MasukDubai shimmered beneath them like a kingdom carved from gold. As the plane descended, Evelyn pressed her palm against the window, staring at the glittering coastline, the endless sand dunes, and the towering buildings that looked like they pierced the sky. It was beautiful—breathtaking even—but she felt nothing like a bride on her honeymoon. She felt… misplaced. Like a misplaced ornament in someone else’s palace.Lucas hadn’t spoken to her since tossing his wedding ring aside on the flight. The ring still lay on the cabin table between them, catching the overhead lights just enough to mock her.When the wheels touched down on the tarmac, Lucas finally stood, stretching lazily as if the last twenty hours hadn’t included a rude dismissal of their vows. He grabbed his jacket and watch, not the ring.He didn’t even glance at it.“Let’s go,” he said, voice clipped.Evelyn swallowed any leftover hope that their honeymoon mi
Evelyn woke to the soft glow of morning light pressing through the curtains, momentarily forgetting where she was or what her life had become overnight. Her wedding veil was still hanging on the chair beside the bed, draped over its back like a quiet reminder of a reality she could not escape. Her body felt heavy, her mind even heavier.Her new husband had not come home.The bed beside her was untouched, perfectly made, the pillow cold and pristine. It wasn’t as though she had expected Lucas to hold her all night, whispering reassurances in her ear. Yet a small, bruised part of her had thought—hoped—he might at least return before dawn. But Lucas Kent was a man of choices, and he had chosen a brothel over his bride.That fact sat deep in her chest like a stone.By the time she showered, dressed, and walked downstairs, she found Erickson already waiting to drive her and Lucas to the airport. Lucas stood near the car, perfe
The weather was perfect, cloudy and humid, just right for an outdoor wedding. It was true that only her immediate family was invited, and although she missed her best friend, Ella, she was partially glad that none of their classmates were present. She had been the brightest in class back then and the student with the highest potential of continuing her education. However, she sat in a wedding chamber, fanning herself nervously though she was not feeling hot. The ivory ribbed dress was fitted to her like a second skin, and the diamond teardrops on her ears were worth a fortune. Any woman would be happy, knowing the luxurious life that awaited her, any woman but not Mrs. Evelyn Johnson–Kent.Lucas sat beside her, his fake smile gone from his lips and an indifferent mask on his face. He was a better actor than she could attempt and he had to subtly pinch her rather elbow to remind her to smile whenever a camera passed by. She was sick of the pretense and her cheeks hurt from smiling all
"Why didn’t you tell me, Dad? It’s not fair! This is my life you toyed with, my future and you sold me without my knowledge.”Evelyn paced the wooden floor of the dining table, unable to sit down any longer. Usually, she was the cool-headed and reasonable one, but the situation at hand called for violence. She had waited till after dinner, barely managing to chew her dinner to discuss the disturbing topic with her parents. She was angry and her soul wanted retribution for the wrongs done against her. Josh, her younger brother, watched them curiously, eating his dinner in silence. Samuel held his head down in shame and her mom patted his back, sharing in his pain.“Josh, would you mind finishing your dinner upstairs in your room?” Helene requested in a suggestive voice. The young man frowned, letting his spoon drop noisily into his plate. He had thought they would not notice his presence in the midst of the argument. It was not every day one saw Evelyn lose her temper.“But why? You gu
On her way home, Evelyn reminisced about the events that had taken place in Mr Kent’s office. Prior to entering his office, the notion of marriage had never crossed her mind. Many young women would jump at the idea of being a billionaire’s wife but Evelyn was old-fashioned when it came to issues of the heart. She believed that a marriage was to be built on love, not on material fantasies. Yet, she had just sold herself to save her family from ruin. It was a sacrifice she could not term selfless because she was totally against it. She was not interested in the trinkets he would give her because the jewelry would not compare to the love he could not give her.“Tell Samuel that the deal is done. You can take a copy of the agreement to him as evidence. His presence is required so that we can discuss the marriage date as soon as possible. Everyone will think that it is an arranged marriage so you have to pretend like we are in love. I believe you should be good at that judging from the act
Lucas was taken aback by her question. She looked genuinely surprised, as if she was hearing the topic for the first time. He had assumed Samuel had discussed the whole thing with his daughter. Personally, he was not too happy about getting shackled into marriage with an ill-looked Johnson young lady after two failed marriages. Evelyn Johnson reminded him of one of the orphans in a charity home he had recently donated a huge sum of money to. She looked distasteful and lacked simple fashion sense. He still bore the scars of divorce that proved all women were the same. Once they perceived a man was wealthy, they did everything humanly possible to burrow their way into his life, and once they got what they wanted, they were gone. At least he had enough experience to criticize them.His first marriage had been to Janice Bridge, an English model thirteen years his junior. He had been young and foolish back then to fall for her wiles and charming words. Eventually, she had trapped him into







