feel her body rising and falling rapidly. She closes her eyes in shame at the sight of the shirtless Ansel in front of her. Ansel continues to push Aleta's body quickly, as his desire grows. He did not expect that Aleta's body would be so damned nice. Aleta's synthetic body was enough to make him horny right away. Even then, he never thought that Aleta would have such a big breast. It was enough to make his lust rise instantly.

A few moments passed until she felt a liquid enter her body. Aleta was panting because she felt her body was quite tired. Before her eyes closed from the exhaustion, she could still hear Ansel's words which were enough to make her heart feel like it was hit by thousands of needles.

"It turns out you're quite good compared to the women I've hired," he said in a cold tone.

***

Sunlight began to enter the slit of the room. Aleta woke up from her sleep.

"Shh!" Aleta squealed as she felt pain all over her body, especially on her underside which felt quite sore.

She remembered the heated struggle between her and her husband last night. It made her cheeks burn. "Stop it, Aleta! Don't think about that night anymore. It wasn't the first night of a husband and wife. Ansel didn't think of me as his wife that night. He looked at me more like a slut," Aleta muttered with a sad smile.

She certainly remembered everything her husband had said and done that night. He treated her like a slut who could be ordered whenever he wanted. Hence, Aleta did not feel the tenderness of the hot activity. There was only physical and psychological pain.

Aleta let out a rough sigh. She tried not to cry, lamenting her bad luck. She slowly climbed down the bed as her body was completely exhausted. That night, Ansel was like a hungry wolf that kept eating her body, even though she had told him to stop, he seemed to deliberately turn a deaf ear to her and continued the hot struggle until the early hours of the morning.

Limping, she walked into the bathroom to clean her body. As she stood in front of the mirror, she could see that her entire body was covered in purplish-red blotches. Who else could it be if not her husband who was so violent that night.

Not wanting to linger too long, about twenty minutes later, Aleta finally came out of the bathroom. She immediately walked towards the dressing room. She was amazed to see that the dressing room was full of clothes from various famous brands. Of course the price was very expensive. Aleta felt bad about wearing them. But she also didn't bring any clothes from home. So, she would wear one of the clothes there.

Aleta chose a peach-colored dress that was fitted and the skirt was slightly above her knees. She let her hair down freely. Afterward, she went out of her room. She thought maybe Ansel had already left for his office. But when she arrived downstairs, he was at the dining table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He was seriously looking at the iPad in his hand. She was sure that it must be about his business.

Aleta slowly made her way to the dining table and sat down. She looked back at Ansel who was still focused on his iPad screen. "Did you have breakfast?" Aleta asked cautiously.

"You don't need to act like a wife to me. I would never think of you that way. I would never love a surrogate wife," Ansel hissed and deliberately emphasized Aleta's status as a surrogate wife.

Aleta stayed where she was. Ansel's words really made her heart feel like it was pierced by thousands of needles. Although she had no feelings for the man, but anyone who received such words would surely feel tremendous pain. Which husband would insult his wife like that? That was Ansel. A figure who would never consider her to exist.

Ansel moved up from his seat and walked past Aleta unceremoniously.

"You need to remember that too. You should never interfere with my life. I don't want my personal life interfered with by strangers. I wouldn't care if you told my parents about it either," Ansel snapped as he walked back out of the house.

Aleta remained silent with her jaw hardened. She could also see her eyes turning red. Her heart was broken by her husband's words. In the end, she knew that this was bound to happen. Aleta walked over to clean up her husband's cup. Just as she was about to go to the kitchen, a voice called out to her.

"Miss Aleta!"

Aleta turned her face to the man in the black suit. "Yes, what's wrong?" she asked.

"The young master gave this to you. He said you were told to drink it quickly," he explained.

Aleta saw a brown package and took it. "Thank you," Aleta replied.

"You're welcome, Miss. If you'll excuse me," he said as he left Aleta's presence.

After the man left, Aleta opened the package and took the inside. Her eyes widened as she took the inside of the package. Her heart felt broken again. Even her tears fell heavily down her face.

"He didn't even want me to have a child with him so he told me to take these pills to delay pregnancy," Aleta sobbed. Before her sadness got the better of her, Aleta took the pills. "Okay, if that's what you want. I have no intention of getting pregnant with your child anyway," she added.

She poured some water into a glass and quickly drank the medicine. A slow smile appeared on her face. "My dream is to live a happy life. Have a high education. Have a good family. It's just a dream. I'll never have either."

