Chapter 38: Accidental Married Woman.

Steven being left alone in the living room began to take a look around. He noticed the house's old and weak structure. The cracks on the walls, the faded paints on the walls, the ceiling dropping. Seeing all the faults in the house, Steven sighed.

Dua stepped into the living room with her family, her siblings teasing her.

"My, son, what would you like us to offer you? Although we don't have much, but we can quickly prepare something." Stella said as she sat.

"No, don't worry. We'll be leaving soon, I have to get back to work." Steven politely turned her down.

"But you're the CEO." Desmond said.

"You sound like my brother." Steven chuckled, making Denise drool for him but then was brought back to focus by Dua's piercing eyes.

"You have a brother?" Stella was surprised.

"Yeah, and that's what he always says. But CEOs work too." Steven replied and Dua's family looked at Dua, silently asking her why she left out the detail that Steven had a brother.

"Looking at this house, it would fall anytime soon. So would you all like to move into one of my houses?" Steven offered, making the family give different reactions of surprise. Did Steven just offer them one of his houses? Dua had to pinch herself to make sure this is real.

"We appreciate your kind gesture, but this house is actually much stronger than it looks." Dua finally spoke, receiving hard glares from her siblings. It was like they should pack back her words into her mouth.

"Thank you so much, son, for this offer. But this land holds memories of my late husband, we can't just abandon it." Stella said.

"Then I'll renovate the house for you. Just let me know when you're ready to move out temporarily." Steven replied.

"Thank you." Stella smiled.

"Mom!" Dua called. She expected her to turn down Steven's offer, but Stella ignored her.

"We'll get going now." Steven announced.

"Wish you could stay a little longer." , Denise pouted and Dua scoffed.

They all said their goodbyes and the couple left.

As they drove back, Dua occasionally glanced at him and sighed countless times.

"You know that bothers me." Steven said to her, referring to her sighs.

"I appreciate your kindness, but you shouldn't have. I would have done that myself, I don't wanna be indebted to you," she said.

"When the house collapses with your family in it?" He asked.

Dua sighed, her tears threatening to drop as the weight of her miserable life settled on her.

"It's only an act of goodwill. I'm not doing it for you, so don't think too much about it." Steven said, giving her a glance.

"And take those tears off your eyes, you look ugly," he added.

Dua scoffed as she took in her tears, "That is the worst way of making someone not cry."

"At least it worked, it stopped you from crying," he replied.

"I wouldn't have cried though. I hate to be seen while I cry. So I prefer bottling up my feelings regardless of how painful it is," she said.

Steven looked at her, surprised as to how a young woman would say something like that, wondering what she's passing through.

They pulled over at a grocery store and Steven stepped out of the car. "Didn't you say you were going to work, why are we at a grocery store?" Dua asked.

"To get groceries. You can wait here for me." Steven replied.

"No, I'll go with you. It'd be boring waiting here alone." Dua said, stepping out of the car quickly.

They went into the store and they started shopping, with Dua giving awful shopping suggestions. As she dropped another one again, Steven sighed. "You know what, just keep your distance until I'm done with shopping," he said and she pursed her lips.

As Steven continued shopping, and Dua kept her distance, a young man walked to her. "Excuse me, miss," he stopped Dua from walking.

"Please, can you help me out with a problem?" He asked.

"Sure, if it's something I can help you with," she replied.

"My mom's calling," he showed her his phone. "She's very ill, and she's been wanting me to have a woman in my life, but I'm gay. Could you please pose as my girlfriend?" He asked.

Dua looked at Steven to find him already looking at her, waiting for her reply.

"Sure." Dua granted the young man's request with the thought that she and Steven didn't have any mutual feelings, so it's no bad saying yes to the young man.

The young man answered his call and Dua played as his girlfriend. Seeing Dua grant the man's wish, Steven scoffed and continued his shopping. But he couldn't concentrate on shopping, he kept glancing at Dua and overlooked the man's advances on Dua, not until the young man kissed Dua's cheek. His face darkened, and within seconds he was with them, giving the young man a punch that sent him flying across the room.

Dua covered her mouth with her hands in shock. "What is wrong with you?!" She shouted at Steven.

The young man now on his feet lunged at Steven with a punch, but he dodged it. About to give the young man another punch but Dua came between them. "What's your problem, dude?" The young man flared up.

"How dare you kiss my wife?" Steven tone was chilling sending shivers down the man's spine, and putting Dua in shock.

"Y... your... your wife?" The young man was surprised. "But she's not putting on a wedding ring."

Hearing this, Steven's eyes flew to Dua's fingers, and she was really not putting on any ring. He looked at her, and she flashed him an awkward smile.

He simply scoffed and left them to round up his shopping. Dua sighed and apologized to the young man and went to Steven who just kept ignoring her.

In a few minutes, he rounded up his shopping and they went back home with their ride being quiet.

Reaching home, Steven stormed into the living room, passing by Shane without saying a word to him, and going straight to the kitchen. He arranged the groceries in their respective places and then headed to his bedroom.

"What's with him?" Shane asked Dua.

"I don't know." Dua replied.

"You don't know? You two went out in good atmosphere and now you're both back and he's in a terrible mood. Why?" Shane asked and Dua shrugged.

Dua went to the bedroom and met Steven in bed, working on his laptop, looking calm. But if only she knew the raging storm inside him.

Dua settled in the cushion and turned on the television. As she watched for some minutes, she turned to Steven. "You didn't have to punch that young man," she said.

Steven ignored her statement and asked her straightaway, "why weren't you wearing your wedding ring?"

"Oh, my finger was itching me, so I took it off for a moment. But now it's back on my finger," she replied while he scoffed and continued with his work.

"Why are you acting up? It's not like you're in love with me," she raised a brow at him.

"Are you? He asked her and she felt her heart skip a beat for an unknown reason.

"So even if I'm not in love with you, I should watch you get intimate with a stranger?" He said.

"That's not intimacy. It's a kiss on my cheek, and it's a fake one," she explained to him, but he wouldn't have it.

"It's the same thing, young woman. And let me remind you, you're now a married woman," he said.

"An accidental married woman. Because left to how I planned my life, I wouldn't be married by now," she said and he scoffed.

"Wait, hold on a sec, why do you even care?" She said and he scoffed again. But her words lingered in his head, as he asked himself, "why do I even care?"