Chapter 4 Chapter 4
“Don’t you have a boyfriend now, Ma’am?”
I shook my head. “None. How can I possibly trust someone again after everything that’s happened?”
“I understand. It may sound funny, but the only solution I can think of is… get yourself a powerful boyfriend. Or better yet, marry one! That way, you’ll stop thinking about your ex.”
My jaw dropped. I almost laughed.
“Are you insane? I was about to believe you, but then you came at me with that?”
“I’m serious, Ma’am. Your ex keeps bothering you because you’re still available. He’s testing you. But if he sees you’ve settled down, especially with someone rich, he’ll back off. He’ll feel inferior. He’ll be scared.”
Maybe I was too drunk to realize the bartender was convincing me. I could see myself nodding.
“Maybe you’re right… I won’t be affected anymore because I’ll focus on being loyal to my husband. So, I need to find someone more handsome than my ex, taller, muscular, rich, powerful, smart, someone who can protect and take care of me,” I listed, sipping my drink. “But is there really someone like that? And if there is, would he even marry someone like me? Impossible.”
The bartender laughed, but I laughed harder when he replied:
“Nothing’s impossible, Ma’am, especially with alcohol.”
I was about to answer when a man sat beside me. I turned and, suddenly, my eyes lit up with hope.
Handsome? Check.
Tall? Check.
Muscular? Check.
Rich? Check—his clothes and scent screamed money.
Powerful? Yes, he looked like he could command attention without trying.
Smart? Probably. His sharp gaze said convincing him wouldn’t be easy.
Someone who could protect and take care of me? That, I’d have to find out.
“Hey, can you stop touching me?” he asked, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.
I looked down and realized I’d been touching his arm without noticing. Embarrassed, I pulled back.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to. Maybe I’m just drunk.” I massaged my temple.
“Right, and if a man touches you like that, you’d scream and sue him.”
I glared at him. “No! Why would I? I might even enjoy it!”
“Hah. That’s verbal harassment. The double standards in this country are insane. If I said that to you, you’d want me erased from existence.”
“No! That’s not true! Why don’t you believe me? Is it wrong to admire your good looks? If you’re not used to this, you shouldn’t even be here! This is a bar!”
He met my eyes, making me want to curse every person I knew—his eyes were that hypnotic. He was intoxicating.
“I know what this place is. But that doesn’t give you the license to harass someone. In prison, they don’t let people kill each other just because they’re surrounded by criminals, right?”
I held my head. Was I too drunk to understand him, or was he just too smart?
“Okay, sorry! Sorry already! What do you want me to do? You’re too sensitive! Want me to marry you? Fine! For touching you, I’ll take responsibility! Let’s get married!”
He went silent and stared at me for a moment… then laughed, shaking his head as he drank the liquor the bartender placed in front of him. I felt embarrassed.
Tsk. Okay, clearly, my plan—a ridiculous idea of marrying someone—was a failure.
I sat down and resumed drinking. Silence hung between us. That’s what I liked about this bar: peaceful, sophisticated, mostly rich people here.
“Get a license…”
I frowned and glanced at the man beside me. Was he talking to me? “Huh? What license?”
“So you can touch someone legally.”
“H-huh?”
I tried to catch his gaze, but he wasn’t looking at me.
“Marry him.”
“Him? The bartender? No way! He’s gay!”
He looked at me like I was the biggest idiot alive.
“Tss. I’m talking about any man you want. Marry him so you can touch him legally, without being sued.”
“No! Even married couples need consent! Without it, you could still get jailed!”
“Well, you’re right. It doesn’t really make sense—the laws here in the Philippines. If you’re raped, your rapist can escape prison just by marrying you. You’d have to be really dumb to agree with that.”
He took another sip of his drink, then looked at me—making me fall silent. His full face now visible, I could see his strength, the way his broad body could engulf me.
“What I mean is, you’re actually a fool if you let yourself be stupid again to the same man who hurt you so many times.”
“You heard my conversation with the bartender?” I asked softly, but he didn’t answer. He just adjusted his suit and stood up. But before he could leave, I grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
I could sense the care in his eyes. Why else would he bother sitting beside me, saying all this?
“Do you mind having me as your wife? You can touch me legally too,” I whispered, almost pleading.
He bit his lower lip, glancing at me from head to toe. Right, I wasn’t dressed my best. I just pulled out a fitted red silk bodycon from my car’s compartment. My hair was in a lazy bun. My face showed exhaustion from today’s work.
A sinister smile crept into his lips
as he said words I never expected:
“If you’ll let me choose which part… then I’ll agree.”