A New Beginning

“Tess, go and get Claire some clothes.”

James Tennant, my husband, sat shirtless on the bed, lighting a cigarette as he ordered me around.

Clothes were scattered all over the floor, evidence of what had happened the night before. I stood still, not moving, and simply glanced at him.

Wrapped in a blanket, Claire Fisher beamed at me. “Mr. Tennant, isn’t this a little inappropriate? After all, she’s Mrs. Tennant.”

She said “Mrs. Tennant” so casually, without a shred of guilt. Instead, her tone carried nothing but pride and provocation.

The blanket slipped down her shoulder as she moved, revealing skin covered in red marks.

“Besides, I doubt Mrs. Tennant has anything in her closet that would fit me.”

With that, Claire deliberately pressed her upper body against James’s arm, giggling. “She’s nothing like me. Ha!”

Expressionless, I turned and walked toward the door.

“Tess! I was talking to you!” His voice came from behind, laced with irritation.

I paused for a second but didn’t look back. “If she wants clothes, she can get them herself. I have things to do.”

For seven years, I had rarely gone against him. Whether he ordered me openly or hinted indirectly, I almost never refused. Today was the first time I broke that unspoken rule.

“What did you just say?” James’s voice sharpened, unused to my coldness.

Anger crept into his tone. “You have things to do? What things? You stay home all day. You don’t work or earn a dime! Don’t forget, if it weren’t for me marrying you, do you really think you’d be living such a comfortable life?”

He was right. Without marrying him, I wouldn’t be living as a wealthy wife. However, he also forgot that this wasn’t the life I ever wanted.

Back then, I had just graduated from college. The director of the orphanage that raised me told me that the land was being taken by the government and that it would soon be torn down. If we couldn’t find a sponsor, the younger children would be left homeless.

That was when James appeared, and he gave me an offer: marry him, and he would fund the orphanage.

I hesitated. After all, he and I came from completely different worlds.

However, he saw my hesitation and added, in a tone that left no room for refusal, “We’ll set a limit of seven years. After that, you’re free to go and live however you want.”

So, after marrying him, I never asked for any additional affection. And sure enough, not long after, I realized he had chosen me only because I resembled the woman he could never forget—his first love.

Just then, Claire walked out of the dressing room in a white dress, her long hair flowing down her back.

I froze. At that moment, she looked so much like her. It seemed she had done her homework; she came prepared.

James’s eyes stopped on her instantly. Maybe because of that familiar silhouette she resembled, he didn’t act as cold and dismissive as usual. For once, he paused.

Then, after a moment, he spoke slowly, his tone strangely serious. “You look good. From now on, dress like this.”

Claire’s smile bloomed even brighter. “Really? If that’s the case, Mr. Tennant, you’d better take me shopping later for a few more dresses like this.”