MY BROTHER'S WIFE

CHAPTER FOUR

ETHAN'S POV

Sophia was honestly one of the most confusing people I had ever met.

I simply couldn't understand what the problem was with me walking around half-dressed in my own bedroom. This had been my room long before she came into my life, and for as long as I could remember, I had always changed my clothes here without giving it a second thought. Now, apparently, I was expected to treat my own bedroom like a public place.

I let out a quiet sigh and ran a hand through my damp hair.

Even though we had agreed to act like nothing more than friends whenever we were alone, I still couldn't understand why she reacted as though seeing my bare chest was some terrible crime. I wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable, and I certainly wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation. I had simply walked out of the bathroom the way I always did. Somehow, without even trying, I had managed to upset her again.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened.

Sophia stepped out wearing a different dress, confirming my suspicion that she had only come upstairs to change after helping in the kitchen. She avoided looking directly at me as she adjusted the sleeves of her dress, and for a brief moment, the room fell into an awkward silence.

"You know, Sophia," I began, trying to keep my voice calm, "I really think you're worrying over something that isn't such a big deal."

She finally looked at me.

"You were the one who said we should just be friends," I continued. "You made it very clear that this marriage only exists on paper and that we should simply pretend to be a happy couple whenever other people are around. I accepted that, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted."

A bitter smile found its way onto my face.

"It's funny, isn't it? We're married, we share the same room, everyone sees us as husband and wife... yet we're still complete strangers trying to figure out how we're supposed to live under the same roof."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

I could feel myself becoming frustrated, not because I was angry with Sophia, but because I didn't know how to make things less awkward between us. Every conversation seemed to end with both of us feeling uncomfortable, and that wasn't how I had imagined the first morning of our marriage would go.

I took a slow breath before speaking again.

"But don't worry," I said with a small smile. "Since you've decided we're going to be friends, I wanted to tell you something..."

"After you've put your clothes on."

She interrupted me so quickly that I couldn't help blinking in surprise.

For a second, I simply stared at her.

Then I looked down at myself before letting out a quiet laugh.

She really wasn't going to let this go.

I honestly didn't understand why seeing me without a shirt embarrassed her so much, but if wearing a T-shirt would make her feel more comfortable, then it wasn't worth arguing over. The last thing I wanted was for our first morning together to turn into another disagreement.

"Alright," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "Give me two minutes."

I walked into the dressing room, pulled on a clean T-shirt and a pair of jeans, then returned a few minutes later.

Sophia hadn't moved an inch.

She was still standing exactly where I had left her, patiently waiting for me to come back.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?" she asked.

I looked at her for a moment before quietly shaking my head.

"Forget it."

She frowned slightly.

"I think breakfast is probably ready by now."

Without waiting for another question, I turned towards the door and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, I heard Sophia's footsteps behind me as she followed me downstairs, and although neither of us spoke during the walk, I couldn't help wondering if living together was always going to feel this awkward... or if, someday, we'd finally learn how to be comfortable around each other.

By the time Sophia and I reached the dining room, breakfast was already underway. Dad was reading the morning newspaper between bites of food, while Mom and my younger sister, Lillian, were quietly chatting while eating. The moment we walked in together, all three pairs of eyes turned towards us.

Mom's lips immediately curved into a knowing smile.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us," she said, amusement evident in her voice. "I was beginning to think we'd have to send someone upstairs to remind the newlyweds that breakfast doesn't wait forever."

Before I could even think of a response, Lillian rested her chin on her hand and looked at us with an exaggerated sigh.

"Mom, don't embarrass them," she said, although the mischievous sparkle in her eyes suggested she was about to do exactly that. She looked at me before grinning. "Then again... maybe Brother just wasn't ready to let his wife leave the room."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Lillian..."

"What?" she asked innocently.

She turned to Sophia with a smile.

"I'm just saying, my brother has always been dramatic. Now that he's married, I'm sure he's become even worse."

"Lillian," I warned again.

She ignored me completely.

"I mean, just look at him. He's probably been trying to convince Sophia that she should never leave his side."

I let out an exasperated sigh before reaching across the table and lightly flicking her forehead with my fingers.

"Ouch!" she complained dramatically, rubbing the spot even though I barely touched her. "Mom, did you see that? Your favourite son just assaulted your favourite daughter."

Mom didn't even look up from pouring herself a cup of tea.

"I only saw one child provoking the other."

Dad chuckled quietly behind his newspaper.

I couldn't help laughing.

"You started it."

"I always do," Lillian replied proudly.

She folded her arms across her chest before looking at Sophia again.

"Don't worry, Sophia. He's been like this his entire life. I was hoping marriage would finally make him act like a mature adult, but clearly, I expected too much."

I gasped dramatically.

"You wound me."

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "You still behave like you're sixteen."

"I'm a very mature twenty-six-year-old."

Mom raised an eyebrow.

"Ethan."

"Fine..." I muttered. "Maybe twenty-five."

That earned a laugh from everyone around the table.

For a brief moment, I glanced towards Sophia.

She hadn't said much since we arrived, but I noticed the corners of her lips lift ever so slightly. It wasn't a full smile, but it was enough to make me smile too.

"Alright, that's enough," Mom said warmly before gesturing towards the empty seats beside us. "Sophia, dear, I hope you slept well. Please don't mind these two. They've been arguing like this since they were children, and I doubt they'll ever stop."

"I don't start the arguments," I protested.

"You absolutely do," Lillian answered at the same time and I wanted to remind her that she just said she always starts the arguments but Mom simply shook her head in amusement.

