THE ALPHA’S FAKE WIFE

Hazel . . Love would be the death of me, that I knew—Today was our fourth anniversary, and I had set the dining table with Nathan's favourite dishes, the red candles flickering in the dim light. Despite promising not to miss it, it was already 11 pm, and my husband was still nowhere to be found. I perched on one of the seats. The tap of my fingers against the white marble table melded with the dial tone that echoed through the house that felt empty…it always felt empty. “Do you want to blow my phone up?” Nathan’s voice came from the other end of the phone—cold and distant, yet I felt relief that he had picked up. “Uhm… You might have forgotten, but today is our anniversary and…” “I know what today is, Hazel.” His cold voice froze me. If he knew, then why wasn’t he here? “I’m busy with work. Let’s celebrate another time.” Before I could respond, a woman’s voice came from his end. “Come and join me; I’m lonely.” A voice I have heard one too many times around him

Hazel . . Morning came all too soon, and with a conflicted heart, I signed the document, bracing myself for whatever the future had in store. Felix had explained that while Elijah might have lost his memory, he could still retain fragments—details he couldn’t fully place but might trigger recognition. To be on the safe side, I had to transform. My black hair was dyed a sharp blonde, and a pair of blue contacts concealed my green eyes. And the woman that stood before me in the mirror looked more like Anna than myself. Morning faded into day and day into night. The hours passed by, completely devoured by restless thoughts and repetitive advice. “Elijah will be here any moment from now,” Felix said. “Remember what I told you; the reason you haven’t been able to see him since he got out of the hospital.” And once again, he rubbed his hand against his trousers. I guess I wasn’t the only one nervous. We both seemed desperate...desperate for the plan to work. He needed to hea

Hazel . . Four days after Elijah had informed me about the event we had to attend, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. The long black gown that hugged my frame. The dangling earrings and the sharp red lipstick contrasted with my blond hair. The gown looked beautiful, but I felt different in it. Was this what Anna would have won? Despite Elijah’s amnesia, I still needed to act in a certain way. “How do you like the outfit, Luna?” Malia questioned. Elijah had hired her two days back. It seemed he felt more comfortable with her cooking than mine. I couldn’t help but wonder if my cooking was that horrible. Shaking off the thoughts, I swung around. My bare back, now visible. Although I had lost weight, my curves were still there. “I think it’s beautiful,” I said, trying to ignore my pale skin that was becoming more pronounced or my eyes that had begun to sink. I’d have to get my medicine as I was looking like a door away from death. Malia gave a respectful nod. “Alph