Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Timothy cocked his eyebrows. He looked back at her and said without hesitation, “As if!”

Samantha was lost for words.

Although she had never thought of using opportunistic means to realize her dreams and felt that it was beneath her to do so, she could not help but feel a little unhappy when her own husband refused her so unhesitatingly.

Other people’s husbands would surely have helped their wives to handle everything!

Timothy saw through her thoughts and chuckled softly before explaining, “You’re Mrs. Barker, and if I got you in through the back door, your prestige would come from your status as Mrs. Barker, not as Samantha Larsson.”

Samantha understood that of course. Even though she could understand it logically, she still felt a little unhappy emotionally.

“What’s your suggestion then, Mr. Barker?”

Timothy looked at her slightly puffed-up cheeks and said, “I won’t open that back door for you, but I can open another back door for you.”

Another back door?

Samantha knit her brows in a moment of thought and understood it soon enough.

The problem with her resume was that it did not stand out. Therefore, the so-called back door that Timothy spoke of was none other than his guidance.

How could she have forgotten that Timothy—the CEO of the Barker Group and a renowned business tycoon—was right in front of her!

He has read the resumes of countless super talented people and interviewed many of them too. His guidance would certainly bring about a qualitative leap to her resume!

The unease and dejectedness in Samantha’s heart disappeared all of a sudden. She carried her laptop immediately and practically threw herself onto the bed. A humble and eager-to-learn expression appeared on her face and she said softly, “I’ll have to trouble you to guide me, Mr. Barker.”

“Heh.”

Timothy leaned lazily on the bedhead and raised his chin proudly while striking a pretentious pose, “What did you just say? Your voice is a little soft and I couldn’t hear you.”

Samantha was more than willing to give in and began speaking eloquently, “Please have a look at my resume and provide your opinion, Mr. Barker!”

“What’s that? What did you call me?”

Samantha changed her words right away. “Hubby!”

Her sweet, crisp voice made Timothy’s Adam’s apple bob in his throat.

When he next spoke, his voice had become a little mute. “What else?”

As expected, men were all scumbags who only knew how to demand more than what they had been given!

Samantha gritted her teeth but continued to sport a pleasant smile on her face. She leaned over and gave him a big fat kiss on his cheek.

Then, she acted flirtatiously like those girls on television and sharpened her tone as she said, “Could you help me, Honey? Pretty please?”

She felt goosebumps as soon as she said that.

Timothy’s lips twitched. He reached out to squeeze her cheek and he said hoarsely, “You win, Samantha.”

He was never able to refuse her in the first place and had no choice but to surrender when she acted all coquettish.

Guiding her to write a resume was nothing. He would even go so far as to do something as foolish as taking all the stars in the sky, if that was what she wanted.

Samantha was afraid that he would go back on his word, so she placed the laptop in front of him and said, “Here you go, Hubby!”

Timothy squeezed her cheek a little harder. Had it not been for his injury, he would have set her straight right on the spot!

He took a deep breath, suppressed the urges in his heart, and poured all of his attention on his resume.

…

A week later.

Timothy’s condition improved with every passing day due to his youthful body and he was almost fully recovered already. After undergoing a doctor’s examination, he could be discharged on the very same day and all he had to do was come back at fixed intervals to have his body reexamined.

Samantha could have been discharged from the hospital long ago, but since she was taking care of Timothy, she decided to be discharged together with him. Before they left, the two of them went to pay a visit to Corey.

Although Corey had not woken up yet, his physical condition had improved steadily after implementing the little saint’s treatment plan.

Samantha looked at her brother and could not help sighing. “How good would it be if Corey could wake up and leave the hospital with us.”

Timothy hugged her waist gently and comforted her. “Don’t worry. He’ll wake up because he knows you’re waiting for him.”

‘Like me—I tried so hard to wake up when I heard you calling my name.’

For the sake of the person that he loved, he spared no effort in declining a visit from the grim reaper.

“Yeah.” Samantha nodded gently.

Timothy then walked out of the ward with his hands around Samantha’s waist. Unbeknownst to them, Corey’s fingers moved as if he had sensed something.

The two of them walked out of the hospital and Ronald was already waiting by the car. When he saw them coming out, he hurriedly said to them, “Congratulations on your recovery and discharge from the hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Barker!”

Samantha chuckled slightly. “Thank you, Ronald!”

Love might or might not be the cause, but Samantha’s smile was so beautiful that Ronald was a little dazed when he saw it. He ended up smiling like a buffoon and said, “No thanks necessary.”

The next second, he felt a death stare from his boss next to him and that silly smile of his froze in fright. He retracted his gaze and opened the door of the rear seat, “Hop on in, Mr. and Mrs. Barker!”

Timothy shielded the top of Samantha’s head with his hand and protected her head as she got into the car. After that, he bent over and got into the car too.

Ronald breathed a sigh of relief once the immense pressure disappeared.

His boss’s possessiveness was so frightening that it sent chills down his spine!

After closing the car door, Ronald went around the car to walk to the driver’s seat. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman’s familiar-looking figure to his left and was a little stunned as a result.

Harmony Johnson?

Ronald raised his head instinctively and looked over, but there was no one there.

He blinked and made sure that there really was no one. He chalked it up to a hallucination that he probably had because he had been scared out of his wits by his boss.

Harmony was supposed to be abroad, so there was no way she could possibly be there.

He shook his head and continued making his way to the driver’s seat. After getting into the car, he started the engine and drove off.

At eight o’clock that evening, the audition list for the competition was released.

Her resume, which had received Timothy’s guidance, sent her through the first hurdle. Samantha was then notified to attend the final interview, which was to be held the following day.

Early the next morning, Old Madam Barker made a point to let Aunt Julia prepare a confidence-boosting breakfast for Samantha to eat.

After that, Timothy drove her personally to the entrance of the television station.

Once the car came to a halt, Samantha took a deep breath, unfastened her seat belt, and was about to push the door to get out of the car. Timothy, however, reached for her wrist.

He leaned over, planted a kiss on her lips, then said softly, “I’m looking forward to hearing your good news.”

One would generally cheer the other person and wish them luck under normal circumstances, but he was very direct when he made that remark, as if he was already certain that she was going to pass.

Samantha could not help asking, “Are you that confident in me?”

She was not too confident about passing the interview.

Timothy said with conviction, “I’m sure my wife will get first place.”

Her nervousness not only eased, but her confidence seemed to return too.

Samantha kissed him back. “Alright, my dear husband. I won’t shame your reputation and I’ll make sure to bring home first place!”

…

Samantha walked into the waiting hall, where countless people had already arrived. After picking a chair at random and sitting down, she heard someone calling her name.

“Ms. Larsson..”