He Only Married Me To Show Her That He Already Moved On

Gabriel became my tail this past few days that I've been staying in Chicago. He's everywhere I go, to all my restaurants, to the mall and every place I've been with... I can see his annoying face. 

And in my five days in the hotel, I was so shocked in the morning when I opened my door.. and he came out from the door which is exactly in front of my room. 

"Why are you here?" the first question that came out from my mouth. I've been waiting for Sandy that morning as she said she's already in the lobby. 

"Hi love, good morning." he smiled at me. "I've been staying here temporarily. 'Our house' is under renovation so.. I decided to stay here temporarily."

"Ohh.. really?" I asked nodding and completely ignored the word he used.. 'our house'. As if I didn't know his real purpose. 

"Really." he said while grinning widely. 

"Hmm.. okay. Well, I'm gonna check out this afternoon." I said with a shrug which caused his mouth to dropped. 

"What?" his eyes widened and I bite my lips to suppress my smile. 

I totally ignored him when Sandy came out from the elevator. She's smiling widely while walking towards me. 

"Madi!"

"Sandy!"

We hugged each other tight and she gave me a brown paper bag. 

"What's this?" I asked confused. 

"Open it."

I opened the paper bag and my smile widened when I saw the mini-cupcakes inside. 

"Remember the old times?" she asked and I nodded. 

"Thank you." I hugged her again. I remember she's always giving me this almost every morning at work, because she knew I always escaped from eating my breakfast. 

"Mr. Wilsons? You're here, Sir?" she finally noticed Gabriel. 

"Yup. I'm currently checking in here. Our house is under renovation."

Sandy crunched her eyebrows. "Under renovation? Since when, Sir? I just came to your house yesterday and-----"

"Sandy Aguilar!" he cut her with his hard tone. 

"Sir?"

"My house is under renovation!"

"Huh? Ahh... y-yeah! Your house is under renovation! I got it!" she just nodded with confusion. 

I laughed at them and just shook my head. Boss and his secretary...tsk.tsk.tsk. 

"Let's go inside." I actually invited Sandy, but Gabriel brushed past her and walked inside my room. 

"Thank you for inviting." he said and walked directly inside my kitchen. 

Me and Sandy were left speechless right in front of the door. 

"Wow! Together again?"

I glared at her and let her enter the door. "What are you talking about?"

"You and him. Together again." she whispered while connecting her two forefingers together. 

"Stop it! He just loved to annoy me!" I huffed as I lowered my voice. 

"Really? He just loved to annoy you or he just loved to get you back? Tsk.Tsk.Tsk.. that's different."

I turned to her with my hands on my both h.i.p.s. "Sandy, can you see that wide window?" I asked pointing the huge glass window. "I swear if you don't stop, I'm gonna push you out of that window!" I said narrowing my eyes on her. 

"Fine! I'm gonna go to Mr. Greek God!"

She winked at me and walked her way towards the kitchen. I followed her and my mouth dropped with the scene I wasn't expecting to see... I found Gabriel laughing together with Sandy and they seemed close now to each other. He's inside my kitchen counter with my uncooked bacon, eggs and toast in front of him. He's also wearing my apron. While Sandy is putting the mini-cakes in a large plate. 

I walked closer to them and take a seat beside Sandy. I just silently watched them in awe. I don't know but somehow I felt happy knowing he's now open with her and Sandy can now throw some jokes with him. Unlike before, she can't even look into his eyes because of nervousness. Well, time's changed. And this is one of the best thing that happened for that past years. 

"Love, you want coffee?" I was pulled out of my thought when I heard Gabriel's voice. 

"Huh?" I looked at the both them. 

"He's asking you if you like some coffee." Sandy's grinning widely and she nudged my elbow. 

"Ahm.. yeah. Thanks." I answered still in dazed.

"Love, I'm gonna cook bacon and scrambled eggs. Is it okay with you?" Gabriel asked me with a wooden spatula in his hand. 

"Huh! You're really asking me that question right now.. if it's okay with me?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna cook for you." he said wiggling his eyebrows. I really wanted to laugh but I masked it with a fake annoyance. 

