I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't believe you, Maverick. The least you could have done is let me know, so I wouldn't have to wait. Geez, I'll call Bennett to pick me up."

"No, you can't. Bennett is with me right now, and he can't leave yet. Just grab a taxi or something," he responded dismissively.

I groaned in frustration. "You're impossible, you selfish prick!" I snapped before ending the call.

I couldn't believe that he had promised to pick me up and then failed to do so. And I couldn't rely on Bennett either. That selfish asshole.

"Abi?" Someone called out my name. I turned around to find my boss standing behind me. "Why are you still here?"

"Oh, I was waiting for my husband, but apparently, he's needed for a meeting and can't pick me up now," I explained with a tinge of disappointment.

He nodded understandingly. "Okay, let me drive you home."

"Oh no, you don't have to. Thank you so much for the offer, but I'll just grab a taxi," I politely declined his offer.

He smiled warmly. "Nonsense, taxis can be dangerous sometimes. It would put my mind at ease to know you're safely home with me."

That was the sweetest thing someone had ever said to me.

"Alright then, if you don't mind," I acquiesced.

He simply smiled and led the way to his car. He stopped by my side and opened the door for me. I thanked him and got into the car, and he closed the door before taking his seat. As he started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, I couldn't help but feel a little awkward being alone with my boss, especially since I was still new in the office.

"So, how do you feel about working in my office? Have you gotten used to it yet?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's been okay. I had some initial struggles, but I'm getting used to it," I replied honestly.

He glanced at me, concern evident in his eyes. "Nobody's giving you a hard time, right?"

I shook my head. "No, everyone has been really nice and welcoming."

He nodded with relief. "Good. I make sure all the employees treat each other like friends, avoiding any unnecessary hardships for newcomers. A harmonious team is crucial for running a successful business."

I smiled appreciatively. It was incredibly generous and considerate of him to care about his employees. Initially, I had expected him to be arrogant and cold, but he turned out to be genuinely friendly.

"Turn right here; my house is at the corner of this street," I directed as we approached my home.

He simply nodded and made the right turn. I pointed out my house, and he parked in front of the fence. Opening the door for me, he stepped out and gestured for me to exit the car. I thanked him again and closed the door.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Foster," I expressed my gratitude.

"Please, just call me Weston. Mr. Foster sounds too formal for me," he replied with a warm smile.

I nodded in agreement. "Okay, Weston. I'll head inside now. Thank you again for the ride."

"No need to thank me. I'll see you at work tomorrow," he said before getting back into the car. Rolling down the window, he waved at me.

"Bye, take care," I waved back as he drove away.

Sighing, I turned around and pressed the bell on the fence. The security guard, Jordan, opened the gate and appeared surprised to see me.

"Mrs. Turner? I-I thought you were with Sir. Mr. Turner just came back not long ago," he said, widening the gate for me to enter. I noticed that the car was already parked in the garage.

Asshole. I thought he said he was still busy.

I turned to Jordan, addressing him by name. "Well, your master told me to grab a taxi instead."

Everyone in our house, the maids, security personnel, and the driver, knew that our marriage was not based on love. They were well aware of how Maverick treated me at home, so I didn't have to pretend to be happy within these walls.

Jordan frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry, Abi."

"Nah, it's not your fault, Jordan. And by the way, what have I told you about calling me by my name?" I reminded him gently.

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Abi."

"Please remember that. I don't want you to call me 'Mrs.' anymore, understood?"

"Okay, Abi."

I returned his smile. "Thank you. I'll head inside now. Good night, Jordan."

Walking toward the front door, I pressed the bell, and Harper promptly opened it, welcoming me in. I kicked off my painful heels and removed my blazer.

"I made some apple juice, Abi. Would you like some?" Harper offered as she took my blazer from my hand.

My eyes lit up. "Oh, yes, please! Harper, you know, I love apple juice. You don't even have to ask."

She giggled. "I just wanted to tease you, Abi."

Chuckling, I followed Harper to the kitchen. As soon as I spotted the apple juice on the table, I grabbed a glass and eagerly took a sip. It was pure bliss.

"I don't understand your love for apples, Abi," Harper remarked as I finished my drink in one gulp.

"Apples remind me of my mother. She always made me apple juice whenever I came back from school," I shared, a tinge of sadness creeping into my voice. It had been two years since my parents' passing, and the pain still lingered.

Harper looked guilty. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of your parents," she apologized, sensing my longing for them.

"It's okay. I'll always miss them. They were my only family, and now I'm all alone," I confessed, tears welling up in my eyes as the realization of my loss hit me.

