Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I was in the living room relaxing when he walked in. Seeing him suddenly made me realize that I had just entrusted my life to a complete stranger.

He walked past me, visibly exhausted from his day.

“You’re back,” I said to him with a warm smile.

“Thanks,” he replied.

I handed him his black card, since I wouldn’t need it anymore.

“You can keep it, Diana,” he said.

“I don’t want you to lack anything while you stay here… use it to buy everything you need,” he insisted as he handed it back to me.

He said nothing more. He went upstairs to take a shower, then came back down for dinner in silence, leaving me completely bewildered.

I clearly remembered that just a few days earlier, I was still juggling two jobs to try to survive despite my shattered life, and now I was holding a card that would allow me to afford almost everything I could dream of.

It all felt like a dream that I would eventually wake up from.

The next day, I woke up early and started sorting through my belongings, throwing away everything I knew I no longer needed.

I had taken time off from work while I was preparing for my wedding with David, so I didn’t have to go back.

Even though we hadn’t planned a honeymoon, unlike what I had always imagined after getting married, I still decided to make the most of the time I had.

I sorted through my belongings and got rid of everything I would no longer need, especially the things my ex, David, had given me. I wanted to erase every memory of him from my mind, and I truly wanted to.

Once I finished sorting, I went downstairs to get a garbage bag to throw away all those things that reminded me of my ex-boyfriend.

I came across one of the maids in the kitchen.

“Could I have a garbage bag?” I asked, placing the belongings on the floor.

She picked them up and walked away.

I turned around and jumped when I saw Lucas right behind me.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” I said, placing a hand on my chest, still trying to catch my breath.

“You were busy,” he replied, his gaze briefly settling on the pile of belongings the maid had just taken away.

“It’s nothing important,” I quickly added.

He didn’t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed for a moment on the place where the maid had gone with the belongings.

“Good.”

I frowned slightly.

“Good?”

“If they’re things you no longer need, then it’s better for them to disappear,” he simply stated.

I nodded, not really understanding why his words seemed to carry more weight than they should have.

He walked past me, opened the refrigerator, and took out a bottle of water.

I watched him for a moment.

“You’re not going to work today?”

“Yes, later,” he replied briefly.

I hesitated before speaking again.

“About… the conditions you mentioned yesterday.”

That immediately caught his attention.

He placed the bottle on the counter and turned completely toward me.

“We’ll talk about them tonight.”

“Tonight?” I repeated.

“Yes.”

My stomach tightened slightly.

“Okay.”

A brief silence settled between us.

“I meant what I said,” he added. “About the card.”

“I know,” I replied softly. “But I’m not used to… all of this.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he replied calmly.

I wasn’t sure those words were really reassuring.

He picked up his keys and left.

I remained there for a moment, staring blankly into space.

Everything still seemed unreal to me.

He came back that evening.

Night fell faster than I had imagined.

When I entered the bedroom, Lucas was already there, sitting on the couch with a file in his hands.

He looked up at me.

“Sit down,” he ordered.

I approached and sat down across from him, my fingers nervously intertwining.

He closed the file and placed it on the table.

“Let’s make one thing clear, Diana,” he began. “This marriage is an agreement.”

I swallowed but nodded. Obviously, I didn’t need to be a fortune teller to understand that.

How could I expect to have a chance with someone like him?

“You will stay here as my wife. In public, you will play your role. Not a single mistake.”

“Okay,” I replied, already looking for the best way to handle this situation.

“In private, each of us will be free to live our lives as we see fit.”

That sentence stung slightly, but I still nodded.

“You will accompany me to events when necessary. Dress appropriately and speak only when the situation requires it.”

“I understand.”

He watched me for a few seconds, as if trying to read my thoughts.

“In return,” he continued, “everything you need will be provided. You will lack nothing.”

“I don’t want problems from the past to come back and ruin everything,” he added.

David’s face crossed my mind, but I immediately pushed it away.

“That won’t happen,” I firmly stated.

Everything that had happened between David and me was definitely over.

“Good,” he said, nodding once, as if the conversation was going exactly as he had planned.

“Get some rest,” he said, standing up. “We start tomorrow.”

“Start what?” I asked.

He glanced at me over his shoulder.

“Becoming a true Mrs. Bernard.”

I wondered what exactly being a true Mrs. Bernard meant.

In my entire life, I had never been exposed to such a world.

I had spent years worrying about bills, working tirelessly just to survive.

And now, I was supposed to enter a world where appearances and social codes mattered more than anything.

Would I be able to survive what was to come?