A week had passed, Dewi and Topan had been following their usual routine—though their status had officially changed.
Lately, Dewi couldn't help but wonder: why did her husband never complain about her cooking? She deliberately made super-spicy dishes almost every day, yet Topan would just mumble, "Not bad," and continue eating as if nothing happened.
"Seriously, it's not spicy? I even added extra red chili and pepper… why isn't he complaining?" Dewi grumbled. Wearing her Winnie the Pooh apron, she busied herself making Spicy Beef Stir-fy for her husband's lunch.
"Maybe I should add some Tabasco once in a while… to teach him a lesson… hmm," she murmured, shaking her head immediately. Crazy idea—she didn't want to be accused of abusing her husband. Domestic violence through cooking? No, thanks.
As she set the table, her phone rang. She paused, picked it up, and saw the caller ID: "Mr. Grumpy".
She hurriedly answered.
"Hello?"
"Deliver my lunch to the office right now. I have an important meeting, so I can't come home for lunch." Click!
The call ended abruptly after the message, leaving Dewi dumbfounded.
"Huh? What the heck?! Just bossing me around like that? Are you the boss or what?! Ugh…" she muttered, glaring at the phone. She huffed, glancing at the wall clock—11:15 a.m.
Ding! A message popped up. Dewi opened it to find a chat from Topan:
"Arya is on the way. Don't take too long." – Mr. Grumpy
If Topan were standing in front of her now, he would have been ready to face Dewi's wrath. Her grip on the phone tightened, veins showing faintly on her forehead—she was at maximum annoyance.
"Huft… breathe in… breathe out… okay, Dewi, time to show up at the office!"
After calming herself down, Dewi started packing the lunch into a stackable box. She hummed happily, inspected her work with satisfaction, and then headed to her room to get ready.
30 minutes later…
Apartment Parking Lot
"Mrs, please come in…" said someone, noticing Dewi stepping out of the elevator.
"Arya, how many times have I told you? Don't call me 'Mrs'! Just call me like everyone else—Dewi…" she shook her head and slid into the car, whose door Arya had opened for her.
Arya just bowed respectfully. This woman was now the boss's wife—how could he dare call her anything less than polite?
"Very well, Miss Dewi," he said again.
Dewi let out a quiet snort, used to the address since before she married Topan—well, better than 'Mrs,' at least.
The car drove off from the apartment building. The trip to Sagara Group's office took about 25 minutes, or more if traffic got bad.
---
Skip to 12:15 p.m…
Dewi POV
I adjusted my dress slightly as I stepped out of the car. In front of me stood the eleven-story Sagara Group building, towering proudly with its name in bold letters. The company spanned various industries, overseeing countless smaller companies under its wing. Truly one of the largest corporations in the country.
I walked across the courtyard and greeted the receptionist—a young girl, probably around Merry's age.
"Excuse me, I have an appointment with Mr. Sagara. Could you connect me?" I asked politely.
"Mrs. Dewi Anggraini Puspita, right? The big boss has been informed and a photo of you was provided. I'll notify him of your arrival," the girl said politely.
I forced a small smile. A little pang in my chest… looks like I'd have to get used to being called 'Mrs.' from now on, hmm…
Rani—that was the name on her name tag—picked up the phone. The ringtone sounded a few times before being answered.
"Rani, what is it?"
"Sir, Mrs. Dewi has arrived."
"Take her straight to my office. Tell her my meeting isn't over yet, so she'll have to wait there. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir. I understand—"
Click!
I flinched. So this was Topan's habit—hanging up on calls abruptly.
Rani smiled at me again. She had intended to escort me to the 11th floor, but I firmly refused, saying I could manage myself. She hesitated slightly but still gave directions to Topan's office. After thanking her, I headed to the private elevator that went directly to the 11th floor.
A little later…
Stepping out of the elevator, I spotted the large office not far from me: President Director. I hurried over.
Tap… tap… tap…
As I reached for the glass door, a shrill voice stopped me.
"Hey! Who's there?! How dare you enter the president director's office?!"
I turned. A girl, heavily made-up and wearing tight clothing that flaunted her assets, glared at me.
"I'm Topan's wife. I'm here to deliver his lunch," I replied flatly. I glanced at her name tag: Melissa.
"What did you say? The president's wife? A regular woman like you? Dream on," Melissa taunted. She lunged and snatched the lunch bag from my hands.
"Hey… give that back—"
Crash!
The lunch bag hit the floor hard. My eyes went wide. How rude!
"If you want to daydream, don't do it with the president! Even I, his secretary, get ignored, but I still try to get closer to him," she boasted, her eyes sparkling with hearts.