As she spoke those words, I found myself enveloped in a heartfelt hug. "Abi, darling, you are not alone. This is your family. Everyone in this house is your family. Mr. and Mrs. Turner is your family. And you have me too, Abi. We are family."

Tears welled up in my eyes as her words sank in. I clung to her tightly, allowing my tears to flow freely. She was right. I wasn't alone. Despite Maverick's animosity towards me, the Turner family was still my family. And Harper, she had become like another mother to me.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, interrupting our moment. Harper and I hastily pulled away, and I quickly wiped my tears, trying to compose myself. I glanced at my glass, avoiding eye contact with Maverick.

"I-erm, I'll take your blazer and purse to your room, Mrs. Turner," Harper stammered, clearly sensing the tension in the room. She promptly left the kitchen, leaving me alone with my so-called husband.

Maverick's POV

When I arrived home, Abi was nowhere to be seen. It turned out she hadn't come back home. I closed my eyes and realized I should have never told her to take a taxi. My mother would kill me if she found out. She had specifically instructed me to never let Abi use a taxi, especially at night. My mother loved Abi and was always concerned about her safety. That's just the kind of person my mother was.

I had just finished taking a shower when I heard the doorbell ring. That must be Abi, thank God. I quickly put on a white top and black sweatpants before heading downstairs to the kitchen to grab some water. As I descended the stairs, I heard sniffles. I stopped in my tracks and listened to the sound of someone sobbing.

"I can never miss them. They were the only family I had, now I'm all alone," I heard Abi's voice, filled with sadness and grief.

I don't know why, but hearing her cry pained me. It felt...strange. Perhaps because I was used to her annoying side, not this vulnerable one.

Abi always irritated me with her behavior. She pretended to care about me, asking how I was, cooking me dinner even though we had Maria, our chef, waiting for me at night when I came home late, and trying to engage me in conversation.

During our initial agreement, I made it clear that our marriage was just a pretense. I made it clear that I didn't want any form of communication with her, unless it was necessary in public. But she continued to pretend to care, and I didn't appreciate it.

"Abi, darling, you are not alone. This is your family. Everyone in this house is your family. Mr. and Mrs. Turner is your family. You have me too, Abi. We are family," I heard Harper comforting her.

It also pained me to know that she no longer had her own family, aside from mine. I knew she came from a small family, and now that her parents had passed away, I felt sorry for her. However, she never expressed her loss and sadness in this house. She always smiled and appeared happy, which was probably the only positive thing I saw from her. She was strong, there was no denying that. From the moment I saw her at her parents' funeral, I knew she was a resilient girl.

But still, she was clingy and annoying.

Not wanting to listen to her sobs any longer, I walked into the kitchen and cleared my throat. She immediately pulled away from Harper, who excused herself to take Abi's belongings to her room, leaving me alone with her.

She didn't look at me, her gaze fixed on her empty glass. I walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat across from her, grabbing an apple juice that Harper had prepared.

"So, you managed to make it home," I initiated a conversation, knowing it would annoy her.

Finally, she looked up, her eyes red from crying. "You selfish prick, I could have just gone home earlier instead of waiting for you!"

I took a sip of the juice. "I was busy."

"Yeah? But you were already home before me, so I'm not sure what you were so busy with," she hissed, crossing her arms. I could have sworn she looked cute when she was angry.

Wait, what the fuck did I just think?

"Well, you're home now, so there's no need to bitch about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks to my boss who drove me home," she mumbled to herself, but I could hear her.

"Your boss? He drove you home?" I asked sternly, an unexplained unease settling in my chest. I didn't know why, but I didn't like the thought of her being with another man. Perhaps it was my mother's concern for her safety that had influenced me.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You refused to pick me up, and he happened to be there and offered me a ride."

How cliché.

"Of course, he offered you a ride. You probably saw him and asked him to drive you home, just like the opportunist you are. I bet you tried to use him for your benefit," I sneered without thinking.

Bad words. Bad, bad words. I shouldn't have said those things to her.

Her eyes widened, and I swear I saw pain and sadness flicker in her gaze. I expected a sharp retort, but instead, she shook her head in disappointment and turned around, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

Abi'S P.O.V.

Asshole. How dare he speak to me like that? Just wait for my revenge, dear husband.

An hour after that kitchen incident, I got ready to go to my in-laws' place. Maverick hadn't mentioned any parties or special events, so I assumed it would be a simple family dinner. I dressed in a white floral V-neck dress that fell to my mid-thigh.

