He's Economically Practical
1212 Words
Staring at the key in front of her, Nora was momentarily confused, not quite understanding why he was giving it to her.
"It's the key to our marital home," Austin explained concisely, his eyes revealing a hint of expectation as he looked at Nora.
Nora had agreed to this whirlwind marriage primarily to have a legitimate reason to move out of her family home.
She had planned to rent her own place after moving out, but was surprised to learn that Austin already had a house.
If that was the case, she could save on rent money.
But she wasn't the type to take advantage of others. Since he was providing the house, she would cover the cost of furnishings and decor.
With this in mind, Nora accepted the key.
Seeing her take it, Austin let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
"The house is in Maple Grove. I have some business to attend to, so I can't take you there myself. Go check it out first, and let me know if there's anything you need to purchase. I'll take care of it."
"That's not necessary..."
"Hmm?" Hearing her refusal, he instinctively frowned, then without further discussion handed Nora a card. "This is for you. You can use it to buy whatever you need."
"From now on, I'll deposit four thousand each month when I get paid to cover household expenses."
Finally, Austin added earnestly: "Since we're married now, you're my wife. I hope we can live together in harmony."
He then carefully studied his new bride. She was beautiful, but without any hint of aggression—just a gentle, soft-spoken young woman.
But Austin knew this was just how she appeared.
Seeing that Nora hadn't taken the card, he added with slight hesitation: "Just let me know if it's not enough."
"Actually..."
Before Nora could finish, Austin's phone rang.
He glanced at it and said directly: "I have to go. Let's exchange cell phone numbers—you can reach me there if you need anything."
After the confirmation ping, Austin put away his phone.
Then, giving Nora no chance to refuse, he pressed the card into her hand and promptly left.
Austin seemed genuinely in a hurry, quickly walking to a visibly worn-out Santana parked by the roadside. He started the engine and drove away without hesitation.
Nora stood there in a daze, only pulling her gaze away after the car had disappeared from sight.
Looking at the card and keys in her hand, Nora finally realized that she had actually gone through with a flash marriage to a man she'd met only once.
Shaking herself out of her stupor, Nora turned her attention to a modest sedan worth about forty thousand dollars parked next to where the Santana had been.
Nora had always been an excellent student, and after starting work, she'd been determined to excel. Though she'd only graduated two years ago, she'd already worked her way up to a managerial position.
This car was something she'd saved up for after she started working.
Since she'd never told her family about her actual income, Julia had always assumed she was just a low-level employee making at most two or three thousand a month.
Every month, Julia would take the one thousand Nora gave her and still make passive-aggressive comments about how Nora couldn't earn money.
When Nora finally bought her car, Julia's eyes nearly popped out of her head, and the snide remarks only increased.
Later, Julia had repeatedly hinted, both directly and indirectly, that Nora should contribute an additional one thousand monthly for living expenses. Nora had simply pretended not to hear.
This was precisely why Julia had been so ruthless about kicking her out this time.
If she couldn't suck any more blood from Nora, what was the point of keeping her around?
Better to drive her out and make room for her son's wedding.
Nora started her car and drove off in the opposite direction from Austin.
Meanwhile, Austin drove his Santana straight to Marshall Group.
In the CEO's office, Austin's grandmother sat upright on the sofa, her expression stern as she watched the door.
When Austin pushed the door open, his grandmother frowned: "So you finally decided to come back. How can you leave such a large company unattended? What were you doing out during work hours?"
"Got married," Austin replied casually.
"You refuse to go on blind dates because you're busy with work, but during work hours, you... wait, what did you say?"
Austin's grandmother stopped mid-sentence as she suddenly processed what her grandson had said: "Married? What certificate?"
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. How could someone who refused to even go on blind dates possibly get married?
Austin's grandmother's mind raced, immediately concluding that Austin was just trying to fool her.
Before she could get angry, a certificate appeared in her line of sight.
Austin's grandmother instinctively took it and opened it. Inside was a photo of Austin alongside a girl who looked remarkably well-behaved.
"Orin, bring me my glasses!"
Austin let his grandmother fuss while he walked to his desk and began handling his work.
After Austin's grandmother had thoroughly examined the marriage certificate, she was so shocked she could barely speak.
There was no doubt—this was a genuine marriage certificate!
Her grandson, who wouldn't even go on a blind date, had actually gotten married!
After much consideration, Austin's grandmother finally spoke cautiously: "When will you bring her over to meet me?"
The certificate was real, but she wasn't sure if the person was hired.
A hired stand-in would eventually show some telltale signs. What she wanted was a genuine daughter-in-law who could give her great-grandchildren!
Austin hesitated: "I'll need to discuss this with her and see when she's available."
"You still want to communicate with her?" Austin's grandmother's interest was piqued, suddenly feeling this situation might actually work out.
Austin had always been the type who insisted on having the final say, so when did he start accommodating others?
"Yes," Austin confirmed again. "And to avoid frightening her, she doesn't know my true identity yet. Grandmother, please be mindful of that when you meet her."
Austin's grandmother's gaze grew even more meaningful. It seemed this potential granddaughter-in-law had a very high probability of becoming family.
Thinking about this, she felt somewhat relieved. Any woman who could tame her grandson must be exceptional.
"Remember to talk to Nora soon. Since you two are married, both families should sit down and discuss the wedding ceremony properly."
Austin's hand paused as he was flipping through documents. He had only thought about getting married, forgetting that marriage involved two families.
He pondered for a few seconds before agreeing to the matter.
The in-laws would have to meet eventually.
Meanwhile, Nora drove to find the "marital home" in Maple Grove that Austin had mentioned.
Looking at the fully furnished three-bedroom apartment with two living rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and two balconies, Nora was somewhat surprised.
After touring the place, Nora immediately decided to move in.
Though some household items were still needed, those could be acquired gradually.
With this in mind, Nora drove straight back to the place that was increasingly feeling less like home to her.
- Writer
