Hating You Was My Full Time Job

Chapter 6: Married Life

Married life with Adrian Blackwood is chaos.

Beautiful, expensive, infuriating chaos.

*Month 1: The Honeymoon*

Maldives. Private island. No phones.

For 14 days it was just us.

No board meetings. No coffee runs. No rumors.

Just Adrian in swim shorts making breakfast.

Just me reading on the beach while he pretended not to watch me.

Just late nights talking until the sun came up.

On day 10 he said, “I could do this forever.”

“Me too,” I said.

Then his phone rang.

Blackwood Tower. Emergency.

The honeymoon ended 4 days early.

“Welcome back to reality, Mrs. Blackwood,” he said on the flight home.

“I don’t like reality,” I said.

“You’ll get used to it.”

*Month 2: The Office*

Coming back to work as husband AND wife was weird.

The first board meeting:

“Mrs. Blackwood,” Mr. Carter said. “Care to share your thoughts?”

I almost choked. “Um. Yes. I think”

Adrian kicked me under the table.

`Don’t be nervous. You’re the Chief of Staff.`

Right.

I gave the report. Nailed it.

After, Adrian pulled me into his office.

“You did amazing,” he said.

“Stop calling me Mrs. Blackwood in meetings.”

“Why? I like it.” He kissed me. “My wife.”

But it wasn’t all easy.

People still talked.

“Must be nice to get promoted because you’re married to the boss.”

“Did you see her new office? Bigger than the VPs.”

I ignored it. Most days.

Until one day I didn’t.

Margaret again. In the break room.

“Must be hard. Having to pretend you earned it.”

I set my coffee down. “I work 12 hour days, Margaret. What do you do?”

Her face went red.

Adrian heard about it.

That night: “Do you want me to fire her?”

“No.” I sighed. “I want to earn it. For real.”

“And you are.”

*Month 3: The First Fight*

It was about dishes.

Dishes.

“I told you I’d do them,” Adrian said.

“You said that 3 hours ago.”

“I had a call with Tokyo!”

“I had a call with London!”

We yelled.

We slammed cabinets.

We went to bed on opposite sides.

At 2 AM I felt the bed dip.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“For what?”

“For being a jerk. And for the dishes.”

I rolled over. “Sorry for yelling.”

He pulled me close. “Married life is stupid.”

“The worst.”

“Wanna order takeout and pretend we didn’t fight?”

“Yeah.”

*Month 4: The Secret*

I found out I was pregnant.

I didn’t plan to tell him at the office.

But the test was positive and I was panicking.

I walked into his office and shut the door.

“Adrian.”

He looked up from his laptop. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m pregnant.”

The laptop closed.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant.” My voice shook. “8 weeks.”

Silence.

Then he was around the desk. On his knees. Hand on my stomach.

“A baby,” he whispered. “Our baby.”

He started crying.

Adrian Blackwood. CEO. Crying on the floor.

“Are you happy?” I asked.

“Terrified,” he said. “And happy. And terrified.”

He stood and kissed me. Soft.

“We’re going to be parents.”

*Month 5-6: The Nesting*

We bought a house.

Not the penthouse. A real house. With a yard.

Adrian picked out the nursery.

All black and gray. Of course.

“I’m not painting it black,” I said.

“Fine. Gray.”

We fought about names.

He wanted James.

I wanted Leo.

We compromised: James Leo Blackwood.

The doctor said it was a boy.

Adrian cried again.

*Month 7: The Leak*

Someone leaked the pregnancy to the press.

*ADRIAN BLACKWOOD TO BE A FATHER*

*WHO IS THE LUCKY WOMAN?*

Paparazzi outside our house.

Outside the office.

Adrian was furious.

“I’ll find who did this.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Let them talk.”

He pulled me close. “I just want to protect you. Both of you.”

*Month 8: The Complications*

Doctor’s appointment.

“There’s a problem,” the doctor said. “Your blood pressure is high. We need to monitor you.”

I nodded. Calm.

In the car, I broke down.

“What if something happens to the baby?”

Adrian grabbed my hand. “Nothing will happen. I won’t let it.”

For the first time, he looked scared.

Bed rest for 2 weeks.

Adrian worked from home.

Brought me coffee.

Read to me at night.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said.

“I want to.” He kissed my forehead. “You’re carrying my son. The least I can do is rub your feet.”

*Month 9: The Birth*

3 AM. My water broke.

Adrian was out of bed before I finished saying it.

Hospital. 12 hours of labor.

He didn’t leave my side.

Held my hand.

Cursed with me.

Cried with me.

6:42 PM.

“Mrs. Blackwood, you have a son.”

James Leo Blackwood.

7 pounds. 3 ounces.

Screaming. Perfect.

Adrian held him first.

“Hey buddy,” he whispered. “I’m your dad.”

I cried so hard I thought I’d drown.

*Month 10: New Normal*

Sleep deprivation.

Diapers.

3 AM feedings.

Adrian learned to change diapers.

Badly.

He learned to make bottles.

Perfectly.

He learned to be a dad.

Better than anyone.

One night at 4 AM, feeding James:

“I’m so tired,” I mumbled.

“Me too,” Adrian said. “But look at him.”

James was asleep on his chest.

“I love you,” Adrian said. “Both of you.”

“I love you too.”

*Month 11: Back to Work*

I went back to the office part-time.

James came with me.

Nanny in the next room.

First board meeting with a baby monitor in my bag.

Adrian kept looking at it.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Adrian. Focus.”

He nodded. Then: “Motion to adjourn so I can go see my son.”

The board laughed.

*Month 12: The Anniversary*

One year married.

Adrian planned a dinner.

Just us. Nanny had James.

At the restaurant, he gave me a box.

Inside: a necklace.

A tiny gold “J”.

“For our boy,” he said.

“And this.” Another box.

A key.

“To what?” I asked.

“Our house. I bought it. For us. For James.”

“Adrian, you”

“I love you, Ava.” He took my hand. “Thank you for choosing me. Even when I was terrible.”

“I chose you because you stopped being terrible.”

He laughed and kissed me.

*Epilogue: 2 Years Later*

Blackwood Tower. 43rd floor.

Two offices. One connecting door.

James is running around with a toy car.

“Vroom vroom! Daddy!”

Adrian picks him up. “Hey little man.”

The secretary peeks in. “Mr. Blackwood, your 3 PM is here.”

“Reschedule,” Adrian says without looking. “Daddy duty.”

She smiles. “Yes sir.”

After she leaves:

“Are we really canceling?” I ask.

“Yes.” He sits on my couch with James. “Some things are more important than work.”

James holds up the car. “Mama, look!”

“I see it baby.”

Adrian looks at me. Then at James.

“You know what?” he says.

“What?”

“Hating you was my full-time job.”

“And now?”

“Now loving you is my full-time job. And being your husband. And being James’ dad.”

He kisses James’ head. Then kisses me.

“Best promotion I ever got.”

End of Chapter 6