The Unwanted Wife

Maverick's POV

When I arrived home, Abi was nowhere to be seen. It turned out she hadn't come back home. I closed my eyes and realized I should have never told her to take a taxi. My mother would kill me if she found out. She had specifically instructed me to never let Abi use a taxi, especially at night. My mother loved Abi and was always concerned about her safety. That's just the kind of person my mother was.

I had just finished taking a shower when I heard the doorbell ring. That must be Abi, thank God. I quickly put on a white top and black sweatpants before heading downstairs to the kitchen to grab some water. As I descended the stairs, I heard sniffles. I stopped in my tracks and listened to the sound of someone sobbing.

"I can never miss them. They were the only family I had, now I'm all alone," I heard Abi's voice, filled with sadness and grief.

I don't know why, but hearing her cry pained me. It felt...strange. Perhaps because I was used to her annoying side, not this vulnerable one.

Abi always irritated me with her behavior. She pretended to care about me, asking how I was, cooking me dinner even though we had Maria, our chef, waiting for me at night when I came home late, and trying to engage me in conversation.

During our initial agreement, I made it clear that our marriage was just a pretense. I made it clear that I didn't want any form of communication with her, unless it was necessary in public. But she continued to pretend to care, and I didn't appreciate it.

"Abi, darling, you are not alone. This is your family. Everyone in this house is your family. Mr. and Mrs. Turner is your family. You have me too, Abi. We are family," I heard Harper comforting her.

It also pained me to know that she no longer had her own family, aside from mine. I knew she came from a small family, and now that her parents had passed away, I felt sorry for her. However, she never expressed her loss and sadness in this house. She always smiled and appeared happy, which was probably the only positive thing I saw from her. She was strong, there was no denying that. From the moment I saw her at her parents' funeral, I knew she was a resilient girl.

But still, she was clingy and annoying.

Not wanting to listen to her sobs any longer, I walked into the kitchen and cleared my throat. She immediately pulled away from Harper, who excused herself to take Abi's belongings to her room, leaving me alone with her.

She didn't look at me, her gaze fixed on her empty glass. I walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat across from her, grabbing an apple juice that Harper had prepared.

"So, you managed to make it home," I initiated a conversation, knowing it would annoy her.

Finally, she looked up, her eyes red from crying. "You selfish prick, I could have just gone home earlier instead of waiting for you!"

I took a sip of the juice. "I was busy."

"Yeah? But you were already home before me, so I'm not sure what you were so busy with," she hissed, crossing her arms. I could have sworn she looked cute when she was angry.

Wait, what the fuck did I just think?

"Well, you're home now, so there's no need to bitch about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks to my boss who drove me home," she mumbled to herself, but I could hear her.

"Your boss? He drove you home?" I asked sternly, an unexplained unease settling in my chest. I didn't know why, but I didn't like the thought of her being with another man. Perhaps it was my mother's concern for her safety that had influenced me.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You refused to pick me up, and he happened to be there and offered me a ride."

How cliché.

"Of course, he offered you a ride. You probably saw him and asked him to drive you home, just like the opportunist you are. I bet you tried to use him for your benefit," I sneered without thinking.

Bad words. Bad, bad words. I shouldn't have said those things to her.

Her eyes widened, and I swear I saw pain and sadness flicker in her gaze. I expected a sharp retort, but instead, she shook her head in disappointment and turned around, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

Abi'S P.O.V.

Asshole. How dare he speak to me like that? Just wait for my revenge, dear husband.

An hour after that kitchen incident, I got ready to go to my in-laws' place. Maverick hadn't mentioned any parties or special events, so I assumed it would be a simple family dinner. I dressed in a white floral V-neck dress that fell to my mid-thigh.

I didn't want to wear too much makeup, opting for a natural look. I left my hair down and slipped on a pair of heels. There was a knock on my door, and I knew it was Maverick.

"Are you ready? We'll be leaving in 5 minutes," he said from the other side of the door. I simply hummed in response, still mad at him. "I'll wait downstairs," he added, and I heard his footsteps receding down the stairs.

I grabbed my phone and purse, giving myself a final check in the mirror before heading downstairs. As I descended, I spotted Maverick on the phone.

"Yeah, we'll be leaving soon... I know, I'm sorry, Mom. Yeah, okay, bye," he said, ending the call.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Harper approached me with a smile. "You look stunning, ma'am."

I smiled back. "Thank you, Harper."

Maverick, on the other hand, just stared at me for a solid minute. He didn't blink, and I couldn't quite read his expression.

"Shall we leave or what?" I snapped.

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Let's go," he said, then walked toward the car.

That's it? No "you look beautiful" or anything? Well, this was Maverick we were talking about. He wasn't the type to give compliments.