Unwrap Your Desire

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FINGERS intertwined as we walked into the dean’s office, Chase had not spoken since what happened in the registrar’s office. I exhaled loud enough for him to hear, but it seemed that his attention was drawn to the urge to have a word with the dean.

“Chase, may I know why you would like to speak with the dean?”

There you go. I was able to ask a question after a few minutes of walking with him. He stopped for a moment, which made me halt in my direction too. Looking at him confusedly, I waited patiently for him to give me an answer. Somehow, I already had a hunch about what we wanted to do, but I still had to hear it from him. I wanted to know how he would try to convince the dean. I wanted to know his tactics and judged them myself.

“Do you really want to study here even after you become aware of the students’ behavior here?” He was looking at me sternly as he asked that question.

My mouth opened, somewhat surprised by what he asked me. Just when I thought that he didn’t care that much about the incident that occurred a while ago, here he was, standing in front of me, proving my mind wrong. My expression softened as I saw the glimpse of worry in his eyes. He truly was thoughtful. Ever since I met him, it was my first impression of him. There was no doubt about that… even more so when he became my husband.

His jaw was clenched and his eyes were communicating more emotions than mine. It was as if he was trying to measure this situation I was in and could only decide what to do if he heard my answer to his question.

In the back of my mind, I already knew it. He did not like what he had witnessed a while ago. Now he wanted to see if I’d be able to handle it the next time it happened, but there would be no next time…

“Yes, but I lacked something in my requirements. I guess I have no choice but to give this up now. Don’t worry, I will look for a different-”

“Are you completely fine with how the students behave here? Do you think you can manage it?” he asked, cutting my words off.

Even though I was confused, I managed to nod my head in response to his question. “There are always bullies in every school, Chase, but I know I can manage them. I assure you that.”

He nodded and then smiled at me. “Then what my wife wants, she gets. Let’s go.”

I had no clear idea what Chase would tell the Dean, but I guess all I could do was put my trust in him. As Mathias had mentioned to me earlier, Chase would never come here for a great cause.

Perhaps Chase only wanted to help me. I was not that naive to not figure out that he was kind of trying to pull some strings in order for me to be admitted here, and I was truly grateful to have him beside me, turning the impossible thing into the possible just to help his wife. But I hoped it would never bring us any trouble.

When we reached the double doors for the dean’s office, Chase turned to me and stared at me carefully.

“Would you like to come with me inside?”

Without hesitation, I shook my head and said, “I am fine waiting here for you, Chase. Just don’t take too long.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t take that long. You can sit in the waiting area.” He caressed my cheek before he knocked on the door to let the dean know of his visit.

I smiled at him before he entered the office. I took a peek at the glass window of the door, and saw Chase doing a handshake with the Dean. Based on the expressions on their faces, they seemed to have known each other.

But still, I was a little bit worried about Chase’s actions. I hoped everything went well and I would not regret this in the future.

I sat in the waiting area, which was right next to the dean’s office. As I waited for Chase to come out, my eyes roamed around this part of the university. I noticed that there was a library across from the dean’s office.

Even from where I was seated, I could really tell that the library was enormous and had a cozy area to study. Its double doors were made of glass. I could see the shelves towering and almost reaching the high ceiling. The ambiance screamed of old Spanish designs. It was rustic-kind, but it would actually give a student a warm feeling.

I could not help but smile. I pictured myself using a ladder to get the book I wanted from the highest shelf and staying in the library in my free time to study. That thought made me feel delighted on the inside.

Minutes passed and all I did was contemplate as I remained still, but it didn’t take that long before the double doors of the Dean’s office swung open. I heard laughter from two men, particularly from Chase and the Dean. I stood up, completely surprised as they really appeared to be close, like friends.

Chase’s attention went to me. He smiled even brighter and motioned for me to come close. I stood up and moved to get near him. His hand immediately reached mine as he stood proudly in front of the dean.

I couldn’t help but look at the dean. He seemed around Ernest Maxwell’s age, but his expression was lighter compared to Chase’s father, who actually had a fierce expression on his face.

“Mr. Sullivan, I want you to meet my wife, Reese Jones-Maxwell….” Chase introduced me to the Dean in his polite tone of voice. “Reese, he’s Mr. James Sullivan, the university dean.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Maxwell,” the Dean said, offering his hand for a handshake, which I gratefully accepted.