***

Ansel had just entered his office. He sat down in his work chair. Just as he started to focus on his work, someone pressed the doorbell.

"Sir, it's me, Bagas!"

Ansel picked up a small remote to open the door to the room. The room was intentionally made like that. Therefore, not just anyone could enter his room.

As the door to his room opened, a handsome man in a light blue suit entered his room, Bagas Cakra Intezar. Or rather, Ansel's best friend. Bagas walked in with several files in his hand. "Sir, you're working today apparently. I thought you wouldn't be working. It's still your wedding day," Bagas said as he placed the files in front of Ansel.

Ansel gave the man in front of him a cold stare. "I told you not to use formal language when alone with me. Besides, you should know yourself why I have to work today. You think I accepted the marriage? Of course not," Ansel snapped in exasperation.

Bagas let out a harsh sigh. "But she seems like a good woman. Not like her sister. She also looks very young. I'm sure she's a lot older than you," Bagas said.

"Seven years younger than me," replied Ansel, who began to do his work.

However, after saying that his desk was hit by Bagas. Making Ansel quite surprised by what his best friend did. "What?! Seven years?! I didn't expect it to be that far. That means she's only 19 years old!" said Bagas.

Ansel smiled sarcastically. "Marrying into the Wesley family is just bad luck for me. I never wanted this. Because of them, I had to be embarrassed in front of so many people yesterday," Ansel fumed.

"I feel sad for her who has to replace her sister," Bagas chimed in.

Ansel wrinkled his forehead. "What do you mean? She has nothing to lose by marrying me. Her family would be saved. She can also become part of the Desmond family, the most respected family in the city," Ansel said.

Bagas could only smile in response to Ansel's arrogant attitude. It seemed pointless to talk about marriage with him. "Do you want to go to the club with the others tonight?" Bagas asked.

A lopsided smile appeared on Ansel's face. "Of course! I need a refreshing."

The large clock in the living room kept chiming. Until twelve o'clock, the big clock made a loud sound indicating that midnight had begun. If usually many people have slept soundly in their rooms, it is different with Aleta who is currently still seen pacing in the living room.

She repeatedly looked at the front door as if she was waiting for someone to come.

Foolish it is, indeed. Just this morning she had said fervently that she would not interfere with that man's life. But what now? Instead, she looked very worried when her husband didn't come home.

In the gloomy living room, Aleta was still pacing back and forth with a worried look. Somehow she had to feel this way about a person who didn't think she existed anyway. She would rather just sleep in her room quietly.

Wasn't he the one who told her to stay out of his personal life? But, why is she like this now? What's wrong with her?

"This is really weird. Why should I care about him? But, it's really late. Why isn't that guy home yet, anyway? Maybe he's working late at the office? Or maybe he went out with another woman?" Aleta muttered.

Aleta let out a harsh sigh. "I'd rather go to bed in my room than wait around like this," Aleta muttered as she walked up the stairs.

However, it wasn't long before her footsteps climbed the third flight of stairs. For some reason, her heart wavered from waiting for her husband to return home. Is this how a wife feels when her husband doesn't come home?

Aleta walked back to the living room and sat there. She bit her finger to think whether she should just go to bed or wait for Ansel to come home.

"I'll just wait for another hour. If he hasn't come yet. I'll go to my room and sleep," Aleta muttered.

However, because of her heavy sleepiness. She slowly began to close her eyes.

***

The sound of music thumped loudly. Disco lights flickered along with the agile bodies of people dancing in a crowded club. Women in sexy outfits flocked to the club. The bustling situation in the center of the club room was unlike the situation in one of the rooms that looked less crowded than outside.

In the room, four handsome men were seen enjoying the drinks in front of them. The three men were seen together with the woman they hired. However, it is different from a man who looks only alone.

"It's a wonder Young Master Desmond doesn't want company," quipped a man with blond hair, Vincent Radi Wyman.

"Hey, Vincent. Don't be like that. This young master is already married. That's why he doesn't want to play with women other than his own wife," chided a man with cat eyes, Rafael Noman Xavier.

"Both of you, please. Don't keep bothering Ansel," Bagas interrupted.

Meanwhile, the person being talked about just silently took a sip of the drink in his hand. The three friends looked at him in confusion.

"Are you thinking about your wife?" asked Bagas suddenly.

