LOGINThat evening, Isabella walked out of her office after another long day at work. The sun was dipping below the horizon, and it was well past the end of office hours. She walked toward the main road, hoping to catch a taxi.The distance from her workplace to her house was much farther than to her mother’s, so walking home wasn’t an option—especially not in heels.Step by step, she scanned both sides of the street, her eyes darting left and right, hoping a taxi would appear soon. But after nearly twenty-five minutes, there was still no sign of one.Just as she decided to cross the street, a motorcycle suddenly came speeding from the side road.Startled, Isabella jumped back to avoid it—but lost her balance and fell hard onto the pavement.“Ah—ow!” she hissed in pain, clutching her ankle. The sharp ache shot up her leg as she tried to get up, but her ankle was badly twisted, and standing was nearly impossible.A sleek black car screeched to a halt in front of her.The door opened, and a t
Max got up from his seat, opened the wardrobe, and grabbed a random towel and a pair of Isabella’s folded pants. Then he walked toward the bathroom door to hand them over.Coincidentally, Isabella was doing the same thing as before—peeking out through the small crack of the door to check if Max was still there. To her shock, he was standing right in front of her.She gasped and quickly slammed the door shut.“What are you doing out there? Are you trying to peek at me, huh? You’re unbelievable!” she shouted from behind the door.“Open the door,” Max called back, knocking firmly.“Hey, idiot! I have no interest in peeking at you! I’m just giving you a towel,” he yelled, clearly annoyed.The door creaked open just a little.“Oh… I thought—hehe, never mind. Thank you, Max.” Isabella smiled awkwardly, snatched the towel and clothes from his hands, and slammed the door shut again so hard that Max’s ears rang.A few minutes later, Isabella came out of the bathroom, hair still damp. She rumma
Isabella stayed seated on the bed, too lazy to get up. After a moment, she lay back down again, then finally forced herself to rise. As she tied her hair up and wandered aimlessly around the room, she accidentally bumped into Max—who had just stepped out of the bathroom.For the second time, Isabella found herself face-to-face with his bare chest. Her face instantly turned crimson, and she spun around, refusing to look at him.“Put on your shirt already! You really need to break that habit,” Isabella snapped.Max said nothing. He walked over to the wardrobe, grabbed a shirt, and put it on.“Are you dressed yet?” Isabella asked after a moment.“Yes,” Max replied flatly.Isabella turned around—just as someone knocked on the bedroom door.She frowned. Who could that be? There was no one else in the house besides her and Max… right?“Come in,” Max said.The door opened, and a woman in her late forties stepped in, smiling politely.“Good morning, Miss. Good morning, Young Master,” she gree
The new house Isabella and Max moved into was located in a recently developed neighborhood, where only a few families had settled in so far. The whole area was quiet—too quiet. Only the sound of the wind rustling through the thick trees and the faint noise of distant engines broke the silence.That night, Isabella stood near the bedroom window, her eyes fixed on the glowing moon and the scattered stars above. Her gaze soon turned empty as her thoughts spiraled back to her marriage.“Dear God, why does my life have to be this complicated? Marriage used to mean everything to me—something sacred and real. Now it’s just an act. What did I do wrong? Am I really that terrible?” Isabella thought bitterly.A sudden knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She quickly opened it, revealing Max standing there, holding a box of tea bags that hadn’t been brewed yet.“Max, what is it?” Isabella asked.“Make me some tea. No sugar,” he said curtly, handing her the tea.Isabella took it from
A few seconds later, Isabella heard the sound of the car engine roaring to life outside as Max went to warm it up.Her complaints didn’t stop as she trudged along, panting and dragging the huge suitcase that held both her clothes and her husband’s. Her hands trembled under the weight, and she stepped carefully down the stairs, afraid she might slip.Out in the yard, Max stood beside his car with the trunk open. When Isabella reached him, he roughly snatched the suitcase from her grip. A frustrated huff escaped her lips.Soon after, Adeline and Anna came out to join them.“Why are you two in such a rush?” her mother asked, her face drawn and weary.“Don’t worry, Mom,” Max replied quickly. “We’ll come back to visit every other day.”“All right, dear. Please—take good care of Bella for me, okay? She’s my only treasure,” her mother said, eyes glistening.Isabella felt tears threaten to spill but forced herself not to cry. She hugged her mother tightly instead.“Don’t worry, Mom. Max will
After his shower, Max put on the clothes Isabella had laid out for him. Then he headed downstairs, his footsteps slow and steady, toward the dining table where several people were already waiting.He greeted Anna and Adeline politely before taking a seat beside Isabella—directly across from his mother. The dining table in Isabella’s house was only big enough for four, so everyone sat close together.Isabella poured a cup of warm chocolate milk for her husband, then reached for the ladle to serve him breakfast.“No need. I can do it myself,” Max said sharply, turning his face away.Startled, Isabella froze and quietly set the ladle back down.“Max, can you please speak to your wife more politely?” Anna’s voice cut through the room.“What did I say that wasn’t polite, Mom?” Max replied, his tone defensive.“Let your wife serve you,” Anna said firmly.Max said nothing, but Anna gestured for Isabella to continue. Reluctantly, Isabella obeyed, spooning food onto his plate even though she d







