Chapter 137. FIONA

Chapter 137. FIONA
We were still in a cold war, though when I woke up, I found Joshua still hugging me as usual. We didn’t greet each other when we fully woke up an hour later. He went to the bathroom, then left me alone in the bedroom.
I stayed in bed, too lazy to do anything. I'd let Mia take care of Melissa today because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control my emotions in front of her.
I'd be the worst mother in the world if I blamed a three-year-old for the fight Joshua and I had yesterday.
It was like a curse on our relationship. Or a sign that it would never work out.
"Get up. We have some things to do today."
I don't know how long Joshua had been in the room. He was ordering me around like I was one of his men. And I was so annoyed by the arrogance on his face.
"I'm not in the mood for anything. Leave me alone."
"Get up and get dressed. We have an appointment with the designer who will make your wedding dress."
"God. Why do you still want to go through with that shitty wedding? We're done. You're not my fiancé anymore."
"Fuck you. Get up now, or I'll do it my way. And I bet you won't like it."
"Fine," I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. I stood in front of him, my face upturned, challenging him.
“You always order me around. I’m not your men, you asshole.”
“You’re not my men. You’re my. future. wife.”
Joshua turned my shoulders one hundred and eighty degrees and pushed me towards the bathroom.
“Let go of me. What the hell are you doing?”
“You’re wasting my time with this pointless argument. Take a shower and get ready. If you don’t show up at the main door in thirty minutes—”
“What?” I barked in his face.
“What else are you going to threaten me with?”
“Take a shower.”
Joshua pushed me into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
“Ha, that’s all you can do. Threatening and slamming the door. Is that how a good husband-to-be behaves?”
There was no answer.
Yeah, I’m sure he wouldn’t answer because he couldn’t.
“You’re a coward, Josh. You’re a loser.”
I banged on the door hard, hoping it would calm my anger at him, but it didn't. My anger only grew worse and worse.
\-00-
“Mommy...”
Mellisa waved cheerfully at me. Mia was holding her. There was milk and a plate of apples on the kitchen island. My little girl had already had breakfast at seven in the morning, and she looked so happy. A stark contrast to me, who was still holding back my anger at her daddy.
“Mommy... Mommy...”
“She's calling for you.”
Joshua appeared and nudged my arm gently.
“I know.”
“Why are you just standing there?”
“What do you expect me to do?”
Mia looked awkward, caught in the middle of Joshua and my domestic dispute. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't leave Melissa alone here.
“Mommy, do you want an apple?”
“No, honey. I'm not that hungry.”
“You want coffee, Ma'am.”
“Yes, but I'll pour it myself. You stay with Melissa. She's starving.”
Mellisa ate her apple greedily, fed to her by Mia. Normally, I would have reprimanded her and told her to let Mellisa eat by herself and sit in her chair. But I didn't feel like talking to anyone.
Joshua sat on a stool at the kitchen bar, and I stood with my back to him. He probably wanted coffee too, but he remained silent and didn't ask me to pour him some.
"Your coffee."
"Thanks."
This was the most awkward breakfast we'd ever had. We sat side by side at the bar, but with a tension between us. Joshua ate a bagel with ham and cheese. I didn't eat anything, just a sip of coffee because I wasn't in the mood for anything else. Mellisa chattered happily about whatever she found interesting. Mia tried to be quiet, but Mellisa kept asking her questions. She was forced to answer them, albeit in a very low tone.
"Are you done with your coffee?"
"Yes."
"We're leaving now."
Joshua approached Mellisa and kissed her gently on the cheek. Melissa had been begging to come with us, but Joshua told her to stay home and promised to bring her ice cream.
“Bye, Lilily. Be a good girl, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. Kiss.”
I kissed her lips and cheek. My little girl giggled softly. That made me feel a little better. At least, my relationship with Melissa had improved. I just needed to think about the future of my relationship with Joshua.
I sat quietly in his Lambo. Joshua drove calmly beside me. His palms were firmly gripped on the steering wheel. He had sunglasses covering his eyes. I couldn't see what he was thinking through his gaze. Hell, I'm sure everyone has something going on in their heads. Even though Joshua was staring straight ahead and concentrating on driving, I was sure his mind was full of important things to think about. He was a keen thinker. Everything that happened in his life and the lives of those around him was the result of complex thoughts and impulses in his brain.
“If you don’t find a wedding dress that suits you here, we’ll find one elsewhere. Choose the one that best suits your taste. Don’t be afraid to say no if you don’t like it.”
“Of course. I’ll choose the most beautiful and expensive wedding dress.”
“Money is no object.”
Dammit!
I hated this rich guy. Nothing was more annoying than Joshua when he said that.
When we entered the boutique, we were greeted by the owner and her two assistants. The owner, Shannon, showed us around her bridal gown collection. She was a very talkative forty-five-year-old woman. She offered me this and that, handed me her bridal gown catalog, and insisted I try on every gown displayed in her shop window.
“I didn’t find anything that suited my taste.”
“Oh dear, you’ve only been here for fifteen minutes. Why don’t you sit down? My assistant, Gladys, will bring you tea and some homemade cookies.”
“We just had breakfast.”
"Oh, you might want to try on one of our best wedding dresses. It's our best-selling wedding dress this year."
I gestured to Joshua that I didn't want to linger in this boutique. The owner was a pushy woman who was getting on my nerves.
"Sorry, none of your wedding dresses meet my fiancée's taste."
Without waiting for the owner's response, Joshua grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the boutique.
The owner was silenced by Joshua's assertiveness. She stopped trying to persuade me and let me leave her boutique peacefully.
"We have a few more boutiques to visit. Start thinking about what you want for your wedding dress."
How lovely his arrogance is.
He was so annoying. Everything he did irritated me.
None of the wedding dresses caught my eye in the second and third boutiques. My actions clearly annoyed Joshua, as I didn't even bother trying on any of their wedding dresses. I simply glanced at their bridal collections and left. We spent no more than fifteen minutes in each boutique.
"Fiona, did you do this on purpose?"
“Do what?” I asked him calmly.
We were in front of the fourth boutique. I had a feeling this one would be just like the others we'd visited. Maybe it wasn't the wedding dresses that were wrong, but me. I didn't want to marry this bastard.
"You're wasting my time with this childish act of yours. You only had to choose one wedding dress, and you turned down everything they offered you."
"Didn't I tell you that none of those wedding dresses interested me?"
"Tell me what kind of wedding dress you want," Joshua growled. His patience was wearing thin. He was extremely tense, and he looked as if he might explode at any moment.
"I don't know. I can't picture one in my head."
"You wanted this."
"When did I ever want this?"
"Four years ago in Rome. You wanted all of this. I tried to give in to your every wish, but you just threw it away."
"That was four years ago. I don't want it anymore."
“Fuck!”
Joshua slammed his fist on the steering wheel. I think his patience was running out.
“This is still about last night, isn’t it?”
“I told you I couldn’t marry you. I’m backing out. Find another woman who’s willing to marry you.”
I opened the door and stepped out.
My chest tightened and my stomach churned. I needed fresh air.
Joshua ran after me and gripped my wrist tightly.