Money, Love, and Secret

Beep ... Beep ... Beep ...

The sound of the electrocardiogram machine continued to ring in the ears of a young woman. For six months, she had spent half of her time in the room of someone she loved. The other half was spent elsewhere, specifically at the house of a man who was now walking towards her.

"Hi, honey," the man said as he opened the door to the room. The woman responded with a forced sweet smile, her tired face betraying her true feelings. "How was your husband's surgery? Did it go well?" he asked.

"The surgery went well, although it took longer than the doctor had estimated," she replied.

"You look exhausted, honey," the man said, gently caressing the woman's delicate face. She responded by stroking his strong hand and taking a deep breath. "Have you eaten? How about having dinner with me? How about we go to a Japanese restaurant?"

She glanced at her husband, who was lying there connected to numerous machines, as if seeking his permission. She hadn't eaten anything since morning.

"Your husband would surely allow his sweet wife to eat," the man said, turning her head to face him. He gazed at her deeply, a hint of displeasure evident on his face.

"I'm going to grab a bite to eat, honey," she said, caressing her husband's hand instead of kissing him. The man pulled her out of the room. They walked towards the elevator. By chance, the elevator was empty, just the two of them. The man took advantage of the quiet moment to get cozy, but the beautiful woman rejected his advances, citing that they were in a public place.

The man complied, though he was frustrated. He planned to exact his revenge for the rejection when the opportunity arose. As the elevator doors opened, a crowd was already waiting. They naturally became the center of attention, but the woman acted indifferent. She walked behind the man who had been her financial support all this time.

"Wait for me in the front lobby. I'll get the car," he instructed. She nodded in understanding. She walked straight ahead, avoiding any distractions. Her long legs enabled her to quickly reach the exit. Soon, the man's luxurious white car arrived.

The car door was already open from the inside, so she only had to enter and sit gracefully. The car then sped away from the expensive hospital. The man continued trying to flirt with her, from holding her hand to forcing her to look at him.

"What's with you? Do you want to eat or get into an accident?" the woman snapped, annoyed by his inappropriate behavior.

"What's wrong with you, honey? You've been rejecting me all day," he responded, suddenly stopping the car by the roadside. He stared at her, demanding an explanation. The woman, already in a bad mood, exhausted, hungry, and irritated by his actions, reluctantly complied.

She brought her face close to his, almost touching. She smiled wryly as she saw his eyes, which had been open, now closed, anticipating a kiss from her.

"I'm hungry, and you're hungry too. If we continue this here, when will we reach the restaurant, Boss Dallas?" she said, gently patting his cheek. He pouted but resumed driving in silence. For now, he could handle the situation.

The expensive black car pulled into a famous Japanese restaurant, renowned for its delicious food, quality ingredients, and exorbitant prices. For a moment, she admired the restaurant's exterior design, feeling grateful to dine in such a place.

Boss Dallas, as she called him, walked ahead. Unlike usual, he didn't hold her hand, still upset from earlier.

"Here we go, sulking like a child again," she murmured, following him inside. Once inside, she scanned the restaurant's meticulously designed interior. It felt like a little piece of Japan.

She approached him, trying to ease his anger by kissing his cheek. "So sorry, honey," she said. He didn't respond. "If you want, we can continue this after dinner," she added. Their conversation was interrupted by a waiter bringing the menu. He ordered dishes she didn't recognize, trusting his good taste.

While waiting for their food, she tried to act affectionate, ignoring the strange looks from others. The most important thing was to keep her Boss happy and ensure a steady flow of money. She still needed a lot for her husband's treatment.

Slowly, he began responding to her again. They engaged in light conversation about a project he was working on. Dallas asked for her input. She knew a bit about the project and did her best to help him succeed, ensuring she could benefit from it too. Anything involving his money, she was willing to support.

Finally, their food arrived. They ate heartily. She continued her sweet behavior, feeding him bites of her food. They joked and laughed, appearing like a happy couple.

"Do you want more or anything else?" Dallas offered. She shook her head, feeling full. Her hunger had vanished. After settling the bill, they prepared to leave. Suddenly, Dallas needed to use the restroom.

He had told her to wait inside, but she preferred waiting in the car. She walked to the parking lot. His car stood out as the only brightly colored one among the dark vehicles.

She chose not to sit inside, standing by the car instead. A minute, two minutes, then five minutes passed, but Dallas hadn't returned. Her eyes spotted a socialite group. She recognized one of them. The woman she was observing then greeted her.

"Mira? What are you doing here?"