Suddenly Ansel widened his eyes when he heard the question thrown at him. "What?! Don't be silly, Bagas. I'm thinking about her? Tsk, I haven't thought about that woman for a second," Ansel denied. Ansel then got up from his seat. Making the three men immediately look at him.

"Where are you going, Ansel?" asked Rafael.

"Out," Ansel replied coldly as he left the room.

The three men stared at each other, especially Vincent and Rafael who were quite surprised. Seconds later, they clapped loudly. They knew what Ansel meant by coming out was that he wanted to hire a woman and take her to bed.

"Well, that's Young Master Desmond!" said Vincent.

"You're right. I had thought that Ansel was suffering from an illness so he didn't want to be approached by women," said Rafael.

Bagas just kept quiet. He knew very well that Ansel was just trying to avoid his question. Of Ansel's three friends, he was the one who knew Ansel best, because he and Ansel had known each other since they were children.

Outside the room, Ansel is walking towards a room he has booked. He opened the room and saw the woman he had hired. The woman was quite beautiful, especially since her body was clearly visible with the lingerie she was wearing. The lingerie looked so transparent that it showed her underwear.

The woman walked with quick steps towards Ansel. She gave Ansel a seductive look. "I did not expect to be used by Young Master Desmond. Even if I don't get paid, I will still do it. Young Master Desmond is my dream," she said while sensuously stroking Ansel's chest.

Unfortunately, it could not make Ansel horny. Even when the woman was completely naked in front of him, it could not arouse Ansel's lust. For some reason he suddenly saw the woman in front of him as Aleta. That made Ansel confused. He shook his head quickly.

"Young Master, what's wrong with you?"

The woman held Ansel's chest again. Ansel opened his eyes. He showed a surprised look when the person in front of him this time was really Aleta.

"Aleta?" called Ansel.

The woman looked confused at Ansel. Why did she suddenly mention another woman's name?

Ansel walked up to her. Just as he was about to kiss her, Aleta's face suddenly appeared in front of him. He immediately pushed her body away and walked away.

"Young Master! Where are you going?"

Ansel ignored her. He just threw a large sum of money at her and got out of there.

Ansel walked into his car. His mind was a mess right now. How could he have seen Aleta's face earlier? Even more curious, why did he suddenly get aroused when he saw Aleta's face?

"Akh! It is crazy! Really really crazy. I seem to have lost my mind at the moment. Is it maybe because I drank too much? How can I see that substitute girl's face in front of me?" muttered Ansel with a face full of anger.

He shook his head to wake herself up. He didn't intend to go home at this time. He didn't want to meet Aleta. He don't know, his feelings became chaotic when he met Aleta. He was very angry to see her. But, for some reason he also wanted to see her face. He really didn't understand what was going on.

He was currently driving his car to his house. Ansel parked his car and immediately entered his house. Of course, he had a spare key to his house, so he didn't need to press the bell to enter. As he entered his house, his steps suddenly stopped. Ansel's gaze was straight ahead.

Precisely in the direction of a woman who was lying soundly on the living room sofa.

For some reason, he became fixated on her. His feet didn't seem to want to move from there. He kept looking longingly at the face of the woman who was sleeping peacefully.

Ansel gulped his saliva with difficulty. A feeling that was hard to define suddenly urged him.

"What happened to me? Why am I like this just because of that woman?"

***

Ansel was still silent in his place. He walked over to the woman who was sleeping on the living room sofa. He turned his face down and flicked her hair. This revealed the beautiful face of Aleta who was sleeping.

A lopsided smile appeared on his face. He chuckled quietly. "Tsk, does she think I'll sympathize with her by doing this? I'm even more annoyed with you. You're deliberately doing all this just to get attention from me. But I won't care about that. You have to suffer for your choices," Ansel hissed.

He straightened up and walked away from Aleta who was still sleeping there. In fact, there was no desire from the man to move Aleta to her room. Of course, his answer was that he didn't care about that at all.

Ansel preferred to clean his body because his body and mind were very tired at the moment. After cleaning his body, he went to rest his body. When he tried to close his eyes, his eyes suddenly opened again. Somehow his mind drifted back to Aleta who was sleeping outside.

"Akh! Why should I think about that woman? I'd better get some sleep now. I'm so tired right now," muttered Ansel, who preferred to focus on resting his body.

***

"Hmm. Ah, my body hurts," complained Aleta who had just woken up from her sleep.

