Dream Husband

9 The Art of Balancing Love and Work

After breakfast, Arav pulled Sara into his arms, stroking her hair softly. “Don’t go out with your friends and make me jealous anymore,” he teased.

Sara looked up at him, her expression playful. “Joe and Sam are really nice to me as friends. Don’t you believe me?”

Arav smiled, his tone gentle. “Of course, I believe you. Who else would I trust if not you? I only want your happiness, Sara. That’s all I care about.”

Touched by his words, Sara leaned in and kissed his cheek. Arav’s face lit up instantly, his happiness as bright as a bulb.

“This is your first kiss for me,” he said with a boyish grin.

Noticing the smudge of her lipstick on his face, Sara quickly wiped it away with a tissue and smiled. “I need to buy some smudge-free lipsticks to save you from future embarrassment,” she said softly.

Arav’s smile grew even wider. “Absolutely, but don’t stop kissing me for any reason,” he said, his voice filled with warmth.

Blushing, Sara tried to change the subject. “Come on, Arav. We’re getting late for work.”

---

At the office, Sara headed straight to her desk, immersing herself in her project. After analyzing the requirements thoroughly the previous day, she began working on an advertising campaign for the company’s upcoming luxury villa project.

Her proposed tagline, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get,” caught everyone’s attention. Charles sent an email to the entire team, praising her creativity.

While most of her colleagues admired her work, Jagapri and Elena seethed with jealousy. The recognition Sara was receiving only fueled their resentment.

Needing a short break, Sara headed to the cafeteria to grab some green tea. As she entered, she accidentally bumped into Edwin, the managing director of the marketing department.

“Sorry,” Sara said politely, stepping aside.

Edwin, who had already noticed her on the internal forum, smiled warmly. “No problem. Hi, I’m Edwin, head of the marketing team,” he introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Edwin,” Sara replied with a smile. “I’m Sara, new to the designing team.”

She ordered her tea and found a quiet corner to sit, hoping to enjoy her break in peace. However, Edwin followed her, taking the seat next to hers.

“Sara, would you like to have coffee with me after work?” he asked, his tone friendly but curious.

Caught off guard, Sara stammered, “Ouch…” as she accidentally bit her tongue.

Edwin immediately offered her a glass of water. “Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

Sara nodded, thanking him quietly before quickly leaving the cafeteria without addressing his invitation.

---

Someone had taken a photo of Sara and Edwin together in the cafeteria and uploaded it to the company’s internal forum, captioned: “The designing team’s best design with the marketing team’s prince charming.”

The post garnered instant attention, with likes and comments pouring in. Sam and Joe, curious, rushed to Sara’s cabin.

“Hey, Sara!” Sam asked, holding up his phone. “Did you have tea with Edwin?”

“No,” Sara replied, confused. “We just bumped into each other. How do you even know about that?”

They showed her the post, leaving her both nervous and annoyed.

Jagapri and Elena, seizing the opportunity, approached Sara with smug expressions. “It seems you can’t resist charming every man in the office,” Jagapri sneered.

Sara froze, their words cutting deep. Before she could respond, Sam jumped in. “Why don’t you two mind your own business instead of gossiping?” he snapped.

Jagapri and Elena exchanged fake smiles before walking away, their jealousy evident.

“Don’t listen to them,” Joe said, trying to comfort Sara. “They’re just jealous.”

After they left, Sara checked the internal forum on her phone. The attention and gossip were overwhelming. She didn’t like being the center of office drama, especially when she was hiding her relationship with Arav.

Worried about how he might react, she decided to call him.

---

Arav was in the middle of a board meeting when his phone buzzed. Seeing Sara’s name on the screen, he immediately signaled for the meeting to pause and picked up the call.

“Yes, honey?” he said warmly.

The board members exchanged surprised glances. Was this their cold, no-nonsense CEO?

“Arav, it’s not what you think,” Sara began nervously. “I didn’t invite Edwin to have tea with me. It was just an accident.”

Arav, still unaware of the forum post, glanced at Anna, who quickly showed him the picture and comments. Realizing the situation, he smiled and replied, “Sara, I told you—I trust you. Don’t worry.”

Sara remained silent on the other end. Sensing her lingering unease, Arav softened his tone. “How about lunch together? Shall I take you out?”

“I’m fine now,” Sara finally said. “Let’s meet at lunch.” She hung up before he could say more.

Arav smiled at his phone and returned to the meeting, though his thoughts lingered on her.

---

After the meeting, Arav informed Anna and Peter of his plans before heading to the car. Peter drove to the office parking lot, where Sara quietly slipped into the backseat.

As soon as she sat down, Arav wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Sara rested her head on his shoulder, sighing softly.

“Arav…” she began.

“Yes, honey?”

“I don’t like being in the spotlight. But no matter how hard I try to avoid it, I always end up there,” she admitted, her voice filled with frustration.

Arav chuckled. “Is that what’s bothering you? Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

His reassurance calmed her as they arrived at the restaurant. To avoid media attention, Arav wore sunglasses, keeping a low profile. They enjoyed a relaxing lunch, with Sara’s worries gradually fading away.

Afterward, Arav took her to a cosmetics store, helping her pick out smudge-free lipsticks. He bought nearly every shade available, ignoring Sara’s protests.

Applying a soft pink shade to her lips, he turned her toward the mirror. “Look at yourself,” he whispered. “You’re stunning.”

Blushing, Sara tried to pull away, but Arav leaned closer. “Let’s test it,” he teased. “See if it’s really smudge-free.”

“Arav, stop it!” she said, laughing. “Everyone’s watching us!”

He smiled mischievously. “Fine, we’ll test it tonight,” he whispered, leaving her red-faced.

---

On the drive back to the office, Sara dozed off on Arav’s shoulder. When Peter braked suddenly, she woke to find they had already arrived.

“Bye, Arav,” she said hurriedly, grabbing her bags.

Before she could leave, Arav gently pulled her back. He tidied her dress and hair before leaning in to kiss her lips. “It really doesn’t smudge,” he said with a grin.

Blushing, Sara smiled and rushed out, leaving him laughing softly. Watching her go, he thought to himself, No one else has the power to order me around like this little Sara. And I’d do anything for her.