Chapter 9: JOSHUA

“Get up.”

I threw a black mourning dress on the bed. Fiona jumped awake in surprise. She looked at me like I was the most terrible monster that had just jumped out of her nightmare. Yeah, I was the nightmare that would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is my room, in case you forgot. You sleep in my bed, princess.”

She stared at me in a daze. Her two tiny hands gripped the blanket tightly to her chest.

“We don’t have much time. In an hour the funeral home will take your mother's body to the cemetery. Didn't you say you wanted to bury your mother next to your father's grave?”

“I’ll get ready quickly.”

Good. It seemed like she had regained all her senses. She grabbed the black dress and took it with her to the bathroom. I went out of the room and waited for her in the living room.

Waiting was the most boring thing and I had never done it before. They were the ones who always waited for me, while I demanded them to always be ready whenever I needed them. But now, I had to adapt to this new thing. Having a wife was the same as having to wait for her to dress up and get ready. This was what made me reluctant to get married if it weren’t for Grandpa’s insistence. A wife would change many things in me. I might also be more vulnerable to unexpected attacks like yesterday. I had promised to protect her as long as she had my last name. And I was sure that it wouldn’t be easy.

“I’m ready. Let’s go now.”

I guess I could compromise with her. She dressed up quickly and she was very agile when needed.

“By the way, how come this dress fits my body so well?”

“Just a guess.”

I was pleased to see that the dress fit her perfectly. I measured her carefully to make sure she had the right underwear and dress. Although she looked amazing in my pajama top, I would not let her appear like that in public. Her appearance last night was exclusive to me.

"Where did you get this dress?"

She asked me on the way to the funeral. There was no anger on her face like last night. I guess she had gotten over it. That was good. I didn’t like a drama queen.

"I don't even see any women's clothes in your closet. Did you go out to buy this dress before I woke up?"

"I had my men buy the dress at the boutique and deliver it to the beach house."

"Thanks. I thought I would go to the funeral in your oversized pajama top."

"You're Don's wife now. You should pay attention to your appearance in public."

"I like to wear comfortable clothes."

“Get that motto out of your mind from now on. You can’t just wear jeans and a worn-out plaid shirt. You have to dress up and be graceful when you need to be.”

“Tsk. I didn’t ask to be the wife of a Don.”

“Don’t start again, Fiona. I’m in a good mood this morning. I’ve been nice enough to you by taking you to your mother’s funeral. I’m not usually this nice. So don’t ask for more than that.”

“Fine. What a fierce ass.”

I ignored her grumbling and just focused on driving. It would take us about forty minutes if there wasn’t any traffic on the main road. That would give her time to prepare herself before seeing her mother’s body buried. As tough as she was, I was sure she would turn into a crybaby at her mother’s funeral.

As I expected, she turned into a crybaby once her mother’s coffin arrived at the cemetery. Her tears kept flowing down her cheeks and she sobbed while covering her mouth with her palm.

“Here. Wipe your tears with this handkerchief.”

“Thanks.”

I stood there awkwardly, watching as Katherine's casket was lowered into the ground. It was just the two of us and four men from the funeral home. Fiona didn't seem to mind the very simple funeral. I didn't know either Katherine or Fiona well enough to let me know about their friends or relatives. Our marriage was going to be a business marriage to please my grandfather. We weren't going to get involved in each other's business. It was going to be a platonic relationship. Katherine had been fine with that when I first made the proposition to her. I told her I wasn't like most of the men she knew, and she said she was too old to be dating someone. I guess Fiona was right, her mother's only true love was her father. No one could replace him in Katherine's heart.

I stared at the grave next to Katherine's. James Osborn. He was too young to die. Thirty-six years old. He would have been able to enjoy his life with his family for a long time if the car accident hadn't taken him away from them.

“Thank you for holding a funeral for my mother.”

“Never mind.”

Fiona crouched in front of her mother’s grave, caressing the very new tombstone. The men from the funeral home had just left after finishing their duties. I glanced at my watch.

“It’s time to go. We’ll go to your house to get your things.”

“So you weren’t kidding when you said I’d be living with you from now on?”

“I never joke with my words. Get up. I have a lot to do today.”

“Can’t you give me a little more time to be with my mother?”

“She’s dead. It makes no difference to her.”

“Why can’t you empathize with other people’s grief and sadness? Have you no heart, huh? Is your heart dead?”

I clenched my jaw. This woman really knew how to get on my nerves.

“Let’s go now.”

“Joshua, stop. You’re hurting me. Joshua!”

Her tiny palms pounded my palms that were gripping her arms tightly. Her blows were nothing to me because I barely felt them. She was so weak and fragile. The softest creature I’ve ever been with so far.

“Get in the car.”

“You always hurt me and are rude. What do you expect from this marriage, huh?”

I slammed the car door hard right in her face. I expected nothing from this marriage other than to satisfy my grandfather and secure my throne from my damn cousin.