Chapter 3

As the priest pronounced us husband and wife, Brigitte and I faced each other, her smiling and looking at me with adoration. She placed her hand on my left arm, and we walked together out of the church, surrounded by cheering crowds and happy smiles. Our parents stopped us, beaming with pride. My father adjusted my tie and whispered, "Make her the happiest girl in the world, son." His face radiated joy, clearly thrilled to have secured a marriage between our two powerful families.

Brigitte's mother hugged her tightly, while her father grasped my hands, his eyes stern. "Take care of our princess, and promise to love her with all your heart. Never make her cry, or I'll take her back from you." I nodded, trying to appear sincere, but my heart remained cold and detached.

As we exchanged vows, I couldn't help but think about my true intentions. I was using Brigitte to gain power and control, to destroy those who had wronged me. My mind was set on revenge, and I would stop at nothing to achieve it.

After the ceremony, we departed for New Zealand, where Brigitte's parents had gifted us a grand mansion. As we entered the opulent estate, I was taken aback by its sheer size and extravagance. Brigitte turned to me, her eyes sparkling. "Isn't it amazing, honey? Dad never disappoints me." I forced a smile, trying to appear enthusiastic, but my heart remained icy.

As we explored the mansion, Brigitte's affection towards me grew more intense. She hugged me tightly, declaring, "I'm ready to give you everything, even my whole life." I didn't respond, but instead, looked at her with a calculated gaze, assessing the situation.

Brigitte's advances became more passionate, and I knew I had to reciprocate to maintain the facade. I held her waist, pulling her closer, and responded to her kisses. As the night wore on, our passion intensified, and I found myself losing control, almost forgetting my true intentions.

In the heat of the moment, I stopped, looking into Brigitte's eyes, and saw the desire burning within them. I knew I had to continue the charade, to make her believe I was truly invested in our relationship. I picked her up, placing her on the table, and our bodies entwined, lost in the passion of the moment.

As we lay together, panting and exhausted, I couldn't help but think about the game I was playing. I was using Brigitte, manipulating her emotions, and pretending to be something I'm not. But for now, I had to maintain the illusion, to keep her believing in our love, until I was ready to strike.

As we caught our breath, Brigitte snuggled closer to me, her eyes shining with happiness. "I love you, Anton," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I forced a smile, trying to appear affectionate. "I love you too, Brigitte," I replied, my voice flat and emotionless.

We lay there in silence for a moment, the only sound being our gentle breathing. I couldn't help but think about how far I had come, how well I had played the part of the loving husband.

But as I looked at Brigitte, I felt a pang of guilt. She was so innocent, so trusting. She had no idea what I was really after.

I pushed the thought aside, reminding myself of my ultimate goal. I had to keep up the charade, no matter how hard it got.

As we drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but think about what the future held. I would continue to play the part of the loving husband, all the while manipulating Brigitte and her family to get what I wanted.

And when the time was right, I would strike, taking down everyone who had wronged me. The thought sent a surge of excitement through me, and I smiled to myself, knowing that I was one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal.

The next morning, Brigitte woke me up with a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, husband," she said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

I forced a smile, trying to appear enthusiastic. "Good morning," I replied, my voice flat and emotionless.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the mansion and its surroundings. Brigitte was like a kid in a candy store, marveling at the opulence and extravagance of our new home.

I played along, pretending to be excited and happy. But deep down, I was counting down the days until I could put my plan into action.

As the sun began to set, Brigitte turned to me with a mischievous grin. "I have a surprise for you," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "What is it?" I asked, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Brigitte just smiled and took my hand, leading me to a private movie theater in the mansion. The room was dimly lit, with a huge screen at the front.

Brigitte led me to the front row and sat down beside me. "I had our wedding video edited and put together," she said, her eyes shining with happiness. "I want to watch it with you."

I forced a smile, trying to appear excited. But as the video began to play, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. I was living a lie, and I knew it.

