Chapter 5

According to the schedule, they were supposed to return to the Bolton villa to meet Sam's parents. With the guidance of his virtual assistant, he drove in the opposite direction to the villa. Chloe was confused after checking the GPS. She asked Sam, who just pulled over, "Aren't we going to your home?" "What do you mean 'your home'?" Sam, who got out of the car, emphasized, "From now on, the Bolton villa is also your home." Chloe turned silent. It was not easy for her to quickly accept the fact that she was married. Yet she replied in sincerity, "Sorry, it slipped out of my mouth." Though having such an obedient wife, Sam did not buy it at all. After all, this was all his old man's idea. He abruptly pulled open the car door beside her, letting the heat of sunshine rush into the car. Seeing that Chloe winced uncomfortably under the bright sunlight, Sam felt slightly better about his situation. He hustled her, "Did you get too comfortable and get stuck in the seat?" Chloe took her time to get out of the car after the discomfort on her eyes had passed. She looked around and found herself surrounded with all kinds of famous brandnames, from boutiques for both men and women, to shoes, jewellery and cosmetics, anything she could possibly think of. "Do we even have time for shopping?" Chloe asked. Sam scanned Chloe from top to bottom like she was a merchandise. He disapproved, "From this day onwards, you are Mrs. Bolton. So you need to dress like one." "Is there a problem?" She looked down on her current outfit. She wore a white T-shirt, in a pair of mid-rise jeans and a pair of four-season loafers with no accessories on her... Sam commented critically, "Did you stole some kid's clothes? Even high-school girls dress better than you." Chloe blushed slightly. She admitted that it was not really appropriate to meet her husband's parents in casual wear, but it crossed a line when he called her 'a kid'. When she was thinking for a witty comeback, Sam switched to a series tone, "You don't have to give me the death stare. Instead, you should thank me! If I don't offer you a chance of a total make-over, you'll be the laughing stock in the family forever!" What a jerk! Chloe could not wait to get out of the car and bash his brain out. But after taking a deep breath, she gritted his teeth and said, "Just so you know. I don't have any money on me." He detested her implication, "There are only two types of men who'd ask their women to pay when shopping: poor people or parasites." Hearing this, she suddenly had an indescribable feeling surging through her chest. Her ex-boyfriend, Daryl, lived a hard life. But he did well in school, good enough to be college material. He was working part-time jobs throughout his four years of college, so Chloe never dared to play the 'girlfriend card' and ask him for anything. Sometimes, when they had dates in small restaurants, she would be considerate and offer to pay for her own meals. Because she would feel bad for leeching off him if she asked Daryl to pay for the whole meal. On the other hand, she would worry about hurting his self-esteem if she offered to get the check herself. Although Daryl tried to argue with Chloe several times, both of them got used to it as time went by. Now hearing Sam's words, Chloe couldn't help but secretly laugh at her stupidity. It was nothing but a couple of meals. If Daryl really wanted to spend their lives together, why would he make a move on Chloe's sister? At this moment, Sam snorted. "What're you thinking about? The past, future or present?" "Nothing." She quickly pulled herself back to the reality. Standing in front of a Gucci branch, she pretended to seem interested and asked, "Can we take a look inside?" Her femininity caught Sam off guard. In his mind, women were lovely when timid. "Buy whatever you fancy." Chloe was speechless. She did not marry to a man but an ATM. "Miss, these are all the new arrivals. Those on the other side are the popular selections. If you like them, I can take them for you to try them on." Recognizing all the famous brands on Sam, the shop assistant was extra friendly to serve Chloe. Between the new arrivals and the hot items, Chloe did not think twice to choose the new ones. She believed the fact that they were popular made it more possible to bump into someone in public in the same outfit. In the shop, she listened to the assistant's professional opinion and got changed into an open-back crimson night gown. Sam uttered a word with his thin lips, "Gorgeous." Under the embarrassing gaze of the shop assistant, Chloe took another dress and put it on. This time the colour was a lot more vibrant, but there was not much fabric covering her chest. Anyone can see her cleavage when whatever you fancy." Chloe was speechless. She did not marry to a man but an ATM. "Miss, these are all the new arrivals. Those on the other side are the popular selections. If you like them, I can take them for you to try them on." Recognizing all the famous brands on Sam, the shop assistant was extra friendly to serve Chloe. Between the new arrivals and the hot items, Chloe did not think twice to choose the new ones. She believed the fact that they were popular made it more possible to bump into someone in public in the same outfit. In the shop, she listened to the assistant's professional opinion and got changed into an open-back crimson night gown. Sam uttered a word with his thin lips, "Gorgeous." Under the embarrassing gaze of the shop assistant, Chloe took another dress and put it on. This time the colour was a lot more vibrant, but there was not much fabric covering her chest. Anyone can see her cleavage when looking on eye-level, let alone Sam, who was tall enough to see everything. Sam felt like something was in his throat when he saw her slim waist. With just a few seconds, his pants, which had always been comfortable to him, became a bit too tight. He changed his stance and commented on Chloe's dress without passion, "Clichéd." Chloe was really confused. In Sam's eyes, was 'gorgeous' and 'clichéd' the only two things she could be? Finally, Sam stepped in and personally matched a set of outfit for her. After that, he motioned her to get changed again in the fitting room. When she came out, Chloe was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a navy blue suit jacket. The shirt was tucked into a pair of high-waisted trousers, presenting her legs as slender and elegant. The final touch was a pair of small high-heels. Since she wore heels to work everyday, she walked with grace and confidence in her new shoes.