3

Eloise recognized the voice—it was Caroline Dominguez. She knew her well. Caroline was Elaine’s best friend and had once teamed up with her to bully Eloise.

Caroline had assumed that Elaine would be the one marrying Cosmo, so she was shocked when she found out it was Eloise instead.

Back when the Lopez family still treated Eloise as their real daughter, she was known for being smart and admired by many. People even called her “The First Princess of Tagaytay.” Even though Caroline came from the wealthy Dominguez family, she was often compared to Eloise, which only fueled her hatred.

When it was later revealed that Eloise wasn’t truly a Lopez, Caroline didn’t stop mocking her. In her eyes, Eloise had lost all value without the Lopez name. She figured Eloise would end up marrying an average businessman at best, not someone from a rich family.

What she didn’t expect was for Eloise to marry her very own cousin—Cosmo, whom she deeply admired.

Caroline was furious. Her glare at Eloise was filled with contempt. Without any filter, she mocked her, “What are you after, marrying my cousin? Everyone knows the truth. You’re a fake daughter—how can someone like you be worthy of him?”

Her tone was arrogant and rude. Some of the people around them simply watched the scene unfold—some entertained, others taking the opportunity to humiliate Eloise.

But Eloise didn’t flinch. She answered calmly, “I’m not sure what you mean, Miss Caroline. Care to explain?”

Caroline replied right away, her voice dripping with mockery, “With my cousin’s situation right now, isn’t it obvious? You’re just after his money.”

Eloise smiled and replied, “Yes, the Dominguez family is wealthy. But not everyone is driven by money. And what situation are you referring to? Are you saying that because of his disability, no one could possibly love or marry him unless it’s for money?”

Her response left some people speechless. Cosmo’s injury was a sensitive topic within the family, especially for Wilfred and Cosmo’s mother, Tanya. Tanya gave Caroline a sharp look.

Caroline gasped, clearly caught off guard by Eloise’s pointed reply. “That’s not what I meant!” she quickly said, flustered and struggling to explain herself.

Eloise gave her a small smile, watching as Caroline’s face turned red from embarrassment. She didn’t even realize she had contradicted herself. By accusing Eloise of marrying Cosmo for money, she had basically implied that Cosmo wasn’t lovable or worthy of real love—only someone with an ulterior motive would be with him.

Instead of defending Cosmo, she ended up insulting him.

Tanya finally stepped in, her voice firm. “Caroline, whatever your opinion is, Eloise is now Cosmo’s wife. She’s your cousin-in-law. You should learn to show respect and call her ‘Ate Eloise’ from now on.”

Tanya had arranged the marriage herself. After Cosmo got injured, she tried to find a woman willing to marry him, but nearly everyone said no. Though she was picky in her search, she no longer had many options.

She had always wanted Cosmo to get married—someone who could take care of him closely. For her, having a wife was better than just hiring a caretaker.

More than that, considering Cosmo’s current condition, she hoped he could have a child soon. If Wilfred had a great-grandchild, he might not ignore Cosmo so easily.

Initially, Elaine agreed to the marriage. But a month before the wedding, the Lopez family approached Tanya and said Eloise would take her place.

Tanya didn’t like the sudden change. She didn’t trust the Lopezes. Besides, Eloise was just an adopted daughter. But the Lopez family explained that they had raised Eloise for eighteen years with love and care.

In the world of the wealthy, Eloise was known for her intelligence, beauty, and grace. Even though her background didn’t match Cosmo’s, she was still a better fit than Elaine.

After thinking it through, Tanya realized they had a point. Aside from not being a real Lopez by blood, Eloise had received top education and upbringing before her real identity was discovered. So, Tanya agreed to let Eloise marry Cosmo. And since she made that decision herself, she stood by it—especially in front of the rest of the Dominguez family.

“Your aunt is right. Eloise is Cosmo’s wife now. Don’t be disrespectful,” Mr. Wilfred said, speaking up at just the right moment.

Caroline wasn’t happy, but before she could respond, her mother pulled her aside and gave her a stern look that clearly said, “Don’t talk back.” If she kept going, it would reflect poorly on her parents’ upbringing.

Then, Mr. Wilfred turned to Eloise. “Eloise, from now on, you and Cosmo are together. If he ever does anything wrong to you, come to me. I’ll take care of it.”

Eloise knew the old man was only saying kind words for show, so she calmly replied, “Yes, Grandpa.”

Caroline didn’t expect to be defeated by her own words, and the others chose to stay quiet too. Instead, they acted nicely toward Eloise—whether they meant it or not—and gave her a gift.

Dinner went smoothly, and when it was over, Eloise went to see Tanya.

Tanya asked her, “Have you met Cosmo already? How was it? Did he give you a hard time?”

Eloise shook her head. “Not really.”

Tanya hesitated for a moment and let out a soft sigh. “Cosmo used to be kind, but after everything that happened to him, it’s natural for him to feel down. His patience is shorter now too. Try to understand him.”

“I understand,” Eloise replied.

Tanya liked how calm and respectful Eloise was. “You’re a smart girl. I believe you’ll be able to build a good relationship with your husband. Don’t worry about what other people say. Just let them be.”

Eloise nodded. After a bit more small talk, Tanya told her to head back to the small building where Cosmo lived.

Since Eloise remembered the way, she didn’t ask anyone to walk her back. She figured it was best to get used to the place since this would be her new home now.

When she got to her room, she noticed her things were gone. She didn’t overthink it and headed straight to the master bedroom. She knocked before entering.

“Were my things moved here already?”

Cosmo had heard about the dinner earlier and looked at her with a cold expression. “My mom is really something. She had the guest bedroom prepared for you earlier, but shortly after, she had your stuff moved to the master bedroom.”

Eloise wasn’t surprised. They were married after all, so it made sense for her things to be in the master bedroom.

After thinking it over for a second, she spoke. “Your mom won’t be watching our every move. When it’s time to sleep, I’ll just go back to the guest room so I won’t bother you.”

To her, it didn’t matter where her things were—what mattered was getting some rest.

Cosmo didn’t care. “Do what you want.”

He considered the whole building his private space, so having someone suddenly move into the master bedroom just because they were married wasn’t something he was comfortable with.

But even though Eloise didn’t insist on staying, he somehow felt like he was the one being rejected. She had clearly said she wouldn’t interfere, yet he felt a strange heaviness in his chest.

As Eloise was about to get her clothes and return to the guest room to take a shower, she noticed Cosmo sitting on the edge of the bed. Remembering what Tanya had told her, she carefully asked, “Has anyone helped you clean up yet?”