I Married the President

Ivy Tanner frowned in his arms, the corners of her lips twisting into a bitter smile.

’Call him, only to have that woman answer for him again?’

’I’m not that stupid, and I don’t want to do it.’

’He’s engaged now, and I’m married. Once I go to the Rhodes Family, we probably won’t have any contact anymore. We might just never see each other again for the rest of our lives.’

’Even though I’m going to have his child.’

’Whatever. What’s the point of thinking so far ahead? I can’t be bothered.’

Ivy Tanner struggled out of his arms and put on a bright smile. "Okay, I want to call Brother Kingsley."

Ethan Kingsley pinched her cheek. "You’ve been very good today. What do you want? I’ll buy it for you."

"I want to eat oranges!"

Ethan Kingsley snapped his head around and asked Julie Judd, who was waiting on standby, "Do we have any oranges in the house?"

Julie Judd shook her head guiltily. "Miss Ivy has really taken a liking to oranges the past few days. We ran out of the ones I bought this morning. I was just about to go out and buy more."

Ethan Kingsley’s brow furrowed slightly. "Go buy them right now. If you can’t find any, don’t bother coming back."

"Yes, sir!" Julie Judd scurried away, thoroughly spooked.

Ethan Kingsley looked down at the girl’s innocent face. "You never used to like oranges. Why the sudden craving?"

"I wanted to eat durian, but Sister Julie said they weren’t selling it anymore. I wanted to eat mango, but Sister Julie said they weren’t selling it anymore. I wanted to eat watermelon, but Sister Julie said they weren’t selling it anymore. I wanted to eat cantaloupe, but Sister Julie said they weren’t selling it anymore..."

She rattled off a whole list of fruits, all of which she was told weren’t for sale, so she never got to eat any of them.

Ethan Kingsley sensed something was off. He turned to another maid and said in a low voice, "You, come here."

"Y-yes, sir..." The maid walked over hesitantly, her head bowed and a guilty expression on her face.

Ethan Kingsley demanded sharply, "The fruits she mentioned—what fruit stand doesn’t sell them?"

"I-It’s... Young Master Kingsley, no, it’s not that they weren’t for sale... The fruit stand is really far from here, and Sister Julie said they were too heavy to carry. Plus, some of them are a pain to peel after you get them home, so... so Sister Julie didn’t buy them."

"Then what’s the story with the oranges?" Ethan Kingsley pressed.

The maid was so frightened her legs began to tremble. "Sh-she picked them from the orchard out back. Sister Julie felt it was a waste since no one eats them, so she picked them for Miss Ivy."

Ethan Kingsley’s cold eyes narrowed. "Since when do oranges ripen this time of year?"

The maid’s heart sank. She dropped to her knees and burst into tears. "Young Master Kingsley, I tried to warn Sister Julie! I told her not to give the unripe oranges to Miss Ivy, but Miss Ivy seemed to really like them! After she finished, she wanted more, so Sister Julie went and picked another batch... Young Master Kingsley, this has nothing to do with me!"

His expression dark, Ethan Kingsley didn’t respond to the maid. He turned back and looked at the girl’s downcast face. "Little Cutie, are the oranges good?"

"Um, they’re good." Ivy Tanner nodded.

"Not sour?"

"Not sour. They’re bitter."

"Bitter?" Ethan Kingsley frowned again.

The maid quickly chimed in, "Young Master Kingsley, I’ve tasted those oranges. They’re sour and tart and a little bitter... they just don’t taste good at all."

Ethan Kingsley was silent for a moment. He raised a hand to stroke the girl’s cheek and said in a low voice, "You’re not to eat any more unripe oranges, understand? I’ll have someone buy fresh fruit from now on. If you’re craving anything, just call and tell me."

"Okay!" Ivy Tanner nodded, though she only seemed to half-understand.

Ethan Kingsley glanced at his watch. It was almost dinnertime. "I’m not going back tonight," he said. "What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you."

’He’s going to cook?’

’Hell must have frozen over!’

’As far as I can remember, he doesn’t know how to cook.’