Contract Wife : Mother's Wish

Family of Three

The three ate breakfast down the restaurant of the hotel.
A lot of food on the table and the three are all having a good time.

"Where will we go today,Dad?" Red asks,biting a pancake slice.

"Well...Where did you two spend your time while I'm away?" He asks.

"Hmm..We just walk around the beach, eat or ride a boat around, islands hopping." April said.
"There are limited activities that Red can join, after all. Some of them look dangerous and I didn't want to compromise."

Richard nods.

"Mom got hit on a lot." Red grumbles.

April flinched.
"Dear, you promise not to tell, right?"

"Hmp."
Red snorts and looks away.

"Hoh. You got hit on a lot?" Richard asks. Then his eyes trail down to April's body.
He is aware that she is pretty and has an alluring body.
But being hit on does show how much.

Since Richard was born handsome, he barely appreciates appearances.
He always cares about their competence and capabilities and not their faces or body.
But not appreciating is not knowing.
Since he was surrounded by people with excellent appearances he tends to take it for granted how his wife looks.
And on top of that, he saw first hand that sexy two piece under that shirt.

'Did I make a mistake letting her wander around without a guard?'

April blushes with Richard's intense gaze. It boosts her self confidence but being bluntly stared at by a man who can push her down on the bed really is different from a man who can just stare and drool.

She is a bit scared.
In her dream, she offered her body so readily to him.
Tricking him.
But that is because her goal is to be a real wife.
But now, her goal is not.
She wished that Richard wouldn't be too interested in her body.
If you preserve a virgin body and your second husband learnt of it, wouldn't it cultivate a lot of affection from her second husband?

She is expectant of course.
But if the boss wants to have some, she can't refuse since she signed a contract saying she is open to that possibility.
Still, a woman that hasn't been touched for 5 years…...she is not too sure if the second husband will really find it noble or boring.
Who is so boring not to arouse her husband even once?
She felt conflicted with that thought.

"April?"
Richard asks.

She hasn't eaten much and just daze.

"Ah? Sorry, did you say something?"

"No, I'm just wondering if you want to swim for a bit after breakfast?"
He smiles.

April smiles.
"Of course."

Red frowns at April's response.
"Didn't you say you can't let yourself get tanned?"

April smiles at Red.
"There are circumstances when you have to let go of beauty to win a man's heart."

Richard flinched.
"Heh."

Red looks apprehensive toward April.
"Shouldn't you not say that in front of the man in question?"

April giggles.
"The man in question is aware. Hiding it is just a waste of time. Sometimes, openly attacking will render a good and positive result, right, husband?"

Richard rubs Red's hair.
"In the business world, you can't be too open and show all your cards easily or you will lose no matter what. Honesty is a good way to start a long term working relationship but it is also to build a harmonious collaboration. But being too honest will make you unable to see the larger picture and be prone to betrayal or deceit. But if the opponent is too smart and already seen through all your tricks, being open and gone rushed ahead sometimes makes people stunned, amuse and even achieve a desirable result. But it is only used in desperate times."
Richard said.

Red blinks and looks at Richard.
"That's a bit complicated."

Richard nods.
"Well, I am talking about business." His eyes stare at April who is drinking her coffee with a smile, not looking at them.

April looks at Richard slightly and looks away.
The contract is not forbidding 'love'.
But it clearly says, nobody 'loves' anybody.
It is understood by both parties.

April knows she made a mistake saying something about enticing or winning a man's heart.
That is very sly since Red likes her.
She can use it to pressure Richard.
But that is not her intention and just joking.
Richard is not mad but she is mad at herself.

Walking side by side, Red runs to see the beautiful beach.

"You…"
Richard starts talking after they are alone but April beats him.

"I'm sorry. I am just joking. It's not my intention and I will never pressure you into liking me. I swear!" April said grabbing Richard's arms.

Richard is startled and so he can only look down and stare at April's eyes.

"I am so comfortable that It slip my mouth. Please don't worry. It won't happen again."

"April." He said.
He removes the hand grabbing his arms and rubs her hair.
"I am not that unreasonable to get mad at you with a light teasing."

"But I….." she is making Red hopes that they can be a complete family.
It is awful now that she realized it.

"Or are you thinking that I will cheat on you just because we are under a marriage contract?" Richard asks.

"Eh? No!"
April shakes her head.
That never occurred to her.
No.
It does.

In her past life, she is always worried he will cheat her since they are only a married couple in name.
He doesn't even look at her or come to her at night.
But all their married life, he has always been honest and…..then….He never had intercourse with any woman those whole 5 years?
She had a newly found respect toward Richard.
No.
She never heard Richard having a night life affair even before she came to his house...so after his wife dies…..this man is like a monk.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Richard laughs looking at April's teary eyed eyes.
He wipes her eyes with his thumbs and smiles at her.

"Why are you so silly? Am I bullying you?"

April felt her heart once again want to melt for this man.
So dedicated to his first wife.
Such a man deserves to be love.

"I hope you find someone that you will love someday again,husband. I am sure your former wife thinks so too."
She smiles and hugs him.

"Mom!"
Red shouted from the water.
Tapping his feet.

"Ah! You don't leave your slipper like that!" She shouted and walked to Red's location leaving the stunned Richard.

He is shocked with April's words.
His heart is trembling a bit.

"Dad! Come over!"
Red shouted.

Richard snaps out of his trance and looks at the water.
Red is waving at him.

"Husband!" April is grinning at him.

Richard scratches his head.
"You two, did you two do stretches before going to the water?"
He sighs and walks to them.

A/N:

I am convinced so I dedicate my whole morning rereading the story so I can update it.
Thank you for everyone that support this story .

♡