Falling For My Arranged Husband

"Bethie, are you avoiding me?" Nathan advanced step by step, his slender fingers tugging lightly at his tie, an elegant yet seductive gesture.

My heart raced uncontrollably.

"Nathan, let's talk this out, don't..."

My voice was hoarse and lacked any authority, and my face flushed instantly.

"Bethie,"

He murmured softly, a glint of triumph in his eyes, "we are legally married."

Well, my plan to run away from home had failed.

I conceded.

1

Nathan is indeed my husband, but initially, we weren't a real couple.

It all started from the first time I had sex with him.

That day, I woke up from a hangover to find a man lying beside me.

His features were youthful, his physique equally so...

Before I could recall the absurd events of the previous night, the man furrowed his brows, slowly waking up. His hand unconsciously wrapped around me, and his lips brushed my forehead in a good morning kiss.

The whole process was smooth and natural, as if this scene had played out countless times before.

I shook off his hand, sat up, and squinted at the curtains, trying hard to maintain the composure expected of someone older.

"About last night, I drank too much. I violated the contract first, and I'll remit the penalty fee to your account within seven working days.

You can terminate our cooperative relationship anytime, and I have no objections."

As expected of me, I was clear - minded and showed perfect propriety.

Finally having sexual intercourse with my husband three months after marriage would probably be a happy event in a normal family.

But things were different between Nathan and me.

Thinking about the prenuptial agreement I painstakingly drafted, my heart ached.

Is there anything dumber than digging your own grave? If I had known we couldn't avoid the inevitable, why did I include a penalty clause?

Alcohol truly is a menace.

I'm about to lose a lot of money.

"Hmm?" His voice, still tinged with sleep, was deep and husky, particularly evocative.

The atmosphere suddenly turned intimate and ambiguous.

I wished I could find a hole to crawl into. "Bethie, I was really happy last night,"

he leaned in, his tone sticky sweet.

My body stiffened, and I forced a laugh, "Nathan, behave yourself..."

"I'm perfectly normal."

His clear eyes sparkled with light, his tone aggrieved.

I averted my eyes from his. Well, it was all very normal. My face flushed even more, and I quickly jumped out of bed.

While hurriedly dressing, I said, "Sorry for the disturbance, I'll be leaving."

He propped his face on his hand, lying on his side, his tone sincere, "Bethie, can I make a suggestion?"

I glanced at him in confusion.

"Next time, don't keep asking me..."

He sat up, looked into my eyes, and said something that made me blush.

Oh my god.

I'm such a fool.

2

My marriage to Nathan stemmed from a moment of impulsiveness.

At the time, the man I had pursued for years hinted one day for me to keep trying, only to get engaged to a girl I disliked the next.

Regret, unwillingness, grievance, and anger intertwined, consuming my rationality.

Coupled with the fact that my parents and relatives pressured me to go on blind dates and urged me to get married one after another.

In a fit of pique, I embarked on the path of a marriage of convenience, hoping to get some peace.

The wedding was scheduled a day before my crush's, satisfying my childish sense of competition.

The fact that I lost my mind and crossed the boundary by having a sexual relationship with Nathan was also associated with the man I had a crush on.

Recently, my crush returned to the country and wanted to reminisce with me. I sadly realized that I still harbored some unrequited feelings that just won't go away, secretly fantasizing about him getting divorced, regretting, or being unhappy...

But reality was the opposite. He was successful in his career and had a happy family. Catching up was just that-catching up.

Feeling down and ashamed, I bid farewell to my crush and went to a bar to drown my sorrows.

Unconsciously, I had too much to drink. When I got home, I vented all my fierce emotions on the poor and innocent Nathan, thoroughly shattering the peaceful and stable life of our marriage of convenience.

3

After freshening up, I left the hotel room without saying goodbye to Nathan.

While waiting at a traffic light, I noticed an unread message on my phone.

It was from Nathan:

"Bethie, last night's memories were especially beautiful."

I quickly turned off my phone, my cheeks burning like fire.

Nathan had just turned 22 this year, three years younger than me.

His family condition wasn't good as his parents were divorced. He has never explicitly stated the reason for choosing a sham marriage with me.

He only told me that he would strictly abide by the agreement and respect me 100%.

According to my best friend Lana's analysis, he might have some unspeakable preferences, hence the need to marry me to cover it up.

I once believed that was the truth and never thought to pry into his privacy.

But now, seeing his greedy - looking little expression, I felt I might have been too rigid with gender roles.

He might actually be open to anything.

If it weren't for various loans and my unwillingness to part with the money for the breach of contract penalty, how could I have agreed to use myself as collateral?

The more I thought about it, the more complicated my feelings became.

What exactly is this transaction between us?

Am I at a loss?

"Don't mention it again."

To better focus on work, I messaged Nathan as soon as I arrived at the office, my tone leaving no room for argument.

He quickly replied, "Y."

It was just an ordinary reply. But somehow, I vaguely felt that he was a bit disappointed.