But for now, I had to keep up the charade. I took Brigitte's hand, pretending to be emotional as we watched our wedding video together.

As the video played on, I sat beside Brigitte, my expression unreadable. I didn't feel anything, no emotion, no sentiment. It was just a video, a reminder of the deal I had made.

Brigitte, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in the video. She was smiling, laughing, and even tearing up at times. I glanced at her, wondering how she could be so invested in this charade.

As the video ended, Brigitte turned to me, her eyes shining with happiness. "I'm so glad we have this," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "It's a reminder of our special day."

I nodded, my expression still unreadable. "Yes," I said, my voice flat. "It's a nice video."

Brigitte looked at me, expecting more, but I didn't give it to her. I just sat there, my eyes fixed on the screen.

She seemed to sense my detachment, and her smile faltered for a moment. But then she recovered, and her expression turned bright and cheerful again.

"I'm so hungry," she said, standing up. "Let's go get some dinner."

I nodded, standing up beside her. "Okay," I said, my voice still flat.

As we walked to the dining room, Brigitte chattered on about the video, about our wedding day, and about our future together. I listened, my expression unreadable, my mind elsewhere.

I was thinking about my plan, about how I was going to use Brigitte to get what I wanted. I was thinking about the power and control I would soon have.

And as I looked at Brigitte, I felt nothing but disdain. She was just a pawn in my game, a means to an end. And I would use her, exploit her, and discard her when I was done with her.

As we sat down to dinner, Brigitte continued to chatter on, barely pausing for breath. I listened, my expression neutral, my mind tuned out.

The food was served, and I ate mechanically, not tasting anything. Brigitte, on the other hand, was savoring each bite, closing her eyes in rapture.

"I'm so glad we're married, Anton," she said, opening her eyes and smiling at me. "I feel like we're meant to be together."

I nodded, my expression still neutral. "Yes," I said, my voice flat. "We are."

Brigitte seemed to sense my detachment, and her smile faltered for a moment. But then she recovered, and her expression turned bright and cheerful again.

"I'm so excited for our future together," she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "We're going to have the most amazing life, Anton."

I nodded again, my expression still neutral. "Yes," I said, my voice flat. "We will."

As dinner drew to a close, Brigitte reached out and took my hand. "I love you, Anton," she said, her eyes shining with adoration.

I looked at her, my expression unreadable. "I love you too, Brigitte," I said, my voice flat.

But I didn't mean it. I didn't feel anything. I was just going through the motions, playing the part of the loving husband.

As we finished dinner and retired to our bedroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disdain for Brigitte. She was so naive, so trusting. She had no idea what I was really after.

And as I lay in bed beside her, I couldn't help but think about my plan. I was one step closer to achieving my goal, and nothing was going to stop me now.

As the days went by, I continued to play the part of the loving husband. I pretended to be interested in Brigitte's hobbies and passions, I listened to her talk about her day, and I even pretended to be romantic.

But it was all a facade. Behind closed doors, I was still the same cold and calculating person I had always been. I was still focused on my goal, still determined to take down those who had wronged me.

Brigitte, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to my true intentions. She was happy and content, believing that she had found her perfect match in me.

I used her naivety to my advantage, manipulating her into doing my bidding. I convinced her to introduce me to her wealthy and influential friends, and I used those connections to further my own interests.

As the weeks turned into months, I found myself becoming more and more entrenched in Brigitte's world. I was attending high-society parties, rubbing shoulders with the elite, and making deals that would make me richer and more powerful.

But I never forgot my true goal. I never forgot the people who had wronged me, and I never forgot the revenge that I sought.

And so, I continued to play the part of the loving husband, all the while secretly plotting my revenge. I was a master of deception, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before I achieved my ultimate goal.

One night, as we were attending a charity gala, I saw him. I saw the man who had wronged me, the man who had destroyed my family and my reputation.

I felt a surge of anger and hatred, and for a moment, I forgot about my facade. I forgot about Brigitte and our perfect little life.

All I could think about was revenge.