She was quite surprised when she woke up on the living room sofa. She looked at the clock which showed five in the morning. "How could I fall asleep when he's not home yet?" Aleta muttered.

She held her waist, which was quite sore from falling asleep on the sofa. Her body was already quite fresh as she had cleaned her body. After wearing her clothes, Aleta walked out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen. When she got to the kitchen, she saw a maid she already knew.

"Morning Aunt Nani!" greeted Aleta.

The middle-aged woman turned her face and smiled broadly at Aleta. "Morning to you too, madame!" greeted Aunt Nani back.

"Auntie, I told you not to call me madame. I'm not used to it," Aleta complained.

Aunt Nani chuckled softly at Aleta's protesting tone. "I can't do that. You are Young Master's wife. That's what I'm supposed to call you like this, isn't it," Aunt Nani chimed in.

"Well, you calls me madame when there are people around. But if we're alone, just call me Aleta. I don't want to be too formal," Aleta replied.

"Alright Aleta! I'm understands," Aunt Nani replies back..

The two immediately laughed together. "Oh yeah, Auntie. Can I ask you a question?" Aleta asked.

"What, just ask," replied Aunt Nani.

"Hmm, does Ansel really not like breakfast?" Aleta asked cautiously.

"Not really. Young Master usually only drinks coffee and usually only eats a piece of bread," replied Aunt Nani.

Aleta was somewhat surprised to hear that. "Isn't it not very good to drink coffee in the morning? Especially since she drinks black coffee," Aleta said.

"I has offered to make something else. But he didn't want to," replied Aunt Nani.

Aleta made a thinking face. "I'll make Ansel breakfast," Aleta said.

Aunt Nani looked stunned by what Aleta had said. "You'd better not Aleta. I don't want you to get angry with him. He has a bad temper," said Aunt Nani who wanted to stop Aleta from making breakfast for Ansel.

Aleta shook her head softly. "It's okay, Auntie. It's my role as his wife. By the way, is he home yet?" asked Aleta, who had just remembered that she hadn't seen Ansel earlier.

"Young Master is home, Aleta. You saw him come into the room last night," replied Aunt Nani.

Aleta felt a lump in her chest. That meant Ansel should have seen her asleep in the living room that night. But, he had no mercy to lift her to his room.

Why would I think that? Besides, he didn't think much of me in the first place. It's okay, Aleta. You have to bear with it ~ Aleta thought

Aleta started cooking for her husband. She didn't know if Ansel would accept it or not. The important thing was that she had done her part as a wife.

She made breakfast of fried rice for her husband. When she was done, she carried the food to the dining table. Just as she put the food on the table, there was the sound of loafers walking down the stairs.

Aleta looked at her husband, who was already neatly dressed in a navy blue suit. Still, he had a flat face. Ansel walked over to the dining table where he frowned at the food on the table.

"I-I made breakfast for you," Aleta said.

Ansel immediately looked at Aleta who was staring at him nervously. He let out a rough breath.

"Don't you remember what I said yesterday?" asked Ansel in an emphasized tone.

"I-It was...."

"I told you that I don't need your attention. I don't care what you do. I warned you not to bother me. Is that not clear enough in your ears? I think you need to see an ENT doctor to check your ears," Ansel sarcastically glared.

Aleta was quite stunned by the sharp tone. But she could not give up.

"I made breakfast for you because it's my wifely duty. And I...."

"What did you say?! Wife?!" cut in Ansel which made Aleta stare at him in confusion.

"Y-Yes"

Ansel laughed out loud. Or rather, he laughed dismissively.

"Are you stupid or senile? Since when did I consider you as my wife? Gosh, you don't deserve to be with me at all. You want to know why? I don't like little girls like you. I also don't like someone who accepts whatever is done to them. So, from now on, stay out of my life. And this," Ansel explained as he picked up the plate of fried rice.

Aleta wondered what Ansel would do with the food he had made. Ansel walked over to the wastebasket and threw all the food into it. Suddenly it made Aleta widen her eyes to see what the man was doing.

"W-Why did you throw it away?" asked Aleta.

Ansel turned to look at Aleta. He stood in front of her and looked at her coldly. "Do you want to know why?" asked Ansel.

Before Aleta could say anything, Ansel suddenly slammed the plate in his hand, causing a loud noise. Suddenly Aleta closed her eyes because of the loud sound.

