Chapter 7 : Home Sweet Home

“How is she today?” I was standing outside my mother’s hospital room. “Have you started her on the new meds?”

Dr. Harrison placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. “Your mother’s condition has improved and the meds are working. I’m more than sure that after the surgery she will be in much better shape. You don’t need to worry.”

“But there is a 30% chance of survival with this kind of procedure and I just…I’m worried. She is the only real family that I have. I don’t have anyone else and if I lose her then—I just need her to be saved.”

Dr. Harrison frowned slightly. “I cannot promise you that everything will run smoothly with her operation but I do know that Dr. Carter is the best neurosurgeon in the world. Your mother’s condition is rare but not to Dr. Carter. He has dealt with many of these cases in his career. You are in safe hands here.”

I knew he was just trying to comfort me but all it did was just raise my anxiety to new heights. But instead of continuing to worry, I just nodded my head. He then left me standing in the hallway alone.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Everything is going to be okay. I have nothing to worry about at all. She will be just fine.”

I kept trying to calm my nervous heart but nothing truly worked.

I rolled the tension out of my shoulders and walked back into my mother’s room. She was heavily sedated and I knew that she couldn’t hear me but still, I reached for her hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

“I’m married now, Mom,” I choked out, the tears welling in my eyes. “I know it’s so crazy but yeah. I move in with him today. He has some people coming to pack up my apartment. It’s a long story but…he’s a good guy. He is the one paying for your treatment. You’re…” I wasn’t even able to finish my sentence. The words got lodged in my throat. “You’re going to be okay. He will make sure that you’re okay.”

I spent a few more minutes with my mother before I had to leave and make my way to Delmore Tower.

Miles had a car waiting for me which I found to be so unnecessary but he insisted that his wife not walk. When I told him I wasn’t his real wife he sent me a picture of the ring I had left for him at his office that was now on his finger.

‘This ring says otherwise.’

It was difficult trying to fight the guy. He was so convincing in everything that he said and did. It was hard to argue his points and it was both attractive and annoying—you could never win.

I walked out of the hospital and was met by Arthur, the driver. He held the door open for me and offered me a polite smile. “Mrs. Scott.”

I paused before getting in. “You can just call me Dove. Mrs. Scott just seems so…formal.”

“I’m afraid that I can’t do that, Mrs. Scott,” his face wrinkled further with his smile, “I need to keep the professional boundary.”

I sighed. “But you are twice my age, how come I get to call you by your name but you can’t call me by mine?”

“I’m afraid so, but I would like to be called Mr. Willard, if possible. But you may call me whatever you like.”

“Okay,” I sighed, getting into the car.

Arthur shut the door behind me and then we were off. I watched the large skyscrapers pass us by as we made our way to the Upper East Side. This was a place I rarely came to. It was the richer part of town and not a place that I blended into.

The car came to the reputable Delmore Tower. To think that this man owned this building was insane. This place declaimed the biggest A-listers and most powerful politicians. My staying here was something that should not be happening but here I was.

We drove into the basement of the building. Arthur opened the door for me and when I tried to get my bags from the back of the car he stopped me.

“You can head up, ma’am. I will get one of the bell boys to assist you.”

I waved him off with my hand. “Oh no, it’s fine, you don’t have to trouble yourself.”

He shook his head, raising his hand in the air. “Please, this is my job. Allow me to do it.”

When he put it that way there was no way that I could refuse him.

“You can take the elevator to the left. That is the one reserved specifically for the penthouse. The key card I gave you earlier will access the elevator and take you all the way up.”

I nodded and walked toward the elevator that had the large Scott family crest on it.

“Well, at least I will never get confused.” I muttered to myself as I took in all of the expensive cars parked there. They were all foreign cars, all shiny and polished to perfection. I walked to the elevator and pressed the only button option there was.

Penthouse.

As the lift took me to the top floor I could feel my heart hammering like crazy in the middle of my chest. I was so out of my depth here but I needed to learn to swim and quickly.

