Hold My Tear, I’m Getting My Wife Back!

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'?" Austin said, his tone laced with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Which part of what I said didn't you get? Let me break it down for you."

Joy didn't respond immediately, her silence hanging in the air. Austin waited for a moment before looking up, only to find her struggling to suppress a laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Joy couldn't quite explain it herself. It was just that her lips seemed to have a mind of their own, curving upwards no matter how hard she tried to remain stoic. Her cheeks were defying gravity, refusing to be held down.

"I don't know, give me a sec, let me just laugh it out."

Austin couldn't for the life of him understand what had tickled her so much. Watching her trying to contain her laughter made him chuckle too, and he leaned back, joining in the amusement.

"Alright, laugh all you want, but if you dare say 'no', you're toast today."

Joy then sat up, crossing her legs and facing him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Her giggles sounded like she'd just stumbled upon a treasure trove.

"Hey, Austin, are you secretly crushing on me?"

"Dropping the 'boss' already?" he teased.

"Watch your tone!" Joy suddenly adopted a more authoritative demeanor. "If you're thinking about dating me, you better get your act together. I'm quite the catch, you know."

"Understood," Austin replied with a grin. "Dear Miss Campbell, might I have the honor of calling you my girlfriend?"

"First, admit you're crushing on me."

"It's not a crush. It's full-blown adoration," Austin confessed, playfully twirling a strand of her hair. "You're pretty good at figuring out your friends' love situations. Didn't you notice I had a thing for you?" "When did you start feeling this way?" Joy leaned in, a curious glint in her eyes.

"Our very first meeting left a lasting impression on me," Austin shared.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Which meeting are you talking about?" Joy inquired, genuinely curious.

Austin feigned offense. "You mean to tell me you don't remember our first encounter? Out of all the interviewers, I wasn't the most memorable?"

"You actually remember that?" Joy felt a mix of surprise and indignation. "And here I thought you didn't even recognize me when I greeted you on my first day at work."

Austin rubbed his temples, the connection between those events painting a humorous yet frustrating picture.

"I had just had an eye exam that day; the dilation drops hadn't worn off yet, so I couldn't see clearly," he explained, chuckling at the memory. "So that's why you were so distant afterward? All because of that?" "Am I that petty?" Joy retorted, though a part of her couldn't help but feel a bit silly.

She didn't want to admit that during their interview, she had harbored a slight crush on Austin.

But his apparent forgetfulness made her aware of the gap between them.

He was the unreachable boss, and she was just another applicant, easily overlooked.

After joining the company, her initial

infatuation was quickly overshadowed by the natural resentment an employee feels towards their employer, shattering any romantic notions she might

have

had into pieces. She found herself cursing Austin more vigorously than anyone else.

Seeing all kinds of emotions flash across her face, Austin had a smart smile on his lips. "What's going through that head of yours? You're practically broadcasting a soap opera on your face."

"If only you'd confessed your

feelings earlier!" Joy lamented,

slapping her thigh. "We could have

been making out by now. Why all the ambiguity? Why not just jump straight into a relationship?" S

"And what about you?" Austin queried. "Do you like me?"

Caught off guard by his question, Joy suddenly became bashful. Her gaze darted around as she hummed noncommittally. "Come on, you're asking that after we've kissed?"

Despite his fever making him feel miserable, Austin felt a surge of warmth at her response.

"I guess there's no point in playing games with you," he said, a playful edge to his voice. "I should've just gone for a kiss, shown you a bit of affection, and that would've been that Seems like that's all you think about."

Joy laughed again, her mood visibly brightening.

After a moment, her expression turned serious, as if she remembered something important.

With a newfound respect for all the mythical beings across cultures, she cautiously asked, "Do you think it's too late for me to take back the curses I threw at you?"

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have cursed him so fervently.

Austin was well aware of the curses she'd been casting behind his back; he even suspected they played a role in his recent dating mishaps.

With a smirk, he replied, "I'm afraid it's too late for that. The deed's halfway done. If you want to call it off now, wouldn't there be a penalty?" "How would I even compensate for that? It's not like I can shorten my own life," Joy said, valuing her life too much to make such a sacrifice for him. "Then you have no choice but to be my girlfriend and break the curse yourself," Austin suggested. "Consider yourself my compensation." "Well, no problem," Joy muttered as she hopped off the bed. "I'll go and buy whatever's needed right now."

Austin's laughter turned into a cough as he pulled her back into a hug. "I'm running a fever here, and all you can think about is making love?" "What are you talking about? I'm all about pure love. I don't even know what you're referring to."

"Stop pretending," said Austin.

Joy hugged him tightly, feeling as if she was floating on clouds.

Patting Austin's back, Joy solemnly declared, "From today on, you're officially my man!"