Chapter 9: Wedding Dress

Bryan returned home with mixed feelings. He was frustrated because he had once again been outmaneuvered by Mrs. Rose, who had successfully backed him into a corner. The only way he could win now was by marrying Angeline. This marriage had to succeed and they had to have children. Bryan saw no other way to get Mrs. Rose out of his life and out of his business. Bryan entered the house and was surprised to find Angeline asleep on the living room couch. As he looked at Angeline, who seemed to be shivering on the couch, he instinctively grabbed a blanket and covered her. He took the TV remote from Angeline's hand and turned off the TV. Then he adjusted the temperature on the air conditioner and turned off the lights, leaving only a small table lamp on near the sofa. Bryan looked at the girl he didn't recognize. He didn't know her manner, her character, or what was going on in her mind. All Bryan knew was her dark and heartbreaking story, which he had exploited for his own purposes. Seeing a strand of hair covering Angeline's face, Bryan's hand unconsciously moved to brush it aside. But when his hand was only two inches from Angeline's face, he stopped. He hesitated and decided to leave her alone before going to his own bedroom. The next morning, Angeline awoke and started to stretch. She accidentally rolled off the sofa and let out a groan of pain. "Oh no... I fell asleep here," Angeline muttered to herself, looking confused at the blanket wrapped around her. "Did I use this blanket last night?" she wondered aloud before noticing Bryan, who had already tidied up and was on his way to the kitchen. Startled by his presence, Angeline quickly lay back down and pretended to be still asleep. Bryan went to the kitchen and noticed Angeline's childish behavior. "I know you're awake. Get up and take a quick shower. We're going to the boutique today," Bryan said, causing Angeline to open her eyes and sit up, looking a little embarrassed. "The boutique? Why are we going there?" Angeline asked, getting a sharp look from Bryan. "Ah... I'm going to take a quick shower." Angeline seemed flustered and hurried up to her room on the second floor. Bryan could only shake his head at Angeline's behavior. Moments later, they arrived at a luxurious and well-known boutique. It was a place that required reservations or a hefty fee to enter. Angeline was in awe, especially when she saw the exquisite clothes on display. As a fashion design graduate, she understood fashion and its quality very well. "These must be designs by famous designers," Angeline muttered as she followed Bryan. "Oh my... look who's here!" greeted a man who acted quite feminine, even daring to link his arm with Bryan's. "Why didn't you tell me before? If I had known you were getting married, my dear, I would have designed the most luxurious and expensive wedding outfit for you," he said, stroking Bryan's cheek, which was covered with fine hair. "My wedding is in five days. You can show me the existing wedding outfits," Bryan replied coldly, uncomfortable with the man's touch. "Why the rush?" "Kevin -" "Karen! Call me Karen, you know... Kevin is just too macho for me," Karen interrupted angrily, glancing at Angeline who remained silent, confused. "Oh my... your future wife is absolutely stunning, Bryan. You're really good at finding a woman. Let me have a look." Karen examined Angeline from head to toe. She took Angeline's measurements with a tape measure hanging around her neck. Karen was clearly amazed at Angeline's proportions; she was slender yet looked absolutely perfect. "Dear... do you rarely eat? How can your stomach be so flat and even concave? Where have your breasts gone? Why are they so small? And oh my... your hips are too narrow, darling. I'm not sure anything fits your body," Karen commented on Angeline's physique. "Luckily you're tall, so you'll definitely look beautiful in the newly finished dress I just made. Bryan, you're so lucky to be here today." Karen called some of her assistants and told them to take Angeline to the dressing room. Meanwhile, a male assistant brought a gold tuxedo for Bryan. "You too, put this on. I love your perfectly proportioned body. You two will make a harmonious couple." Bryan didn't say much and did as Karen instructed. He went into the next room to try on the tuxedo she had provided. In less than five minutes, Bryan was done and out of the room. Karen was in awe of Bryan's captivating appearance in the gold tuxedo. "Wow... how does that tuxedo fit you so perfectly? You really are a woman's dream, Bryan. Like a prince out of a fairy tale. Now let's look at the bride-to-be. Is she also like a princess from a fairy tale?" A curtain was slowly pulled back to reveal Angeline in a white wedding dress adorned with gold pearls. She looked incredibly beautiful and radiant. Even Bryan couldn't blink when he saw Angeline's beauty, which made her nervous and unable to meet his eyes. "OMG! You're absolutely the perfect couple. Okay, it's done. Just wear this. You said your wedding's in five days, right? Don't waste time looking for another dress. Wear this one," Karen said, looking delighted and very proud of herself for creating such a beautiful dress. Bryan had just finished changing when he received a phone call asking him to come to the office as soon as possible. "Will she be much longer?" Bryan asked an attendant there. "I'll check right away, sir," the servant replied. The servant went into Angeline's dressing room. Angeline was still trying to get out of the tight dress she was wearing. "Miss Angeline is still changing, sir. Please wait a little," the servant said. Bryan looked worried. He had to get back quickly and couldn't wait any longer. Without saying a word, he entered the dressing room just as Angeline was taking off her dress. Everyone was surprised by Bryan's sudden intrusion, including Angeline, who hastily covered herself because she wasn't wearing any underwear.