WHO IS AT THE GATE

"So, when are we getting married?"

Two pairs of feet walked in together. Even before touching the sofa, a logical question immediately came out of Monica's lips. Nathan suppressed a smile, thinking that Monica was actually too hasty because she had seen his wealth clearly displayed now.

"You are very impatient. It seems every woman will be dazzled by wealth. If you firmly refused earlier, now you sound like you're pressing me to marry you immediately."

Monica looked at Nathan, whom she thought was too confident. The faint smile looked annoying to Nathan, seeming insulting and condescending.

"Your self-confidence is quite good, but I'm not interested. Your initial purpose in bringing me here was to get married. If you only want to play games, you chose the wrong opponent. And one more thing, what is the advantage for me after I marry you later?"

Nathan was slightly amazed by Monica's way of thinking; she was not easy to deceive even though she spent a lot of time in a wild place with minimal education. He let out a rough breath, calmly ordering Monica to sit down. He glanced upstairs, then cast a look at the middle-aged woman in a maid's uniform who had been standing there waiting for orders. Just a finger signal was enough to make the maid bow submissively and go upstairs. Monica's suspicion grew stronger; it seemed like something was being hidden in this house.

"Before I explain, can you sit down for a moment?"

Monica glanced briefly, then took a seat right in front of Nathan, even though a myriad of questions were nesting in her brain.

"Tomorrow we will get married in a building a little far from here. And the advantages you will get later will not disappoint. Besides freedom, I will also give you a house, a vehicle, and money. But with one condition: you don't need to be too curious about my personal matters, Monica."

"Is that all?" Monica asked casually.

"One more thing, the status of our marriage is only a marriage on paper. I also free you from all the obligations that a wife generally should perform. And yes, whoever you meet, always remember your name is Arini, not Monica!"

Not long after, a man entered and placed a brown folder on the table, along with a pen.

"Sign here if you agree!"

Monica was not easily fooled; she chose to read some of the rules that could not be violated during her time as Nathan's wife. She was not allowed to show her real identity, must act gracefully and kindly, must never go upstairs without his permission, and could not demand the right to be recognized in public if, for example, the public knew that she was not the real Arini. There were many more; Monica did not have the right to regulate or forbid Nathan in any way, and vice versa.

"Apparently you are very demanding, huh. Tsk! Too complicated, but I agree."

Monica reached for the pen, then signed the agreement letter.

Monica initially thought she would spend time in this house, but apparently, Nathan had prepared her own place of residence. After that conversation, she was indeed taken to a luxurious house, but it was not larger than Nathan's residence.

Living alone truly made her free. After all this time, she finally felt this freedom. Monica, the night woman known to be wild and brave, now sat weakly behind the door. The tears could truly not be held back, a mix of emotion and happiness; it was indeed difficult to explain. Finally, the freedom that was only a dream had become a reality. After indulging in her memories, she chose to walk around the new house that was now hers. She used to have to work hard to be wild to earn money, lying on the bed for clients' satisfaction to get blue and red notes, but now she only needed to be an untouched wife to get everything she had never achieved before.

"But I'm still curious, who was that woman earlier? It looks like Nathan deliberately hid that woman, but why?" she muttered curiously.

"Wait! Are you sure there's nothing else to wait for? Are you serious, a rich person like you is having a wedding this simple?"

Monica protested when she saw the luxurious building they were in, which only contained the officiant and a few witnesses that could be counted on one's fingers. There were no luxurious decorations, no photographer to capture her once-in-a-lifetime moment, no luxurious dress, just a simple white dress, and makeup she applied herself. Nathan was the same, only wearing a formal suit as a complement without bringing a dowry or anything similar. Only a box of rings, and this really made Monica unable to fathom what was inside Nathan's head.

"You want to play games, don't you? There were no preparations whatsoever. What's so hard about contacting a wedding organizer?"

Nathan was silent, not responding, until finally Monica quieted down, suppressing her annoyance.

"Are you done protesting?" he asked flatly.

"We only need proof on paper that this marriage really happened. Don't expect more from this marriage. You might get your dream wedding, but not with me. So, how is it? Do you still want to get married, or follow your stubbornness with all your demands?"

Willy-nilly, Monica finally stopped protesting. The simple wedding went smoothly in a short time; there was no emotional atmosphere, no party, or anything. It was her fault for hoping for more. She thought that because Nathan was a rich man, he could grant her childhood dream of becoming a queen for a day on a luxurious wedding stage.

For several days, she was truly left alone. While new couples generally spent their first night together, she was already separated after getting married.

The night grew late, and Monica was still comfortable sitting by her bedroom window. The phone she bought the day after the wedding was just left on the bed. Suddenly, a woman in a white dress stood motionless in front of the gate. Fear struck her, but her curiosity overcame the fear itself.

"Damn! Who is that?"

Monica rushed out of the room, but just as she took a step towards the door, her phone rang instead.

"Fuck! Why call at such an inappropriate time?" she cursed before finally grabbing the phone.

"What!? Don't you have a clock at home? This is time to rest, and you're interrupting my sleep!"

A clearing of the throat from the other end did not make her lose courage. She looked back at the window, and the woman had disappeared somewhere.

"Damn it! She disappeared."

"Monica, stop cursing and listen to me!"

Monica fell silent, but her lips were still pouting, suppressing another curse that was now held back.

"Mother is in critical condition. We have to go to the hospital now!"

"Monica, do you hear me?"

The shocking news made her freeze for a moment. There was no other reason; she had to get ready immediately before Nathan picked her up at the house. Although she was still curious about who was watching her house from the fence just now.

Not long after, Nathan's four-wheeled vehicle arrived. Without further ado, Monica took a seat next to the driver. Her body was indeed next to Nathan, but her mind was still focused on the mysterious woman earlier.

"Remember, don't show any suspicious attitude! You must look gentle and graceful. Throw your grumpy face far away!"

Nathan kept rambling, giving advice that Monica apparently didn't hear. She was still too busy with the argument her own brain created about the figure in front of the gate.

"Monica, do you understand?"

Because she didn't get an answer soon, he angrily stopped the car suddenly, startling Monica, who almost flew forward if she hadn't been wearing her seatbelt properly.

"Are you crazy? Damn it, if you can't drive, just say so!" Monica cursed annoyedly.

Instead of apologizing, Nathan stared sharply at Monica. Suddenly, Nathan gripped her jaw, forcing her eyes to look directly at Nathan. Anger was clearly visible on his face.

"You know, I don't like to be ignored when I'm talking," he murmured in the deepest, flattest voice possible.