Truth be told, our honeymoon phase seemed everlasting. From the day of the wedding ceremony, till today, a year after, everything was perfect. It was like a paradise. It took me a while to get used to living on an island, but as soon as I did, I loved it more than I could've imagined.
Every day was peaceful, and being with the man I loved more than life itself was something that I hoped would never end.
Elijah was stubborn. It took me a long time to convince him not to hand over his company, and then offered a good compromise — work from home for three weeks, and work one week in the office. That way, we would be in New York at least once a month, and if necessary, more. It was a great opportunity to keep in touch with all of our family and friends.
I did tell him that if he ever felt overwhelmed, we could leave the island and go back to New York. Since the island was in our name, we could use it as a holiday home. That idea was shut down quickly. He wanted me to live the way I wanted to, though, it was getting hard.
He was more and more tired from the trips, because this time of the year was the busiest for him. Traveling every morning and then coming back to me at night was difficult.
But, for the next week and a half, we were back in the penthouse.
Last month, Elijah closed a major deal. He bought off a huge oil company, and it was now under the Vaughn name. Tonight was a celebration, a gala, and I needed to look my best. Of course, as his wife, I wanted to look pretty on his arm.
Cora was helping me get ready. It reminded me of the first time she also helped me get ready for an event with Elijah. Back then, I was nothing but his partner, but now I'm his wife, and even after a year, that word made me giddy inside.
Cora was attending with Luka, and she was breathtakingly gorgeous. Her hair grew a lot, it was now almost past her breasts. Her makeup was soft, and her bold red dress definitely stood out.
As for me, I was debating whether to go with a soft blue or emerald green. In the end, Cora hid the blue one and left me with the green choice. In her words, the blue one was for the beach, not for a luxurious event like this one.
A knock came to the door and as soon as my husband stepped in, my best friend stepped out. He was dressed in a suit, and although I'd seen him wear one at least a hundred times, he looked extra beautiful today.
''My wife is the prettiest woman on Earth.'' He complimented. The seriousness on his face made me chuckle. Slowly, I walked over towards him and fixed his tie. It was a small ritual we had going on. He'd get dressed and I'd fix his tie, despite him knowing how to tie it properly.
''You look good, too.''
He placed a small kiss on the top of my head and I melted as he hugged me. This was my reality now, and I prayed to god it remained intact. There was no one who was going to break the perfect life I had, and I was willing to fight anyone who tried.
Hand in hand, we walked out.
—
Cora was standing next to me, a glass of sparkly water in hand. She was glancing around the room, scanning the crowd whilst I contemplated on what to drink. Slowly, I looked at her.
''You can drink alcohol, I don't mind.'' She hummed. Her eyes never met mine as she was busy gathering all the possible gossip. Though, I was still reluctant.
''Are you sure?''
Cora snorted. ''I've been sober for years, no need to worry. I can handle seeing people drink.''
Still, I didn't want to force her to relive the trauma that I caused, and opted for sparkly water as well. She rolled her eyes, but I knew she was grateful I didn't take alcohol.
The event was in full swing. Way too many people were there, chatting, dancing and eating the amazing food that was served. Cora found us a spot in a corner, where we had a place to sit and observe everyone. One thing about her that remained the same was how much she liked getting in other people's business.
''Who is that?'' Cora's voice was bitter, and I followed her eyes.
I blinked at the sight in front of me. Elijah gave his speech not too long ago, and everyone was gathering around him to congratulate him. There was a woman that desperately tried to cling onto him. It was funny.
It was funny only because of how unbothered my husband was. He was not paying even the slightest attention to her.
I knew who she was. Her name, if I remembered correctly, was Amelia. She was one of the new board members that helped greatly with sealing this deal. I saw her and Elijah having zoom calls whilst she was overseas, though I knew for a fact that she was married. Hell, I even met her husband a few months ago during one of the presentations.
''Are you not going over there?'' Cora was confused.
I shook my head and sipped on the water, amused. ''No need. I trust him. And it's very funny how she's slowly getting annoyed that he's not giving her the attention she wants.''
''That could never be my reaction,'' she commented. ''I'd drag her out by her hair.''
I laughed. ''It did cross my mind, but then I'd ruin his night, and she's just not worth it.''
''Look at him,'' now, Cora was amused, too. ''He's literally begging for you to help out.''
I sighed. ''Should I?''
I stood up and started walking towards my husband. Cora was tailing behind me, grinning from ear to ear. She expected some serious drama to happen, though I probably failed her expectations. Truth be told, I wasn't even going to meddle, but the moment I saw her grab his arm for the second time after he brushed her off, I felt something tick inside of my head.
How was she still persistent even after the nasty glare he threw her way?
''Hi, there.'' I grinned.
Elijah released a breath of relief as soon as I was by his side. I took his hand in mine, and the two men that stood there took this chance to exit. They likely foresaw what was going to happen and didn't want to stick around.
''Hi.'' She threw me back a grin. That bitch.
''Would you mind letting go of my husband and going after your own?''
She blinked. It was as if something had clicked inside of her brain and she immediately let go with a small step back. ''I am so sorry,'' she mumbled. ''I don't know what I was thinking.''
I rolled my eyes. ''You were probably thinking that no one was going to call you out on this bullshit behavior. I'd suggest you stop before Cora rips out your hair.''
In support, Cora nodded her head. She tried acting like a cold person, giving her a death glare. But I barely held back the laughter at the sight of her terrible attempt of seeming angry.
Amelia didn't say another word as she walked away. Cora followed her, for whatever reason. She was probably in a need to start a fight, and I wasn't going to stop her.
''You could've pushed her away, you know.''
My husband grinned. ''Then I would've missed the chance of seeing you jealous.''
I glared. ''So you wanted to see me jealous?''
He nodded his head. ''It was about time our roles got reversed.''
I laughed.
Elijah knew that I only had eyes for him. However, that did not stop him from acting possessive whenever another man even so much as looked at me. For example, I was waiting in line for my Starbucks order and since it wasn't busy, I was making small talk with the barista whilst my drink was being made.
The barista happened to be a man. Well, a boy that just started university.
Irrelevant of his age or the fact that the poor dude was just doing his job, Elijah had to stand next to me and glare. Not only did he glare, but he was also ignoring the boy verbally. I tipped him heavily as an apology.
Although it was embarrassing, it was also rather funny.
''Let's just go home.'' He mumbled as he kissed my cheek.
''We can't just leave. You're the host.''
''Do I look like someone who gives a shit? No. Let's go, Luka will handle the rest.''
For whatever reason, Luka seemed to be his lackey these days, and although I wasn't complaining, I didn't want my poor friend to be used like that.
Elijah wasn't budging. He was determined to get me home as soon as possible, and who was I to say no to my husband?