6.

NARA

I woke up with a dull ache in my head, my eyes throbbing heavily. The room felt unfamiliar until I remembered that I hadn’t spent the night in my matrimonial room. Placing one foot at a time, I managed to get out of bed, trying to keep myself steady. The room spun around me the moment I took slow steps toward the huge, floor-length mirror opposite the bed.

Looking at the woman in the reflection, I could barely recognize myself anymore. Dried makeup coated my features, heavy bags sat beneath my eyes, and my face looked extremely pale.

The bed stretched behind me, its sheets scattered as though I had spent the entire night making love on it, but in reality, my sleep had been plagued with nightmares of my new husband.

Tears threatened to spill as I remembered how he had slapped me last night for addressing myself as his wife and daring to touch one of the portraits of his late wife. Subconsciously, my fingers brushed my cheek as I struggled to hold back my tears.

What good would it do to wallow in sadness and self-pity? I could either stand here crying all day about my fate or clean myself up and face whatever this family had to throw at me.

With that in mind, I took a deep breath and ambled out of the room, heading for my matrimonial bedroom. Pushing the door open, I was met with an empty space. Quickly, I searched the closet, hoping the chauffeur had already moved my clothes there yesterday—which he had.

Taking out a floral gown, I moved into the bathroom to freshen up. Minutes later, I sauntered out with a towel wrapped tightly around my body, only for the door to be pushed open and Jared to step inside.

At once, my breathing froze, and cold swept through my body. I clutched the towel tighter as he stared at me, his expression hollow.

“Next time, change in the bathroom before coming out,” he said simply before stepping back outside.

I heaved a sigh I hadn’t even realized I was holding and quickly dressed up.

Was this what my life had become? I wished Mike could see the hell I was already wallowing in.

Holding myself back from breaking down again, I walked out of the bedroom and made my way downstairs toward the kitchen. As I passed a few housekeepers, I could feel their heated gazes on me.

I could already tell there would be gossip flying all over the house and the entire estate, about my marriage to Jared. Taking a deep breath, I kept walking until I reached the kitchen.

My eyes wandered around, taking in the expensive cutlery and kitchen utensils. The aroma of food filled the air. Two staff members hurried past me, murmuring incoherent greetings as they turned off the induction stove and began arranging plates and utensils for breakfast.

I had intended to prepare breakfast myself, but clearly there was no need, it had already been taken care of.

“Mrs. Wilson…”

That name.

Was I really Mrs. Wilson, or just the shadow of a dead woman?

“Breakfast is already ready. In the next two to five minutes, it will be arranged on the dining table,” one of them informed me.

I nodded and ambled out of the kitchen.

To my surprise, the living room door pushed open and Jared’s mother and aunt walked in.

What were they doing here?

While his mother wore a cheerful smile, his aunt’s face held a sharp, judgmental expression. Her eyes swept over my outfit from head to toe, as though assessing whether it met her standards.

She was an extremely nosy woman, and I silently wished our paths wouldn’t cross too often in this estate.

“There she is, our brand-new bride,” his mother said warmly, walking over to hug me.

I stiffened at first, my body tensing at the sudden display of affection, before slowly relaxing and returning the hug.

“Good morning, Mum and Aunt,” I greeted, mustering the most respectful tone I could, my smile carefully polite.

“Good morning, my dear. You look well. How was your night?” his mother asked.

I simply nodded.

“A nod? That’s all? Are you a lizard?” his aunt scoffed, stepping closer. Her gaze burned against my skin.

“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” I quickly apologized.

“Then speak. You have a mouth for a reason, young lady. Use it, and stop nodding like a lizard,” she snapped.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as a few staff members passed by. I knew they had heard every word.

“Let the poor girl be,” his mother intervened gently. “She’s still settling into the house. I’m sure her night went well, and they did the needful…”

Her gaze returned to me. “You did do the needful with your husband, right?”

Oh God.

They were asking if we had consummated the marriage.

But we hadn’t.

My heart dropped to my stomach as a thousand thoughts clashed in my head. How could I possibly explain that I hadn’t even slept in the room because my husband wouldn’t acknowledge me as his wife?

He had slapped me just for saying it aloud.

“Well? Don’t keep us waiting,” his aunt pressed. “Did you consummate your marriage last night?”

Without thinking, cornered by their intense stares, I nodded frantically. “Yes. We did.”

Wide smiles instantly spread across their faces, and I released a breath of relief. At least this would divert their attention for a while.

“I told you they would,” his aunt said smugly. “Jared isn’t foolish. He understands the importance of an heir, and this girl will definitely give us one.”

“I had my doubts, but Nara, you’ve made me so happy,” his mother said softly, cupping my cheeks. “Now, let’s eat, shall we? Breakfast seems to be ready.”

“Yes, of course,” I replied.

I led them to the dining area, pulling out their chairs and serving their plates. I ate in silence while they chatted about household shopping, disciplining lazy staff, upcoming events, and other trivial matters.

Then suddenly, I noticed a familiar figure approaching the stairs, and my heart sank instantly.

Jared.

Wasn’t he supposed to have left for work?

His eyes locked onto mine as he descended the stairs, his expression dark and hollow. I quickly looked away and focused on my food.

“Oh, Jared, good morning,” his aunt said sweetly, her earlier harshness completely gone. “How are you?”

So she was cruel to everyone else, but just not him.

He gave a brief nod and pulled out a chair at the far end of the table, beginning to eat.

“We stopped by to check on how you both are faring,” his mother said. “Nara has been a wonderful hostess so far.”

His gaze lifted slowly to meet mine before he turned to his mother. “Well, I’m glad she has at least some sense of how to behave,” he scoffed.

Excuse me?

My brows furrowed in disbelief. He had the audacity to insult me in front of his mother and aunt. I hadn’t asked to marry him, so why did he despise everything I did?

Swallowing my anger, I kept eating in silence, forcing myself to stay composed.

“We chose well this time,” his aunt said proudly. “Very soon, we’ll be blessed with an heir, a son.”

I almost choked on my food.

Oh God. Please don’t let her say it.

“What?” Jared asked, slowly setting down his cutlery.

“Jared, my boy, no need to pretend with us,” his aunt continued cheerfully, oblivious to the tension. “Nara told us you consummated your marriage last night. I’m certain she’ll soon be pregnant and give you the son you deserve.”

It felt as though my world shattered beneath me. My heart pounded violently as my appetite vanished completely.

Slowly, my eyes lifted to meet Jared’s once more.

The anger burning in his eyes was unmistakable.