Chapter 3: The Invisible Wife

Nadine’s POV

​"I am not going to file for an immediate annulment, because the media would have a field day with this story and the Ivory Group shares would tank before noon," Adrian said, pacing back and forth in front of the table in his study while I sat silently on the chair, waiting for his final decision.

​"But you know the truth now, Adrian, so why should we prolong this nightmare when we both clearly despise the situation?" I asked, looking up at him. He finally stopped pacing and turned around to look at me with cold eyes.

​"We will stay legally married for exactly one year until the business merger settles down, and then we will quietly divorce without making a scene," he explained, leaning against the table and crossing his arms over his chest, "But you need to understand your place in this house, Nadine, which means you will stay out of my way completely."

​"What exactly does that mean?" I questioned, wanting to know his boundaries so I could avoid any more conflict with him.

​"It means no family dinners, no public appearances unless my assistant explicitly tells you it is required, and absolutely no acting like you are my wife," he threatened, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped closer to me, "You will live like a ghost in this mansion, and you will not talk to me unless I speak to you first."

​"That sounds perfectly fine to me, because I have no desire to be a part of your life anyway," I replied, standing up from the chair and walking toward the door, determined to keep my distance just as he requested.

​As the months passed by, the mansion turned into a prison, and Adrian's parents made sure to remind me of my low status every time they stopped by for a visit.

​"You think you are clever, Nadine, but we all know you tricked your way into this family for the money," Adrian’s mother said one afternoon when she found me in the kitchen, her voice full of disgust as she watched me pour some water into a glass, "The servants know it too, which is why nobody here respects you or treats you like the mistress of this house."

​"I am just following Adrian’s instructions, Mrs. Kingsley, so you do not need to worry about me taking anything from your son," I said quietly, setting the glass down on the counter and trying to walk past her, but she stepped in my way to block the exit.

​"Your sister Nadira is the one who should be standing here, and she is still heartbroken over what you did to her," she added, shaking her head before she finally turned around and left the kitchen.

​Nadira came to the mansion almost every single week, always pretending to be the innocent victim whenever Adrian was around, and the staff always treated her like she was the actual guest of honor while they ignored me completely.

​"Oh, Nadine, I brought some pastries for Adrian, but I suppose you can have the leftovers if you want," Nadira said with a fake, sweet smile when we met in the main hallway, ensuring that the nearby maids heard every single word, "It must be so lonely for you living in this big house where nobody wants you around."

​"I am doing just fine, Nadira, so you can save your pity for someone else," I muttered, turning on my heel to go back to my bedroom because I could not stand the sight of her fake tears anymore.

​Despite the cold treatment from everyone, things slowly began to shift between Adrian and me as the months rolled on, and he started noticing small details that he never cared about before.

One evening, I was cooking a simple dinner in the kitchen because the main chef had the night off, and Adrian walked in, smelling the food and stopping right by the doorway.

​"Is that the beef stew from last week?" Adrian asked, his voice losing some of its usual harshness as he walked over to the stove and looked into the pot.

​"Yes, the chef left the ingredients, so I decided to finish making it," I replied, moving back to give him some space while I grabbed a plate from the cupboard.

​"The chef's cooking has been tasting different lately, but I actually prefer the way you season the meat," he admitted, clearing his throat quickly as if he regretted saying something nice to me, "Just bring a bowl to my study when you are finished."

​He left the room before I could even answer, but I caught him looking for me around the house more often after that night, and whenever I spent the afternoon at the local library, the mansion always felt strangely quiet and empty until I returned.

​His pride would never allow him to admit that he was getting used to my presence, but the tension between us was definitely changing, and the anger he once had seemed to fade into something else entirely.

​One rainy evening, I was walking down the hallway toward the linen closet to fetch some extra blankets, when I heard a familiar voice coming from the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. The door was cracked open just an inch, and as I stepped closer, I realized Nadira was inside, laughing loudly while she spoke to someone on her mobile phone.

​"You should see the look on Nadine's face every time I show up here, it is absolutely hilarious," Nadira laughed, her voice full of malice and completely different from the sweet tone she used in front of Adrian, "I never even wanted to marry Adrian because he is too controlling, but I just wanted my sister to suffer, and watching her live like an unwanted dog in this mansion is the best revenge I could have ever asked for.”