Chapter 16 It Was All Prearranged
"It's none of your business," Regina said, losing her patience. I have to work overtime tomorrow; don't wait for me."
"Fine, you don't have to come. I don't want you to ruin my birthday party as well," Sandra blurted out, "I don't want you to make the whole family unhappy either."
"Sandra, shut up!" the gentlewoman scolded.
Sandra felt wronged. "I was just stating the facts."
They argued on the phone, but Regina didn't want to hear anymore. She hung up without any expression. She put her phone back in her pocket and saw Douglas not far away, looking at her.
She forced a stiff smile and took a breath, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. Douglas had overheard her conversation earlier: "Melissa seems concerned about your marriage. I'll go with you home tomorrow."
Regina found herself at a loss for words. She recognized his good intentions, yet her heart wasn't in it. Theirs was a pragmatic union, bound by a six-month 'trial' period, and Regina harbored doubts about its longevity. The prospect of divorce loomed large, bringing with it the unwelcome thought of Melissa and Sandra's ridicule—a scenario she was keen to avoid. "Let's give it some more time. When it feels right, I promise we'll go see them together," Regina proposed gently.
He nodded, respecting her wishes without protest. "Alright, I'll leave you be for now," he said, before excusing himself to retire.
She had been busy with work all day and accompanied Douglas to a party in the evening. Regina was indeed tired at this point. She walked to the guest room and closed the door. Although she was still not very accustomed to this kind of life, Douglas's gentlemanly demeanor made Regina feel at ease, and she fell asleep soon.
Douglas, however, found it hard to sleep. Dressed in a black robe, he sat on the sofa, legs crossed, leaning back, looking at his phone. The city's lights dimly lighted the room through the full-length windows. His face was shrouded in shadows without any expression.
Messages kept popping up on his private phone. They were all from family and friends who were curious about Mrs.Semona.
Unfortunately, he had kept this secret well. Douglas usually didn't read group messages, but tonight, he was unable to sleep, so he opened the family group chat. He saw numerous messages mentioning him.
[It's fine you don't take her home, but at least take her into the family group for now.]
[I've prepared a gift!]
[Douglas, come on, watch this video. Your wedding should be like this, it's amazing! right?]
Douglas didn't reply. He opened the wedding video. The scene was spectacular.
[If you don't like this, there are other styles!]
Soon, someone else made suggestions. A romantic island wedding, a mysterious forest wedding, a grand starry sky wedding...
Douglas smiled. He typed a line on the screen: [ As for the wedding, it's up to her. If she wants to have it in space, I'll make it come true.]
He loved her so much!
The sweet feeling overflowed from the screen. Douglas finally spoke in the group, making everyone day.
They all congratulated him: [ Happy newlyweds!]
[ I hope you two will always be happy! Hope you have a lovely baby soon! Because you're so outstanding, your baby will be too!]
[ Wishing you a lifetime of love!]
Douglas didn't reply.
Everyone was happy!
Douglas thanked them. Just as he was about to leave the group chat, Nicole sent a belated blessing: [You finally married your love.]
They suddenly realized something. It was well known that Douglas didn't want to marry someone casually. The only possibility was that he had married the person he liked.
[ @Nicole, wait, what happened? Tell us!]
Nicole snorted.[One day, you'll all find out!]
It was all planned. Douglas threw his phone aside and slowly looked up. He gazed at the closed door, lost in thought. There seemed to be something hidden in his calm eyes. He stayed in the living room until two or three in the morning, unable to sleep, thinking about the first time she slept here and had a nightmare. But tonight, she seemed to have adapted. ...
The next morning, Regina's alarm went off at six o'clock.
She didn't plan to go to the company with Douglas. She was going to take a taxi to work. Sometimes, she encountered annoying rush hour traffic. It might take her an hour or two to get to work, so she prepared early.
But she didn't expect Douglas to wake up earlier than her. More precisely, he didn't sleep at all last night. Nicole's words were like a glass of intoxicating wine. All his senses and perceptions seemed to be heightened. He was immersed in excitement all night.
"Good morning!" Regina thought for a moment in her heart before cautiously calling out, "Mr. Semona." Although he still didn't like this title, he felt that she wanted him more than before.
"Good morning, Mrs. Semona."
It was just a very ordinary morning, but for Douglas, it was a scene he had dreamed of for many years.
The servant especially came to make breakfast. After a simple breakfast at home, they left. Douglas agreed to their request to go to the company separately, but he also arranged a car and driver for her. Regina sat in the car, absentmindedly looking at the scenery outside the window.
Suddenly, her phone rang. Regina stopped zone out and took her phone out of her bag. It was a message from Douglas.
