A WIFE IN NAME ONLY

The first morning of my marriage began without my husband.

When I entered the dining room at half past seven, Damien’s seat was empty. Mr. Collins was standing near the table, supervising the staff as they arranged breakfast.

“Good morning, Mrs. Blackwood,” he greeted me.

“Good morning, Mr. Collins. Has Damien already left?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Blackwood left for his office shortly after six. He had an early meeting scheduled.”

I pulled out a chair.

“Does he always leave this early?”

“Most days, Mrs. Blackwood. His schedule is usually quite demanding.”

I nodded and began eating.

It appeared that my husband was married to his company long before he agreed to marry me. Considering how little interest he had shown in our relationship, I suspected that would remain the case for a while.

After breakfast, I returned to my bedroom and checked my phone.

There were several messages from my father, most of them concerning the marriage arrangements and his expectations for my behaviour as a member of the Blackwood family.

I ignored them and opened another conversation.

Sophia had sent a message.

Sophia: I heard your marriage is official now. Congratulations, Isabella. I hope everything works out for you.

I stared at the message before typing my response.

Me: Thank you. I hope yours works out too.

I placed my phone on the bedside table.

Sophia could keep her false concern. I had more important things to worry about than whatever she and Alexander were doing.

I opened my banking application and examined my available balance. Although Isabella Sinclair came from a wealthy family, much of her financial comfort had depended on her father’s willingness to provide for her.

That was something I needed to change.

I wanted my own source of income, an account that nobody could control and enough financial security to make decisions without seeking permission from my family.

I spent the next hour reviewing possible business opportunities and updating my personal records. It was not much of a beginning, but I needed to start somewhere.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called.

Mr. Collins entered, holding a cream-coloured envelope.

“This arrived for you, Mrs. Blackwood. It is an invitation from the Blackwood family.”

I accepted it and opened the envelope.

Inside was an invitation to a family gathering scheduled for the following afternoon at the Blackwood family’s main residence.

I read through the details before looking up.

“Is this gathering compulsory?”

Mr. Collins gave a polite smile.

“Family gatherings are considered important occasions, especially when a new member has recently joined the family. Mr. Blackwood has also requested that you accompany him.”

I placed the invitation on the table.

“Does his family know much about me?”

“Some of them do, although I cannot speak for everyone.”

His carefully chosen response made me curious.

“Are they unhappy about the marriage?”

Mr. Collins hesitated briefly.

“Not everyone will have the same opinion, Mrs. Blackwood. However, I believe you should allow yourself the opportunity to meet them before forming any conclusions.”

I looked down at the invitation again.

It seemed my peaceful introduction to married life was going to be shorter than expected.

“Thank you, Mr. Collins. I’ll be ready.”

He bowed slightly before leaving.

Meanwhile, at Blackwood International, Damien was reviewing several documents in his office when Daniel entered.

“Sir, the preliminary report on Mrs. Blackwood is ready.”

Damien closed the document in front of him.

“Have you found anything useful?”

Daniel placed the folder on his desk.

“Her relationship with Alexander Sterling appears to have been serious. Several people confirmed that she was deeply attached to him. However, her decision to end the engagement and accept your proposal happened unusually quickly.”

Damien opened the folder.

“Did you investigate the Sinclair family’s financial situation?”

“Yes, sir. Their company has been experiencing difficulties, and the marriage arrangement would provide them with considerable financial support.”

Damien examined the documents for a few moments.

“So her father had something to gain from this marriage.”

“That appears to be the case.”

“And Isabella?”

Daniel paused.

“She has not made any unusual financial demands. In fact, she appears to be reviewing her personal finances and looking into ways of becoming financially independent.”

Damien looked up.

“Interesting.”

“Would you like me to investigate further?”

“Continue. I want to know whether she agreed to this marriage simply because her father instructed her to or whether she has a reason of her own.”

Daniel nodded.

“There is something else, sir. Your uncle Robert has requested a meeting with two members of the board. He claims it concerns the company’s long-term management structure.”

Damien’s expression hardened.

“Did he explain why he needed to discuss that without me?”

“No, sir.”

Damien closed the folder.

“Find out who else will be attending. I don’t want to be surprised by anything at tomorrow’s family gathering.”

“Understood.”

Daniel left the office, and Damien turned towards the windows.

His relatives had become increasingly interested in his position since his accident. They were patient enough to wait for an opportunity, but he had no intention of making things easy for them.

Back at the estate, I was standing before my wardrobe when my phone began ringing.

The caller’s name made me frown.

Alexander Sterling.

I considered ignoring the call, but curiosity eventually got the better of me.

“What do you want, Alexander?”

There was a brief silence before he responded.

“Isabella, we need to talk.”

I leaned against the wardrobe.

“About what?”

“About your marriage. I heard you married Damien Blackwood.”

“You seem to have received the news rather quickly.”

“I’m surprised you made such a decision without even discussing things with me.”

I almost laughed.

“Discuss what, exactly? You had already made your decision when you abandoned me.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Alexander? Did you expect me to wait for you while you started a life with Sophia?”

He exhaled sharply.

“You’re making this unnecessarily difficult.”

“No, Alexander. I’m simply refusing to make it easy for you anymore.”

I ended the call before he could respond.

For a moment, I stared at the phone, wondering why he suddenly seemed interested in a marriage he had no right to question.

Whatever his reason was, I had no intention of entertaining it.

I returned my attention to the invitation on the table.

Tomorrow, I would meet Damien’s family properly. I knew very little about them, but something told me the gathering would not be particularly welcoming.

I was about to put my phone away when a message from an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.

Unknown Number: Mrs. Blackwood, if you value your new husband’s safety, pay close attention to what happens at tomorrow’s family gathering.

I read the message twice.

Before I could reply, another notification appeared.

Unknown Number: Not everyone sitting at that table wants Damien Blackwood to survive.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

I looked towards the bedroom door, suddenly aware that I might have married into a family whose secrets were far more dangerous than I had imagined.