I drove this unfounded emotion out of my head and immersed myself in work earnestly. In the afternoon meeting, my boss assigned me a project that required a three-month business trip.

When the leader asked if I had any family concerns, I shook my head without hesitation.

It was a perfect opportunity to distance myself from Nathan, which was great.

3

The more you don't want to see someone, the more likely you are to encounter them.

After work, as I tiredly followed the crowd out, I spotted Nathan standing at the office building entrance, hands in his pockets.

The evening light cast a soft glow on him, giving him an ethereal aura.

He stood tall and slender, his white shirt meticulously buttoned to the top, outlining his well-defined shoulders and neck. His long, straight legs set him apart from the crowd, making him a scene of his own.

"Honey, I'm here to pick you up from work."

He waved his arms at me, his smile bright and radiant.

I walked towards him. When my eyes caught sight of his slightly reddish earlobes, for a moment, I had no idea what to say.

"Honey, I've received my salary. How about I treat you to dinner?"

Thinking about the upcoming three-month business trip, I nodded, "Sure."

The tension in Nathan's eyes instantly dissipated, and he naturally took my arm. "Let's go then."

...

He's getting more attached as time passes, making me nostalgic for our early days of marriage when our interactions were polite and measured.

I discreetly put some distance between us and looked up to smile at him.

"Nathan..."

Before I could finish, he interrupted me, his eyes shimmering with tenderness. "Bethie, it's my birthday today. I want to hear you wish me a happy birthday."

Compared to "

Honey," I preferred when he called me "Bethie."

Every time he did, it stirred a protective instinct within me.

I pressed my lips together, unsure of the tone to use.

Too intimate felt awkward, too distant seemed cold.

Ah, how should I define this relationship? As the silence stretched, Nathan's face gradually showed a hint of grievance.

My heart softened, and I stood on tiptoe to ruffle his soft, fluffy hair.

"Nathan, happy birthday. I wish you peace and health."

Though not particularly original, peace and health are truly the best blessings in my opinion.

He tilted his head and smiled contentedly, revealing a cute little canine tooth.

It was as if he had planned everything in advance, leading me straight to a Sichuan restaurant-just my taste.

I enjoyed the meal thoroughly, while he focused on serving me, hardly eating himself.

As for him, he just focused on picking up food for me and hardly ate anything himself.

After eating my fill, I slumped back in my seat, rubbing my belly.

"I'm leaving for a business trip the day after tomorrow. I might be gone for a few months, so I'll leave the house to you." Nathan's eyes darkened, and he pressed his lips together. "Beth, do you really have to go?"

I didn't reply, my gaze drifting to the neighboring table. There, a little boy was grinning at me with a toothless smile.

Nathan followed the direction of my gaze. Suddenly, as if something had occurred to him, he rushed over and crouched beside me quickly. 'Honey, we can have a baby too."

I shot up from my seat.

Had he forgotten that ours was a marriage of convenience? Or did he think that breaking rules once meant all agreements could be disregarded?

The words of reproach stuck in my throat as I met his gaze.

The little boy was looking up at me with a pitiful expression. His eyes were moist and glittering. The double - eyelid folds were clear, and there was a small mole right beneath the slightly upturned corner of his eye.

I swallowed involuntarily.

"Nathan, let's just live in the moment.

Don't say things like that again."

His expression brightened, and he immediately stood up, pulling me close by the waist.

He's really quick - witted.

4

Before my trip, Nathan and I spent a night together, and then I took the high-speed train overnight. "Beth, you look so refreshed all of a sudden. Looks like life's been treating you well, huh?"

A female colleague teased as we did our skincare routine at the hotel. Looking in the mirror, I touched the faint red marks on my neck, feeling a strange sense of pride.

"Look at your lovesick face. Wanna go wild at the bar downstairs?"

My colleague winked and grinned.

Why not? A change of scene might help me clear my head.

At the bar, we hadn't been seated long before men started approaching us.

For some reason, I couldn't muster any interest in them and kept comparing them to Nathan.

"The cleverest hunters often pretend to be the hunted,"

my colleague whispered in my ear before leaving with a muscular guy.

After saying that, she left gracefully with her arm around a muscular man.

Just like that...

she left?

Being single must be nice.

Watching her carefree departure, I couldn't help but feel a sense of realization.

"Beth, what are you doing here?"

A familiar voice called out. Turning around, I saw Frank-the man I couldn't forget. Today, he wore a black suit with a couple of buttons undone on his white shirt, revealing a hint of his collarbone. His silver-framed glasses perched on his high nose, and his slightly parted lips added a touch of nonchalant roguishness.

In an instant, words like "charming rogue" and "sensual allure" came to mind.

"Just unwinding," I replied.

"Something bothering you?"

He sat beside me, propping his elbow on the table and tilting his head to look at me, his eyes behind the glasses filled with a natural tenderness.

I awkwardly turned away. "Just the typical marriage troubles.

You're married too, so you should understand."