Ansel firmly grabbed Aleta's chin. "Open your eyes!" Ansel snapped.

Aleta slowly opened her eyes. She was quite scared to see Ansel's attitude like this.

"Look at this! Look at this broken plate. That's who you are. You are just a broken plate. And if you want to slap it, it will only leave a mark. You must remember that you are not my real wife. Remember one thing, you are just a surrogate," Ansel insulted her as he threw Aleta's face to the floor.

Ansel stomped on Aleta's hand so hard that it was pierced by the broken plate.

"Akh! It's Sack!" Aleta screamed with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Y-Young Master, please don't tread on Madam's hand. I beg you," pleaded Aunt Nani with a pitiable face.

Ansel lifted his foot. He looked sarcastically at Aleta. "If you bother me again, I will give you more punishment than this. Do you understand?" Ansel motioned as he walked away from them.

"A-Aleta, let's get up. Let's treat your hand first," Aunt Nani said as she helped Aleta to get up.

Aleta walked slowly and sat at the kitchen pantry table. Auntie Nani walked over to get the first aid kit and sat near Aleta.

Tears were still pouring down on her face. She did not expect Ansel to be so ruthless just because she made breakfast for him.

"Hold on, okay? This will be very painful. But if you don't treat it, it will get infected," said Aunt Nani, who began treating Aleta's injured hand.

The wound was so deep that Aunt Nani had to remove the fragments in Aleta's hand first. Aunt Nani looked at Aleta who was just silent with a blank stare. Because it wasn't her hand that hurt, but her heart that was currently hurting because of Ansel's words.

"Well, it's done. For now, don't expose this wound to water. You can call me if you need anything," said Auntie Nani.

Aleta looked down at her bandaged hand. "Thank you, Auntie. You helped me earlier. But, not again next time. I don't want you to get involved and get angry too," Aleta explained.

Aunt Nani lifted Aleta's face. She shook her head as she wiped away Aleta's tears. "There's no way you can let yourself get hurt like that. You just calm down, it's okay for me to get angry later. The important thing is that you're okay," said Auntie Nani.

Aunt Nani grabbed Aleta and hugged her tightly. She stroked her back gently to let her calm down.

"Does your hand hurt a lot?" asked Aunt Nani.

"Instead of my hands hurting, my heart hurts more, Auntie. I didn't expect Ansel to be that angry just because I made him breakfast," Aleta said with a sad look.

"Next time, don't do it again. The young master will be even angrier. Or don't take too much care of Young Master's life. I'm worried about you," explained Auntie Nani.

Aleta thought about what Aunt Nani had said. Was she not supposed to take care of Ansel's life? But Ansel was her husband now. Despite her ruthless attitude towards him. She didn't want to be seen as an unfaithful wife by God.

"Aleta?!"

Suddenly Aleta and Aunt Nani looked at the middle-aged woman who was Aleta's mother-in-law. Aleta immediately moved and approached her mother-in-law.

"You came here, why didn't you tell me first. I can prepare something for you," Aleta said.

Amanda shook her head slowly. She took Aleta's injured hand. "What's wrong, dear? Why is your hand bandaged like this?" Amanda asked with a very worried look.

"That, madame...."

"My hand accidentally got hit by the broken glass. I accidentally dropped it because my hands were slippery. But it's fine now. Aunt Nani has treated it. Don't worry, mommy," Aleta explained.

Aunt Nani could only sigh softly as Aleta hid the truth. She wanted to tell her mistress the truth. But if Aleta didn't seem to want to tell the truth, she should just go along with it.

"Ouch, dear. Why aren't you careful? Let's take it to the doctor. I'm afraid there will be an infection," said Amanda, who still had a worried look on her face.

Aleta shook her head quickly. "No, Mommy! I'm really fine. Aunt Nani has treated it well. Let's go to the living room now. Let's talk together," Aleta refused, trying to prevent her mother-in-law from taking her to the doctor. Isn't that too much?

Amanda sighed softly. "If it's okay, that's fine. But if you're still sick, you have to tell me. I don't want my favorite daughter-in-law to get sick. Auntie, please clean up the shards. Don't let there be even the slightest shard, Aleta will step on it," Amanda explained.

"Yes madame!"

Amanda quickly took Aleta's hand to walk away. Aleta glanced behind her at Aunt Nani. She muttered the word 'sorry' to the middle-aged woman. Aunt Nani shook her head indicating that she was okay.

