2. God Must be Joking

"Whaaaat!!!"

In disbelief she checked her phone again. Still not satisfied with that. She checked the message on her phone.

"God... This must be a joke!"

She ran to her door and went around her big house. Every time she meets her housekeeper she will get the same answer.

"Are you sure?"

The old housekeeper looked confused at her young miss's weird question.

"Ye... Yes.. Miss Nadine. Tomorrow is your wedding day."

Shocking and terrifying, she went back to her room. Her phone suddenly rang and she just ignored the call. Biting her nail to dismiss her shock, she is still trying to process what happened to her. But suddenly she laughed frantically.

"If You want me to pay my sin, choose before I've forced him to marry me."

She is biting her nail nervously again and begins to think.

"I've separated him with his lover once to marry me. Make an innocent man become a cheater and despicable husband. Kill our unborn baby to get his attention. And end my life in misery. Now I have a second chance. I have to fix everything. Everything.... Maybe he and my unborn baby will forgive me and I won't die young."

Smile plastered on her rosy lip. Her phone is ringing again. She was so annoyed with that call and end up answering that call.

"Ah father...."

Nadine doesn't seem to care about her father's word. And just playing with her nail.

"Yes... I know. We will meet him this afternoon. I'll go to the office right now because I've something to say to you first."

Her father's voice can be heard clearly now because she put her phone on speaker mode. And just leaving her phone on her bed. She walks away to her beautiful white dress that has been displayed in her room.

"Yes... Make sure you sign everything. He promised to hand over his company to us. And marry you."

She is stopping her slender finger from tracing the gown in front of her when she hears about her wedding.

"Wait father.... I have something to say. I'll go to your office."

Her father ended their call but she was still mesmerizing her wedding gown.

"Mother's wedding dress. Such a pity that I wear this with my unhappy husband."

She remembered her wedding day. Her father threw a big party for her. Of course as the heir of Big Step International, a famous big chain hotel and restaurant, he will hold an extravagant party.

That day she felt so happy, she felt at the top of the world. Never thinking that her husband will feel miserable beside her. On her wedding night he avoided her as much as he could. And just leaving her alone to go back to his house.

"I'm so stupid...."

After a little while remembering her nostalgic wedding, she makes a self determination.

"This time I won't be greedy. I'll let you go. Don't worry my Adi."

She left her beautiful gown and get ready to change her fate.

***

"Anna? Did you get my email?"

She is checking her laptop while calling Anna.

"Okay. Please add that to the contract."

She is smiling when hearing Anna complaining to her. But she quickly calms her down.

"Don't worry... I'll handle my father."

Then she ended her call and looked outside her car. She regained her past memories. Today she will meet her husband. He will sign a contract to hand over his dad's company to her.

"His dad huh?"

Then she remembered something.

"I'm evil... Haah... It's still two days after his father's death. And I pressure him to make this deal."

Her memory wandered around to the past. When she met her husband for the first time .

That night he was attending a company gathering. All of the CEO of the hotel chain gathered at that event. As the representative of her father's company she was joining that event.

Every single person in that room knows her except him. Adrian Miller son of the small resort owner, Ronald Miller. Every year they will invite a small hotel or resort owner to become their guest.

Nadine suddenly smiled when she remembered how she met her husband.

That day was not her day. Her father was scolding her for losing an important contract. They lost from a small company that she had never heard of before. And that is not even the end, her dress for that night has been ruined because one of her housekeepers accidentally tore it when she took it from her wardrobe. Didn't have enough time to just wear her work attire for that grand event.

Misfortune God still haunted her because she got stuck in long traffic when she went there. And on that really nice day it suddenly started to rain when she wanted to enter the building.

She looks so pissed off and not even in the mood to socialize with that higher rank. Everyone who looked at her didn't want to make a mess with her and just ignore her. Until someone who out of nowhere came to greet her with his warm smile.

"Hello... Are you new too? I'm Adrian Miller."

When she heard his last name, she looked so pissed off. Standing in front of her, there is a man who is just a few inches taller than her. His dark short hair has combed to the back. His warm honey eyes are covered with glasses. He's not muscular like her past ex lover. Or handsome like a model. He is just a fine ordinary man.

