It had been four nights since the wedding.
Four mornings of waking up in silk sheets, wrapped in expensive comfort, yet still carrying a weight I couldn't name.
Ruben had been sweet. Gentle. Patient.
But none of it erased how it started.
He came into the room that evening barefoot, in a black shirt and loose joggers, holding two glasses of wine.
He handed me a glass.
“You’ve been quiet,” he said softly, brushing his knuckles across my cheek. “Too quiet.”
I took the wine but didn’t drink it.
He waited.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, setting the glass on the nightstand before I looked up at him.
“I need to say something.”
He frowned slightly. “Okay…”
My fingers twisted in my lap. My voice, when it came out, didn’t shake but it didn’t rise either.
“You forced me into this, Ruben.”
His entire posture stiffened, but I didn’t stop.
“You blackmailed me,” I continued, my voice quiet but laced with all the fire I had swallowed for weeks. “You left me with no choice. You knew I loved you ba