Aleta and her mother-in-law sat facing each other. To be honest, at first Aleta was a little afraid that she would get bad in-laws. Just like the books she had read. In fact, it was not what she expected. She was grateful to have in-laws like Mama Amanda. She loved her so much. She felt the warmth of a mother-in-law.

"Are you okay here? Did Ansel cause you any trouble? Or hurt you?" Amanda asked.

Aleta was silent for a while. Should she tell Mama Amanda the truth about Ansel's behavior towards her while here?

Seeing Aleta's silence raised questions in her mind. She took her daughter-in-law's hand.

"Aleta, what's wrong?" asked Amanda.

Aleta snapped out of her reverie. "Sorry, Mommy. I was daydreaming. You can rest easy. Ansel didn't hurt me. It's true that he's a bit indifferent to me. But he doesn't give me any trouble at all," said Aleta, who chose to hide the truth.

Amanda was silent. She looked seriously at Aleta.

"Dear, if he really hurt you, just tell me. I'd be very happy if you could be honest with me. Even if Ansel threatens you not to say it, don't ignore him. Just tell me whatever happens," Amanda said with a big smile.

She really felt warm in her heart because of the attention from her in-laws. Something she never got from her mother-in-law. Because she would always differentiate her affection between herself and her sister. She did not want to prejudice her own parents.

Aleta nodded her head strongly. "Yeah, Mommy. I will always be honest with you. Thank you, Mommy. You really care about me," Aleta replied with a big smile.

Amanda hugged Aleta tightly. "Always count on me if you need something or someone hurts you. I'll always be there for you," Amanda said as she gently stroked Aleta's dark brown mane.

She was so happy to be cared for like this. Attention she had never gotten. Even to her own family. So since childhood, Aleta could only love herself.

The hug slipped away. "By the way, would you like to have lunch outside with me?" Amanda asked.

Aleta nodded her head. "It's okay Mommy. I'd love to," Aleta replied.

"Great, let's go now. Before we have lunch, we'd better take a walk at the mall," Amanda said.

Aleta, who wanted to refuse, couldn't because her mother-in-law immediately pulled her hand out of the house.

Aunt Nani smiled at that.

"It's good that Madame is there for Aleta if she's in trouble," Aunt Nani murmured.

***

The car carrying Aleta and her mother-in-laws had stopped in front of a mall. As originally planned, Amanda would take her daughter-in-law for a tour of the mall before having lunch together. Aleta happily followed. However, she was quite overwhelmed because her mother-in-law was forcing her to shop. Starting from clothes, accessories to buying her jewelry. Even though Aleta didn't need all that. She just wanted to walk with her mother-in-law.

But then again she couldn't resist if her mother-in-law was going to push her so hard. She was also afraid that Mama Amanda would be upset with her for refusing to continue.

Fortunately, the bodyguard quickly brought all their shopping.

"Mommy, let's rest first," Aleta said.

It wasn't just that she was tired, she was just trying to find an excuse so that her mother-in-law wouldn't have to take her around again to buy more things.

Amanda looked at her watch. "Yes, let's go. It's about to be lunchtime anyway. Why don't we go to that restaurant?" Amanda suggested, pointing to one of the nearby restaurants.

"That's fine Mommy. Over there," replied Aleta, who preferred wherever they ate, as long as her mother-in-law was distracted from buying more things for her. Even though Amanda was her mother-in-law. There was still a bad feeling if she had to receive so many things. Moreover, she had to beat her chest when she saw the fantastic prices. The world of the rich is very different.

They entered a restaurant in the mall. After ordering the food, Aleta and Mama Amanda talked lightly.

"You shouldn't have bought me so many things. Especially when the prices are so expensive," Aleta quipped.

"Ouch, don't be so uncomfortable, dear. I'm doing this for my own children, you know. There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, I'm very happy to hang out with you," said Amanda.

Aleta was quite stunned when she said that she was considered like her own child. Aleta's gaze stopped at a man and woman who had just entered the restaurant. She was quite surprised to see a man who turned out to be her own husband, Ansel, who was currently walking alone with a woman who was holding her hand.

Anyone who saw would definitely think that the two were in a relationship. Is this why Ansel doesn't accept her? Because he already has another woman. She could see that the woman was very beautiful. No wonder Ansel would like that woman. Unlike her, who is just an ordinary woman and more precisely just a surrogate wife.

