CHAPTER SIX

The days after the wedding passed slowly.

Reed barely spoke to me. He was polite when he had to be, but that was it. No jokes, no smiles, no warmth. Just silence.

I tried to act normal at first. I made breakfast once. He didn’t eat it. Just said he wasn’t hungry.

I left music playing in the background to ease the silence. He turned it off.

He wasn’t mean. Just… distant. Cold. I didn’t understand what I had done. I thought we were starting to get along. The pancakes, the small talks. Then, boom; nothing.

Now, he came home late. He took calls in the bedroom with the door locked. He would whisper into the phone and hang up quickly whenever I got close. I tried not to care. I reminded myself it was all fake. Just a contract. A lie to protect my image.

But it still hurt.

One night, I curled up on the couch, scrolling through old photos on my phone. Me and Giovanni. Smiling at the beach. Laughing at some awards show. God, I used to be so happy.

Now, I lived with a stranger who wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

My chest felt tight. I had to talk to someone. I grabbed my phone and texted Michelle.

“Can I come over?” I asked

“Of course. I’m home.”

I threw on jeans and a hoodie. I didn’t care how I looked. I needed to breathe.

Reed was on the balcony, talking on the phone again. He didn’t even look up when I left.

Michelle opened the door as soon as I knocked. One look at my face and she pulled me into a hug.

“Oh, honey… what’s going on?”

I sat on her couch, hugging a pillow to my chest. “He won’t talk to me.”

She frowned. “Reed?”

I nodded. “He’s… distant. Cold. We don’t speak unless we have to. It’s like I don’t even exist in that apartment.”

She sat next to me, her tone gentle. “Maybe he’s just being careful. This whole thing is strange for both of you.”

I looked down at my hands. “It’s more than that. He takes calls all day. Hides in the room, he acts like I’m a burden. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

Michelle leaned back. “Do you trust him?”

I paused. “I don’t know. I want to. But he’s hiding something. I saw a message pop up on his phone; someone asking when he’s coming home.”

“Home?” she echoed.

“Exactly. He told me he was just a waiter. That he needed the money. But none of it adds up, he wears suits that cost more than my rent, he talks like a boss, not an employee.”

Michelle sighed. “Maybe he’s more than he says.”

I looked at her. “Why would he lie?”

She shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t want you to know who he really is. Maybe he’s protecting something.”

I laughed bitterly. “That would be nice if I wasn’t married to him.”

Michelle was quiet for a moment. Then she asked, “Are you okay, Angie? I mean, really okay?”

I blinked back tears. “No. I’m not. I feel… stuck. I thought I was strong enough to handle this. But I’m tired. Tired of pretending, tired of smiling, tired of being hurt.”

She held my hand. “I get it. This isn’t fair. None of it. But you’re not alone.”

I nodded slowly. “I just miss being me. Before all this. Before the lies and the heartbreak. I don’t even recognize myself anymore.”

Michelle hugged me again. “You’ll find her. Just give it time.”

I stayed for a while. We watched a movie. We didn’t talk much. Just being there helped.

When I got back to the apartment, it was quiet. Reed was in the living room, typing something on his laptop. His face was serious, eyes glued to the screen.

He looked up when I entered. “You were out.”

His tone wasn’t rude, but it wasn’t kind either.

“I was with Michelle.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

Silence again.

I walked past him to the kitchen. “Do you want tea?” I asked without thinking.

“No, thanks.”

I sighed. “Reed, can we talk?”

He closed his laptop slowly. “Talk about what?”

“About this. Us. Whatever this is. I’m not asking for a fairytale, I just want… honesty.”

His jaw tightened. He stood up. “It’s better if we just keep things simple, Angie. Stick to the contract.”

I stared at him. “That’s it?”

“Yes.”

He turned and went into the bedroom.

And just like that, the wall was up again. I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the door he just closed. I felt empty.

What was I doing here? Why was I in this fake marriage with a man who clearly didn’t want to be near me? I couldn’t help but ask myself.

I didn’t cry. I was too tired to cry.

Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the low sound of his voice on another call, I pressed a pillow over my ears.

I just wanted peace.

I just wanted my life back.