A Play

~~ Gonzalez Residence ~~

*Knock* *Knock*

Garret knocks at his bedroom door.

Inside the room, Peony is in the midst of getting ready. She carefully applies her red lipstick, adding the final touch to her glamorous look. The anticipation in the air is palpable.

"Peony! Peony! Open the door," Garret's voice carries a sense of urgency as he continues to knock.

"Please wait a minute, Garret. I'm changing my clothes," Peony replies in a tone that's teasingly provocative.

Garret can hardly contain his impatience. "Hey, will you keep your husband waiting or what?" he exclaims.

Peony playfully retorts, "I said wait a minute, didn't I?"

After a brief pause, Peony finally opens the door. She steps out in a stunning crimson slip dress, exuding an air of confidence and allure that catches Garret by surprise.

Garret is taken aback, his eyes widening in appreciation. He gazes at her from head to toe, utterly captivated by her transformation. Her doe-like eyes, luscious cherry-red lips, and cascading cinnamon waves frame her face with enchanting beauty. The crimson dress accentuates her curves, making her look hotter than ever.

Garret couldn't believe his eyes. Is she the same boring Peony, who was always in casual attire with him?

"Wow," Garret can't help but exclaim in genuine admiration.

Peony responds with a flirtatious tone, "You flatter me, my husband," Peony acts all shyly attracting him.

Garret, still mesmerized, reaches out to touch her shoulders. He grabs her shoulders enthusiastically and says, "You really trust me right? Now you really understand me."

Peony, maintaining her seductive demeanor, casually removes his hand from her shoulder, her gaze never breaking away from his. "Oh, my dear husband, when did I not trust you? Why should I believe my enemy over you? The time you locked me up here, I gave it a thought and I think I should indeed dress up as a newlywed," she purrs, her tone suggestive.

Garret, slightly thrown off by her provocative attitude, stammers, "B-But, Peony, you're not calling off the marriage, right?"

"Obviously duh! Why would I divorce you when I love you so much? See my conversation with Mr. Lee, I have already called off our divorce.", Peony replies, extending her phone to Garret to prove her point.

Garret readily reaches his hand for her phone. Before he could reach she continues, "I trust you so much, but you don't trust me at all. I feel so sad that you don't trust me. It makes me want to leave you." Peony laments, her eyes welling up with tears as she puts on a pitiful act.

Garret pauses, looking genuinely concerned, "Why are you crying? You know I hate tears. I trust you, babe."

"Did you call Shyla babe as well?", Peony sniffs acting all weak and pitiful.

Garret pauses for a while.

"Did you really call her babe?", She asks him again with much more raw emotion.

"No, no definitely not dear. Why will I call that greedy b#tch that way? You're my only babe", Garret hugs Peony.

Garret thinks, "This is how my wife should be. She should never think of leaving me. My sweet and loving wife, who will only think of me. That Benedict is nothing. I am your husband. And you're my wife. No one can separate us."

"I will not let you succeed. I will definitely find a way to escape your family, especially you. I know you're lying. You avoid eye contact when you know you're lying. You called her babe and what not behind my back and now you think I need to stay with forever? In your dreams Garret. I simply hate you. Touching you is simply gross.", Peony thinks in her mind while letting him hug her.

"What is in your hand Garret? Is this a present for me?", Peony breaks through his hug and grabs the packet.

"Oh yes, it's a present for you. I bought it for us. Dad is expecting all of us to have a family dinner outside. So I thought of buying new clothes for both of us."

"Dinner OUTSIDE today? Aww, you're so sweet Garret.", Peony sounds excited.

"Call me husband again please Peony?", Garret droops begging for her attention."

Peony pinches his cheek and shyly calls, "Hus..husband".

"I can't hear you, Peony."

She acts all shy and exclaims, "Shameless! Now I'm really getting shy. I need to get ready now."

"But we are married, Can't I stay with you here?", He tilts his head closer to her neck.

"Shhhh, It won't be fun once you see everything." Peony puts her finger on his lips whispering sweet nothings to him.

Garret covers his neck and leaves while saying, "Fine then, I will wait for you."

"Sure my darling husband.", She smiles seductively.

Once she closes the door behind him she drops down shaking her knees. Her flirtatious smile instantly fades away. She flinches at every step , "Am I doing this the right way?"

She questions herself, "Do I look flirtatious enough? Am I perfect?"

The places of her body he touched pricked her. His lustful eyes staring at her body disgusted her to the core.

" Disgusting", is the exact word that escaped her lips when he left.

"Let me see what he brought for me."She opens the packet.

"As expected from you Garret. I hate this colour, it's your favourite colour for your type of woman. Not mine. You should know why I hate this colour, but you never tried to understand me.", She smacks her face laughing hysterically.

"Look at yourself Peony, this is your standard. Hahaha, This was the man you wanted to marry so much that you're still here with him.", She laughs at her own plight.

She picked the baby blue gown he bought for her and locked it inside the cupboard. "Sorry, Garret but I ain't your baby doll."

She rummages through her dresses only to find a jet black gown.

She picks it up and smirks, "Funeral worthy!"

~~~~

Clad in a jet black gown, she stepped outside the room, looking ethereal and mysterious. The gown was made of fine silk, its jet black hue blending perfectly into the darkness of the night.

Its simple yet elegant design perfectly framed her curvy figure, creating a striking and glamorous presence. With every step she took, the dress rustled, its material creating a pleasant whisper. The black gown gave her a striking appearance as she glided across the room.

However, her final look didn't meet Garret's expectations. He hurried back to her, his discontent clear on his face. "You look horrendous. What happened to the gown I bought for you?" he criticized.

Beside him, Peony felt confident and empowered in her black gown. His critique merely fueled her self-assured demeanor.

Garret's frustration continued to grow as he realized the glaring mismatch between their outfits. His baby-blue suit clashed with her elegant black gown, making them look like an odd couple. This stung his ego and added to his resentment.

Peony, still in her role, feigned hesitation. "I-It...d-didn't fit me," she stammered, pretending to be on the verge of tears.

Their heated exchange caught the attention of Mr. Gonzalez, who felt compelled to intervene. He raised his voice, exasperated, "Garret! Stop it. Do you want to destroy my business and our family?"

Mrs. Gonzalez, elegantly dressed in a deep green gown and adorned with heavy jewelry, chimed in, "Oh, my dear son. You should refrain from using such words. Look at her beautiful makeup; it will melt if she cries any further."

Mr. Gonzalez sighed and addressed his son, "Your mother is right. You should stop this now. The family dinner is more important. Mackerel, please help your sister-in-law get inside the car. When will this foolish son learn some manners? Almighty knows!"

"Yes dad.", Mackerel, dressed in a purple suit, extended his hand towards Peony.

"No, Garret please?",She cast one more pleading look toward Garret, extending her hand towards him. However, he remained obstinate and avoided her gaze, choosing to sit in the car on his own.

With a mixture of sorrow and a faint smile, Peony turned to Mackerel and took his hand. He suddenly complimented her, "Sister-in-law, you are a beauty."

"Thank you so much, brother-in-law. You look handsome as well," Peony replied with a soft smile. She gracefully entered the car.

The car headed for 'TrizPlanet Restaurant & Bar' starts moving forward.