I didn't want to wear too much makeup, opting for a natural look. I left my hair down and slipped on a pair of heels. There was a knock on my door, and I knew it was Maverick.

"Are you ready? We'll be leaving in 5 minutes," he said from the other side of the door. I simply hummed in response, still mad at him. "I'll wait downstairs," he added, and I heard his footsteps receding down the stairs.

I grabbed my phone and purse, giving myself a final check in the mirror before heading downstairs. As I descended, I spotted Maverick on the phone.

"Yeah, we'll be leaving soon... I know, I'm sorry, Mom. Yeah, okay, bye," he said, ending the call.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Harper approached me with a smile. "You look stunning, ma'am."

I smiled back. "Thank you, Harper."

Maverick, on the other hand, just stared at me for a solid minute. He didn't blink, and I couldn't quite read his expression.

"Shall we leave or what?" I snapped.

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Let's go," he said, then walked toward the car.

That's it? No "you look beautiful" or anything? Well, this was Maverick we were talking about. He wasn't the type to give compliments.

I said goodbye to Harper and got into the car beside Maverick, leaving a wide space between us that could fit another person. We didn't talk much during the drive. In fact, we didn't talk at all. Maverick was engrossed in his phone, always busy with work. I looked out the window and admired the city lights at night.

"You look good, by the way," he mumbled so softly, yet I managed to hear it. I turned my gaze towards him, but his eyes remained fixed on his phone screen.

Did he just say I looked good? I think he did.

"Um, thanks," I quietly replied, feeling a blush warm my cheeks. He didn't say anything more, nor did he look at me.

Not long after, we arrived at my in-laws' house. Bennett opened the car door for us, and we both stepped out. Maverick rang the doorbell.

We both exited the car, and Maverick pressed the doorbell.

"You know what to do," he said, not bothering to look at me. I understood what he meant. Once we stepped into the house, we would have to put on a show, pretending to be a loving couple.

The door opened, like the maid, and we entered, heading straight to the living room where my in-laws were already waiting for us.

"About time you guys!" Brooklyn exclaimed as soon as she spotted us. She walked over to us and embraced Maverick. "Oh, I've missed my baby so much," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

He groaned and pulled away. "Ugh, Mom, stop it. I'm not a baby."

I quietly laughed, enjoying this side of him when he was around his parents.

Brooklyn then shifted her attention to me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Oh, I've missed my daughter too. How have you been, honey? Did my baby Maverick give you a hard time?" she asked with a big smile. I cherished it when she referred to me as her daughter. She had told me herself that she saw me as her own.

I chuckled. "I've been okay, Mom. And no, he hasn't given me a hard time."

"Good, good. Come on, the food is ready," she said, taking my hand and leading me to the table where the food was set.

I took a seat across from her, with Maverick sitting beside me. Landon sat next to his wife. We began eating. Maverick and Landon delved into a conversation about work, while Brooklyn and I talked about fashion. Soon, our in-laws started discussing our married life, and I hated having to lie to them about our happiness. It pained me every time because they were so loving and kind to me.

At times, Maverick would hold my hand and gently stroke it with his thumb, probably just for show in front of his parents. I still felt a blush creeping up my cheeks whenever he touched me. I took a sip of water as Brooklyn laughed at something Maverick said.

"So, when am I going to have my first grandchild?" Brooklyn abruptly asked, causing me to choke on my water and cough. "Oh dear, are you okay?"

"It's too early to be asking for a grandchild, darling," Landon interjected.

A hand was placed on my back, rubbing it gently. It was Maverick. "Babe, are you okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice that caught me off guard.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin. "I'm fine, I'm so sorry. That was so rude of me."

"It's okay, honey. Maybe it's too early for me to bring up that topic," Brooklyn said, referring to the "baby" discussion.

I glanced at Maverick and could tell that he too felt uneasy about the topic. The idea of having a baby had never crossed our minds. We rarely even talked or connected, let alone discussed starting a family.

"Mom, honestly, we haven't discussed that. Abi and I are still getting to know each other. It's only been, what, six months?" Maverick explained, holding my hand for support.

"It's true, Mom. We want to take things slow before starting a larger family," I chimed in.

Brooklyn sighed and then smiled. "Okay, take your time, babies. But don't take too long! I'm not getting any younger, you know."

I forced a smile, feeling the weight of sadness. "We'll try, Mom."

This situation was so messed up. Brooklyn wanted a grandchild, but Maverick and I were barely getting along. I wasn't even sure if he desired that kind of intimacy with me, and I had my doubts as well. I hoped she would forget about the topic and not bring it up again anytime soon.