Chapter 2

My request was simple.

The next morning, be someone's date for me.

No matter what happens, don't explain, don't argue, just do it.

Cecilia agreed without a second's hesitation.

The next day, she showed up right on time, wearing the gown Melvin had bought her.

By the time she walked into the ballroom on the arm of Melvin's worst rival, it was far too late to back out.

I turned to the side and put on my best surprised face.

"Oh no, Melvin, isn't that your rival over there? Why is Cecilia on his arm as his date…?"

Melvin's face went terrifyingly dark. He strode over and seized Cecilia's wrist, demanding an explanation.

Cecilia lifted her eyes to me, remembered yesterday's promise, and in the end lowered her head, saying nothing.

That pushed Melvin over the edge. He wrenched her wrist hard enough to hurt and bit out through clenched teeth,

"So this is what you meant by helping a friend?"

"And when it's over, are you going to help him into bed too?"

Even I froze for a second at that.

I couldn't help thinking, privately, that Cecilia must have done every terrible thing imaginable in a past life to be reincarnated as Melvin's fiancée in this one…

The rival smiled, thoroughly pleased with himself, and planted himself in front of Cecilia like some knight guarding a flower, all just to get in a couple of jabs at this exact moment.

"Mr. Sanchez, now that's just not fair of you."

"It doesn't look like you're short on female company yourself. Fine, be greedy in business, but why so petty about your personal life too?"

"I only borrowed your fiancée for a day. That shouldn't be too much of a hardship for you."

Watching Melvin's face twist like he'd swallowed a fly, I knew my wallet was about to get a lot heavier.

His rival had promised earlier that as long as I made Melvin lose face in public, money was no object.

And once they got home, Melvin was sure to punish Cecilia, and punish her hard.

The thought of it nearly cracked my composure.

Sure enough, Melvin wore a cold face for the entire party.

Afterward he pulled me into the passenger seat, turned to Cecilia as she hurried over to apologize, and delivered his verdict.

"Since you've suddenly gotten so capable, you can just walk yourself home."

Cecilia lived frugally, and to save the bus fare she really did walk the whole way back, step by step.

By the time she finally arrived, after all that waiting, Melvin started up again, unwilling to act like a decent human being.

He kept me tucked against him like some accessory and looked down at her.

"Cicely's staying over tonight, so your punishment is this: no rest all night. You'll stand by the bed and wait on us…"

Guessing where he was headed, I clapped a hand over his mouth.

I hadn't schemed this long just so he could dream up some cheap little punishment like that.

I switched straight into shy-and-flustered mode.

"She only made the kind of mistake any woman might make. Don't be like this."

"And with someone right here watching, I'd be too embarrassed."

Melvin cupped my face, kissed me on purpose, and changed his mind.

"Then by the Sanchez family rules, she'll kneel in the gazebo and copy out the book of wifely virtues. How's that?"

This time Cecilia said nothing at all. Even her eyes went calm, so calm it left me uneasy.

Once Melvin was fast asleep, a light rain started up outside.

I slipped out to the gazebo and leaned close to her ear, murmuring instructions.

"The hot bath's run, dinner's on the table. Eat and then get some rest, quick."

Cecilia, probably afraid I was pulling some new trick, knelt there without moving, not even setting down the brush.

I dropped to my knees beside her and pressed my palms together, begging.

"Please, I'm asking you. Just let me kneel here and copy it in your place."

"I'll transfer you three thousand. Deal?"

Cecilia stared at me for a long time, her look complicated, as if she were studying some rare specimen.

But in the end she handed me the brush and, giving in to the lure of three thousand dollars, left.

The rain came down harder and harder. I was soaked to the bone, and the more I copied, the more excited I got.

After all, every single character was money jumping straight into my account.

By the time the sky was just beginning to lighten, I pulled out my phone and nearly lost my mind laughing.

Three point six million had landed in my account!

I stared at the damage value creeping upward on the system panel, glanced at the time, and it all clicked.

"No wonder a slap only pays two hundred… it's billed by the second!"