Chapter 10

"You didn't tell me that you and Mama were close. Since when?"

I broke the silence after we dropped Mama off at home. When I caught them talking, they were both flustered as if they were surprised by my arrival. Since I was picking up Mahana anyway, I also gave Mama a ride since I heard she just took a taxi there.

"Your Mama courted me so she's there." Mahana replied to me while her gaze was outside the window. "She must have noticed our actions earlier at the restaurant. You didn't tell me that your mother has a strong sense of smell when two people are fighting."

I forcefully slammed on the brakes of my car because the traffic light turned red. I glanced slightly at Mahana who was very bored with her posture. Even though she's not doing anything to me, I'm really annoyed with her. I really don't know if I can get along with her until I get the reward from Lola.

"Why were you so surprised when you saw me?" I asked, she looked at me and after a few seconds, she also looked away.

"I assumed that you were there because you were going to make up with me."

"You're so conceited! I went there to pick you up because you might run away from me. You might forget that we have an agreement." I defended myself because this woman is so quick to assume.

I noticed her smirk, she really didn't believe what I said. I moved the steering wheel of my car again because the traffic light turned green.

"Tsk! Don't be so assuming! You're not beautiful."

She faced me abruptly. I just glanced at her occasionally because I was driving.

"Luis, why do we still need to pretend? Can't we just stop since only your family and friends know that we're married? Besides, Mayor Queja is dead, and I think we'll just be laughed at in court if we insist that the wedding was an accident. I already told you that it's okay with me that we're married since I'll be leaving the country at the end of it anyway."

I shook my head at what she said. I don't get her point but I don't agree with what she wants, that we stop pretending.

"Are we going to stop now when it seems like we're already convincing Lola? Mahana, it's important to me that our marriage is annulled. I don't love you, and you don't love me either, right? It's only right that we pursue the annulment." I tried to convince her because I don't have any ally right now but her.

"We're going to have a hard time, we don't even know where Jade is. We're just going to waste our time."

"I'll take care of that, what's important now is that you do your job properly. Your passport depends on it, Mahana. You won't be able to leave the country if you don't do your job properly, is that clear?"

I got through to her with my words so I was relieved. Somehow, she's easy to manipulate. Right now, I need enough time and planning to divide my tasks between finding Jade and getting my reward. I just hope we both succeed.

* "Ah, it feels so good to lie down."

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw Mahana on my bed, rolling around like a child. I noticed that my bedsheet was crumpled so I quickly approached her to reprimand her.

"Get off of there. That's not yours." I shooed her away.

"Wait, why should I leave? This is our bed because we're married. Besides, I'm sleepy, Luis." She hugged the pillow she grabbed and closed her eyes to sleep. In my annoyance, I pulled one of her legs, causing her to yelp.

"Hey! What is it! Ouch!"

"I said get off of there! What do you mean our bed? Hey! That's my bed, you might forget that I own that---Ouch!"

Her kick was strong so her foot hit my arm because she fought back because of the pulling I did to her.

"I don't want to!" She stubbornly said and adjusted her lying position again on my bed.

I stood in front of her with my arms akimbo. She's like a child hugging the pillow there. I take care of my bed so much and I really don't want any woman to lie there. Even Misty didn't lie there, what more with Mahana?

"We're married, it's no problem for me if we sleep side by side. That is, if you have any plans for me, I'm game." She even winked at me after saying her disgusting idea.

"Yuck! You're so lewd! Let me remind you that we're just pretending to be a happy couple. You're not my girlfriend for me to sleep beside you. So get out of my bed, now!" I glared at her but she still stubbornly refused, which made my blood boil even more.

She scratched her head and then narrowed her eyes at me. "Okay, I get it that we're only married on paper but at least be a gentleman. If you don't want me to lie here on your bed, then where am I supposed to sleep?" Mahana replied with a raised eyebrow.

I stared at her meaningfully and then subtly pointed to the sofa in the left side of my room. I even smirked at her slightly because she got what my pointing meant. But the smirk disappeared from my lips when she raised an eyebrow at me.

"I don't want to!"

"What?"

