Married At First Glance: I Am Not Ugly

This wasn’t something he was fond of doing. He was used to getting his way and for the first time, someone else was forcing him to apologize.

“Why do I need to apologize to her after all she insulted me?” he asked himself.

But then he thought about the contract he needed to sign with that company and he knew he couldn’t lose it to Jaime Fernado.

He decided to swallow his pride and sent a message to Marissa that she should meet him at a cafe named Alando the following afternoon. After he finished writing it, he pressed send while waiting for her reply.

He knew that apologizing to her was essential to maintain the fragile balance of their fake marriage and secure the contract he so desperately needed.

As he waited for her response, he couldn’t help but wonder how their meeting would go and whether Marissa would be willing to accept his apology.

The following day, Alexander anxiously awaited Marissa’s response.

He kept checking his phone, hoping for a message from her confirming their meeting at the cafe.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Finally, his phone buzzed, and he saw a message from Marissa. She had agreed to meet him at the cafe in the afternoon.

Alexander let out a sigh of relief. At least she was willing to give him a chance to apologize.

As the time for their meeting approached, Alexander couldn’t help but feel nervous.

He knew he had to make things right with Marissa, not just for the sake of their fake marriage but also to secure the contract that was hanging in the balance.

He arrived at the cafe a bit early and found a secluded table where they could talk privately.

Alexander hoped that this meeting would go smoothly and that he could mend things with Marissa.

Marissa arrived at the cafe and saw Alexander sitting down waiting while pressing his phone.

When he saw her, he signaled her to join him and she walked to where he was and sat down.

“It’s unlike you to be the first to make a move. What happened?” she asked.

Alexander knew he needed to make amends, so he decided to take the initiative. “Let’s order first. What would you like to have?” he asked Marissa.

Marissa appreciated the gesture. “I’ll have a cappuccino, please,” she replied.

Alexander signaled the waiter, and they placed their orders. Afterward, he turned his attention back to Marissa.

“I wanted….. to apologize……. for….. what happened on the phone the other day,” he stammered.

Marissa looked at him with a shocking expression on her face.

“Really?” she asked.

Alexander sighed….. rolling his eyes.

“Yes, I shouldn’t have called you a lowlife, and I’m sorry for my words.”

Marissa studied him for a moment, and then her expression softened. “I appreciate your apology,” she said. “It’s not easy to admit when you’re wrong.”

Alexander nodded, relieved that she was willing to accept his apology.

“I understand that we may not get along all the time, but I hope we can find a way to work together during this arrangement.”

Marissa smiled, “Agreed. Let’s try to make this fake marriage as painless as possible.”

As they sipped their drinks and talked further, Alexander couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, this arrangement wouldn’t be as bad as he had initially thought.

“I apologize as well for calling you worthless and all…. I didn’t mean it actually.” she said.

“Nah… you meant it.” he said.

“Maybe a little.” she admitted.

“A little?” he said.

“Alright, alright, maybe a lot.” she admitted again.

“Well… I understand. Actually it’s not really my thing to apologize to people. Instead people apologize to me. So you’re the first.” he said.

“Wowwww! I’m shocked! Should I feel honored?” she asked.

“Ha! Ha! Very funny, Marissa.” he said.

She chuckled.

The waiter approached their table, and Alexander ordered a couple of coffees for them. As they waited for their drinks, Alexander decided to steer the conversation towards more serious matters.

“So, Marissa, I wanted to talk about our arrangement,” he began.

Marissa nodded, her expression serious now. “Go ahead.”

“I know this whole thing is unconventional, and neither of us is thrilled about it. But we have to make it work, at least for the next three months,” Alexander said.

Marissa agreed,

“I understand that, and I want this to go as smoothly as possible.”

Alexander nodded in understanding.

“Right, and that’s why I want to make sure we both have a clear understanding of our roles in this arrangement.”

Marissa listened attentively as he continued,

“During these three months, we need to maintain the appearance of a real married couple.

That means we’ll have to attend social events together, go out, and maybe even live together, at least part-time.”

Marissa raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the living together part.

“Live together? Is that really necessary?”

Alexander explained, “It’s to make our marriage appear authentic. We don’t want anyone to suspect that it’s fake.

And besides, it’ll make it easier for us to coordinate our schedules.”

Marissa sighed, realizing that she had little choice but to agree.

“Alright, I understand.

But let’s set some ground rules. We need our own space and privacy, even if we’re living together.”

Alexander nodded, appreciating her concerns.

“Agreed. We’ll establish boundaries and respect each other’s space. And if there are any issues, we should communicate openly, like we just did.”

Marissa smiled, feeling a bit more at ease now.

“That sounds reasonable.”

Their coffees arrived, and they continued their conversation, discussing the specifics of their arrangement.

While it was far from ideal, they both knew they had to make the best of it, for their own reasons.

As they talked, they started to realize that maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to make this unusual marriage work without tearing each other apart.

Just then someone they didn’t expect arrived at the cafe.