Chapter 0005

•ANEIRA•

“This dress will look good on you, Narra. Rafael would be happy to see you in it, trust me.”

Sandra laid several dresses on the bed, smoothing the fabric with careful hands as if my opinion truly mattered.

“Whichever one you choose will be fine,” I answered, forcing a faint smile that barely hid how little I cared about pleasing Rafael.

She studied my face and sighed, then stepped closer and took my hands in hers. “I know this is hard for you, but Rafael is your husband now. To survive in this house, you must accept your new life. That is the only way you might win his heart.”

I gently pulled my hands away and took a step back. “Which dress am I wearing?”

She handed me a blue mermaid gown and helped me with my hair once I was dressed. When she was finally done preparing me for Rafael’s business conference, a knock came at the door.

Sandra hurried to open it, bowed when she saw Rafael, and stepped aside to let him into the room.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. If only someone would drive a knife through my heart so I wouldn't have to attend the conference with him.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“The car is waiting. We need to leave now.” He extended his hand toward me. I stared at it for a long moment before finally taking it, a groan slipping past my lips.

“Your sister threatened to kill me,” I said quietly as we walked outside. “Are you going to pretend she didn’t tell me to raise your parents from the dead or join them?”

Rafael stopped in the driveway and turned to face me. His expression was cold and warning. “This conference is important to me, and I will not let you ruin it. If you want to avoid trouble with Polly and me, you will behave and stop irritating me. Do you understand?”

I swallowed hard and got into the car without another word.

***

I followed Rafael's instructions when we got to the conference.

I smiled, greeted his business associates, and played the role of a devoted wife who had come to support her husband.

He never let go of my hand, keeping me close the entire time. The only moment I was allowed alone was when I asked to use the bathroom.

When I stepped out, he was already waiting. “Are you done?” he asked impatiently.

“Yes,” I replied after washing my hands.

He looked as though he had been waiting for hours when it had only been moments. He took my hand, and we returned to the venue.

By the time the event ended, my feet were swollen and aching.

When we got home, we found Polly in the living room, her arms folded across her chest.

“What is she still doing here?” she snarled when she saw me. “I thought you sent her away, Rafael.”

“Hi, Polly,” I murmured. My goodness, she couldn't stand me, but she didn't want to tell me why she hated me so much.

“I wasn’t talking to you, rat,” she snapped, and I turned away, fighting back tears.

“She’s here because I’m not done with her yet,” Rafael replied. “What’s your problem?”

Polly rolled her eyes and went into the dining room. We followed her and found several guests already seated, cheering when they saw Rafael.

They congratulated him warmly, then shot me looks filled with open disgust.

“Get us food, Narra,” Polly said loudly. “You’ve played the role of my brother’s companion long enough. Now you can serve us.”

Rafael said nothing.

I went to the kitchen and began carrying plates and drinks back and forth. My swollen feet throbbed with every step, but the requests never stopped.

On one trip back, I tripped over the long veil of my dress. The glasses and bottle of wine slipped from my hands, crashing to the floor and shattering around me.

Pain exploded through my ankle, and I cried out as I collapsed. Before I could process what happened, a sharp slap burned across my face.

“You fool!” Polly shouted. “How can someone be so clumsy and blind at the same time? Get up and clean this mess right now, or I will make you pick up the glass with your bare hands.”

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed, trying to stand. My ankle refused to move, and when she saw my hesitation, she slapped me again. I fell back onto the floor, crying.

“Polly, that’s enough,” Rafael said as he rushed to my side. “Why did you hit her again?”

“Have you forgotten what her father did to our parents?” Polly snapped. “She is a constant reminder of their suffering. I will not pretend that her father didn’t make us orphans.”

Confusion washed over me as I stared at her. My father owed Rafael fifty-one million, and the marriage was meant to cancel his debt. That was all I knew.

“I told you I had everything under control,” Rafael answered, frowning. Their guests quietly excused themselves and left the room.

“You married the murderer’s daughter for revenge while you are keeping him alive in the hospital,” Polly shouted. “You are doing nothing, brother. Or do you want me to do what you've failed to do from the beginning?"

She glared at me before storming out.

“Please,” I cried, crawling toward Rafael and kneeling before him. “Don’t let her hurt my father. I’ll do anything. He’s all I have.”

Rafael looked down at me, his face unreadable, then walked past me without a word.

I screamed, the sound tearing from my chest as fear consumed me. Everything finally made sense. This marriage had never been about debt. It was about revenge, and I was paying for my father’s sins.

As Polly’s gaze burned into me earlier, I had seen it clearly. If Rafael didn't avenge his parents by killing me, she would.

I was already as good as dead.