He is that 'Miller' the one who took her project. And make her day like an incompetent loser. She wants to take revenge, she wants to humiliate him in front of everyone.

"Don't you know me?"

He gave her a questionable face. She was just snickering.

"Let's get to know each other. Once again, I'm Adrian Miller, representative of Miller Resort."

He reached out his hand for a handshake. But Nadine didn't want to take it. She kept pissing him off. But Adrian didn't seem to care about her attitude. And keep babbling around his story.

Knowing his partner was not interesting, he was trying to joke around.

"Hey... See that fat man over there!"

She just turned her gaze to the fat man who secretly took a macaron and put that snack in his suit. But he didn't realize a beautiful lady standing behind him looked so angry.

"You know... In two minute she will tear his ear appart."

She was so fixated with the scene. And just like Adrian said the woman beside him pinch his ear so hard. That guy looked so in pain and just apologized to her.

Without any warning Nadine laughs so hard seeing that funny scene in front of her.

"That's much better. You look better when you smile."

Realize that her mood change so suddenly, she stop her laugh and staring at Adrian who stupidly give her a warm smile.

At that moment his warm smile is just like a bright sun on her rainy day. With just stupid joke she has been fell for him.

"How do you know about that?"

He smiles again, his face looks so peaceful. And stare again at that fat man who is still scolded by the woman.

"He is my father and my aunt."

Knowing that she has been tricked, Nadine just lets out a small laugh. Her night was not totally in a mess with that ordinary man beside her.

***

"Miss... We have arrived."

Her driver voice makes her wake from her past life memory.

"Oh... Thank you Jim."

His driver looked so shocked and gave her a question that will make Nadine laugh very hard.

"Miss?"

Nadine stopped her hand from opening the door.

"Yes Jim, does it matter?"

Jim looked so nervous from the side mirror. That old man trying so hard to maintain his shaking voice.

"Uhm... Mmm... Am I fired?"

Nadine looks so confused.

"Come again?"

Jim looks more terrifying and starts to panic.

"I'm sorry if I made a mistake. Please don't fire me."

"Jim.... What are you talking about?"

Jim still looks so scared.

"You never say thanks to us, especially to me. Maybe I make you mad. Or I make a mistake. I'm so sorry but don't fire me."

Reality suddenly hit Nadine. She remembers that she is a cold hearted woman. In her office they called her iron princess. Ruthless, cold, arrogant are her nicknames. She gradually changes when she gets married to Adrian. Maybe because of his influence she became more human and kind. She becomes more appreciative of her workers and becomes more gentle especially when she gets pregnant.

"Ha ha ha... Jim... How could I fire you? You are my favorite driver."

She smiles sincerely at him and says thank you again.

"Thank you Jim."

Jim just looks dumbfounded. After almost 15 years he has been working for her this the first time he saw her look so angelic.

When she almost got out, she shouted again to him.

"And don't worry I will never fire you. Have a good day Jim. Pick me up later."

Jim almost fainted to see his boss so kind suddenly. He didn't speak a word and just stared at her back going inside the office building.

***

"Miss Nadine. Your father is ready to kill you right now."

Nadine just gives a heavy sigh to Anna and hurriedly goes to her father's office. She is still remembering what happened this time. Her father forces Adrian to accept the marriage and sign the company handover agreement. She won't let that happen, she just need her father to cancelled her wedding and that stupid agreement before Adrian come to their office.

With her big confidence she walked to her father's room.

Knock knock

"Come in!!!"

Hearing a loud shout from her father, she knows for sure that her father is totally mad at her. But she doesn't care about that, she just needs to cancel her wedding. Get on her knees and beg for forgiveness from the Miller family. Living her life as best as she could and she won't die young.

"Father... I need to..."

She ended her sentences immediately when she saw someone in front of her. Shocked with the view in front of her without realizing she suddenly closed the door and cursed loudly.

"Holy shit!!!!"

Her father and his companion who saw her weird behaviour just left dumbfounded. Not to mention a weird look from Anna and her few employees passing through in front of her.

"Miss Nadine? Are you okay?"

Anna seems so terrified, looking like this is her first time seeing her cursed loudly.

