Chapter 1 Let's Get Married

The matchmaker described the blind date to Sheila Leach as someone tall, wearing glasses, gentle and honest, and more handsome than a celebrity.

Most importantly, he had an excellent job as a doctor within the public healthcare system. That would mean if someone in the family got sick in the future, they wouldn't have to worry about being unable to get an appointment.

So on Thursday morning, Sheila went to the coffee shop as mentioned by the matchmaker.

The matchmaker said Dr. Cullen only had Thursday mornings off, so Sheila took a day off to attend the blind date.

It wasn't tea time, and there weren't many people in the cafe. Sheila spotted the blind date sitting by the window, just as the matchmaker described.

When she saw him, Sheila was slightly stunned as she had never expected her blind date to be him. The person the matchmaker referred to as Dr. Cullen turned out to be Bullard Cullen, her ex-boyfriend's colleague at a hospital.

The man wore a light blue shirt, neatly rolled up at the elbows, which showed off his sharp arm muscles. His slender fingers were typing on the screen, displaying an air of elegance. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he was handsome, with sharp eyebrows and distinct facial features. He should be quite tall as although he was sitting in a chair, the distance between the table and the chair seemed too close for comfort with his legs in between.

At that moment, Sheila's phone screen lit up with a message from the blind date on WhatsApp. [I'm here.]

When Sheila looked up, the man sitting by the window did the same.

Their gazes met mid-air, and the man nodded slightly as if greeting her.

Now that Sheila had found her blind date, she didn't reply to the message. She put her phone in her handbag and walked straight over.

Sheila pulled out the chair opposite the man and sat under his gaze.

Without beating around the bush, she went straight to the point. "Nice to see you, I'm Sheila Leach. Let me start by stating my conditions. I'm a teacher at Seventh High School, earning around 1,600 dollars a month. My mother has another family, and she and her husband have another child. I would not be bringing dowry with me, so I would not expect an engagement gift from you either. If you have a fully paid-off house, I won't ask to have my name added to it. If there's a mortgage, we can repay it together after marriage, but my name must be included in the ownership proportionally."

The man opposite Sheila listened to her words without interrupting, but rather, he listened attentively.

His elbow rested on the armrest, and his hands were folded before him. His hands were good-looking, with distinct bones and slender fingers. He would look good holding a surgical knife.

Sheila finished stating her condition in one breath and felt that she might have been too abrupt. "I'm sorry if I was a bit direct, but I think it's best to be clear in blind dates to avoid wasting each other's time."

The man opposite her pressed his lips together but he did not show signs of displeasure. He commented, "That makes sense."

Sheila thought the other party would probably agree with this idea, so she asked, "Do you have any requirements for the person you want to marry?"

The man pondered momentarily and answered in a serious manner. "Someone who can cook. You know, it's unhygienic outside."

That happened to be Sheila's area of expertise. "My culinary skills are not bad, and I cook all the time at home. What are your thoughts on having children?"

"Before I have the ability to raise a child till they reach adulthood, I'm not considering it," the man said casually. "Any other questions?"

Sheila thought about many questions before coming. But when it came to blind dates and marriage, the main issues were usually about money and children. Once these two things were resolved, everything else was not a problem.

So Sheila said, "If you can accept a marriage like this, we can get our marriage license today. I have my ID and passport with me."

The man teased, "You seem eager to get married."

Sheila decided that she had nothing to hide. "My mom said that she already had a child when she was my age. However, I understand that it is a little abrupt to get the marriage license today as well. Dr. Cullen, you can take a few more days to think about it, and I'll wait for your answer."

"There's no need for that." The man uncrossed his legs. "Today is a good day, so let's get married."