Amber Pov
My eyes widened when I heard what Uncle Roman's handsome guest said. My expression was shocked but I quickly calmed myself down. Maybe this handsome guy is just kidding me. Don't he dare to kid me something like this because he will taste my strong kick in his golden balls.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Mister? And why would I be your wife?" I asked him in disbelief.Only then did the man stand up straight and I discovered that he would pass as a basketball player. He is too tall. I'm not short but if you compare my height with his, we will look like beautiful David and handsome Goliath. I still have to look up at him to see his face.
"Didn't you fight that you are Amber because you want to be my wife and not your sister?" the man talking to me raised his eyebrows. His face was serious and could also read the way he look at me that he looked down on me. Why? But whatever his reason was I didn't like it.
"You know, Mr—""Phil Salvatore," he quickly cuts what I was going to say."Mr. Phil Salvatore, I don't know what you're talking about, okay? And of course, no matter who you are, you will fight if someone else claims your name and identity. That's what I did now. Even you, you'll fight for yourself when someone claimed your name and identity, right?" I answered him aggressively than I suddenly touched the back of my neck. "And can you please go back to your sit? My neck is a little bit tired from looking up at you. Why are you so tall?" I said to him while slightly grimacing my lips.Suddenly Mr. Salvatore's eyes narrowed when he heard my first words but he seemed amused when he heard my added words. But he didn't say anything, instead, he went back to his sit and then stare at me again. A kind of stare that is very disturbing. I am used to being stared at because, at the night bar where I work, many people stare at me. Many customers praised me and said that I am very beautiful. I don't know why they think I am very beautiful when I know that my looks are just average. Maybe it's because the lights inside the bar are dim that the customers find me more beautiful. But I'm not ugly though I don't think I'm that beautiful enough. For me, beautiful people are well-dressed and have well-groomed faces. Not like me who has no makeup because I can't apply makeup to my face. My face itches when the makeup stays on my face for a long time so I begged the manager not to wear makeup if possible. I was very grateful when the manager of the bar agreed. So aside from lip balm, I only used baby powder on my face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Salvatore. We didn't mean to fool you. We were just worried about Amber. You saw what kind of attitude she has so we're ashamed to tell you the truth," my stepfather Roman suddenly apologized to Phil which made my eyebrows raise to the highest level.I didn't like what my stepdad said so I couldn't stop myself and talked with him. "Excuse me, Uncle Roman. It seems like you're telling him that you're embarrassing me because I have a bad attitude. Let me tell you that ninety-nine point nine percent that you and your daughter have a worse attitude than mine. So you should be more ashamed of yourselves and not me.""That's enough, Amber! You never had any respect for your Uncle Roman. Is that how you have a better attitude than them? You don't know how to be grateful to the person who feeds you," my mom glared at me angrily. I'm also impressed with her. She is quick to defend when I speak ill of her husband and stepdaughter. Sometimes, I feel that Ruby is her real daughter and not me."Correction, Mom. Uncle Roman is not the one who fed me but myself," I answered her in a weak but firm voice. As much as possible I don't want to raise my voice at her. Because even though she neglected her duty as a mother to me, I still cannot deny that I am her child and that I was formed in her womb. But sometimes she is too much to the point that I can't control my emotion."You're really disrespectful, Amber," Ruby said to me angrily, then suddenly her facial expression changed when she look at Phil. She turned shy and acted like a kind nun. "I'm sorry, Mr. Salvatore. I'm sorry if you witnessed our family like this. We really don't know what to do with my sister. I pray every night that she will change her behavior and be kind to us but my prayers haven't been heard until now," she apologized to Phil who has a blank expression on his face.
I couldn't stop laughing at my stepsister's acting. "You are so kind, Ruby. All you need is a halo and you'll pass as an angel. Oh, wait! I see that you already have. Hold the circle above your head. Take care of your halo, lest it suddenly falls to the floor and your horn comes out of the head that you try to hide."Ruby's face suddenly darkened as she was embarrassed by what I said while the man with Phil couldn't stop laughing a little when he heard what I said to my stepsister. But he also stopped laughing and just clear his throat and suddenly his face turned serious again when he saw that my mom and Uncle Roman were looking at him.