"Sit down, both of you, and let the poor girl enjoy her breakfast in peace."

Sophia quietly took her seat beside me, and I sat down as well. As soon as I picked up my fork and took my first bite, my eyes widened slightly.

This...

This was incredible.

Everything on the table tasted amazing, from the fluffy scrambled eggs to the warm biscuits that practically melted in my mouth. Even the simplest dishes somehow tasted better than usual.

I looked down at my plate before taking another bite just to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

No.

This really was the best breakfast I'd had in a very long time.

"Mom," I said after swallowing my food, "who made breakfast this morning?"

She looked up at me curiously.

"I'm not sure, dear. By the time I came downstairs, everything had already been prepared and served. Why do you ask?"

I looked around the table before smiling.

"No particular reason. I just wanted to know who deserves the credit. Whoever prepared this meal has an incredible talent."

I took another bite before continuing.

"In fact, if it were up to me, I'd happily double their salary on one condition."

Mom smiled knowingly.

"And what condition would that be?"

"That they agree to cook whenever I'm home."

The moment I finished speaking, I heard several muffled laughs coming from the direction of the kitchen entrance.

I looked up in confusion towards the maids, only to find every single one of them trying their hardest to suppress their laughter. Some had lowered their heads, others were biting their lips, while Hazel and Ana quickly looked away the moment our eyes met, as though they were afraid they might burst out laughing if they looked at me for another second. My brows knitted together in confusion because, as far as I was concerned, I hadn't said anything funny. I had only complimented whoever had prepared breakfast and offered to reward them for doing such an amazing job. Surely nothing was amusing about that.

"What?" I asked, looking from one face to another. "Why are all of you laughing? Did I say something strange?" The laughter immediately stopped, but instead of answering me, every single maid slowly turned to look in the same direction.

Naturally, I followed their gaze, only to find Sophia quietly lowering her head as though she suddenly found the food on her plate far more interesting than the conversation taking place around her. I frowned in confusion before looking back at the staff. "Why are you all looking at Sophia?" I asked. "Have you already met? I don't remember introducing her to everyone yet."

The head housekeeper stepped forward with the same respectful smile she had been wearing all morning before clasping her hands neatly in front of her. "Young Master," she began politely, "Young Madam was the one who prepared breakfast this morning. Hazel and Ana only assisted her by bringing the ingredients she needed and showing her where everything was kept. The rest of us simply helped set the table after the meal was finished."

She smiled warmly at Sophia before looking back at me. "So, if you enjoyed the food that much, perhaps you should ask Young Madam to cook for you more often. After all..." She paused for a brief moment, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "...she is your wife."

For a few seconds, I simply stared at Sophia.

She made breakfast?

I couldn't hide the surprise on my face.

Somehow, I had convinced myself that a woman raised in a wealthy family wouldn't know the first thing about cooking. I wasn't trying to judge her; it was simply the assumption anyone would make. Most daughters from influential families grew up with chefs, maids, and servants taking care of everything around the house, so the idea of Sophia waking up early on her very first morning in the Maxwell mansion just to prepare breakfast for everyone had honestly never crossed my mind.

Then again... why was I acting as though I knew anything about her? We'd only recently met, and apart from the little she had shared with me yesterday, I knew almost nothing about the woman sitting beside me. Perhaps this was another reminder that I shouldn't make assumptions about someone simply because of the family they came from.

Before I could say anything, Lillian suddenly clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement as though she had just come up with the greatest idea in history. "Brother!" she exclaimed. "Since you like your wife's cooking so much, I think you should reward her. Why don't you take her shopping today? It's her first day here, and besides, every woman likes shopping."

I immediately turned towards her before breaking into a grin.

"Wow."

She blinked.

"What?"

"For the first time in your entire life..." I said, nodding dramatically as though I was genuinely impressed, "...you've actually said something intelligent."

Her jaw dropped.

"Ethan!"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"See? I knew you had it in you."

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at me.

"I was trying to help you."

"And I appreciate it."

"You don't sound appreciative."

"That's because I'm still getting revenge for all the teasing you did earlier."

She let out an exaggerated huff before looking at our parents.

"Mom, are you hearing him? I try to be a good sister for once, and this is how he thanks me."

Dad chuckled quietly from the other end of the table while Mom merely shook her head, clearly used to our constant bickering.

"I think," Mom said with an amused smile, "both of you are impossible."

"I agree," Lillian replied immediately, pointing a finger at me. "He's impossible."

"I was talking about both of you."

Before either of us could continue arguing, a soft voice interrupted us.

"Excuse me..."

The entire table fell silent.

I turned towards Sophia just in time to see her slowly pushing her chair back before rising to her feet. She didn't look angry or upset. If anything, she looked... uncomfortable.

"I'll be upstairs for a while; I need some air," she said quietly.

Without waiting for anyone to stop her, she offered everyone a small, polite smile before walking out of the dining room.

My eyes followed her until she disappeared from sight.

The cheerful atmosphere around the table suddenly didn't feel quite the same anymore.

I found myself wondering if we had unintentionally made her uncomfortable. Maybe she wasn't used to families teasing one another over breakfast. Maybe seeing us laugh and joke together reminded her of her own family, and she was missing them more than she wanted to admit. Or perhaps... it wasn't that at all. Maybe she simply wasn't used to being the centre of attention. Whatever the reason was, one thing had become painfully clear to me.

The more I thought I was beginning to understand Sophia...

The more I realised I barely knew her at all.