The Other Girl

In a sudden, thunderous moment, Claire looked away, back at Nathan and subtly turned her head so Joshua wouldn't see her.

"Since your boss isn't here, I don't think my presence is needed. Go over the details with my assistant," she said abruptly, not letting Nathan finish.

"I completely under—" Nathan began, but Claire cut him off.

"Goodnight, Elvis. We'll talk about this later," she said before slipping away. It was the slowest moment of her night yet, and she didn't want to meet Joshua personally in this kind of place.

Joshua woke up with a pounding headache. He noticed his wife wasn't beside him. He wondered why she wasn't there and why his head hurt so much.

Memories of the wedding, photos, clubbing, and strippers flashed through his mind. Groaning, he rubbed his head. 

Yesterday was terrible. He couldn't believe he fell for his grandpa's tricks and ended up married. He didn't know what his grandpa planned with that girl, but he imagined she would try to cuddle with him and make herself more appealing.

"Whatever," he muttered as he got out of bed.

When he left his room, he found coffee waiting for him on the dining table. He took a long sip, letting it burn his tongue and clear his head. 

"Ann?"

Ann immediately ran beside him. "Yes, sir?"

"Where is she?" he asked without looking at the maid.

"Where is who, sir?" Ann was confused by his question.

"My wife. Where is she?"

"Oh. Mrs. Cane left early this morning. She said she needed to sort things out at work."

"Don't call her Mrs. Cane," he snapped.

"My apologies, sir. What should I call her?" Ann asked as she slowly stepped back, afraid to offend her master. 

"I don't know, and I don't care. Just don't call her Mrs. Cane."

"Yes, sir. My apologies, sir. Miss already told me not to call her by that title, but I forgot," Ann said quickly. 

Joshua turned slowly to look at the maid. She appeared average and clueless, irritating him with her need for constant reminders. He would have dismissed her if not for his grandpa's constant meddling. He wondered what the old man was planning. He was trapped in an arranged marriage, and it ended his freedom! At the thought of his situation, he wanted to curse but held back his anger. 

"Miss is fine," Joshua quickly answered when he noticed Ann was waiting for his answer. "Call her Miss."

The maid nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor. 

He finished the coffee and slammed the mug onto the table.

'She doesn't want to be called Mrs. Cane?' he thought to himself. 'What the hell is she planning?'

By the time he got to work, his head was spinning with theories about his new wife. Nothing about her seemed to fit. 

She seemed noble, interesting, and attractive, not the type to ruin his life. But appearances could be deceiving. Even the most beautiful models had pursued him once they learned about his wealth.

When he parked his car, his assistant was waiting for him in the driveway. The moment Joshua stepped out, he was bombarded.

"Sir, you're going to ruin your reputation and the company with this madness!" 

Joshua handed his suitcase to Nathan and marched into the office. "What madness are you talking about?"

"How could you have a meeting at RNB?" Nathan questioned, following behind him. "The other party was so uncomfortable, they almost declined the offer!"

Joshua glanced at him. "So? Did they decline?"

"No! We should be thankful they didn't run to the press with news of you misbehaving on your wedding night without your wife!"

He immediately rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Nathan, I don't need you yelling at me right now."

"Sometimes you need to be yelled at. Even Mr. Trevor agrees with me."

"So you're taking my grandfather's side now?" He halted his steps soon after he heard Nathan's words. 

"You should be grateful he didn't hear about your misconduct."

"Or what— he's going to find me another wife?" Joshua gritted his teeth and continued his huge steps.

Nathan pressed his lips together to hold back a retort. Even though they were around the same age, Joshua was still his boss. 

They entered Joshua's office, and he looked around at the peeling walls, his expression grim.

"Which company are we working with?" he asked his assistant.

"The X&X company, the one you chose, remember?"

He nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, that. Did the CEO show up yesterday at the meeting?"

He gently loosened his tie and slammed his entire body into his swivel chair. 

"Yes, but she left when she saw you embarrassing yourself with a stripper back there," Nathan responded, putting Joshua's suitcase on the tabletop. 

Joshua instantly grimaced. "I suppose I should be grateful they didn't tell the press about my behavior. Offer them an extra 20% as a gesture of gratitude. I also want them to start the task as soon as possible."

"They're already charging us a lot," Nathan complained, folding his arms between his chest. 

"I still want to proceed with them. Their work is excellent, and I want a fresh look at this place. Have them start the inspection as soon as they can."

"Yes, sir."

There was a knock on the door. A lady peeked inside, then smiled when she saw Joshua. 

Nathan rolled his eyes, subtly signaling Joshua. Joshua shook his head, declining his assistant's suggestion.

"Oh, Josh!" the woman exclaimed.

She entered and practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Joshua raised his hands helplessly, unsure how to react.

"Samantha, please," he instinctively raised his hands and unclutched Samantha's arms around his neck a second later.

Samantha released him and batted her eyelashes. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I'm working right now, Samantha."

"Send him away. We have a lot to discuss."

Joshua noticed Nathan glaring at Samantha, who was oblivious to his assistant's disapproval. "Nathan, give me a moment, will you?"

Nathan furrowed his brow, indicating that this wouldn't be a quick chat. He grumbled to himself as he left and closed the door behind him.

Samantha glanced at the closed door. "Did he just curse at me?" she asked.

"No," Joshua comforted her. "He's just frustrated. I have a busy schedule."

"Cancel them. I'm upset that you married someone else and broke my trust!" She blinked at him repeatedly. "Tell me, is she prettier than me?"

Joshua hesitated before replying. "No."

Samantha grinned. He had just made her day. "Why don't we continue this conversation at home, hmm?"