"Wow! I hope you also asked me earlier if I want you to come inside my room!"

But the jerk, always the jerk.. just laughed at me. "Oh, I'm sorry for that. I'm gonna ask you first the next time." he said widely grinning. 

How I wish I can wipe out that annoying smile on his face. I just sighed and take my eyes away from him. But when I glanced back with Sandy... God! she also has the widest grin on her face. What's happening to this two? It's just been three years and Sandy also turned into bipolar like Gabriel? 

I continued to watch them but I remember my phone on top of my bedside table, and I excused myself for a while. I sighed deeply when I closed the door behind me. I walked towards the other side of the bed and take my phone. 

There was a text message from my Mom. She wants me to fly in Florida because she said, she has important things to discuss with me regarding her business. My Mom is one of the ric.h.e.s.t woman in Florida. She owns the 'Green Ribbon' company. The largest company that makes and sells cakes and pastries in the whole country. And as I remember, she received an award last-last year for being the top-grossing company in the whole state. 

Actually, that company is now under my name but I don't want to get involve with it, it's a huge responsibility and for me.. I am happy to have my own restaurants and two coffee shops in Colorado. But I know someday, I can't avoid the fact that I need to learn to manage the family business because she's the only heir of the Petterson in Florida, and I am just her only daughter. So when she decided to finally retire from work, I am her only backup. 

I am currently sitting at the edge of the bed when I heard Sandy's voice outside my door and followed by some knocks. 

"Come in, Sandy." I said and she pushed it to open. 

"What took you so long? You said you're just going to get your phone?"

"Yeah, I just read my Mom's text."

"Hmm.."

She said nodding and we both turned into silent. 

"How are you now, Madi?" she asked me after a while. 

I glanced at her and gave her a confused smile. "I'm fine." and I shrugged. 

"You know that's not what I mean with 'how are you? What I mean by that... is how's your heart?"

I chuckled at her. "You're seriously asking me that, when you know that the person who caused that heart to be broken before, is right inside my kitchen?"

I heard her sighed. 

"You know what, maybe I was wrong when I told you before to give up and to let him go."

My head snapped on her direction. "What? What do you mean?" I furrowed my eyebrows. 

"Because I found out, that he's also in love with you before and he's just confused-----"

Her sentence died when I laughed sarcastically. "Sandy.. even if you didn't tell me to let go and give up before, I'm going to do it on my own!"

"He loved you. He's been in love with you, Madi since you got married."

"How did you know, he told you?"

"Half of it came from him, but the other half were obviously seen in all his actions when you left him."

"Sandy, you know how much I loved him before. And you also know how much I've waited for him to love me back. But it's too late. His confessions were already been late for three years."

"Why don't you give him a chance?"

I chuckled again. "Why are you telling me this, Sandy? It should be you the one who must tell me to avoid him because of his being a jerk to me before."

"Madi, he's changed! Everything's changed since you left. He almost search the whole continent of America just to find you. And you know what, the first months that he's been searching for you.. he became more grumpy and monster in the office. He fired almost a hundred of employees including the bully queen, Jenny and her assistant, Ailene."

"He fired the two?"

"Yes. No one can come inside his office at that time. And even me, I can't stand in a minute with him in the same room before. I felt suffocated every time I am discussing with him his schedules every day. My God!"

I didn't say anything with that, I just remained quiet. 

"And you what's the good news?"

I glanced at her again. 

"He enrolled in a cooking school for six months."

My jaws dropped with her last statement, but a smile formed in my lips afterwards. Gabriel enrolled in a cooking school? 

"You're kidding." I said as I can't believe what she said. 

"I'm not." she said smiling while shaking her head. 

"You are!"

"No! I'm not kidding! You can ask him if you want." she shrugged. 

"No, way!" I huffed as I crossed my arms over my c.h.e.s.t. 

"Why? It's not bad to ask."

"No way! It will just boost his ego! Can't you see.. he feels comfortably cooking and eating inside my room?"

She just chuckled at me. 

"Tried to look on his new side, and you will understand what I mean. He loves you, Madi. He would never drop his billions of pride just to search for you and ask some help from all of the businessmen he encounters in his every meeting."

