Chapter 49

After the wedding at the Grand SKY, it became the talk of the town. Everyone was buzzing about it. But guess what? The bride and groom? Nowhere to be seen.

Andrew was driving his shiny BMW 520, and sitting beside him was Clara, her heart still soaring from the wedding. She couldn’t help herself. "How on earth did you book the Grand SKY? They never let people do that!"

Andrew’s grin grew wide. “Well, there’s this senior exec at the Grand Pavilion, an old friend of mine from the orphanage. We’ve been through a lot together. I used to share my steamed buns with him, so when I asked for a favor, he didn’t hesitate.”

Clara blinked, surprised. "I didn’t know you had an old friend like that. Why didn't you tell me?"

Andrew shrugged. “I have a lot of friends from the orphanage, you know? It would take me three days to tell you about them all, and I didn’t think you'd care much.”

Clara smiled, her eyes softening. "Of course, I care. You’re my husband now."

Andrew chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "Alright, I’ll tell you more about them soon."

They pulled up to their block, and as they stepped out of the car, they ran into Clara’s parents, who had just returned from somewhere.

Magret, Clara’s mom, gasped. "Where did this car come from? Is this yours, Clara?"

Clara’s dad, Philip, practically drooled over the car. "Wow, a BMW! Are you sure it’s not yours, Clara? Looks like someone’s been splurging!"

Clara quickly jumped in, trying to explain. "It’s not mine, it’s Andrew’s."

"Andrew?" Philip raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Where did you get the money for a car like this? You must’ve used Clara’s money, didn’t you?"

Andrew waved his hands quickly. "No, no! I bought this with my own money!"

Magret circled the car, inspecting it like a hawk. She then frowned. "You’re living under our roof, we’re paying for your food, and you don’t even say thank you for the car? How ungrateful!"

Clara stepped in quickly. "Mom, don’t say that about Andrew."

Philip grumbled, clearly unimpressed. "A BMW 520? Really? He thinks he deserves that kind of car? A 3 series would have been fine."

Magret huffed. "At his age, your dad still doesn’t have a car! He should be able to enjoy the good things in life, too. It’s never too late, you know!"

She paused for a moment, then added, "Why don’t you give this car to your dad? He could use it."

Clara turned to Andrew, unsure. "What do you think?"

Andrew didn’t mind the idea at all. But then he remembered—this wasn’t just a 520. It was a 760! But he thought, why waste such a nice car on a man like Philip, who was always under Magret’s thumb?

He quickly thought of an excuse. "Dad, this is a 520. It’s the cheapest model in the 5 series. People might laugh at you if they see you driving it."

Magret frowned. "What? You don’t want to give it to us?"

Andrew waved his hands frantically. "No, no! I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just... this model is a bit too cheap. How about I buy you a 530? It’s one class higher than the 520. I bet it’ll make you look even better."

Magret raised an eyebrow. "Can you even afford a 530?"

Andrew nodded confidently. "I still have some savings. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the showroom tomorrow and buy you one."

Magret and Philip’s faces lit up at the thought of a new car.

What they didn’t realize, though, was that Andrew had just bypassed offering them the top-of-the-line BMW 760. He was saving that big surprise for later.

Later that night, in their room, Clara asked quietly, "Do you really have the money to buy that car?"

Andrew brushed it off with a smile. "Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it covered."

Clara bit her lip, feeling a little guilty. "I didn’t know my parents would be like this."

Andrew gave her a reassuring smile. "Your parents are my parents too. We’re family. I’m happy to give them gifts every now and then."

He lay down on the floor, where he’d been sleeping, with a warm smile. "Don’t worry, I’ll get that car for your dad tomorrow."

Clara smiled softly. "Thank you, Andrew."

Andrew chuckled. "The pleasure is mine, dear."

Then Clara suddenly blushed and asked, "Will you be okay sleeping on the floor? Won’t you be cold?"

Andrew immediately tried to act tough. "Oh, no, I’m fine. It’s not cold at all. Don’t worry about me!"

But Clara wasn’t buying it. She sighed. "If you’re cold, just add a blanket!"

Andrew felt a little embarrassed, realizing he’d missed her hint. "Uh, dear, it’s really cold now... I’m shivering."

Clara kicked a blanket off the bed. "It’s summer! How cold can it be? If you’re really that cold, I’ll get you a jacket."

Andrew mentally kicked himself. "Oh no, this isn’t going as planned..."

Clara rolled her eyes, but her voice had a smile in it. "Go ahead and sleep, you big dummy!"

Andrew finally realized what had happened, and he frantically tried again. "My dear, I think it’s really cold now. I need to get under the covers!"

But it was too late. Clara had already made her point. Andrew’s plan to sneak into the bed was failing miserably.

The next morning, Clara was up early, getting ready for work. Andrew made her breakfast and handed her the car keys. "Drive to work today. It’s your car now."

Clara hesitated. "But it’s your car. Are you sure?"

"Of course! You’re my wife. I bought it for you, not me."

Clara smiled and took the keys. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Philip was watching from the kitchen. "Andrew, you remember you promised to buy me a car today, right?"

"Of course!" Andrew replied quickly. "I’m heading out to buy it right now. Don’t worry, I’ll bring it home for you!"

Philip’s grin widened. "A BMW 530, right?"

Andrew nodded confidently. "Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a BMW 530. Wait for me!"

As Andrew went downstairs with Clara, he opened the trunk of the BMW 760 and pulled out his little scooter. He handed the car keys over to Clara, who drove to work, while Andrew rode his electric scooter to the showroom.

On his way there, Andrew passed by the Visiondot showroom. His eyes lingered on the sleek, shiny cars inside. His mind raced with possibilities. What would he do next?