Chapter 8: Too Rich to Be Wanted
1259 Words
After viewing the house, they found a restaurant nearby and sat down for a meal in silence.
Sophia had been pondering how to bring up her marriage to her parents. She hadn’t told them yet, and now, with Alexander being so sincere, keeping it a secret felt a bit too much like she was leading him on.
Alexander, on the other hand, was contemplating something completely different—how to temporarily downplay his wealth so his wife wouldn’t file for divorce.
“I…”
“I…”
They spoke at the same time and then paused, both waiting for the other to continue.
“You go first,” Alexander said.
Sophia took a deep breath, gathering her courage.
“There’s something I need to tell you. I hope you won’t mind.” She clenched her teeth and just went for it.
“The thing is… My parents don’t know we’re married yet. I haven’t figured out how to break it to them, so… I can’t move in with you just yet.” Her voice got quieter toward the end.
She had agreed to this marriage willingly, so there was no reluctance on her part. Normally, as a married couple, they should live together. But aside from her parents, there was another reason—she just wasn’t ready to cohabit with a man she barely knew.
Alexander exhaled in relief.
For a moment, he had thought she had figured something out. But it was just this.
“That’s fine.” Thank god it wasn’t about divorce.
Even if their marriage had been impulsive, divorce was never on Alexander’s mind.
“But I do have one favor to ask.” He leaned back, watching her reaction. “My grandfather wants to meet you. He called the other day after hearing I got married.”
“Oh, sure! That’s no problem at all,” Sophia said quickly. “I’m not working right now, so I have plenty of time.”
Alexander smiled knowingly. He had expected she wouldn’t refuse.
“Then I’ll schedule it for this Sunday.”
He took out a small black jewelry box with no visible logo and slid it across the table.
“A gift.” He had initially planned to say something else, but seeing her nervousness, he changed his mind. He had always been good at using people’s guilt to his advantage.
Sophia opened the box to find a dazzling diamond bracelet inside. Her eyes instantly lit up.
No woman could resist jewelry.
“Is it expensive?” she hesitated.
Alexander paused while taking a sip of water.
“It’s not that bad. Diamonds are overpriced because of branding. This one was designed by a friend of mine—it’s only a little over a thousand dollars.” He lied without batting an eye. The bracelet was originally in the six-figure range, but he had casually shaved off a few zeroes.
Sophia had no concept of luxury jewelry prices, so she happily accepted his explanation, quickly fastening the bracelet around her wrist.
The delicate piece sparkled against her slender wrist.
Alexander took another sip of water.
He knew it would look perfect on her.
After lunch, Alexander had a meeting to attend. He had only squeezed in time to see her and had to leave shortly after. He arranged for a driver to pick him up.
Before getting in, he gave a quick instruction.
“Next time, use a more low-key car.”
The driver assumed the Rolls-Royce today was too flashy.
“Yes, sir. We can use the Mercedes instead.”
“No, pick something less recognizable.”
Though Sophia might not be a car expert, she would still recognize common luxury brands. His driver frequently picked him up, and he didn’t want her to notice.
Sophia had been overwhelmed lately. With all the family matters and the sudden marriage, she had fallen behind on her freelance illustration work. Now, her schedule was packed—interviews during the day and urgent commissions at night. The dark circles under her eyes were getting worse.
Seeing her exhausted daughter, Grace Shen handed her a glass of milk.
“Sophia, maybe you should take a break from your freelance work. If you need money, I can help.”
Sophia took a sip, a little milk clinging to the corner of her lips. “I can’t. I already took the deposit. I can’t break the contract.”
She went back to drawing, fully absorbed in her work.
Grace gently patted her daughter’s head.
“Maybe you should find a man and get married.”
Sophia almost choked on her milk.
“Mom—”
“Oh, relax.” Grace chuckled. “I’m not like your grandmother. But someone needs to keep an eye on you—you stay up all night drawing and playing on your phone. It’s not good for your health.”
Sophia felt a pang of guilt.
The red marriage certificate was lying in her drawer.
“Mom, what if I—”
“Oh, never mind. Forget I said anything. You’re only twenty-three. No need to rush into marriage. It’s too much trouble dealing with in-laws. Just enjoy your freedom a little longer.”
With that, she picked up the empty fruit plate and left.
Sophia, who had been considering confessing, swallowed her words.
If she told her mother now, she might actually get her head knocked off.
After finishing a commission, Sophia sighed in relief as the email notification confirmed her submission. Checking the time, she realized it was already 3 a.m. She picked up her phone to set an alarm for the next day—she needed to buy an outfit for her meeting with Alexander’s grandfather.
That’s when a message popped up.
Jackie Cheng: Hey, Sophia. I heard you’re job hunting. Our company is hiring a landscape designer. You took that as an elective, right? It should be a good fit.
A job posting link followed.
Sophia’s finger hovered over the screen for a second before she exited the app without replying.
She set her alarm.
Sunday was more important. She needed a new dress.
Sophia had always dressed simply. She wasn’t poor—she had been working since college and had saved up a decent amount. But she was used to being frugal, so stepping into a high-end boutique still made her nervous.
It felt like she didn’t belong.
“What are you afraid of? It’s not like you’re stealing.” Bella nudged her, amused. “Stand up straight.”
Sophia adjusted the white dress she had tried on, eyeing herself in the mirror. It looked good, but the back was a little too revealing. She wasn’t used to it.
“Maybe I should try something else?” she asked hesitantly.
Before Bella could respond, a sharp voice cut through the boutique.
“Oh, please! As if you could afford anything from C-brand.”
The rhythmic clacking of high heels shattered the quiet.
A woman with a slightly tanned complexion and a fuller figure strutted over, exuding arrogance. She wrinkled her nose as she looked Sophia up and down.
“I could smell the poverty from across the store. Figures it’s you. What a disaster.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes.
What were the chances of running into her old nemesis here?
This woman had always been competing with her, always trying to one-up her—but never succeeding.
Sophia smiled sweetly.
“Oh? Then why are you coming so close? Trying to soak up my ‘poverty’ for good luck?”
- Writer
