Mr. CEO Sassy Bride

“Do not forget my advice, Austin. Stay calm and speak eloquently, understood?” Herbert said to the young man standing before him.

Both of them were dressed in black business attire, radiating a sense of responsibility.

“I assure you, Mr. Jones. I will exceed your expectations with my delivery,” Austin replied confidently.

Herbert smiled and patted Austin’s shoulder twice before they crossed the road.

Pulling out his phone, Herbert made a call to Hannah. After a brief conversation, he ended the call and they waited at the gate.

Within moments, the gate opened and revealed Hannah.

“Herbert!” she exclaimed in surprise, making way for them to enter. “I thought you were joking when you said you were outside my house.”

Herbert chuckled and asked, “How are you? Is Ethan home?”

“Yes, he is. Please come in,” Hannah invited them, leading the way into her house.

As they entered the cozy living room, Hannah hesitantly asked, “It’s the weekend, so why are you dressed in business attire? And who is this man with you?”

Herbert smiled politely and replied, “May we have a seat first?”

“Of course, my apologies,” Hannah said apologetically, gesturing towards a comfortable double settee, “Please, have a seat.”

Herbert then addressed her, “Firstly, I apologize for not giving you prior notice of my visit. We only met yesterday.”

Hannah nodded as she took a seat on a single couch, facing them.

“Secondly, this is my friend and neighbor, Austin Shaw. He told me something intriguing after we parted ways in the park last evening,” Herbert paused and motioned for Austin to continue.

“Before I continue, Hannah, where is Ethan? Please bring him here so Austin can share the interesting news,” Herbert said with a smile.

Without hesitation, Hannah got up and hurried towards Ethan’s room, meeting him halfway.

“Excellent. Herbert is present, Ethan,” Hannah notified Ethan, her countenance transforming into a radiant smile.

Her initial fondness for Herbert stemmed from his benevolent gesture, but spending quality time with them in the park only strengthened her affinity for him.

They conversed, bantered, and frolicked to their hearts’ content yesterday. Feeling at ease, Hannah shared their home address with Herbert, who had inquired about visiting them frequently.

“Has he already begun to miss us?” Ethan beamed, eagerly making his way to the living room.

Hannah swiftly followed, pushing his wheelchair to expedite the process.

“Is it truly you, Herbert?” Ethan exclaimed in delight upon spotting Herbert seated there.

“Of course, it’s me, my friend,” Herbert replied with an equally wide smile, approaching him and exchanging fist bumps before crouching down to his level.

David emerged from the adjacent room, drawn out of his slumber by the voices of Hannah and Ethan.

His drowsy eyes cleared upon spotting two unfamiliar men in their home.

Herbert, currently engaged in a conversation with Ethan, was also taken aback by the sudden appearance of a grown man. He stood up slowly, meeting David’s disdainful glare.

“Who are these people, Hannah?” David inquired, his gaze still trained on Herbert.

Hannah seemed oblivious to the tension between the two men, instead choosing to wrap her hand around David’s arm and beaming at him.

“Say hello to my friend, David. This is Herbert; we met yesterday and he was incredibly kind,” she introduced them.

“Herbert, this is my boyfriend, David,” she concluded, gesturing to David.

Herbert smiled and extended his hand for a handshake, but David turned away, his demeanor sour.

“Come on now, honey. Don’t be petty,” Hannah admonished, expecting David to reciprocate the handshake. However, David walked off without a word.

Ethan scowled after him, his hands balled into tight fists.

What a nuisance!

“Have I caused any trouble?” Herbert inquired, withdrawing his hand from the air.

“Not at all, Herbert. My apologies. I believe he’s not in a good mood,” Hannah apologized.

“It’s completely fine. Now, let’s get back to the reason I’m here,” said Herbert, returning to his seat.

“It’s good news, Ethan,” he directed his words at Ethan, who was quick to shake off his sulky demeanor.

“What’s the news, Herbert?” he asked.