"We didn't come here to witness your family's feud. We came here to talk about the marriage I'm proposing to Amber," Phil couldn't help but reply in a philosophical tone. "I don't like it when I am wasting my time on useless things.""I got it! Now I know why Ruby pretended to be me. It's because of Mr. Salvatore's marriage proposal. You guys want her to marry him, don't you?" I talk to my mother and stepfather. "Well, just continue pretending to be me because I have no intention of marrying him. I never dreamed of marrying a man I barely know him. So, go ahead. I'm out of your conversation so I'll just leave you guys so you can talk about the marriage of you and Mr. Salvatore," after I spoke I turned and walked towards the door. But even before I could reach the door, my body suddenly rose in the air because Phil suddenly lifted me."We have something important to talk about and not them, Amber," Phil's voice spoke coldly then without saying goodbye to the people inside the house, he walked out the door which was quickly opened by his male companion."What the hell, Mr. Salvatore! Put me down!" I firmly ordered him. He carried me just like a sack of cotton that was put on his shoulder."Shut up! Or else, I will throw you on the road. I'm sure you will stop being talkative," he threatened me with a serious look. I suddenly become silent. My arms quickly cling to his neck when I saw that he was not joking with what he said. It's scary to make this man angry. It's a pity that he is handsome but he looks grumpy. I think he only knows one expression and is a serious face. It seems the word "smile" doesn't exist in his vocabulary.
Amber PovI still can't believe how fast things happened. Two days ago, my marital status was still single but now I am already a married woman. I feel like I'm having a nightmare. Yes. It was a nightmare for me because I married a man I didn't know very well. And I am just eighteen years old. Too young to get married. I never thought that I will marry a stranger and enter into a contract marriage. Even if it was just a contract marriage and we will divorce after six months, I still got married and I will become a divorced woman at a young age. But as of now, I am Mrs. Pauline Amber Cruz-Salvatore.After Phil Salvatore talked to me and convinced me of the marriage contract he offered, we quickly flew to Hongkong to get married there. I don't know why we have to get married in another country when we can get married here in the Philippines. But then I suddenly thought that it was better that we got married abroad because it will be easier for us to separate when the contract we signed
Amber PovWhen I married Phil, I expected that we would sleep in different rooms since we weren't a real couple. We are just a couple on paper and in his grandfather's eyes. That's why I didn't expect that we would sleep in the same room and especially in the same bed. Even if our marriage is fake, he was still a man and I am a woman. I guess I'm at a disadvantage in this situation."Can't I just sleep in another room? There are many rooms in your mansion so there's no need for us to crowd into your room," I suggested to Phil. I was secretly praying that he would agree."How can we convince people here that we're a couple if we sleep in different rooms? My bed is big so even if you roll your body you won't fall," Phil answered me. He has no intention of granting my wish. "And if you're thinking that I'm going to climb to your side, then don't worry because it won't happen. I'm going to be honest with you, lady. You are not my type," he told me frankly as if he didn't care if I get hur
Amber PovI woke up when I heard a loud knock on the door of Phil's room which was now my room as well. I quickly got out of bed to open the door. I saw the maid Carmen outside the room waiting for me with a frown on her face. Her eyebrows rose after looking at me from my head to my feet."Our bosses have been waiting for you for a while, but you were just sleeping," she said gruffly to me. It's obvious that I just woke up because my hair is frizzy and maybe it's obvious on my face too.After I put my clothes in the closet earlier I decided to take a shower while I waited for Phil to come back although I already took a bath in the hotel where we stay after our marriage. But after I took a shower, I suddenly felt sleepy. I didn't sleep well last night because I was wondering if I made the right decision. I slept without combing so my hair is still frizzy."I fell asleep after taking a shower. I was sleepy because I didn't sleep much last night. You know, Phil and I are just newlyweds s
