Become the Wife of A CEO

“Nothing,” Horace answered quietly. He had had the porridge stewed all night for her. “Come down and have some breakfast.”

Without thinking further, she sat down. At breakfast, she kept thinking about the money.

Meanwhile, Horace glanced at her knitted eyebrow, and at that moment, he finally knew what was on her mind.

Horace picked up a shrimp dumpling, put it on Clara’s plate, and whispered, “Clara, let’s go see your mother some time.’

Clara froze with shock, and as she raised her eyes on him nervously, she found him staring right at her.

“Well, thanks, but I’m afraid…” She avoided his eyes, “She’s not feeling very well lately, so she needs to rest quietly…”

Clara was being evasive, without mentioning a single word about her mother’s critical condition or the expenses.

A trace of displeasure flashed across Horace’s eyes.

For all his years in the business circle, he had met some frivolous women, be it prostitutes or socialites, all of whom acted pettishly and were dependent on men for the pettiest thing, all phoning in his money or help.

Clara, however, was different from them.

Although it hadn’t been long since they married, she had never asked anything from him, or precisely, she tried to avoid turning to him for help.

Such distance and alienation annoyed him, but he didn’t know why.

“Really?” Horace’s unhappiness made him sound curt, “Then may her get well soon.”

Clara frowned.

Did she say something wrong? Why did he seem grumpy?

But she didn’t know what to say, so she finished her breakfast silently, after which she quietly let him dropped her off to the subway and went to work.

When she reached the company, instead of going straight to her office, she went to the financial department and tried to get an advance on next month’s pay.

But as it turned out, she had already been advanced her next month’s salary and would have to ask for one on the month after that.

“Well, Clara, dear, it’s not that we don’t want to help you, and we understand what you’re going through, but this is not up to us,” said Tasha of the finance department in a sorry tone.

Clara’s eyes dimmed, and when she was about to say something, there came a cold voice from behind.

“Clara Selman, what are you doing here at this hour? Don’t you have to get ready for the interview this afternoon?’

Her heart dropped a beat as she heard the voice. Very reluctantly, she turned around and saw Darren standing right behind her with an impassive face.

“I had something to deal with,” answered Clara briefly, unwilling to say anything else to him, she marched out of the office,

But just when she came out in to the hall, Darren caught up to her. He seized her wrist and threw her against the wall.

“What do you want, Darren?” said Clara furiously in a muted voice, afraid to be overheard by Tasha.

“Nothing.” Darren looked down to Clara condescendingly, with the typical teasing look on his face.

“Just wondering why my future sister-in-law kept asking for a wage advance.”

Clara realized that Darren must have heard the conversation between her and Tasha. She madly rubbed the wrist that hurt from his grip.

Trying to sound nonchalant, she said, “I have told you, Mr. Kirkland, I want to buy a purse.”

Darren felt so offended that he be began to laugh, “So you think I’m a fool?”

He just wouldn’t believe that Horace would not give her the money for a purse, if that was really what she wanted, given that how much he cared about her.

She must have been desperate for money because of something that Horace wasn’t supposed to know, which was why she tried to get an advance.

At the thought of that, Darren cocked the corner of his mouth in a sinister way. All of a sudden, he pressed his hands on the wall behind Clara, cornering her.

“What are you doing? Darren Kirkland!” Clara was getting panicked.

“Looks like you really need the money,” Darren leaned his body slightly close towards Clara, “You monthly pay… Let me guess, you need about ten thousand dollars?”

Clara frowned, “It’s none of your business.”

With that she tried to pushed him away, but then she froze at what he was gonna say the next moment-

“How about this? I’ll give you ten thousand dollars if you sleep with me for one night.”

Clara looked at him and the mocking look on his face in astonishment.

“So?” Darren looked down, and got upset by the paleness on her face, but then as he thought about the way she and Horace had made sheep’s eyes at each other the day before, his anger surged inside him, “You know, it’s way above the market price, so you are not losing out.”

Then he suddenly remembered something, his lips crooked even more, “Oh, right, I almost forgot, you already sold yourself for that two years ago, but that’s probably your first time? Now I’m still paying the same money for you, slut. God knows how many men have you… You should be more grateful-”

A slap fell on his face.

Before he finished his words, Clara finally couldn’t take it anymore. She threw a fierce slap across his face.

Darren was numb with shock at the unexpected slap. Covering his face in amazement, he fixed his eyes upon the dainty woman in front of him.

Her pale face was now red with anger, and her eyes were full of tears, which she forced back by biting her bottom lip.

Darren felt a hard blow at his heart.

He had meant to hurt her, but somehow, he wasn’t feeling any bit happy, instead he found it heartbreaking to see that look on her face.

Glaring at him, Clara fought back her tears and said word by word, “Darren Kirkland, I was such an idiot for having loved you before.”

With that she threw away his hand and disappeared from the hall without another look at him.

Darren was left standing there alone, looking as if his soul had been lost. Until after some time, Tasha, who was on her way to the bathroom, saw him stiffened like a sculpture.

“Mr. Kirkland?” Tasha was shocked.

He then came to himself, looked at her and asked, “Tasha, do you know what Clara needs an advance for?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Tasha felt embarrassed to answer the question, but she didn’t want to lie seeing that he was the editor-in-chief after all, so she told him the truth, “Her mother is seriously ill, so she needs the money for her medical bill. That’s why she asks for an advance, so please go easy on her, Mr. Kirkland.”

Seriously ill? Medical bill?

He was shocked at hearing the unexpected answer.