"Ha ha... Sorry... I just got shocked by what I've seen. Maybe I'll check it again."

Anna just gives her a nervous smile. And don't want to disturb her. Nadine blinked her eyes several times and opened the door in front of her. Don't wanna get shocked again she closed her eyes immediately as soon as the door was open.

"Goddamn it!!! Are you kidding!!"

Nadine closes the door again with her cursing word. Anna looks worried something has happened in that room.

"Are you done playing with my door!!!"

Her father yelled from his office. He seems more angry this time. Anna, who is still standing beside her, still looks worried.

"I've told you! Your father is ready to kill you Nana..."

Nadine just gives Anna a weak smile. And let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry... I've already died once!"

Anna looks adorable with her confucius look.

"Get in Nadine Merrick!!!"

Nadine gives a pathetic look to Anna and just shrugs her arm.

"God must be joking."

With heavy steps, she came in and looked still a little bit in shock. In front of her father there is a young man that will be her husband tomorrow.

"Are you drunk last night!"

Nadine just gives her father a snickering smile and begins to stare Adrian beside her. Anna thugs her sleeve and warns her.

"Miss Nadine, don't mess around."

Nadine smiles again at Anna's warning. Again she stared at her husband. His warm face is completely gone and just leaving a cold angry face who stares at her angry father.

"Explain to me! Why do I have to cancel your wedding and our deal!"

Suddenly that cold face looked at Nadine with a shock. Nadine laughs again thinking that Adrian made a cute face at that moment.

"And explain to me why Adrian is here? We are supposed to meet him at noon."

Her father looked so mad. But Nadine just gave him a smile.

"Is this a joke!!!"

Nadine stops smiling and speaks to her father bravely.

"I want to cancel the wedding. And don't wanna buy the Miller resort. But I wanna invest there."

Her father threw the paper at Nadine 's face. Some of the sharp paper accidentally cut her cheeks leaving a small wound at her pale skin. Adrian just remains silent looking at that scene, somehow he seems so angry.

"I'm not gonna accept this. I'm not gonna approve your investment."

Anna, who is quickly given Nadine tissue, looks so nervous. But Nadine is still calm and refuses Anna's offer.

"Then I'll use my own money."

Her father looked so frustrated and ready to yell again.

"Little miss!!! Where do you think you get that damn money!!!"

Nadine will argue with her father again but Adrian slams the table.

BRAAAKKK

"Is this a joke to you!!! After my father's death!!!"

Nadine looks into quiet disbelief with Adrian's words.

'Huh? Isn't he happy because our wedding was cancelled?'

Adrian grabs her arm and starts treating her.

"Miss Merrick... My father got into an accident because of you. And forced me to marry you with the term you save my ruined company. And when I agree with that, you just throw me away!!!"

He strengthened his grip and made Nadine winch a little. His father just sighs and tries to calm Adrian. Anna tries her best to help Henry pull Nadine from Adrian's grip.

"You really like to mess up people's lives... Aren't you?"

Henry pulls Adrian away from her daughter. And told him to calm down.

"Adrian please calm down!"

Rage still burns in Adrian's eyes, like a predator ready to kill their prey he locks Nadine in his eyes.

"Nadine... You know this is not a joke right? You can just flip around this matter easily."

Nadine is still rubbing her burnt arms.

"You don't want to marry me. And like I said, I will help your resort."

Adrian looked so pissed off. He thinks that Nadine ruined his life and got bored so she just threw him away with a compensation.

"You think you can run away after ruining my life? No..."

Adrian glared at Henry.

"Mister Merrick.... I will sign the handover and marry your daughter whether she wants it or not. I'll wait for her at the wedding hall tomorrow, I'll be ashamed if she is not coming."

Henry is frustrated with Adrian's threat.

"I'll take my leave... Please prepare the handover document."

Before Adrian leaves the room he warns Nadine again.

"I'll wait for you tomorrow. I won't let you go easily."

Nadine just smiles bitterly and falls at the chair beside her.

"Anna prepared the paper. I have a meeting right now. And for you! Nadine doesn't make a mess... And just stick to your plan."

Anna just nods her head while consoling Nadine. Nadine smacks her face with both of her hands and murmurs something.

"God... You must be joking!"