1 - THREE YEARS LATER

THREE YEARS LATER

MORGANA FOSTER

That morning, everything seemed quiet when I arrived at the mansion. After two years, I returned, feeling a shiver run through my body as I stared at the massive door.

I took a deep breath a few times before pushing the handle, wondering if this was really a good decision. I inherited this house from Grandpa Burke when I married his grandson in that crazy contract, but I didn’t want to stay here. Since I was living at college and kept minimal contact with my paper husband, I never felt the urge to live within these white walls.

I wore my ring only at family gatherings and parties where I had to accompany him to maintain the appearance of a happy and stable couple.

I never considered the possibility of living with him, and he never sought me out for that either. We even tried to make the fake marriage seem real in the first year so that his family would leave him alone, which was when I stayed in the downtown apartment for the first few months. It didn’t work out.

Our marriage was only nominal. We had talked and agreed that we would live our lives normally, away from this contract. It was an enormous mistake. I fell in love with him.

He had his girlfriend, Elena. The woman he loved was her, but his family didn’t want her around, and I never really understood why.

From what I gathered in the little time we spent together, Elena was the love of his life. The famous model, Elena Kyle. Blonde, tall, slim, and delicate. A fine and elegant face.

That woman was my husband’s true love, not me. And that kept me from creating expectations, but not enough to stop me from falling in love and being completely at the mercy of his scraps of affection.

I knew he didn’t love me. He always treated me coldly, forced to be with me when he always wanted to marry Elena. I had met her a few times, but we never spoke directly.

She was always by Ryan’s side when we had to meet, exchanging unnecessary affections in front of me, like a dog marking its territory. Yes, that’s the right term.

The only times I didn’t have that displeasure were during visits to Grandpa Burke. I was always grateful for that, as my paper husband didn’t care much about how I felt about it. His mere presence made me uneasy, anxious.

But my paper husband always made sure to stay as far away from me as possible.

I preferred it that way.

I didn’t want to be hurt by seeing my husband with another woman. I know, it was just a contract.

After three years of being married to the eccentric Mr. Ryan Burke, this would be the first time I’d see him after finishing college and having to leave the campus. Two long years of making excuses not to see him. Starting my internship at a hospital helped a lot with that.

An unexpected shift, a college exam. Always avoiding him as much as I could. Those first few months here were enough. I loved him. And seeing him with Elena, even though I knew he wouldn’t be mine, hurt.

I avoided him like the plague. Although this marriage was initiated by a contract to save my father’s life, he didn't survive the chemotherapy and had passed away a few months ago. So now, I should come back to end this. Dissolve this marriage. And move on.

I sat on the white couch in the living room, tossing the keys onto the coffee table. The house was immaculate, probably cleaned regularly. It was truly enormous, decorated with luxury and elegance.

I picked up my phone to check the time and saw an email from my husband.

From: Ryan J. Burke II

Date: February 10, 2017 10:00 AM

To: Morgana M. Foster

Subject: Divorce

We need to discuss the divorce. When will you be available? Please get back to me as soon as possible.

Attached are the documents listed and reviewed by my lawyer.

Sincerely,

Ryan J. Burke II

CEO, JBR ENTERPRISES LTD.

A pang burned in my chest. Even though I was expecting this, a bit of hope still lingered in my heart. That, like me, he might have developed some affection for me. I knew it was pathetic.

Considering that Ryan never showed any signs of this, well, it hurt a lot. A faint hope that coming here, he might change his mind about ending this contract. Since my father was no longer with us, the hospital debt was settled, and the mourning period had passed.

But was this all I would get? An email asking for a divorce? After years of enduring his humiliations, he lived it up with Elena without caring how humiliating it was for me, even when I loved him.

He could end the contract and move on since my husband never touched me and never actually consummated this marriage.

As I thought, he was just waiting for the mourning period to pass before doing it.

Two months after my father passed, he finally did it. The divorce came. That hope that lingered was just an illusion.

I fell so in love with him at the beginning of all this. I really thought I could win him over.

And those first few months were just a futile attempt. Tears filled my eyes as I processed the coldness of that email. All the illusions I had built around the possibility of a change of heart crumbled in that instant. I knew our marriage was just an arrangement, but the part of me that longed for something more, for a real connection, was still alive.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. It was time to face reality and move on. I picked up my phone and started drafting a response to the email.

---

From:  Morgana M. Foster  

Date: February 10, 2017, 10:15 AM  

To:  Ryan J. Burke II  

Subject: Re: Divorce

Mr. Burke,

I received your email. I am available to discuss the divorce. We can schedule a time that is convenient for both of us.

Sincerely,  

Morgana M. Foster

---

Sent. I looked around the room, trying to absorb every detail as if it were the last time I would be there.

“What a fool I was, huh!” I said to the walls, staring at my reflection in the gilded mirror across from the sofa. “To think he would actually love me.”

Sighing deeply, I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I was very tired.

Of all of this.