"I was here on the bed first so I'm the one who's going to lie here. You were the last one so you'll sleep on the sofa. Okay? Goodnight."

She took the blanket that was on top of the pillows and messed it up before wrapping it around herself. I wasn't going to let her lie on the bed so I put down the towel I was holding on my gaming chair.

"I don't like your idea. What if you're always the first one there, then I'll always sleep on the sofa? That's not fair." I confronted her.

She got up from lying down and then faced me. There wasn't a hint of fear on her face that I could read, which made me even more annoyed. Her bravery that I saw when we were in high school was still there. Still feisty until now. Irritating.

"Then don't be slow."

"What the? No way! I own this condo so I'm the one who's going to lie here on this bed." I argued. If this were a guy, I would have punched him in the face a while ago. He's really testing my patience. How can I possibly live under the same roof with this woman if we fight over simple things?

"Wow, Luis, you're still so brutal to women, aren't you? That's exactly how you were back in high school." She said bluntly, making me frown.

"Psh!" I shook my head in annoyance and slightly moved my jaw in irritation.

"Okay! Fine, just so your soul can be at peace, let's do this the fair way." She got up from the bed and took something from her bag. I just watched her. "This is the answer to our problem." She held up the coin she took from her bag.

I frowned. "How?"

"Head or tail? You choose."

"Tsk! Fine, head."

"I hope your connection with the Lord is strong." She even laughed teasingly, making me roll my eyes at her. I just watched her toss the coin in the air and catch it, then place it on the back of her hand. My full attention was on her hand as she slowly removed it to see who among us won.

Lord! Please, give me this one. I don't want to sleep on the sofa!

"Oh, tail. You lose." She even poked the coin slightly after removing her hand that was covering it earlier.

"Fuck! You cheated." I hissed at her even though the truth is, I really lost. Damn it! I'm unlucky with those things.

"What's cheating about it! I didn't even move it. Too bad, you'll sleep on the sofa. You lost. Go away." She shooed me away from the bed where she will sleep tonight. I scratched my head while letting her kick me out of my own bed. "Oh! You poor thing, here's your pillow." She threw a pillow at me when I finally sat on the sofa where I will sleep. "Goodnight, hubby."

I couldn't do anything but watch her lie down on my soft bed. I don't even know why I agreed to what she wanted. No one has ever done that to me, only her. So irritating.

"Shit! It's so nice to lie down here on the bed! I hope it's always like this!" She said loudly so I could hear while rolling around on it.

"Damn! Mahana, that bedsheet, it's getting crumpled." I noticed that my precious bedsheet that I bought abroad was already messed up. This woman is really something. "I hope you don't wake up anymore. Psh!" I plopped down on the sofa in frustration, even if I complain here, I have no chance because I already lost. I just hope my back doesn't hurt tomorrow.

*

"Good morning, hubby!"

Mahana greeted me in the kitchen when I left the room, wearing an apron and busily cooking. I ignored the smell of what she was cooking because my back was so sore. I stretched slightly to relieve the pain in my back.

"How was your sleep? Did you have a good one?" She asked, but I didn't waste a minute answering her. I went to the fridge to get an apple and fresh milk because that's what I usually have for breakfast.

"Hey! Pay attention to me. You're acting like I'm a stranger." She said, trying to get my attention again. After I closed the fridge, I glanced at her expressionlessly.

"Don't be so fake. You keep asking me about my sleep, do I look okay, hmm?" I left her and went to the dining area to sit down. I poured fresh milk into my glass and drank it.

"This guy is so grumpy early in the morning." She put down the plate with the hotdogs, eggs, and spam she had fried. "Let's eat."

"I'm okay." I replied and stood up to wash the apple I took from the fridge. I don't eat anything other than an apple in the morning. I've been used to eating this for my breakfast with fresh milk since college.

"By the way, someone called you earlier, it seemed important so I answered it. You were sleeping like a log, you might get mad if I woke you up." She said while I was busy wiping the apple I had washed earlier with a tissue.

"What did they say and who was it?"

"It's Misty, and she said---"

"What?" I almost dropped the apple I was holding when I heard the name of the person who called my phone earlier while I was asleep and Mahana talked to her.

Fuck! No way!