I Dumped a Scumbag and Married A Boxer Star

Chapter 5: Meet Celeste

Ines slept like an angel in her new bed, and the most important part was that no one was yelling at her to wake up; force to bring breakfast and threatened to hurt her if she didn't obey. 

"Gosh, I could get used to this…" She stretched her arms and legs.

She walked downstairs to see if Raphael was at home.

-Click- ! -click- ! 

Ines turned her head just in time to see a woman step into the living room. 

"Wow…"

She was strikingly beautiful—tall and slender, with golden blonde hair that fell in effortless waves past her shoulders. 

A pair of blue eyes glanced at Ines, scanning her from head to toe with a frown on her face that was hard to tell exactly, but it looked far from friendly. 

Then, she shifted to Raphael.

"Well," the woman drawled, lips formed into something that wasn't quite a smile, "isn't this an interesting sight?"

Before Ines could reply or say something, her fingers tightened around the phone in her hand. 

She had just received another message she wasn't prepared for, 'son of a bi-' she thought to herself. 

Without thinking, she threw the phone onto the couch with enough force that it bounced off and clattered onto the floor.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "That's one way to handle your problems."

Ines ignored her, her jaw twitched a little. 

"Who is she?" she asked Raphael, not breaking eye contact with the blonde.

Raphael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is Celeste."

Celeste lifted her head.

 "No 'nice to meet you'? No introduction? I'm offended."

Ines folded her arms across her chest. 

"I don't do pleasantries with strangers who look at me like I don't belong."

Celeste let out a soft laugh, the kind that didn't quite reach her eyes. 

"Well, darling, I don't think you don't belong. I'm just… surprised." She glanced at Raphael again. 

"She's wearing white?"

Ines looked down at herself. 

The dress was still clinging to her body, short and fitted.

It was the only thing she had after leaving the wedding. "What's wrong with it?"

Celeste smirked. "Nothing. It's just a little ironic, don't you think?"

"Celeste," Raphael interrupted. "Don't."

Celeste shrugged, but the happiness in her eyes didn't vanish.

 "Fine, fine. I'm just making conversation." Then, she looked back at Ines.

 "You must be uncomfortable. I have some clothes you can borrow. Since, you know, I'm a lady."

The emphasis on 'lady' wasn't lost on Ines.

Before Ines could say something biting, Raphael walked toward a closet and pulled out a shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

 "She can wear mine."

Celeste's lips trembled a little, barely helping her to hide the irritation.

 "How kind of you," she murmured. "But I don't think they'll fit properly. She's a little… too skinny."

Ines clenched her fists, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. 

"I'm fine the way I am." 

'Bitch…'

Celeste smiled sweetly, pretending to be nice again. 

"Of course you are, dear."

Raphael stepped in before Ines could launch herself at the woman. 

"Celeste, why are you here?"

Celeste looked at him, softening her facial muscles slightly. 

"I needed to talk to you." She glanced toward Ines before returning to Raphael. "Alone."

An awkward silence fell between them.

And just like that, the energy shifted to a dragon who needed to be tamed.

Ines took a slow breath, watching as Raphael's jaw tensed.

Something wasn't right.

And she was about to find out what.

"I will stay," Ines demanded. 

"Why? Don't you understand what privacy is?"

"No."

Ines folded her arms, lifting her chin as she stared at the woman who had just walked into Raphael's house like she owned it.

The blonde…gorgeous, sharp-featured, and dressed like she had just stepped out of a high-end fashion magazine returned the favor, eyeing Ines up and down with a smirk that practically looked judgemental.

"Interesting outfit...is white your signature color, or did you just come from a failed wedding?"

Raphael groaned, rubbing his temples. "Celeste, please."

Ines rolled her eyes.

 "I'm sorry. I didn't realise there was a dress code in this house. Should I have shown up in a designer power suit?"

Celeste let out a small chuckle. "Feisty. I like that. You must be that Ines."

Ines fake-gasped, placing a hand on her chest. 

"Wow. You figured that out all by yourself?"

Raphael sighed, cutting in. "Celeste, can you be normal for once?"

Celeste ignored him and turned her attention to Ines. 

"So, you're the mysterious new bride…You're skinnier than I expected. Have you tried eating?"

Ines smiled sweetly. "Have you tried minding your business?"

Raphael exhaled loudly. "Oh, for the love of—"

Celeste put a hand on his arm and leaned in slightly. "Divorce her."

"I'm right here," Ines said dryly.

Celeste turned back to her. 

"If you're staying here, you should wear something more comfortable." Her lips curled slightly. 

"I'd offer you my clothes, but Raphael is right, I doubt they'd fit. You know, given the difference in—"

"Self-importance?" Ines cut in, arching a brow. "Yeah, you're definitely carrying a bit too much of that."

Celeste blinked before letting out an actual laugh. "Oh, I see what he meant now."

Raphael pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did I mean?"

Celeste ignored him and turned back to Ines. 

"Raphael's got a type."

Ines raised a brow. "And what type is that?"

Celeste smirked. "A headache."

Ines gasped dramatically.

 "Wow, you're so observant! I mean, truly, I'm in awe. What else do you see? Do you also predict the weather? Tell fortunes?"

Celeste placed a hand over her chest in fake sincerity.

 "I try my best. And right now, I predict that you're going to be needing a whole new-."

"Celeste! Stop it!" 

"Fine."

Raphael took that as his cue to end their beed before they actually started pulling each other's hair. 

"Ines, I have some clothes you can borrow."

Celeste smirked. "I still think she'd look better in mine."

Ines placed a hand on her hip. "And I still think you should consider stand-up comedy. You're hilarious."

Raphael groaned. "Marrying you was a mistake, Ines…"