Delilah’s POVThe heat on my thigh intensified, and my skin was already turning red. I could feel the soup seeping through the fabric of my dress. This was no accident; this was a deliberate act.Calix’s jaw tightened. "Naomi, apologize to Delilah." His voice was dangerously calm, but you could tell he was furious.She hesitated, flicking her gaze to me and then back to her father. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she looked away in defiance."It's… it's fine," I stammered, wincing as another wave of pain washed over my skin. "It's just soup. I should… I should go clean up." The embarrassment was too much. Here I was, the new wife, dripping with soup, and the child of the house was being openly hostile.Without waiting for a reply, I pushed back my chair and practically ran from the dining room. My thigh stung, but the sting of humiliation was far worse. I hurried up the stairs. I knew Calix was angry. I could feel it radiating from him.As I reached the top of the stairs, I hea
Delilah's povThe next day, I barely saw Calix. He was practically a ghost. To keep myself busy, I spent an embarrassing amount of time reading articles and Googling everything I could about him, just trying to learn all I could about the man who was now my husband. Like a teenager with a new crush, I’d scrolled through image galleries and even watched a few relatively dry financial interviews just to hear his voice.I tried to take my mind off of Calix and only ended up thinking about how Julian hadn’t called, not that I’d expected him to. The man was as predictable as the sunrise. His betrayal, however, wasn't something I saw coming, and it still made my heart ache. All those years, all that devotion, poured into a man who clearly didn't love me, all of that made me more pissed at myself than him.The next morning, I decided to go downstairs for breakfast rather than have the maids bring it up for me. I heard a voice from the main living room as I descended the stairs. My head snapp
Delilah's povThe hotel room felt like a suffocating cage. I couldn't believe I had agreed to be Calix Knight's temporary wife.I was questioning my sanity when a knock echoed from the entrance. I got up from the mattress and walked to the door. Barefoot and dressed in a hoodie that had seen better days, I opened the door of the hotel room.Two sharp-dressed professionals—one man and one woman — stood at the door, looking like they'd just walked off a courtroom. Their suits were perfectly ironed, and their briefcases looked like they cost an arm and a leg.The tall woman in front had her hair pulled back so tightly that it looked like it hurt. She offered me a polite but cold smile."Miss Delilah," she said, extending a hand. "I’m Mr Knight's lawyer. I’ll be walking you through the contract."My stomach churned. This was it. The next step into this new reality."Right," I said, stepping aside to let them in. "Come on in. I hope you don't mind the heat. The A/C is broken, and no one ha
Delilah's pov“Marry me.”I froze. The air in the sitting room was suddenly replaced with a weird energy. The words seemed so out of place, echoing in the space between us."Marry me," Calix repeated, calmly like he was asking what my favorite food was.My first thought was that I’d misheard him, that the stress of the past few days was finally catching up to me. A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Then, it became a nervous, almost hysterical giggle, unlike my usual laugh, and it felt completely foreign to my ears.“Mr. Knight,” I finally said with a disbelieving smile playing on my face. “That’s… that’s a good joke. Are you trying to lighten the mood? Because honestly, it’s working.” I waited, a knot of nervousness tightening in my stomach. I expected him to smirk or chuckle and say it was a joke.But Calix Knight didn't laugh. His hazel eyes were fixed on me, unblinking. His expression was serious. He didn’t blink. I didn’t flinch."I'm not."I blinked. Twice. My voice came o
Delilah's POV I stared at the ceiling for hours before sleep came, restless and hollow.Just before dawn, my phone buzzed. I jolted upright, my heart racing. It was from the person I'd called earlier, inviting me for an interview the next day at 12 PM. My eyes widened in shock, and I let out a triumphant scream. I couldn't believe it. I was being called for an interview This was my chance.I jumped out of bed and did a little dance, feeling a rush of excitement. It was the first time I had smiled since I found my husband cheating. This was truly wonderful news and I was going to do my best to impress them.By mid-morning, I’d thrown on my best thrifted blouse and skirt combo, hair freshly brushed, lipstick swiped on with shaky fingers. I caught a cab to the interview location.I soon got to the building and as expected, it was a large building. I got out of the cab and paid the man before heading to the lobby. I briefly explained why I was there to the receptionist who nodded and dir
Delilah’s POVI waited for the passengers in front of me to gather their things and shuffle down the narrow aisle before I stood, grabbing my carry-on bag with hands that trembled more than I wanted to admit. I walked out of the plane and into the airport, my eyes scanning the crowd, overwhelmed by the sea of strangers. I stepped aside, pressing myself against a wall just to get out of the way. I took a shaky breath and tried to calm the rising storm inside me."Okay," I whispered to myself. "One thing at a time. Just get through today."I walked toward the exit, my heart pounding. I didn’t even know where I was going to sleep tonight. I’d searched for cheap hotels before I left, but I hadn’t booked anything. I didn’t want to make it real back then. But it was real now. Very real.A poster caught my eye when I passed a wall of bulletin boards near the arrivals gate. It was bright gold, glossy, and impossible to miss. A picture of a beautifully plated dish—a tower of food too pretty t