A few minutes later, Erica stepped out of the walk-in closet with two of Matthew's new robes in her hands. When she glanced up and saw what the man was wearing, she almost screamed.
But, she managed to calm her fast-beating heart. 'Erica, just pretend that this is a men's underwear show. Only this is better than that!'
"Which one would you like to wear, Matthew?" Erica asked as she raised the robes to her face-level to prevent him from seeing her expression.
He glanced at the robes and shrugged. Then, he said, "Any."
"Fine." Now, she had to decide for him. Erica turned, studied the robes carefully, picked a silver-gray silk nightgown, and threw it on the bed. Then she returned to the walk-in closet without looking at him.
When she reappeared in the bedroom, Matthew had put on the nightgown. He seemed to be headed toward the bathroom.
Erica ran past him and stood at the door to the bathroom. "Well, can we settle the matter of the bottle of red wine before you take a shower?" She believed it was best to finish the discussion as she didn't want it to cause further strain between them.
Matthew cast her a sideways glance as he asked, "How do you want to settle this?"
"If I had any ideas, I wouldn't have asked you." Erica shrugged as she replied. No matter how much she thought about it, she just couldn't come up with any worthwhile suggestions.
"Do you think that I will ask my wife to compensate me for a bottle of wine?"
"Um… can I at least apologize?"
He refused coldly, "No! Now that you've married me, the red wine is our common property. You're in charge of not only my red wine but also all other things, including money."
His explanation left Erica speechless. Dumbfounded, she froze in her spot. Matthew, on the other hand, calmly walked past her and into the bathroom.
Erica still couldn't believe what he'd said. Was he that generous and forgiving? Was she in charge of all his property?
Impossible! He mustn't have meant it!
He was just being polite.
But, since he didn't care about the bottle of wine, she decided not to mention it anymore.
However, to her disappointment, by the time they went to bed, Matthew seemed to have changed his mind. He glanced at her and said, "I didn't want compensation or an apology. But that doesn't mean that I don't care about the wine."
"What would you like me to do?" she asked.
"Come here."
Erica shrugged off her shoes, sat on the bed, and smiled at Matthew. "What can I do to make it up to you?" She seemed to be fawning.
Alas! If she hadn't broken his bottle of wine, she wouldn't have to try so hard to please him.
She shouldn't have hesitated about giving him the five hundred thousand. After all, the bride price in her card was also his money.
Regret coursed through Erica as she thought about her decision.
Just as she was seized with remorse, Matthew pounced on her, pressed her against the bed, and kissed her on the lips.
Hmm… He was kissing her again.
After a while, Matthew let go of her. He slid his finger across her red lips and gazed into her deep eyes. "Do you remember the time when you called me honey at the school gate? Say it again."
'Call him honey? ' Erica remembered that time. Back then, she had known that calling Matthew honey would cause her trouble. Now, it seemed as though she was right. She chuckled awkwardly, "I said that on purpose in front of them. You know it doesn't count!"
"Doesn't count? That's even better."
"What?"
Confusion coursed through Erica. She couldn't figure out what Matthew meant. Before she could prompt him for an explanation, the man smiled and said, "I haven't heard you call me honey since we got married. Don't you think that you have neglected to perform your duty as my wife?"
"My…my duty? Okay. Let's just say that I'm a terrible employee. Since I haven't done my job, you should fire me, shouldn't you?"
"Theoretically speaking, you're right. But this isn't about your job as a wife. It's about your attitude."
'Humph!' Erica pouted. Soon, an idea flashed through her mind, and her lips curved into a charming smile. "How about we get a divorce? Then you can freely date the girl you like, and I can find Aaron!" she suggested sweetly.
Her wild proposal erased the mischievous glint in Matthew's eyes. "Aaron?"
"Yes, he is my idol and the hottest young man nowadays. Haven't you heard about him?" Erica thought it was odd for Matthew not to know about Aaron. Although Aaron was only twenty years old, he was very famous across the whole country.
His fans ranged from old ladies to three-year-olds.
"Should I know him?" Matthew asked.
Oblivious to their intimate position, Erica smiled and said, "You should! After all, ZL Group needs a spokesperson, and he is very famous. If you ask him to be your company's spokesperson, it will be good for business."
Matthew grasped her hands, leaned closer to her, and said, "I'll consider your suggestion, but…" With his nose touching hers, he continued, "I just asked you to call me honey. You have changed the subject."
Erica tensed and dared not to move. She gazed into his eyes and said, "You should let me go." Her tone sounded harsh.
"Is this how you apologize for breaking my five-hundred-thousand-dollar bottle of red wine?" he asked calmly.
Hearing this, Erica softened. She was at fault, after all. If calling him honey could solve the problem, she should do it. "Fine, I'll call you honey. But you'd better not let me meet the girl you have a crush on. Otherwise, I will tell her all your evil deeds and let her know what you really are."
"Rika, what do you think I really am?"
When Matthew called her Rika, it sounded so sexy that it almost turned her on. She stuttered, "You… don't try to seduce me. I won't fall for it!"
"Huh!" Matthew sneered. "Do I need to seduce a woman?"
"You are doing it right now!" He was so close to her that Erica's breath hitched. She could have pushed him away, but she didn't want to. He was so hot that she was reluctant.
'Men are indeed animals. They can only think with the lower part of their body. He doesn't love me, and yet, he is so intimate with me.'
"Then, tell me, have I succeeded in seducing you?"
"No…" Erica lied. If calling him honey would end this, she would do it right away. Decided, Erica gritted her teeth and whispered, "Honey."
This time, Matthew's breath hitched. Several emotions flashed through his eyes, but they disappeared before Erica could see them.
He caressed her head and released her. Then, he turned and grabbed his phone from the night table. Without looking at her, Matthew said, "Take a bath. Don't forget that you have school tomorrow morning."
Erica was surprised at how fast his emotions had changed. He returned to his arrogant and indifferent attitude a few seconds after forcing her to call him honey.
When he wasn't looking, Erica made a face at him.
Several minutes later, Erica stepped out of the bathroom. She tousled her wet hair as she padded toward Matthew. No matter how much she searched, Erica couldn't find the hairdryer.
With no other alternative, she approached the bed and asked Matthew, who was typing on his phone, "Do you know where the hairdryer is?"
There was no answer. Erica tapped her foot as she waited. A few seconds later, Matthew put away his phone and went to the bathroom.
When he reappeared, there was a hairdryer gift box in his hand.