“Nice to meet you too, Dean.” I answered shyly.

“I am sorry about what happened in the registrar’s office. Don’t worry, I will handle everything myself and all that’s left for you to do is attend the university by next week,” he said, which completely took me by surprise.

I glanced between them, totally in awe of what I had just heard.

“But I am not a business owner yet, Mr. Sullivan. The registrar’s staff told me it’s one of the critical requirements,” I said.

The dean chuckled and nodded. “Yes, but your husband has already explained the situation, and we were able to figure out what to do from this point. I apologize for what happened. I hope this did not stress you in any way.”

I shook my head, even though I knew that I was stressed out earlier. I should add that I had encountered a bully who humiliated the shit out of me in front of the crowd. What a day!

“Please, don’t mention it, Mr. Sullivan. I’m worried that I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t mean to have my husband intervene over this matter,” I said politely.

“Oh, please don’t be.” He chuckled heartily, and at this point, my chest became a bit lighter compared to earlier. “I am looking forward to seeing you attend the university, Mrs. Maxwell. I hope that we can help you in any way. Your husband mentioned that you plan to start a business from the ground up, and it is truly inspiring.”

My cheeks flushed red. I slightly elbowed Chase. I didn’t expect him to open it up to the dean, and it made me shy! He only chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

“I appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, Mr. Sullivan.”

Mr. Sullivan tapped his shoulder and gave him a nod of affirmation. “I am happy to help, Mr. Maxwell. I am truly inspired by your wife’s courage. I hope my daughter can do the same.”

They exchanged a few more compliments before we actually bid our goodbyes. I was completely dumbfounded as to what really happened inside the dean’s office, but seeing Chase smiling from ear-to-ear, I already had a feeling that he had had a nice conversation with the dean. Well, if he didn’t, I guess I wouldn’t have been admitted to the university in the first place.

“What exactly did you tell the dean, Chase? Don’t tell me you bribed him?” I asked and threw him a suspicious look.

We were able to get out of the building and didn’t care about how the crowd eyed us inside. I bet Chase was already used to being the center of attention. I should really get used to it too.

He shook his head, laughing, and said, “I won’t do such things, Reese. We only talked for a bit, sharing a truly inspiring dream that my wife would like to achieve.”

“No bribes?”

“No bribes, I promise. I also told him that I would process a transfer of a small business into your name, which you will handle within the year after getting some knowledge as to how business management works.”

“What?!” I stiffened, giving him a wide-eyed look. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, I am not kidding. Why would I?”

“You’re really transferring a business into my name and expecting me to handle it?”

He blinked several times, and his brows began to furrow as he gave me a confused look. “I told him that because this university needs assurance that all their students are handling businesses. But I will give you the freedom to run a business that fits your taste. I only gave him an impression that you’re going to have the same path within the year, but what really impressed him is your courage, which is why he will handle things for us and you no longer have to worry.”

His explanation gave me a sigh of relief. A few seconds ago, I almost had a heart attack. I thought he would really transfer one of his businesses to me. I didn’t like it. I wanted to start my own business, from the ground up, even if I knew it would be difficult.

“Thank you, Chase, for helping me…” I inhaled. Now, I could feel that my body and mind were more relaxed and at ease.

Chase was like a knight in shining armor who saved my dreams from being shattered. I really thought that my dream of studying here at this university would end right here, right now, until he came, leaving me completely surprised as to how he turned the table for me.

“I told you…” He held my chin up. “What my wife wants, she gets…”

I could feel the heat engulfing my entire face as he said those words gently. At the same time, it felt as if my heart panicked for some unknown reason as I looked at him longer. He smiled and caressed my cheek before his hand went down, reaching my hand and intertwining our fingers.

“Time to relax, wife! I want to eat some steak.” He chuckled and held his tummy. “I haven’t had my lunch yet.”

My tummy rumbled too. It was too loud and I knew Chase had heard it too. I shyly smiled widely and said, “Me too. Time to feed me, my husband.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go, wife, before you turn into a dragon.”

“What did you say!?”

He only chuckled, and then we continued walking down the stairs.