Amber PovWe just finished eating our lunch but I still feel hungry. I was not able to eat properly because the people with me stared at me all the time except Phil. Who will be able to eat if all those in front of you have their eyes focused on you? The truth is I almost choked my food earlier but it's good that I didn't choke. I will become a laughingstock if it happened. But I felt very awkward. I feel like a specimen being observed under a microscope. Phil seemed to be the only one who didn't waste his eyes on me while we were eating. What he did will definitely raise doubts in the minds of the people who live in this house. Because Phil is not sweet to me just like normal newlyweds who can hardly be separated from each other."Phil, are you sure that this woman is your wife already?" Aunt Aloha asked her nephew impatiently after she wiped her mouth with a table napkin. My intention to stand up was interrupted when I heard that question from his aunt.Phil didn't answer his aunt's
Amber PovI gasped as soon as Phil and I entered our room. I feel like I can breathe properly now. The people inside this house make me feel tense. I feel like packing up my clothes and running out of Phil's house. But I'm not that kind of person. I don't back down no matter how difficult the situation is. I enter this deal so I will finish it no matter what happens."You have met Uncle Jigo, Amber. You should be careful when you talk to him," Phil spoke to me after sitting on the long sofa. "He will certainly do everything to prove that his suspicions against us are correct.""It's not just your uncle that I have to watch out for but also your aunt. She's too suspicious. I feel like she'll find out the truth at any moment," I answered Phil. I also sat on the long sofa but far away from him."She won't know if you're careful with what you say. And don't forget that I'm your husband," Phil answered quickly.I couldn't help but feel annoyed by what he said. He should remind himself that
Amber Pov "Where are we going, Phil?" I asked him as we walked down the stairs. He just told me to get dressed because we were going somewhere. He didn't say where we were going. So as we went down the stairs I couldn't stop myself from being curious so I asked him. "At the hospital. We're going to visit my grandfather and I'll introduce you to him as my wife. I'm sure he'll be happy when he sees you," Phil answered without bothering to look at me. I suddenly felt a little bit nervous when I heard what he said. I don't think I'm ready to face Phil's grandfather as his wife. I'm not good at acting. I was afraid that my tongue might slip and the old man would realize that only contract marriage bonded between me and his grandson. I stopped walking because of that. When Phil felt that I didn't follow him, he quickly turned around. He approached me with a frown. "I'm nervous, Phil. Maybe—" I didn't finish what I was going to say because there might be ears close by and hear what I h
Amber PovWhen we arrived inside the hospital room where Phil's grandfather, Don Fidel, was confined, Karen immediately hugged the old man lying on the bed as if she missed him so much. I secretly cringed and raised an eyebrow because Karen's reaction seemed to be OA. She looks like she is the granddaughter of Don Fidel and not Phil his real grandson. And I think Karen just wants to show me that she is very close to my husband's grandfather than me and wants to intimidate me.Meanwhile, Phil was standing near the door and let the two talk first while I was standing next to him and just looking at Karen as if she wants me to envy her and wanted to make me jealous purposely. But if she thinks that I will be jealous of her closeness with Phil's grandfather, then she is wrong. As far as I can see, the old man only treats her like a real granddaughter, so I don't have a reason to feel jealous. Because if Grandpa wanted Karen for Phil, he would have asked the latter to marry her long ago.
Amber PovI have no intention of paying attention to Uncle Jigo but when I was about to pass by him, he suddenly grab my right arm and held it firmly. His grip was so tight that his fingers almost dug into my skin. I'm sure I will have bruises soon."You're snobbish, Amber. Is it because you're the wife of my proud and arrogant nephew that's why you want to be proud in front of me too?" he asked me with a dark face as his eyes narrowed.Instead of answering, I tried to untie his fingers which is like an octopus that was tightly clinging to my arm. But no matter what I did I couldn't get his hand off my arm. He is a man and I am a woman so naturally he is stronger than me."Let go of my arm," my voice was firm when I speaks to him. I could feel the pain of his nails digging into my skin but I didn't show him that I was hurt by what he was doing."Did your good husband tell you to be rude to me just like him? Maybe you forget that he is my nephew and I am older than him," he said to me.