Chapter 2

Claire~

"...I will take care of you..."

Those five words echo through my head like a curse.

They are not new.

They are the exact same words he whispered against my lips last night before kissing me.

My fingers go cold.

The shattered champagne glass glitters across the marble floor while the room falls into stunned silence.

Several guests gawk. Probably wondering what's wrong with me.

A waiter hurries forward. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Westhall."

"I..." My lips part, but no words come out.

Arthur merely watch me with that infuriatingly amused smile, as though he alone understands why I've nearly collapsed.

"Claire?" Robert's voice is filled with concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I..." Before I can answer, my vision blurs.

No. I can't let Arthur say anything. If he mentions last night...If Robert finds out...my father's company... Lily's treatment...

I shake my head. I can't allow anything to ruin the chance for my family.

"I think..." I force my breathing to become uneven. "...I'm feeling dizzy."

Robert's expression immediately darkens. "You don't look well."

"I... I'm sorry..." I whisper.

The room tilts—not because I truly feel faint, but because I desperately need an escape.

I allow my knees to weaken. And the last thing I hear before everything fades into darkness is Robert shouting my name.

"Claire!"

•••

When I open my eyes again, I'm lying inside the limousine.

The leather seats smells expensive. Robert sits beside me, one hand gently supporting me while my head rests on his shoulder.

"You're awake." His voice is softer than I expected.

"What..." I whisper. "What happened to me?"

Of course I know. I have to play it to perfection.

"You fainted."

"Oh..."

"You've been under enormous stress." He sighs. "I shouldn't have insisted you stay through the reception."

Guilt twist inside me. He believed I was genuinely sick.

"I've informed the guests that my wife isn't feeling well." He gives me a reassuring smile. "The celebration can continue without us."

I lower my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for."

He pats my thigh and I stiffen. Perhaps, he noticed because the rest of the journey pass in silence and no contact.

Outside the tinted windows, the city lights slowly disappear until the enormous iron gates of Westhall Estate comes into view.

My new home.

My breath catches as the gates open automatically.

The mansion isn't small. It's practically a palace. Water fountains dance beneath golden lights. Perfectly trimmed gardens stretch farther than my eyes can follow. Luxury cars line the circular driveway.

And servants stand in two neat rows outside the entrance. As soon as the limousine stop, they bow in perfect unison.

"Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Westhall."

The title hit me harder than the marble floor ever can.

Mrs. Westhall.

That's me now.

A title millions of women worldwide, both old and young coveted. Now it's mine but I feel no joy. But whether I like it or not, it's mine now.

Inside, the mansion is even grander. Crystal chandeliers hangs from impossibly high ceilings. Paintings worth millions decorates the walls.

Everything scream wealth. Everything except warmth.

The house is beautiful...and terribly lonely.

Robert dismiss the servants before leading me upstairs himself.

"I know today has been exhausting," he say gently.

And I nod.

He stops outside an enormous bedroom. "This will be yours."

Mine. Not ours. Mine.

A tiny wave of relief wash over me.

Once inside, he close the door behind him. My heartbeat immediately accelerate.

Is this it? Would he finally talk about consummating the marriage, even as 'I'm sick'?

Would he ask why I kept looking around during the wedding? Or maybe would he ask why I dropped the glass while Arthur was speaking?

Every terrible possibility rush into my mind at once. If he asks, I can't answer any of them without exposing myself.

Robert turns toward me. "Claire..."

My pulse thunders.

"I think it's important that we—"

That's it...

I don't wait to hear the rest of his words. My eyes roll back again and I collapse.

...

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight stream through the curtains. A middle-aged woman in a maid's uniform notice I'm awake.

"Oh, thank goodness." She hurries over. "Madam, how are you feeling?"

"...Better."

"The doctor said you suffered from exhaustion and emotional stress."

Exactly what I have hoped everyone would believe. Relief settles inside me as she helps me sit up.

"Mr. Westhall instructed us not to disturb you. He said your health comes first."

I blink.

He really believes it.

For the first time since the preparation of this wedding till now, I allow myself to breathe.

...

One day becomes two. Two becomes three.

The mansion remains strangely quiet. Robert left early every morning and returned late at night.

When he comes home, he only asks after my health. Whether I need anything. If I've eaten, before disappearing into his study.

He doesn't mention our wedding night. Never mentions sharing a room. Never even hints at consummating the marriage.

Arthur, on the other hand...Never came home. Every passing day ease the knot in my chest.

Maybe he lived somewhere else. Maybe I'll never see him again.

Maybe...

On the fourth afternoon, I sit alone on the balcony outside my room, staring across the endless gardens with a glass of sparkling wine untouched beside me.

The silence has become unbearable. No Lily to chase Jack around the house because it threw food on her bed. No stepmother filling the air around the house with her mouth-watering delicacies. No dad returning home with bags of gifts for his wife and daughters.

They haven't called me since. And that's because I turned my phone off since four days.

I pick the phone up and turn it on. Instantly, it vibrates with endless missed calls, notifications, and whatnots. With a sigh, I clear the window.

But just before I can dial my mother, a new message appears on the screen and my world freezes.