Chapter 3 Exchange Of Conveniences

Thirty minutes had passed, Carrie finally heaved herself up from the bathtub, her limbs feeling heavy and uncooperative. As she lifted her gaze, her own image in the mirror halted her movements—her skin appeared as smooth and impeccable as fine porcelain, glowing with an unblemished radiance.

Her eyes, deep pools of allure, sparkled with an enchanting, soft warmth, inviting anyone who dared meet her gaze.

Despite edging into her late twenties at twenty-five, she reveled in the fact that time had yet to etch its marks upon her flawless complexion.

Surely, a woman with such a visage had no place for self-pity.

Absorbed in her contemplation, Carrie carelessly extended her right leg onto the cold floor, forgetting it was the very limb she had injured. Wrapped excessively in cling film to shield it from moisture, the tight encasement had stifled her circulation, rendering her leg eerily numb. As her foot touched down, it betrayed her, slipping forward unexpectedly.

"Ah!" Carrie gasped, her arms flailing in a frantic ballet, searching for a lifeline in the void.

Just as she teetered on the brink of a painful rendezvous with the floor, the bathroom door burst open.

Kristopher stood at the entrance, his suit immaculately tailored, creating a striking figure. As their eyes locked, he paused, visibly taken aback, then quickly closed the distance with brisk strides.

Carrie's breath caught as Kristopher swept her up in a graceful bridal style, an unexpected tightness wrapping around her waist. Caught off guard by his sudden appearance, Carrie realized with a jolt that she was completely bare. A flush of embarrassment washed over her as she instinctively clutched her hands over her chest.

This was their first moment of such intimacy since their wedding, and the discomfort made her toes curl inward, her skin blushing a delicate shade of pink.

Kristopher looked down at her with a mischievous grin. "Let's be honest, there's not much to see," he teased gently.

Feeling both mortified and slightly irritated, Carrie snapped back, "Oh, Mr. Norris, after all you've seen, I suppose nothing can impress you anymore."

She carried her C-cup curves with understated charm, a touch of sensuality that outshone Lise's painfully flat, almost awkwardly rigid build.

Yet Carrie knew well that without love, even the most perfect physique paled in comparison to the charm of one dearly cherished.

Nonchalantly, Kristopher reached for a bathrobe hanging behind the door and draped it over her. His frown deepened at her comment. "What are you talking about, Carrie?"

A thought seemed to strike him, and his expression grew even more impatient. "Tell me, did you send those divorce papers in the dead of night just to lure me back here—to catch you completely bare?" His tone was a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "I told you I was swamped with work. Was this dramatic display really necessary?"

Carrie's temper flared at his accusatory tone, reigniting the tension between them. He was always so quick to lose patience with her.

She wasn't the type to throw around words like divorce or breakups lightly. In fact, this was the first time she'd ever mentioned divorce in their two-year marriage, yet he seemed indifferent to her turmoil. He simply dismissed her concerns as if she were overreacting about trivial matters.

Despite the throbbing pain in her leg, Carrie mustered her strength and said, "Put me down."

Kristopher, however, paid no heed, his eyes scanning her leg swathed in bandages. His brow furrowed slightly. "What happened to your leg? Is this some elaborate ploy to lure me back?"

At his words, a bitter laugh escaped Carrie.

It seemed he viewed her as merely seeking attention, and in failing to capture it, she had likely concocted a story to draw him back, allowing her to dramatize her plight in his presence.

With a blank face, she replied untruthfully, "It's a beauty treatment that shouldn't get wet."

"Why did you suddenly decide to undergo such a treatment?" Kristopher inquired, his tone casual as he carried her outside, not pressing the issue further.

His frame was large, and through his thin shirt, she could distinctly feel the warmth of his body and the defined shape of his chest muscles.

The closeness created an uncomfortable tension for Carrie, who had resolved to end things once and for all.

Her voice climbed involuntarily, sharper this time. "Oh, since when have you been concerned with such minor things, Mr. Norris?"

For the first time, Kristopher witnessed her using biting sarcasm; it struck him as peculiarly amusing. With a calm demeanor, he responded, "You're my wife, it's only natural I'd be concerned about your well-being."

"Really?" There was a somber note in Carrie's voice now. "It seems like you've never really regarded me as your wife. I'm scared that if I were to die, you wouldn't even know until much later."

After all, at that very moment, Kristopher had been distracted, lost in moments with his first love, too consumed to lend an ear to her desperate pleas.

Caught off guard by her accusation, Kristopher's eyes widened with surprise before he let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Carrie, what's brought on this sudden outburst of anger? Just because I was tied up this afternoon and missed your call? Perhaps I've been too indulgent with you lately, and it's made you a bit too presumptuous?"

Carrie froze, startled. Was he accusing her of being too presumptuous?

She realized their marriage had always been lopsided. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a transactional partner, a woman who had bartered her freedom for financial security.

Their union was meant to be a mere exchange of conveniences, yet she had, quite foolishly, fallen deeply in love with him.

In the tricky terrain of romance, the one who fell first invariably found themselves at a distinct disadvantage.

Kristopher's dismissive reaction left Carrie reeling, her emotions dismissed as trifles, a tight knot of suffocation rising in her chest.

"I said to put me down this instant!" Carrie exclaimed, jerking her head to the side, her voice laced with a sharp edge of impatience.

Kristopher remained mute, effortlessly carrying her towards the bed before suddenly releasing his hold.

Carrie felt a jolt as the support vanished, her heart skipping a beat as she instinctively grasped for him.

Their bodies collided on the bed, her bathrobe teetering on the brink of decency, threatening to unravel with any minor shift.

Propped on one elbow, Kristopher gazed down at her, his lips curled into a sly, teasing grin. "You wanted to be let go, didn't you? So why cling to me now?"

His eyes, deep and sparkling like a midnight lake speckled with stars, captivated her.

In those celestial depths, Carrie caught a glimpse of her own reflection.

At times like this, she was misled into believing he harbored a deep affection.

Sadly, his heart was a fortress reserved for Lise, and all Carrie had left were empty fantasies.

"Boring!" she exclaimed, her voice devoid of any enthusiasm as she attempted to rise, her hand inadvertently brushing against something unexpected.

The following moment brought a noticeable shift in his cock pressing against her stomach.

"Don't move, or I can't promise what might happen next," he warned in a deep, gravelly voice.

With a frown, Carrie internally cursed upon hearing the statement.

It was an undeniable fact. Primal instincts steered the actions of men. Absence of affection didn't quell their basic desires.

Yet, she dared not agitate Kristopher. Angling her face away, her body remained rigid, frozen in place.

Carrie, feeling irked, shot back. "Didn't you say there's nothing here to see? What's with the reaction now, Mr. Norris? Are you really that easy to impress?"

No sooner had her words flown than she grasped the potential repercussions of her sharp tongue.

A wave of regret surged through Carrie, but instead of anger, Kristopher responded with a chuckle, "You are my wife, after all. Since that's something I can't alter, I might as well embrace it. Besides, it's been years since we became husband and wife—it would be a shame to neglect you completely."