Chapter 4: Rules For You, Wifey

My mouth dropped open, and chills raced down my spine. My heart pounded with a mix of anger and disgust, conflicting emotions I couldn't quite explain.

His eyes locked onto mine, seemed to say, 'Welcome to doom.' I knew that look all too well. Did he finally recognize me? What was coming next? Was he planning to marry me and torment me slowly, or worse, end my life?

My heart gave multiple jumps in a split second as fear gripped me, but I tried hard not to make it show. Clearing my throat, I regain my composure, stepping away from him.

His gaze never wavered, still fixed on me. He must have a thousand questions to ask... I guess? I mean, wasn’t he suppose to be asking about how I ended up as his bride? But, why wasn't he saying anything.

Marley was the first to approach, accompanied by a woman and a young lad, who I instantly assumed was his son. "Congratulations, little brother. You're finally married," he said, with an evil glint in his eyes. Anyone could tell instantly that these two never got along.

I stole a quick glance at Diego, curious to see his reaction. He simply stared back at Marley, his expression blank.

"What a beautiful wife you've got. How about Jasmine? You dumped her and married this?" Marley said, turning to face me, his face twisted in disgust, making me scoff inwardly in response.

Why was he staring at me like I was some kind of garbage? After all, he was the one who dragged me into this mess.

I felt an arm slip around my shoulder, jolting me out of my thoughts. My whole body tensed at the unexpected touch. This wasn’t what I had bargained for. Was he going to keep touching me at every possible opportunity? It was cringing me out!

"I know, right? Isn’t she so pretty?" he replied, flashing a sly, arrogant smile.

Marley's expression turned to a darker shade. "I never knew you were the type to go after beauty. Your marriage with Jasmine was meant to be a collaboration for mutual benefits. Good luck with calming dad's anger," he said, a smirk forming on his face.

"That would be another time. I'm sure Dad would understand, he always listens to me," Diego replied calmly. "Oh, I'd almost forgotten that you're currently in his bad books," he added, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Marley's face flushed with anger. Diego grabbed my hand. Urgh! Another bodily contact!

He led me around to greet the other guests, and we were mostly met with surprised looks. I bet no one expected me to be the bride. Honestly, neither did I!

It was a small wedding, attended by only a few, so we managed to make our rounds quickly. The crowd began to disperse. That was it. The wedding was finally over, and I was now Mrs. Fernandez.

"Oh, Ellie, you've really lost it," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. Everything was happening too fast, way too fast.

"Let's go home, wifey," Diego said as he took my hand again. This time, I quickly pulled away from his grasp.

"Home?" I repeated, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. To my house. We’re officially married, remember?" he replied, his voice steady. Suddenly, he leaned in, and I instinctively shrank back, moving away. "Didn't you know what you were getting into when you agreed to this?"

My heart skipped a beat at his words. Does he know about my agreement with Marley?

I opened my mouth to speak, but my words got stuck in my throat. "I..."

Before I could say anything more, he was already walking away. I quickly followed, dragging the gown behind me. A guard opened the door for us, and we stepped inside.

The ride was silent, with him glued to his phone the entire time. Not that I expected him to start a conversation or something, but the whole thing was damn uncomfortable. I played with my fingers nervously, beads of sweat forming on my forehead despite the air conditioner was on.

"Why did you go through with the wedding?" I finally asked. Damn, That took a lot of effort and nerve.

I waited for him to respond, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t even act like anyone had spoken. But I wasn’t ready to back down, so I pushed a little further. "You knew I wasn’t the real bride, so... you could have stopped the wedding."

He paused, his gaze finally shifting toward me. "I was curious, too..." he began, then narrowed his eyes. "And also amused. Why was the reporter who challenged me suddenly my bride? Just like that."

A gasp escaped my lips as I stared at him, wide eyes. "How did you recognize me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately bit my bottom lip, feeling it was out of place.

He chuckled softly. "It's not like I lost my memory," he said, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Why would I forget such a unique personality like yours?"

Among all the psychos I’d met, he was by far the worst. Who gets into a lifelong commitment just for amusement and curiosity?

"Not like you're any different," my subconscious mind pointed out. While he got married simply because he was curious, I got married for revenge, what a great couple combo!

The car pulled into the driveway and came to a stop. I gazed out the window, my eyes falling on a massive villa.

"Will I be living here now?" I muttered to myself, my eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes, you would," Diego's voice came from beside me. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. Oops! Did I say that out loud?

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I meant to open the car door, staying in an enclosed space with him for too long was already messing with my head.

"I have some rules before we go in..." His gaze was fixed on me as he spoke. Then, seeming reluctant, he added dryly, "Wifey."