Chapter 001 Living Together
It was still hot in October in Watenll City where people could only feel a little coolness of late autumn in the morning and night.
Teresa got up early in the morning and made breakfast for her sister's family of three. She put aside the messy toys in the living room and swept the floor. Only then did she quietly leave her sister's home with two steamed buns and her household registration book.
"From now on, we should split our bills whether it is living expenses or mortgage car loans! As your sister lives in our home, she should be asked to pay half. What's the use of giving two thousand dollars a month? What's the difference between a freeloader and her?"
This was what Teresa heard from her brother-in-law when her sister quarreled with her brother-in-law last night.
In order not to turn her sister's life upside down, she had to move out of her sister's house. To assure her sister that she was fine, she had to get married.
However, she didn't even have a boyfriend. If she planned to get married in a short time, she would agree to Mrs. Donovan's request and marry Hubert, the eldest grandson of Mrs. Donovan, whose journey to marriage was full of frustration.
Going downstairs, Teresa walked to the road where there happened to be a bus parked. Teresa trotted past. Ensuring that the bus would pass through the City Hall, she got on the bus before the driver drove.
She picked a window seat and sat down. After the bus started, she kept looking at the street view outside the window.
Watenll City was a bustling metropolis, with high-rise buildings standing on both sides of the street, showing prosperity.
Twenty minutes later, Teresa got off the bus at the entrance of the City Hall.
"Teresa."
As soon as she got off the bus, Teresa heard a familiar sound, which was from Vivian Donovan.
"Mrs. Donovan."
Teresa quickly walked over and saw a tall and cold man standing beside Mrs. Donovan. Teresa guessed he must be the one she would get married with.
As she got closer and saw clearly the appearance of Hubert, she couldn't help being shocked.
Mrs. Donovan had said that her eldest grandson Hubert was thirty years old, but he even didn't have a girlfriend. She was very worried about her grandson's marriage. As for Mrs. Donavan, Teresa knew her because she helped to send this elder lady to the hospital when she fell on the road. At that time, Mrs. Donovan went out alone without her guards following, so that they had a chance to meet.
As they knew each other well gradually, Mrs. Donovan appreciated Teresa's character. She began trying to match Teresa and Hubert when she learned that Teresa was twenty-five years old but didn't have a boyfriend.
Teresa had thought that Hubert was either ugly or picky. After all, he was, according to Mrs. Donovan, an executive of a large group with high income but didn't even have a girlfriend when he was already thirty years old.
If a man with a successful career was still single, he was either so picky or so ugly that even a gold worshipper couldn't bear it.
Teresa thought Hubert was the latter.
As she met him, Teresa understood he was the former. Hubert was very handsome but seemed to be a little grim. He was standing beside Mrs. Donovan, with a gloomy face, as if he was unwilling tolet anyone get close to him.
Not far away, there was a black commercial vehicle parked. The vehicle was a Chevrolet, not a luxury car valued at millions of dollars, which made Teresa feel that there was not a huge gap between her and Hubert.
Although Teresa lived in her sister's house, she had a not-bad job. She couldn't stand leaving her sister and nephew. That was why she was living with her sister all the time. In fact, her income was not bad. Teresa opened a bookstore at the entrance of Watenll City School with her old friend.
Watenll City School was famous for integrating primary school, junior high school, and senior high school. There were nearly 10,000 teachers and students in the school. The students there needed kinds of stationery. But it was also very competitive because all the neighbors opened bookstores.
In her spare time, she also weaved some gadgets and sold them online. The sales volume was always not bad.
Her salary, together with the income from her online shop, was more than 20,000 dollars monthly, after deducting all the costs and expenses in the store and sharing the profits equally with her friend.
Teresa could rank as a white-collar worker with a monthly income of 20,000 in Watenll City.
Her brother-in-law didn't know her income and didn't like her, thinking that her bookstore didn't make money. After all, it was too competitive. In fact, she gave her sister 5,000 dollars every month, which was used as food and rent money.
Teresa was somewhat cunny because she told her sister to save half of it for emergency use and didn't let her brother-in-law know.
My sister knew a little about her income, so she always persuaded her to avoid spending money indiscriminately and save some money to buy a house in two years in order to have a place to live.
"Teresa, this is my eldest grandson Hubert, an old leftover man who can't be sold at the age of 30. Although he is a little grim, he is still very considerate. You saved my life and we have known each other for three months. Believe me, I will not sell you a bad grandson."
Hubert listened to Grandma's description of him and glanced at Teresa. His eyes were deep and cold, but he didn't say a word.
Probably because he had been sneered at by his grandmother too many times, he had gained the immunity to them.
Teresa knew that Mrs. Donovan had three sons, each of whom had three sons. Therefore, Mrs. Donovan had nine grandchildren in total, but there was no even a granddaughter. On the one hand, Teresa saved her; on the other hand, she also hit it off with Teresa, so she treated Teresa as her granddaughter.
"Mrs. Donovan."
Teresa's face was reddish, but she extended her right hand to Hubert gracefully and introduced herself with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Donovan, I am Teresa."
Hubert ran his eyes over Teresa from head to foot and then from foot to head. Under the reminder of his Grandma's light cough, he stretched out his right hand and shook hands with Teresa. His voice was also low and indifferent, "Hubert."
After shaking hands, Hubert raised his left hand and looked at his watch. He said to Teresa, "I am very busy. Let's make a quick decision."
Teresa agreed.
Vivian said quickly, "You two go in. I will wait for you here."
"Grandma, go to the car. It's hot outside."
Hubert said while holding Grandma back to the car.
Teresa observed his actions and believed in Mrs. Donovan's words. Although Hubert was a little grim, he was careful and considerate.
Although Teresa and Hubert were almost strangers, Mrs. Donovan said that he had a house under his name in full payment. When she married him, she could move out of her sister's house. Her sister did not need to worry about her marriage as well as have to quarrel with her brother-in-law for her so frequently any more.
Her marriage was nothing more than living together with this man.
Soon, Hubert returned to Teresa and said to her, "Let's go."
Teresa nodded and silently followed him into the City Hall.
At the marriage registration office, Hubert also reminded Teresa, "Miss Heller, if you don't want to get married to me, you have a chance to go back on your word. Don't care what my grandmother said. Marriage is a big event that can't be trifled."
He hoped Teresa would go back on her word.
Because he didn't want to get married at all, let alone marry a strange girl he met for the first time today.
Teresa is as young, beautiful, and scholarly as his Grandma described, but they doesn't know each other at all.
Grandma talked in front of him for several months. When he was a child, his parents were very busy. He was raised by his Grandma, so he was most filial to Grandma. At Grandma's repeated requests, he had to come here.
"Since I promised, I will not go back on my word."
Teresa also thought for a few days before deciding. As she decided, she would never go back on her word.