"Tchh… openly flirting with someone else's husband, you have no shame, huh?" I snapped sharply. Melissa froze.
"Hey, you cheap—"
SLAP!
My hand moved on its own, slapping her heavily made-up cheek. Honestly, I hated being insulted by a stranger who didn't know me.
Ding!
"Dewi, what are you doing?"
I turned. The elevator doors had opened—Topan stood there, shocked to see me just slap his secretary.
Tap… tap… tap…
I huffed. Not wanting a longer confrontation, I grabbed my lunch bag and walked quickly to the elevator.
"Ask your subordinate! You think I'll apologize? Never!" I hugged the lunch bag tight… and damn, my eyes stung. Tears threatened to fall at any moment.
Dewi POV END
---
Seeing his wife rush into the elevator, Topan quickly followed. For some reason, her annoyed expression made him feel he had to catch up.
Ding!
Dewi jumped as the elevator door nearly closed, but Topan's tall frame stopped it and stepped in. Now, it was just the two of them in the cramped space. Dewi stayed silent, her face turned sideways.
"That… is my lunch?" Topan finally asked, eyes on the soft-purple lunch bag Dewi clutched tightly.
"You think so?" Dewi replied sarcastically without looking at him. Her eyes welled up, and she hastily wiped them before Topan could see—but it was too late.
He sighed, one hand in his pocket, the other loosening his tie.
"We'll eat in the back garden. I'm starving."
Ding!
As soon as the door opened, Topan draped his arm around Dewi's shoulder, guiding her out. Some employees heading to the cafeteria bowed respectfully as their boss walked past with a woman in his arm. Dewi froze instinctively, heart racing—but she quickly remembered their agreement: outside, they had to appear like a real couple. Okay. So Topan's actions were nothing unusual. Nothing, right?
"Sit." Topan ordered as they reached the gazebo, noticing Dewi staring blankly instead of sitting beside him.
"Dewi? Are you listening?" he said, tapping her arm.
She huffed briefly, then sat beside him.
Swiftly, Dewi opened the lunch bag and pulled out neatly stacked boxes of rice, Spicy Beef Stir-fry and some snacks. A little messy from being thrown earlier, it made her a bit gloomy. Topan noticed.
"Feed me now!"
Dewi froze, staring flatly at him. "Feed you? Don't you have hands, huh?"
"This is a husband's order. Don't resist. Hurry, I'm starving!" Topan said again, taking off his black jacket. He often tested Dewi's patience with these commands.
Grumbling under her breath, Dewi finally fed him.
"Mmhh… yeah, not bad…" Topan said after tasting a bite of her cooking.
"Just say it's amazing!" Dewi teased.
Clearly, Topan was enjoying it. He didn't reply. Minutes passed as he finished all the lunch she had prepared.
Clink!
He put his water bottle on the wooden table, looking at Dewi.
"Thank you…" he said sincerely.
Dewi, tidying the lunch boxes, felt her cheeks warm. She got shy.
"Uh, well… if… if it's too spicy, you can tell me…" she murmured. Hopefully, Topan wouldn't realize she intentionally made it spicy for him.
"No, I like it spicy. At home, My mother rarely cooks and prefers to buy food or have Ranah cook," Topan replied.
His words made Dewi pause. As the eldest child, she usually had to cook despite having housemaids, because her mother would nag her endlessly.
"I can cook, but I'm not great. If there's something you want to eat, just tell me. I'll cook it for you." Her tone this time was calmer. She felt slightly embarrassed by her own words.
Topan just nodded. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Having a wife wasn't as bad as he thought. Dewi truly deserved to be his wife—minus the nagging…
"About earlier—" Topan cleared his throat, referring to the incident outside his office.
"If you expect me to apologize, I won't!" Dewi cut him off quickly.
"What actually happened?" Topan asked calmly. He couldn't judge her immediately; all he saw was the slap.
Dewi, who had stopped frowning, looked at him flatly.
"You want to know? Your secretary called me a cheap woman who fantasizes about being your wife! And she threw my lunch bag!" Dewi said passionately.
"Enough. I just want to go home!" Dewi stood up, carrying her lunch bag. Before leaving, she glanced at Topan, still silent.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to Malika. Haircut! New style! So your employees will know I'm just as beautiful as any other president's wife! Huh!"
Tap… tap… tap…
Topan watched his wife walk away, her long black hair swaying in the wind. 'Isgetting a haircut considered part of being angry, hmm?' he thought.
But he didn't mind—Dewi was free to do whatever as long as it stayed reasonable.
TO BE CONTINUED...