“Shall we?” Nathaniel stretches his hand, and I place mine on his. We walk into the garden and are greeted by a hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses. About sixty guests turn their attention to us, their faces a blur of polite smiles and curious glances. My heart pounds—a drumbeat of anxiety that Nathaniel must feel through our clasped hands. His grip tightens reassuringly, an attempt to bridge the tension that has grown between us.Our days have been filled with anger on my part and frustration on his. We have barely talked or looked each other in the eye since our fight. The fact is, this engagement is nothing but a farce to solidify our contract.I scan the crowd, searching for a familiar face, knowing very well that I won't find one apart from the staff. Loneliness creeps in. How is anyone supposed to believe that this is real if I have no one to share what should be one of the happiest days of my life with? I force a smile, determined to play my role perfectly as agreed
All the drama has drained me, and my secret bundle of joy has not been making my night easy either. I excuse myself from Nathaniel, telling him I need a minute. He doesn’t seem to mind. He hasn’t been mentally present since Andrew. I sneak back into the house, making my way to our upstairs bedroom bathroom. Nausea grips me. Hiding my pregnancy from everyone will clearly be a challenge.After I finish vomiting, I walk to the mirror to clean myself up. I look at my reflection, wondering what I am doing and if this contract is worth it. I do not recognize myself any more. I have lost touch with the person I was just a few weeks ago. My life was on track. I was in love. I had friends. Now here I am in a rich man's bathroom, about to marry him and have his child, even though I barely know him. Its laughable.Why is Andrew even here, and why did he bring Becca? I wish that, for just a day, I could have some sort of peace. I splash some water on my face, trying to steady my nerves, but every
The music was still loud and throbbing through the floorboards. Laughter and shouts are floating up, mingling with the clinking of glasses. Liza is doing a good job, making sure no one knows what just happened. Yet in the chaos, I feel cocooned in a strange calm, still wrapped in Nathaniel's arms. I have stopped crying; the tears are now dry on my cheeks, but my heart is still racing as the fear is part of me.Nathaniel's grip is tight around me, and his breath is warm against my ear. He has not stopped trying to promise to keep me safe. His murmurs are soft and soothing. “I will keep every promise I make, not just to keep you safe but also when I asked you to marry me. Everything I said, Megra, I mean it. I will do everything in my power; nothing else happens. I want you to be happy. You deserve it.”I pull back slightly to look at him, searching his eyes for any hint of insincerity. All I see is determination—a resolve that sends shivers down my spine. This is not part of our deal a
I spend the next few days fighting the urge to ask Nathaniel about Anna. My curiosity drives me to look for more clues around the house, but I cannot find anything. I need to know what happened between him and the woman for whom he was clearly the love of his life. Everyone seems to get the impression that Nathaniel is using me to live out his fantasy with her, and that makes our situation worse.As we pack our bags to leave our countryside escape, I cannot shake the dread that has settled in my chest. Nathaniel's touch is gentle, and his words are kind, but I know his heart belongs to another woman. I chose to hide the album that I had found in my bags, determined to ask him about her at some point.I have loved our stay, but in my mind, I am wondering if he was just reliving his memories with Anna. He chose this place; he chose the house where he spent his happiest times with a woman who looked like me. With the woman he was to marry and spend the rest of his life with. Whatever my
Nathaniel left for work early, his absence leaving an unsettling quiet in the house. I have gotten used to spending my days with him, but now that we are back, things need to get back to normal. I descend the stairs, missing the days where I had more to do than just sit in this massive masion thinking of my troubles.My mind is racing with the myriad of tasks that need to be tackled for the wedding. Liza is already busy around the kitchen, her plump figure moving gracefully between the counters.“Liza, good morning,”“Good morning, Megra. How are you feeling today? Ready to start planning this wedding?” Her smile is as warm as ever. Her friendship is my one comfort in this new life.We sit down for breakfast before I see the pile of wedding magazines and notepads covering the living room table."Liza, are you sure we need all those?” I ask her, my voice muffled.“Don’t talk with your mouthful, Manners maketh woman. And clearly, you have never planned a wedding.”The day is dedicated t
I hear the roar of Nathaniel's car coming to a stop. He bursts through the door, his tie askew and his eyes wide with worry.“Are you okay?” he demands, his voice a mix of panic and relief. “I got your message. Archer was here? I should have known ignoring him would make him take such measures. What happened?”I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Your family is something else. Archer was awful, Nathaniel. The insults and insinuations. How do you live with such people?”“I don’t; that’s why I don’t use the family name.”“Archer repeated something Andrew said to me. He said that you are using me to finally fulfil your happily ever after with Anna.” Her name tastes bitter in my mouth.At the mention of his ex-fiancé, Nathaniels's face darkens with anger.“I am getting tired of everybody bringing that name up.” His voice is low and tense. “Archer had no right to come to my house and say those things to you. I promised to protect you, and I will. I need to talk to him and put
I wake up with a smile on my face, feeling a warmth I haven’t felt in months. My relationship with Nathaniel has transformed into something real, something hopeful. The wedding arrangements are going smoothly, thanks to the wedding planner Nathaniel has hired. Each detail is perfect. Apart from the fact that I have no one to invite, I am happy with the outcome. It feels like we are finally on the same page, and for once, I can see a future where we are both happy despite our arrangement.Liza meets me at the end of the hallway with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes spark with joy as soon as she sees me. “It seems you and Nathaniel are finally getting along.” She winks at me with her implication that we were loud during the night of lovemaking.” I laugh coyly, letting her know how right she is. "Well, that's all I have been hoping for; you both deserve to be happy.”I smile, feeling her joy infecting me. “Yes, he has been wonderful. He makes me so happy, Liza.”“What about the other t
As I walk back to the car, I can feel the tears starting to blur my vision. How can things change so quickly? I had been so excited to share the news with Nathaniel and for us to take the next step in our relationship, and now he might just be reconnecting with the love of his life. I feel kind of betrayed and insignificant. I have lost all control of my life and now my future.“Are you okay, Miss?” I can hear my driver ask as soon as I step into the car.“Just take me home, Michael.”I slam the door and try to calm down. I take a few deep breaths, holding in my tears. The image of Nathaniel holding Anna's hands and the way he looked at her make it clear that the connection is still there. How do I compete with a lifetime of love and memories?I find Liza busy in the kitchen. She can see the defeat on my face as soon as I walk in.“Back so soon?” she asks. I can see the fear in her eyes.I throw my bag on the dining table, and I sink into the first chair I can see.“What happened, lov