Married At First Glance: I Am Not Ugly

“Sure, Alex, just a business deal with a dash of romantic tension and a sprinkle of unexpected feelings.”

“Stop it,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Alexander paced around his room, unable to escape the battle in his head. He tried to convince himself by listing the reasons why he shouldn’t be falling for Marissa.

“First of all,” he began, “I’ve known Jessie for years. I can’t just throw that away.”

But his inner voice retorted, “True, but she’s not here, and Marissa is.”

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose and continued,

“Secondly, this whole marriage thing is just for business. That’s it!”

His inner voice countered,

“Business, with a hint of flirtation, and a dash of undeniable chemistry.”

“Enough!” he exclaimed out loud. “I can’t let my thoughts run away like this.”

As he tried to regain his composure, he grabbed a pillow and covered his face, as if it could help him stop his feelings.

But the pillow, of course, remained unimpressed by his internal struggle.

In a muffled voice, he argued with himself,

“I won’t let this fake marriage turn into something real. It’s just not happening.”

“My goal is to get the contract and not lose it to that asshole Fernado and my relationship with Jessie.”

With a final deep breath, he tossed the pillow aside and lay down, determined to bury his feelings and focus on the deal with Marissa, no matter how challenging it might be.

Meanwhile, Marissa was in her room, pacing back and forth.

“What was I thinking? That kiss during the photoshoot was just for show. It means nothing,” she told herself.

Another voice in her head had a different idea. “But it did feel something, didn’t it?”

She groaned, trying to fight off the way her heart raced during that moment. “I can’t really be falling for Alexander. This is just a deal to help my brother.”

Her inner voice had a little fun. “A business deal with a side of heart-fluttering emotions and a hint of unexpected attraction.”

Marissa let out an exasperated sigh. “Focus, Marissa. This is not real. It’s just a fake marriage.”

“And besides, he’s in love with Jessie and I don’t see myself fitting into the picture.” she told herself.

Marissa reminded herself that Alexander was in love with Jessie. She couldn’t see herself fitting into that picture.

It was Jessie whom Alexander loved, not her. She needed to focus on the task at hand – helping her brother and honoring their business agreement.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Marissa pushed her confusing feelings aside and turned her attention back to the plans for their upcoming business trip to Switzerland.

This adventure was far from over, and her brother’s health depended on its success.

In the days leading up to their trip to Switzerland, Alexander and Marissa found themselves busier than ever.

They had to get everything ready for their business venture abroad.

They worked together to organize their schedules, make travel plans, and ensure all the necessary arrangements were in place.

Their focus was entirely on preparing for the upcoming journey.

As the departure day neared, they gathered their bags, made sure they had all their travel documents, and set off for the airport.

The trip to Switzerland marked a new phase in their fake marriage, one that promised more surprises and challenges as they moved forward together.

As they boarded the plane to Switzerland, Marissa couldn’t hide her excitement, but also her nervousness.

This was her first time flying, and the prospect of the journey left her feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

Meanwhile, she had informed her brother that she was going for a job that would take a while before she returned so that she could get enough money to pay his hospital bills.

“Where are you actually going, sister?” Samuel asked, staring into his sister’s eyes.

“Um…. it’s a job that…. I can’t disclose because I don’t want you to worry.” she replied.

Samuel, who was suspecting that his sister was not telling him some things, spoke.

“You know…. you have been hiding something from me, sister.”

Marissa, who knew her brother was right, had to cover it up so that her brother wouldn’t suspect her more since he had the ability of reading people and knows when they are hiding something.

“No… of course not brother. I’m not hiding anything from you….. and besides this job is really good and it would help us pay our bills.”

“Hmm-mm. Then why do I have a feeling that the reason you can’t tell me is because you know I won’t approve of it.” he said.

Marissa tried to maintain her calm composure, even as her brother’s questions pushed at the truth she was hiding.

“Samuel, it’s not that I don’t trust your judgment. It’s just that I don’t want you to be burdened with worrying about me,” she explained, doing her best to keep her secret.

But her brother’s intuition and familiarity with her made him insist,

“Marissa, you’ve always been the one looking out for me. I don’t want you to do anything that might put you in a difficult situation.”

Marissa squeezed her brother’s hand gently, grateful for his concern but determined to protect him.

“Samuel, please trust me. This job is an opportunity I can’t pass up. I promise, everything will be okay.”

Though her words reassured her brother, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of the secret she was carrying for their sake.

A tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality as she realized that she was actually inside the plane.

She had been thinking deeply of her discussion with her brother.

“Are you alright?” Alexander asked, as he observed that she had been lost in thought ever since she entered and sat down on her seat inside the plane.

“Yeah, yeah… I’m fine… just thinking about something, but I’m fine.” she assured.

“Okay….” he knew that something was up with her but he couldn’t figure out what it could be.