My Husband Is A Stranger

Chapter Twenty - Sweet

Clara spent her entire day educating herself about what a CFO should do. She felt productive since she’s been holding so many notes while she kept on glancing at her phone and laptop.

She was done making her curriculum vitae, everything else that she needs is prepared, but she wanted to be more knowledgeable about the position she’ll probably have if she passed the interview.

“The financial goals, objectives, and budgets of a corporation are directed by the Chief Financial Officer. As a CFO, you are responsible for overseeing the investment of the company's money as well as assessing and managing related risks,” she read while burying it inside of her mind.

“Everything seems complicated,” she collapsed on their king-sized bed and rolled over there, it's been a while since she studied thoroughly.

She excelled at class back then, but she feels like she’s useless just by thinking about how difficult it was for her to take in all of this in one day.

Clara then decided to stand up as she stretched her joints. She stood steadily as she fought the soreness that she’s been feeling on her legs.

Those spikes and soreness that she’s been feeling on her legs through her ankles is a sign that she is lacking more water, so she decided to go downstairs to replenish her stomach.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she noticed that it was silent, she went to the window and folded its shades for her to see clearly outside.

“It was this late already?” she spoke to herself before yawning, she noticed the stars filling up the vast navy blue skies with the waxing moon shining presently.

Despite all of the information she has learned through reading, it makes her sluggish. She thought that sweets would make this sluggishness go away.

She almost squealed as she glanced inside the refrigerator and saw that the cake she had created over there looked appealing.

“It’s perfect,” she smiled as she took out that cake outside of the fridge and placed it gently on the kitchen island, “Being sweet, check!” she proudly checks her notes on her phone before preparing a slice for her and Tristan in separate plates,

She’s still overwhelmed with the things Tristan bought here, each is of exceptional quality, and she's anxious she'll break one that costs more than her life. Clara shrugged and looked for Tristan, “Where could he be? He’s always leaving and appearing whenever he wants to,” she mumbled.

“Wife,” Tristan popped behind her back, which made her gasp as she turned around and unconsciously pointed the knife to that certain someone on her back.

“Gah! Y-You scared me, Tristan! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she clutched to her chest, it was pounding so rapidly like she was being chased down by some ghosts.

He looked at the wife for a moment and casually took the knife away from her hands, he thought her reflexes were too swift.

Tristan then shook his head and amusingly gazed at her wife’s reactions, “Forgive me, wife, I overheard you talking and just wanted to surprise you,” he chuckled loudly, so Clara just shook her head at him.

She just took the plate she prepared for him and offered him that, “Here’s a cake, this means I’m being sweet okay?” 

Tristan looked surprised for a moment before relaxing himself, “Thank you, wife, you did make my favorite,” he beamed before walking towards the dining table.

She noticed a silhouette of a man standing beside her after Tristan left, “Waa! Genesis! You scared me too!” Clara complained as she lightly tapped Genesis' shoulders.

Genesis stood motionless on her side as his gaze was locked on the cake she made, “D-Do you want some cake?” Clara politely asked as she noticed his reactions.

He nodded at her, so Clara secretly laughed as she prepared a slice for Genesis, “Here you go, don’t scare me half to death next time!” she exclaimed, so Genesis just nodded at her with his gaze focused on the plate she was holding.

Clara chuckled because she claimed Genesis likes cakes because of how he reacted after seeing one.

Genesis then joined Tristan on the huge dining table as she decided to pace over there with her serving, “So how does it taste? It’s my first time making blueberry, I usually make chocolate, mocha, and vanilla cakes with loads of toppings,” she shared, so Genesis lifted his head at her.

“Please do not hesitate to invite me when you decide to make some delicacies,” Genesis informed her in a straight face, so Clara laughed before glancing at Tristan.

“It tastes amazing as always, wife,” Tristan happily complimented her, so secretly blushed as she ate her serving.

It didn’t take them a while to finish the cake as Genesis and Tristan took most of the servings left. Clara was pleased as they both liked what she did for them, this means she passed on being sweet as a perfect wife.

“Oh by the way, where did you two come from? How come you two appeared on my back without a noise?” Clara inquired while washing the plates, which halted those two who were about to pace towards the living room.

Genesis casually glanced at his boss before bowing his head to him and Clara, “I’ll be leaving now, thank you for the meal, Ma’am Clara,” he said before swiftly walking out of the door.

She furrowed her eyebrows for a moment before glancing at her husband, “So where did you two come from?” she asked again, so Tristan was slightly nervous about his wife being too inquisitive today.

“W-We just quietly came in the backyard, wife, you were too preoccupied looking at your creation to the point that you didn’t notice us,” Tristan cursed himself on the inside because he lied to her again.

He didn’t want to, but for her sake, he has to do it even if it means being dishonest with her. He roughly messed with his hair, deeply disappointed in himself as he continued cursing himself on the inside.

“I see, maybe I was that preoccupied,” Clara wondered because she clearly saw there was no one before she took that cake out of the fridge.

She just shrugged because she probably missed it and finished washing the dishes. Tristan was on the phone, so Clara ascended upstairs for her to study again about her interview tomorrow.

***

“Hi, good morning, I’m Clara Crest Zaveri, and I would like to apply for the Chief Financial Officer position,” 

“Hello ma’am/sir, I’m Clara Crest Zaveri, and I would like to apply for the Chief Financial Officer position,” 

Clara was practicing on the passenger seat for her interview for today. Tristan was laughing on her side because he noticed that she was so tense.