Herbert then gestured to Austin, signaling for him to speak.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Austin, and I am a surgeon. Our hospital has a tradition of providing support to ten randomly chosen individuals with disabilities each year, and it’s that time again,” he began.

“Last night, as a joke, I asked my neighbor Herbert if he knew anyone with a disability. To my surprise, he said yes. And that’s why we are here this morning,” Austin explained with a soft smile on his face.

A brief silence fell upon them, and for a long while, Ethan and Hannah just gazed at each other in silence.

“So, if I’m understanding correctly, Mr. Austin, you’re saying that you will help Ethan walk again? And we won’t have to pay anything?” Hannah asked hesitantly, while Ethan vigorously nodded in agreement.

“That is correct, Miss. Ethan will not have to pay for any expenses, as our hospital will cover them,” Austin confirmed.

Before Austin could even finish his sentence, Hannah let out a shriek of excitement.

“Oh my goodness, this is the best news I’ve ever received in my life!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement before falling to her knees in front of Ethan, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

“You’re going to walk again, Ethan! You’ll be able to walk on your own two feet!” she exclaimed, shaking Ethan’s shoulders with joy, causing his tears to roll down his face and onto his clothes.

“Please assure me this is not a figment of my imagination, Hannah, and that what I just heard is not some cruel joke,” Ethan demanded, his voice breaking as tears continued to well up in his eyes.

Witnessing the tears in his eyes, Hannah couldn’t control her own and struggled to find the right words to respond. So instead, she pulled him into a warm embrace.

They stayed like that for a while, both crying and murmuring comforting words to each other.

Suddenly, Hannah sprang to her feet, exclaiming, “I need to call Lani immediately, Ethan. I must share this wonderful news with her.”

She was about to rush across the room when Herbert stood in her way, inadvertently blocking her path while their eyes locked.

They engaged in a silent standoff for a few moments, until Herbert took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to control himself.

As he opened his eyes again, he unlocked his jaw to speak when he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a flying kick from behind.

“David!” Hannah exclaimed, horrified. “Are you out of your mind?”

However, David paid no attention to her, his gaze fixed on Herbert on the floor as his body trembled with rage.

“How dare you lay your hands on my woman, huh? Who do you think you are?” he roared aggressively, attempting to charge towards Herbert again, but Hannah quickly stepped between them.

“Get a hold of yourself, David, and stop harassing my friend!” Hannah chided.

“Your friend?” David scoffed. “Haven’t you been cheating on me with him?”

“David, stop this nonsense now or get out of my house this instant,” Hannah demanded, her expression reflecting her upset emotions.

Sneering, “So now you want this bastard to know you’re the one who pays the rent? Then he can easily steal you away from me, since I’m jobless and useless,” David spat, clenching and unclenching his jaw in anger.

“Enough!” Hannah shouted. “Apologize to him now or get out of my house. And I mean it.”

David showed no remorse, instead letting out a wicked laugh that caused everyone to exchange a worried glance.

A sudden cessation of laughter and a contorted expression flashed across his face as he gritted out, “Over my dead body,” before stalking away, deliberately bumping into Herbert on his way.

“David!” Hannah called out after him, but he paid no heed.

All the while, Ethan couldn’t contain his joy, secretly praying for David to disappear and never return.

“I’m deeply sorry, Herbert. Please forgive me,” Hannah pleaded with Herbert, her countenance mirroring remorse.

“No, it’s completely fine,” Herbert smiled, rubbing his injured lip, “We should be on our way now,” he announced, but Hannah quickly halted him.

“Please, let me tend to your wound,” she implored, but Herbert firmly declined.

“Remember, we still have other errands to run,” he reminded her with a gracious smile, “I’ll update you on the next step,” he promised before bidding Ethan goodbye and departing with Austin.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Do you think he’s upset, Ethan?” Hannah inquired, still gazing at Herbert and Austin’s departure.

“Undoubtedly, Hannah. David’s behavior toward him was uncalled for, and if I were in Herbert’s shoes, I’d be incensed,” Ethan spoke up, disappointment lacing his voice.