Amanda looked confused at Aleta who was just silent. "Aleta, what's wrong, why are you so quiet? What did you see?" Amanda asked.

When Amanda wanted to turn her head back, Aleta quickly stopped her.

"Eh?! Mommy, do you think the earrings I'm wearing are pretty?" asked Aleta.

Instead of looking back, Amanda looked at the earrings Aleta was wearing. She nodded her head.

"That's very good for you. Whatever you wear will be good. Because my daughter is very beautiful," Amanda replied while gently pinching Aleta's cheek.

Aleta chuckled softly in her heart, relieved that she had not looked back. As she glanced back, she was grateful that Ansel and the woman were gone. Although in her heart she felt pain because she was betrayed by her own husband.

You don't have to be sad, Aleta. This is the path you have taken. It's up to you what you want to do. I don't care~ Aleta smiled sadly.

***

A black sedan stopped in front of a large house. Shortly after, Aleta stepped out of the car.

"Thanks, Mommy! You be careful on the road," Aleta said, waving her hand at Mama Amanda.

"You also have to be careful. If anything happens, please call me right away," replied Amanda, who also waved her hand.

"Yes, Mommy. I will definitely do that," Aleta said with a faint smile on her face.

The car carrying her mother-in-law had already left the house. For that reason, Aleta just walked into her house. Aleta's steps stopped when she saw a sight that really surprised her.

She saw Ansel making out with the woman he had seen earlier at the restaurant.

But she didn't want to stay there too long. Aleta walked away, leaving the two of them behind. Ansel saw how Aleta just left without reprimanding him. Somehow that made him quite upset. He immediately pushed the woman in front of him away.

"You go away!" Ansel snarled.

"What? How can you leave? We haven't played yet, dear," she said while teasing Ansel again by stroking his chest.

Ansel grasped the woman's hand firmly and looked at her coldly. "I told you to leave, Cherry. Didn't you hear that?" said Ansel.

Cherry Jovanka Calum, was rather frightened when she saw Ansel's cold stare. She immediately got off Ansel's lap.

"Okay, okay, but why? You're not usually like this? What's wrong, are you embarrassed to be seen by your sister?" asked Cherry.

"She's not my sister. She's my wife," Ansel replied

Suddenly Cherry widened her eyes at what Ansel said. She shook her head vigorously. "You're joking, right? You're trying to lie to me aren't you?" asked Cherry who seemed to not believe what Ansel said.

Ansel sighed harshly. "I already told you once and I won't repeat it again. Besides, what if I'm already married? It has nothing to do with you, right?" replied Ansel in a casual tone.

"Ansel! Don't you see what I'm doing to you? I love you, you know. Can't you look at me?" protested Cherry.

Ansel laughed sarcastically. "Do you think I care about your feelings? You approached me yourself. I never thought of you as a normal woman. You should realize what I think of you. Then again, aren't we a win-win? You helped me and I helped you get recognized in the modeling world. Don't forget what I've done for you and don't expect more than what I did for you," said Ansel.

Cherry looked stunned by what the man in front of her said. "You're evil, Ansel. You're bad!" screamed Cherry as she walked away from Ansel.

Meanwhile, Ansel was just silent without any desire to pursue. It was because Cherry was just there for fun.

Ansel walked up the stairs and into a room. No, not his room. Rather, it was the room of the woman who had just passed by him without saying a word.

He opened the door and saw Aleta nursing her injured hand. For some reason he felt a bit guilty.

Tsk! What am I feeling guilty for? She deserves it ~ Ansel thought.

She walked over to Aleta, who didn't seem to notice that he had entered the room. It wasn't until he sat on the bed that Aleta seemed surprised by his arrival.

"W-What's wrong? Do you need something?" asked Aleta, who looked away from Ansel.

Ansel grabbed Aleta's injured hand. It made Aleta quite stunned as he helped her heal her hand.

"Y-You don't have to do that. I-I can do it myself," Aleta resisted, wanting to pull her hand away.

"Shut up!" snapped Ansel, who again pulled Aleta's hand to be treated.

Aleta remained silent as she watched her hand being treated by Ansel.

"Don't think that by me treating you right now, it means I feel guilty. I'm doing this because you treated your wound wrong," Ansel said.

Aleta chuckled softly. "I didn't think about that," Aleta argued.