When the doors opened I was taken aback by the sheer beauty that was in front of me. I stepped into the incredible penthouse just like his office, there were marble tiled floors and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was an entire wall made of windows that showcased just how high up we truly were.

“Hello, Mrs. Scott.”

I jumped nearly two feet in the air and looked to the side where a woman dressed in all black stood. She had her grey hair tied in a neat little bun.

“My name is Greta, and I will be your housemaid.” She lightly nodded her head in my direction but it was more like a bow in my eyes. “You can head into the room. I will have your things laid out for you by the time you are done. Mr Scott had some clothes bought for you just in case. There is a set of pure silk pajamas on the bed for your convenience.”

She came to grab my handbag but I pulled it away.

“It’s okay, I can do it.”

Her wrinkled face frowned even more. “Please, it is my duty as you are the lady of the house. You can make your way to the bedroom and I will get everything ready for you.”

I didn’t want to argue with this woman so I just allowed her to take my bag. I’m not used to this kind of treatment, so it was something I was going to have to get used to.

“Will you be wanting anything to eat? Mr. Scott will only be home around nine, I believe.”

I shook my head. I had not had much of an appetite since this whole thing started. I was too nervous about this marriage deal and my mother.

“Very well, Mrs. Scott. I will just leave a few things in the fridge so you can reheat them if you would like.”

“Thank you.”

After that, Greta led me up the stairs toward an equally luxurious room. Dark hardwood floors and cream furniture made it all look so expensive. The entire corner of the room was made up of windows that showcased the gorgeous skyline of New York City. The room was the same size as my entire apartment had been, if not bigger.

“Wow,” I gasped. I was in awe.

“The shower is in there. I will get to work on your clothes.” Greta bowed her head again and disappeared into a side door that I presumed was the closet.

I looked around the large room filled with anything you could ever want in a luxurious bedroom. I felt like a fish out of water here. Places like this were not meant for people like me—or at least that was how I felt.

“Home sweet home,” I said into the silence.

***

The steam filled the entire bathroom. I stepped out of the shower, my body dripping from the water. I felt so much better. The tension in my shoulders had eased and I didn’t feel like I was suffocating. This whole thing had my stomach in knots.

I looked around the room for the towel but then I realized that I left it in the bedroom.

Great.

I stepped onto the cool tile and tip-toed my way back to the room. I opened the door ready to make a run for the closet but then I stopped short, my eyes going wide.

“Oh, my God!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Miles sat in the middle of the room with my towel in his hand. I ducked behind the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

He saw me naked.

Oh, my God!

My pretend husband just saw me naked.

I closed my eyes tightly willing this horrific situation away. “What are you doing here?”

“Well…I kind of live here, love.” I hated the teasing tone in his voice.

“Don’t be coy.”

“I finished work early and I wanted to welcome my wife to her new home. I take it you are liking the place.”

“Please leave,” I squeaked, feeling my cheeks heat up even further.

I heard his low and raspy chuckle that tickled something in the center of my chest. I didn’t like the way my body just reacted to him on its own accord. It was both frustrating and annoying. If I intended to survive this year with him I needed to get all of my emotions in check.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you I had come in. But I just arrived and saw the towel on the bed and then I heard the shower…I was actually coming to leave this on the bed. I promise I didn’t see anything.”

“Liar.” This was mortifying. I could not believe that this was even happening right now. “Can you please just hand me the towel and leave.”

He chuckled again but said nothing.

He threw the towel into the bathroom and I closed the door right after.

“Nice tattoo by the way. I didn’t take you for an ink kind of girl,” I heard his muffled voice behind the door. “I will be in my study if you need me.”

Now would have been the perfect time for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. This was so embarrassing.

Well, it looked like day 1 of living in this house was off to a marvelous start.

I tied the towel around my wet body and paced the luxurious bathroom like a woman gone mad. He had said that he was going to go to his study but I still could not bring myself to walk out of the room.

I groaned, feeling frustrated. “Of all the things…he had to see me naked.”

My new billionaire husband had seen my boobs and all my other bits.

Could this day get any more mortifying?