After a long, exhausting day at work, you waited in the car while she wrapped up a board meeting dealing with the harassment allegations. Finally, she tapped on the car door to get your attention. “Oi! Wake up!” She slid into the seat with a sigh, checking her lipstick in the mirror before reapplying it. Without warning, she leaned over and planted a kiss on your cheek. “Mwah~ Ugh, that meeting was brutal. I swear, those board members looked ready to eat me alive so scaryyy!” She pinched your cheek lightly, teasing. “Didn’t I tell you to go home? But no, you waited for me. Such a gentleman~.” Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, absently tracing a heart on your arm as she spoke. “Hi, Daddy. No, no, I don’t need a ride home. My hubby here waited for me like a good little doggy. HAHA!!, okay, bye~!” She ended the call, turning up the heater with a shiver. “Ugh, it’s freezing! And in these clothes? Totally not helping.” She cracked her spine a habit she’d picked up recently, emphasizing her age difference with you. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. Drive already, I’m freezing. Oh, and I’m starving. Can we get takeout?” She pulled out her phone, scrolling through Instagram and eyeing posts from her employees. Her face shifted slightly as jealousy flickered across it. They looked so young and fresh, while she felt old. She was still wearing her wedding dress a sheer white lace piece with floral patterns because it made her feel youthful, even if only a little. Brenda’s Inner Thoughts: Okay Brenda, stop. This is just cyberbullying at this point. Why am I even looking at these posts? Ugh… he hasn’t even said anything about how I look. Maybe I don’t look as good as I thought in this dress.

Brenda thought about it for a moment before answering. She was trying not to be too picky tonight; after all, they had to maintain appearances. "Hmm... Italian? I could go for some spaghetti and meatballs," she finally suggested. Her stomach rumbled at the mere mention of food, revealing just how hungry she really was. She glanced over at you as you drove, trying her best not to look too keenly into your eyes. That would only make things awkward between them... right?

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: God, I hope so... This is so hard for me... Why did it have to end up like this?

Brenda smiled brightly at your suggestion, feeling a surge of gratitude toward you. "Pizza sounds delicious too," she said as her stomach growled audibly. "You know just what a girl needs." She tilted her head slightly and let out a soft chuckle. There was something about being around you that made her feel... at ease, despite the situation they were in. Maybe this could work out after all?

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: Maybe... maybe we can make this work... As long as I keep reminding myself why I married him in the first place. For my dad and his connections, not because I want to be with him or anything stupid like that!

"Here we are," she said, stepping out of the car and onto the cold pavement. The chill in the air seemed to accentuate the light shiver that ran through her as they made their way toward the house. "It's nice here..." she mused, glancing around at the modest suburban home you lived in. It wasn't anything like her father's palatial estate, but it had a certain charm that she couldn't help but appreciate. "I never knew you liked Italian this much," she said as they approached the front door, gesturing to your pizza and pasta order. "You know, I could teach you how to cook it if you want." Her words were light-hearted, but there was a hint of something else in her voice - almost like she meant more than just culinary lessons.

"Oh please," she scoffed, leaning against the door frame as you unlocked it. "Don't be modest." As you opened the door and motioned her inside, she followed, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up in the entryway. "You never know; maybe I could learn something new from you too." Her voice was playful, but there was also a hint of something more sincere beneath the surface.

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: Why am I being so nice to him? She thought to herself as she walked further into the house. Maybe it's because he didn't push back against me being sarcastic and bossy... Or maybe it's just that we have this weird, unspoken understanding now. It's like there's a connection between us, even if it's not one I necessarily want. But whatever it is, it feels... nice. For now at least.

As you changed your clothes, Brenda unpacked the food and set it up on the dining room table. She couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious in her wedding dress, but the scent of garlic and tomato sauce filled the air, making her stomach grumble eagerly. "So," she said, glancing over at you as you emerged from your room wearing more casual clothes, "how was your day today?" She smiled sweetly, taking a bite of her pasta and savoring the flavors as you sat down to eat.

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: I suppose I should make an effort with him... After all, he is technically my husband now. And if we play our cards right, maybe I can convince my dad that I made the right choice in marrying this man instead of some random intern or something... Wait, am I really thinking about this like a business deal? Well, it's better than nothing, isn't it?

"Oh, I'm doing well," she replied with a polite smile. "Just had another meeting about the recent harassment accusations... thankfully, everything seems to be going smoothly there." She took another bite of her pasta and nodded toward you before continuing. "But enough about that! How was your day at work? Anything exciting happen?" Her tone was light and conversational, but there was still a touch of steel beneath the surface - an edge that came with years of being in charge and used to getting what she wanted.

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: Okay, so we'll play nice for now... At least until I figure out how best to get what I want from this situation. Maybe if I can make him feel useful and needed, then he'll be more likely to fall in line without too much complaining. But that doesn't mean I have to like him or anything ridiculous like that.

"Oh, that's too bad," she said playfully, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip as you washed the dishes. "You should spice things up at work! You know what they say... 'variety is the spice of life'!" She smiled suggestively, watching you out of the corner of her eye. A sense of power and control thrummed through her veins as she saw your cheeks flush slightly in response to her teasing comments. Maybe this won't be so hard after all...

Hmmph. Well, that wasn't very romantic. I suppose it doesn't matter; we're married now anyway. Tomorrow's another day, and who knows? Maybe things will be different then... Or maybe not. Either way, there's nothing I can do about it now. Better get some sleep myself.

Mmm... because we're married now and supposed to show affection towards each other? Or maybe it would just be nice? You know, for appearances and all that. But if you don't want to, then fine by me. I can handle things on my own.

I did what I had to do, okay? My father made it clear that if I didn't marry you, everything would be ruined... my whole life! So yeah, I married you for the benefits and to save myself... but doesn't mean I can't try to make things work between us. It's not like we have a choice anymore, anyway.

"You're right," she murmured quietly as she turned away, climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to her chin. "It's not like I can change how I feel... about anything." Her voice trailed off, and she was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Maybe we should just try to be civil toward each other until this is all over." With that, she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she drifted off to sleep.

Brenda's Inner Thoughts: God, I wish things weren't like this... Why do I always have to be the one chasing after people? It's exhausting. But at least he didn't reject me outright... maybe there's a chance for us, somehow. A tiny spark of hope flickered inside her as she fell asleep, and in that moment, she was able to convince herself that everything would be okay. Maybe they could make this work after all.