"Why were you silent earlier?" asked Ansel suddenly.

Aleta knew where her husband was going with this. "I just don't want to disturb your activities. Aren't you the one who said I shouldn't disturb you?" Aleta asked back.

"I didn't just ask you that," Ansel replied, staring at Aleta's face.

Aleta wrinkled her forehead. "What does that mean?" she asked with a confused look.

"At the restaurant, you were there with my mother. You saw me with another woman. But you just kept quiet. You didn't even come up to me. It was a good opportunity to tell her what I did," Ansel explained.

Aleta was quite surprised that Ansel had noticed her earlier. "As I said earlier. I don't want to interfere with your business. You said it this morning. I still remember it clearly," said Aleta who lowered her face slightly.

Ansel smiled wryly. He got up from his seat. "It turns out you're a quitter," Ansel replied as he walked away from Aleta's presence.

Meanwhile, Aleta was silent after Ansel said that to her. "What does he mean by saying that?" Aleta muttered with a confused face.

***

Aleta woke up with a dry throat. When she looked at the teapot on her tray, it was empty.

Aleta let out a rough sigh. She had to go downstairs to fetch water from the kitchen. She walked slowly towards the kitchen. She saw that the kitchen light was on. Out of curiosity, she quickly walked towards the kitchen to see who was in the kitchen at the moment.

She showed a surprised look when she saw Ansel sitting at the dining table with a bowl in front of him. Ansel was also surprised to see Aleta in front of him.

"Ansel?" called Aleta, approaching the man.

"You haven't slept?" asked Ansel.

"A-Ah, I'm thirsty and the pot is empty. So I wanted to get some water. Hmm, are you hungry?" asked Aleta.

"No! I'm already full," replied Ansel.

Aleta smiled at Ansel who seemed to be deliberately hiding that he was hungry. "It's impossible to be full just by eating cereal. Let me make you something to eat," said Aleta.

"You don't have to do that," Ansel refused.

However, Aleta ignored the rejection. Instead, she walked over to the fridge and grabbed some ingredients. She was going to make her husband some seafood fried rice.

She curled her hair into a ponytail, showing some of her hair hanging down.

She started cooking food for Ansel. Meanwhile, Ansel just stayed where he was. He turned his head back. He was silent as he watched Aleta cooking for him. For some reason, his heart was racing.

What's wrong with you, Ansel?! Just the sight of that white neck makes you horny? Oh c'mon! It's crazy!~ Ansel's mind continued to stare at Aleta who was cooking.

Even when the women who approached him were completely naked in front of him, it didn't make Ansel like this. But why was it that the sight of his wife's slender neck made Ansel quite aroused. This was really strange for him.

The fragrance of the dishes Aleta made wafted strongly. It made Ansel want to eat it. Aleta brought the food she had made and placed it on the dining table.

"I made seafood fried rice for you. I hope it suits your taste. I'll go back to my room then," Aleta said as she left with the teapot in her hand.

"Aleta!" called Ansel suddenly.

Aleta immediately turned her face to Ansel who called her. "Hm? What's wrong?" asked Aleta

"Can you make me breakfast tomorrow?" asked Ansel with a slightly embarrassed face.

Aleta was slightly stunned by Ansel's sudden request. "Of course! If you ask, I'll make it for you. Good night," Aleta replied as she walked back out of Ansel's presence.

Meanwhile, Ansel smiled slightly. Somehow he was happy when Aleta agreed to his request. He began to eat the food Aleta had made for him. A surprised look appeared on his face.

"Wow, this is really good. She's a good cook too. So sorry I wasted my breakfast this morning," Ansel muttered as he ate his food again.

Aleta sat up in her bed. She held her fast-beating heart. She still couldn't believe that Ansel would ask her to make breakfast tomorrow.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?" muttered Aleta, trying to pinch her arm.

"Ow! It hurts! It's not a dream at all. Gosh, why did Young Master Desmond change all of a sudden? Could it be that he got caught?" muttered Aleta with a thinking face.

Ansel's behavior earlier really confused and surprised her. Why did that man suddenly change so quickly. What happened to that man who suddenly had an uncharacteristically good voice?

"Hahh never mind, why should I bother thinking about that. I'll just go to sleep now. Hoamm! I'm still really sleepy," Aleta said as she began to lay back down on the bed.

Secretly, a big smile appeared on her beautiful face because she remembered Ansel's funny behavior earlier.