"What?"

"Yes, and he even travelled almost every month to search for you in every country in America."

"He did that?"

"Yes, so don't you feel bother if some of the people you will encounter in the streets of Chicago, knows you and call you Mrs. Wilsons."

"Huh!" I gasped and my mouth opened widely with her last sentence. 

"My goodness!"

"Yeah, but anyway, let's go outside because I'm very hungry. Your husband is now also a really good cook! You're going to be the best pair! So exciting!"

"Tss!" I just rolled my eyes and followed her outside the door. 

We decided to eat in the living room because my dining table has only two chairs. I was about to sit on the single armchair when Sandy brushed past me and seated on it. So I don't have a choice but to sit beside Gabriel. And take note.. she's grinning widely when I glanced at her. 

We are in the middle of our breakfast, when Sandy opened again her silly mouth. 

"You're really a good cook, Sir. I think you're now ready to become a good husband!"

I almost choke with the garlic rice inside my mouth. Does she really need to open that topic? 

"You think so?" I heard him ask but I acted oblivious with their conversation. 

"Yes, Sir." and then she turned to me. "What do you think Madi? You're a chef, right? What can you say about the food?"

How I wish I could choke this woman with her own shawl. 

"Hmm.. it's good." I shrugged. 

"How about what I said that he's now ready to become a good husband, 'again'?" she emphasized her last word. 

-'Gosh! Sandy Aguilar!'- I muttered to myself as I gripped hard the spoon.

"The food is good, I agree. But as being a good husband, you can't just base it from your skills on cooking. Whether you're a good cook or not, it doesn't matter. It's based on your dedication, respect, efforts, love and care for your suppose to be wife. Happy?" I rolled my eyes on her. 

"Very much happy! How about you, Sir? Are you also happy?"

-'God, can somebody tell me how to kill a woman with a pink shawl?'-

"Well, not-so-happy. Not unless my wife give me another chance." he answered not looking at her but to me. I can see him from the corner of my eyes. 

"Wow! Another chance! Love is in the air!" she squealed while clapping her hands. "I have a song for that!" and she started singing using her spoon. "Just give me one more chance for one last time.. just one more kiss to last a lifetime... One more chance, for one last time-----"

"Sandy, can you please stop that?" I said glaring at her. "You're not a good singer!" I added as I don't know what to say next. 

"Huh! And you are?"

"Yes, I am!" I proudly answered. 

"How can you say that?"

"Ask him!" I suddenly pointed Gabriel. "Just ask him if I am a good singer before."

But I hitched my breath and my eyes widened when I realized what I said. And it's too late to take it back anymore. 

-'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Madi!'- I mentally slapped myself because of my stupidity. I just lowered my eyes to the food on my plate. 

She chuckled. "Sir, is it true that 'your wife' is a good singer?"

"Yes, she is. And that's one of the reason why I loved her. And there are so many reasons why I am trying my best to get her back in my arms again. And if she's going to give me a second chance. this time I'll hold her and I promise not to let her go again."

"Ahh.. how sweet.."

"Huh! Corny!" I huffed and they just laughed at me. 

But deep down inside, my heart is jumping and squealing after she heard what Gabriel said. Although it's been years that she waited for those words and somehow learned to move on, she still can't help herself not to get affected by his presence. But she's still holding back, and I completely understand her. 

"And because of that, I have another song!"

-'Oh, God! Here we go again!'-

"A second once in a lifetime... maybe too much to ask but I swear from now on... if ever you're in my arms again, this time I'll love you much better... if ever you're in my arms again, this time I hold you forever.. this time will never end.."

"You know what, Sandy... I'll give you a bonus for this month because of your performance."

My head snapped immediately at him. He's going to give her a bonus just for that? 

"Really Sir?"

"Yes! Can you sing us another song, again?"

-'Dear all Saints and God from heaven.'-

"Of course! Just double the amount of my bonus, Sir, ahh?"

"Sure!"

I really don't know how the two became 'click' like this. The only thing I know is the fact, that I am going to get old faster when they're always around me.