Chapter 10 What’s On Your Neck?

Julian transferred two thousand to her PayPal and accepted the money on her behalf before returning the phone to her. “What is this?” Celeste asked, then flipped out. “For my virginity?!” She felt insulted. Julian, who was about to eat, paused for a split second and looked up. “It’s for the perogies,” he replied plainly, rendering Celeste mortified. However, what he said next was even more mortifying. “Do I need to spend money to sleep with you when we have a legal permit?” His voice was deep and magnetic. Celeste’s face flushed crimson in response, but she couldn’t replace any words to retort him. The atmosphere during breakfast became awkward. Without Edmond to smooth things over, the two simply buried their heads in their food while images from the night before flashed across their minds… Thin-skinned, Celeste grew increasingly embarrassed the more she thought about it. She had even taken the initiative under the influence of the drug last night. Oh, how she wished she could bury herself in a hole now. Whatever! He’s my husband now. We have a legal permit. There’s nothing to worry about! Alas, that was the only way she could comfort herself. After breakfast, Julian went into the study, whereas Celeste washed the bed sheets. She deliberated whether to tell him she’d be out for a while, but it seemed that he didn’t care about her at all, so she left without a word. Inside the study with excellent natural lighting, Julian’s mind drifted to the night before as he sat at his desk. For the very first time, his mind wandered because of a woman during work, and this strange sensation had seemingly awakened something within him, especially when he saw the crimson flower on the bed sheets when he woke up. The shock was already beyond any words describable. Meanwhile, Celeste arrived at Fairytale Cottage after leaving Lilies Lakes. It was a small dessert shop located near the river with a unique taste. It was a standalone house with white walls and blue windows. Celeste and her good friend, Selene, jointly invested in the shop two years ago. They hired two employees, Tiana and Susan. It was a small business, but it had been doing well and was about to turn a profit. “Miss Kiss, what a surprise to see you here today!” “Leste, you look even more beautiful now!” Tiana and Susan were delighted to see her. The shop had a minimalist design with many slogans posted on the walls, such as ‘Fortunate Encounters and Happiness Are Found Here’. Stepping inside always put customers in a pleasant mood. “I thought I should drop by since I have some time. How are things lately? Busy?” Celeste was in a pretty good mood, for the dessert shop truly brought her comfort. “We’ve been getting quite a lot of orders recently, and the workload is hefty,” Susan reported. “What else needs to be done? I’ll help.” Celeste put on an apron as she spoke. “Didn’t you want to pursue a career in design, Leste?” Tiana asked. “How did that go? Have you submitted your resume?” “I’ve applied to nearly ten companies, and I’m still waiting for a response,” Celeste replied with a smile. She no longer had much hope. “The main issue is that I don’t have a track record. Being a newbie in the field, more established companies are unlikely to hire me. It all comes down to luck.” “It’s okay. If you can’t replace a job, you can always come back to Fairytale Cottage. You can still showcase your talents here and create unique desserts!” Her colleagues praised her, and Celeste felt happy. They chatted while she helped out for two hours. “Hey, Leste, what’s up with your neck?” Tiana asked as she unintentionally saw the abnormality on Celeste’s neck. “Is it an allergic reaction?” At that, Susan also turned around and saw the red patches on Celeste’s neck. Before Celeste could react, Susan gasped. “Good Lord, Mother Mary! Those are hickeys! Y-You… You… Come clean, Leste. What did you do last night?” Celeste flushed crimson at once. She hadn’t paid attention! Besides, with the scorching heat of August, she couldn’t cover her neck completely. Faced with their curious and relentless gazes, she stammered, unable to come up with a response. Thinking about what happened last night, her cheeks instantly turned red, and she finally blurted, “I got married!” “What?!” “Shut up!” Tiana and Susan exclaimed in shock. Celeste doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Who did she suddenly get married to?!