Chapter 3- Dinner With The Montenegros

7 PM. Montenegro Mansion, Main Dining Hall.

I was nervous going down the stairs. I was wearing the red dress Doña Victoria had sent to my room earlier. Long gown, simple but it looked expensive. I'm not used to this. In the dorm, I only wear t-shirts and shorts. Now, I have to look rich, I have to look like Mrs. Montenegro.

Lucian was already downstairs, in a black tuxedo, talking to two older investors. When he saw me, he froze.

Whoa.

He looked me up and down. His eyes weren't cold anymore, he was looking at me differently.

"It suits you," he whispered when I got close and helped me down the stairs.

I couldn't answer. I blushed. It was the first time he ever said something nice to me.

But before I could even say thank you, Clarisse arrived. In a gold dress, super sexy, and smirking when she saw me.

"Wow, Bea, you look beautiful," she said, but her smile was fake. "But does red really suit you? I thought scholars aren't allowed to wear expensive dresses. You might not be able to breathe in that?"

I just forced a smile. I wasn't going to engage with her. We were in front of the investors.

"Good evening, everyone," Doña Victoria said, walking over to us. "This is my new daughter-in-law, Bea Montenegro. Top 1 at De La U, scholar, and Lucian's wife."

The investors looked at me and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Bea," one of the investors said. "I heard you are very smart. Lucian told us you are Top 1."

I was shocked. Lucian told them I was smart? To the investors?

"Ah, yes," I answered, shyly. "Thank you."

We were about to sit down when Clarisse suddenly spoke loudly.

"Didn't you tell the investors how you and Bea met? Wasn't it in the canteen? I spilled coffee on her? And she's just a scholar that our family is paying for?"

The whole dining hall went silent. Everyone stared at us. I wanted the ground to swallow me.

Lucian went rigid and glared at Clarisse.

"Clarisse, enough," he said, quiet but angry.

"What? It's true," Clarisse continued, even louder. "And you know what, did you know, my brother only paid 5 million to marry her? Because her grandma needs money. Such a gold digger."

It felt like I was doused with cold water. Clarisse knew about the contract? How did she find out?

I looked at Lucian, trembling. Lucian was also shocked and furious at Clarisse.

"Where did you hear that?" Lucian asked, angry.

"I heard one of the maids talking," Clarisse said, raising an eyebrow. "And it's true, right, Bea? You're only after my brother's money?"

I wanted to cry. I wanted to run out. But I couldn't. Doña Victoria was here, the investors were here.

I stood up, slowly, and looked at Clarisse.

"Clarisse, you're right," I said, my voice firm even though my hands were shaking. "I'm poor. I'm just a scholar. And yes, my grandma needs 500k for her operation. But I am not a gold digger."

I walked closer to her, not afraid.

"Do you call a woman who studies day and night to become Top 1 a gold digger? Do you call a woman who works while studying to support her grandma a gold digger? If I were a gold digger, I would have been rich a long time ago. But I'm not. Because I worked hard for everything."

Clarisse was silent. She didn't expect me to fight back.

"And one more thing," I added, louder. "I didn't force Lucian to marry me. He came to me. He was the one who needed a wife. So if there's a gold digger here, it's not me."

Applause. One of the female investors clapped.

"I like her," the investor said to Doña Victoria. "She has guts. She is not afraid. She is perfect for Lucian."

Doña Victoria smiled and nodded, proud of me.

Lucian came close to me and held my hand tightly, in front of everyone.

"My wife is not a gold digger," he said, cold but his voice was firm, looking at Clarisse. "She is my wife. And anyone who disrespects my wife, disrespects me. And disrespects the Montenegro name. Understand, Clarisse?"

Clarisse turned red with embarrassment and anger and left the dining hall, crying.

For the first time, someone took my side. And it was Lucian, my enemy.

After the commotion, we ate. It was quiet, but Lucian still held my hand under the table, not letting go.

"You did well," he whispered to me while we were eating.

"You too, Mr. Montenegro," I whispered back. "You're so good at acting like you love me."

He looked at me, and smiled faintly, a smile I had never seen before.

"Who said I was acting, Mrs. Montenegro?"

My eyes widened. What did he mean?

After dinner, we went up to our room. I was tired, but there was a strange happiness.

"Bea," Lucian called while taking off his coat.

"What?"

"Thank you. For not leaving earlier. I thought you would run out when Clarisse mentioned the money."

"I won't run," I answered. "Because it's true that I needed money. But it's not true that I'm a gold digger. And I proved that."

He nodded and came closer to me.

"You are different," he said. "I thought you were just a meek scholar who would only cry when bullied. But you fought back."

"Of course," I answered, raising an eyebrow. "I'm Top 1, you know. I won't just cry."

He laughed, a real laugh this time, not fake.

"And because of that, you have a reward," he said and took something from his coat pocket. A small box.

He opened it. A necklace, simple but with a small diamond.

"What's that for?"

"So you won't look pitiful tomorrow at the university. You're a Montenegro wife now, you need to look like a Montenegro," he said, but he looked shy.

He put it on me. He came behind me, fixed my hair, and put the necklace on. His face was so close to my neck. I could smell him so clearly.

"It suits you," he whispered in my ear.

I got nervous. I'm getting butterflies again for my enemy.

And that night, we slept again with a pillow barrier in the middle. But no one was shouting anymore. The two of us were just quiet, but with a strange kind of happiness.