“It’s been six months already?!” the gaudy woman crooned, and you shot her a polite smile as you placed a hand over Jaebum’s chest. Your wedding ring glinted under the lights, and she eyed it for a moment before forcing another laugh at your mother-in-law standing on the other side of Jaebum. “I would have never thought I’d see the day that someone would settle your boy down.”

“I wouldn’t say I’ve settled him down,” you interjected sweetly, gazing into Jaebum’s eyes with excessive admiration.

His lips twitched with subtle humour.

“There is no need to tame a man, is there? It’s a modern world, and if I didn’t love the capable man that my husband was before I married him, then I wouldn’t have let him put a ring on my finger. And believe me, he’s very capable in many areas of his life.”

“You flatter me when really I’m the luckiest man around, Y/N,” Jaebum commented, brushing his lips against your forehead.

God, you hated these events his mother insisted upon hosting. Time after time, you would find yet another charity event or glitz and glam night scheduled into your calendar. You hardly had time to keep up appearances with your own parents and closest friends, let alone attend monthly nights out under the Im family name. Somehow, your boss seemed to get away with telling everyone he was far too busy solving law cases to attend, whilst you, with an impressive load of work on your shoulders, must ensure to turn up to every time.

You hated how socialites held so many double standards.

“Don’t worry, beautiful, I’ll get you out of here soon enough,” Jaebum breathed into your ear when you both finally made your way over to the buffet table. You looked at the choices of food and sighed. You didn’t like your chances of eating something tonight.

Jaebum chuckled. “I’ll go through a drive-thru on the way home too.”

“There’s no need to to me, Mr Im. I’m already yours,” you teased, leaning into his side as Jaebum picked up a cracker with some questionable looking paste on top.

“Are you just? I guess I’m just that capable, huh?”

“You almost died of laughter. Admit it,” you stated, gazing at Jaebum as he fought not to give you any satisfaction. “Come on, don’t tell me you enjoy these parties. It’s just a bunch of rich people standing around trying to outwit the other. Goodness me, how dare someone else do better in life than you and your family?! Your mother looked as if she was going to proclaim I was pregnant just to outdo that one insistent woman that said her daughter-in-law was superior to me.”

“No one is more superior than you. Trust me. You’ve got everything going for you, Y/N.”

You smirked at him. “Spending all night with these fancy folk has you easily spouting off untruths. I’m who I am, and I like that. I don’t need to have credentials in any area aside from my career. I’m a working woman. I don’t care about having a child before a certain age or what colour schemes I’m going to use when I next renovate our apartment only months after the last one like this lot do.”

“Watch it, Y/N. Some might say you’re speaking out of turn.”

Your eyebrow arched in response. “Am I?”

“The fact that you don’t fake anything is the reason I like you as much as I do,” he answered, and you blinked slowly, wondering why your heart was fluttering at that statement. Jaebum held your gaze for a moment too long, looking more vulnerable than he’d ever been in front of you. Smoothing his face out, he leaned into your ear again. “I bet half these women fake their s with their partners. That’s never something I have to doubt when it comes to you.”

“Are you really wearing that?” Glancing up at Jaebum’s question, you watched as his expression softened. “Are you alright?”

“I’m exhausted. I spent nine hours with a pretentious lawyer and his client fighting with my client over chinaware. When we get divorced, you can keep every bit of china we got at our wedding. I don’t want any of it if that’s how it goes.”

Slumping down on the couch beside you in his dress shirt and slacks, you eyed Jaebum with your head cocked to the side. You groaned loudly. “Oh God. Not another event.”

“Charity for the Children’s hospital,” Jaebum mentioned, his hand sliding under both your bare calves and lifting them over his lap as he scooted closer. He started to massage them, and you threw your head back into the cushions, your eyes shutting with a whine.

“What was the last one?”

“For the pet shelters across the city,” he reminded, and you nodded.

“I didn’t see a single dog or cat there.”

“We almost witnessed a catfight, though. I thought Mrs Kim was going to throw Mrs Jung down in front of us all.”

“It was a particularly entertaining night,” you agreed, peeking out of one eye at Jaebum. “I don’t know if I have it in me to get dolled up.”

“You could go like this. I won’t mind one bit,” he replied with a chuckle, his eyes travelling over your tank top and sleep shorts.

“I’m sure that’ll smooth over just fine in the papers tomorrow.”

“We’ll give them a headline worth writing into the social circles.”

Sharing a grin, you groaned heavily and tried to swing your legs down off his lap. Jaebum’s hands merely gripped your calves, holding you there. “What are you doing? I have to go get ready.”

“Let’s skip it.”

You eyed him carefully. “Your mother will be in fits without you there to show off to everyone.”

“You’re not up to it, so we can order in some Chinese and watch a movie instead.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my husband?” you wondered with a giggle, Jaebum’s hands sweeping up and down your legs. You sighed contentedly. “You’ll really face the wrath of your mother for not turning up just because I’m too tired?”

 “I’ll tell her you’re unwell, and I’ve got to look after you.”

“She’ll then tell everyone I’ve got wicked morning sickness and that it’s not official yet but that we’re pregnant, Jaebum!”

He laughed. “Well. It looks like we’ll be playing our part without even turning up tonight.”