“Stop that,” Clara pouted before slouching on her seat, “You’re not helping me to feel more confident,” she complained while massaging her temples.

“You’re just so tense, wife, you don’t have to practice you know?” Tristan gazed at his wife before smirking, “You just have to believe in yourself and everything else will flow smoothly,” he added, which made Clara sigh.

She tried to gaze at the windows to watch the moving buildings and merchandise stores swiftly move way past her eyes like some motion picture played fast forward. The city is vibrant and crowded again, she thought.

“And I’m the one who’s going to interview you though,” Tristan mentioned, “Did you forget that I’m the boss there, wife? So you don’t have to be nervous,” he reassured, but Clara was too tensed up to care.

“I don’t want you to take it easy on me, treat me like someone you don’t know yet,” Clara firmly said, “I don’t like it when I’m not being challenged about the things I’m truly eager to get,”

“Alright,” Tristan secretly chuckled, his wife is making various emotions that he most especially would like to see.

He turned the steering wheel of his Mercedes-Benz to the right and parked at the place reserved under the basement level of the company. 

“How many luxury cars do you have Tristan?” Clara curiously asked because she has seen three types of cars that Tristan uses whenever he comes to work.

“I own like 30 of them, wife, some were parked on the villas and mansions that I own around the city,” Tristan shared casually, which made her eyes widened.

“We'll tour those properties soon if you'd like, wife,” he beamed, so Clara shook her head in disbelief.

“Where would you use all of those cars?! You should be saving money or investing it!” she scolded, so Tristan just laughed at his wife’s reactions.

“I am investing, wife, plus, those cars I’m buying are also my collections, or you know? Show off?” he explained, so Clara glared at him. She never thought that billionaires would act like this, don’t they save money?

She then remembered her aunt spending more than a million every single day just because of her wants when they should focus on what they would need.

Clara just massaged her temples, just thinking about it puts her in distress. Her confused, bothered, and furious expression made Tristan’s day as he chuckled while taking off his seatbelt.

Tristan immediately went out to walk around the car to open the door for his wife, “Well enough of me, but are you finally ready for your interview?” he amusingly asked while offering his hands.

Clara sighed and released a lungful of air before taking Tristan's hand in hers and gently stepping out of the car.

She carefully adjusted her brown formal coat and grabbed her brown envelope that was located at the compartment, “I’m ready,” Clara confidently said, so Tristan just smiled before they started pacing towards the elevator.

Clara can’t stop herself from being so mesmerized by what she’s seeing around Zaveri Company. It emanates power, money, and elegance wherever she looks, in contrast to her aunt's firm, whose employees were fiercely competing with one another.

“I always tend to forget that you’re so rich compared to any billionaires around this city on the way you act towards me,” Clara remarked inadvertently, which made Tristan chuckle.

“It's okay, you don't have to worry about it too much, and, by the way, is there anything you want, wife?” Tristan inquired as they both went into the elevator as he pushed the 14th-floor button.

Clara furrowed her eyebrows, “Do you have to ask me that question every single day?” she almost complained. Tristan always asks that statement every single day and she finds it so weird.

“And I told you many times already that there’s nothing that I want,” she blew some air out of her mouth when the elevator created that familiar whirring sound as it moved up.

“You sure?” Tristan insisted, “I want to give you something, wife,” he sounded persistent, making Clara slightly bothered about it.

“Yes, I am sure, okay?” the elevator made a ting sound as they both decided to step out to walk towards his office.

“But if there’s something you want, please don’t hesitate to ask me, I could provide it to you,” Tristan reminded her, so Clara merely groaned before nodding to end their chat.

Tristan grinned at his wife’s nod, “Meet me in the HR room, I’ll be there in a second,” Tristan gestured to where his wife needed to go, Clara did follow his directions and arrived safely inside of that room.

On the interior, there's a small desk containing an expensive tumbler, a handful of ballpoint pens and pencils we're arranged in the middle of the desk, and there are two magazine file holders placed on the side, one green and the other red. 

She gulped when she spotted a number of folders on the red organizer; even if she didn't ask, she knew those were the ones who didn't pass the interview.

Aside from the air conditioner blowing on the top of the room, the only thing she could hear was her heart thumping against her chest. She was aware that she was prepared, yet she couldn't help but feel anxious about this interview.

She stood up straight when the door went wide open, Tristan casually walked on the front and sat casually like a big boss in the recliner.

“Good day, Sir, I’m Clara Crest Zaveri, and I would want to apply for the post of Chief Financial Officer,” Clara stated politely as she presented her envelope, which Tristan accepted.

“So you have the same surname as mine Mrs. Clara, are you perhaps a relative of mine?” Tristan raised his eyebrows to his wife amusingly, Clara then politely just smiled at him.

“In reality, yes, we are relatives, Mr. Zaveri, you are my husband by law after all,” Clara answered firmly, so Tristan's lips curled up into a smile. He liked what he heard from her.

He opened the envelope and skimmed what’s written inside of it, “Tell me something about you and your role you’re about to have that’s not included inside of this envelope,” Tristan gazed at her intently as he raised her brown envelope.

“I most especially would not like to hear you recite what’s written inside of this,” he added firmly. Clara secretly smiled because she wanted to have an interview like this, she straightened up her posture before answering him.

“I believe I am a woman capable of things with the responsibilities passed unto mine and as a future CFO, I wouldn’t just be a senior executive, I want to be reliable enough where my presence is not just needed on my role as the future CFO of this company,”

To be continued...