The Man of Many Rooms

Bella

My husband had a lot of doors in the mansion. He kept all of them closed. I told myself it wasn't my business to knock. Then I started counting how many then he left the house at midnight.

Alex was an outing animal.

I always imagined having to marry a man that was grounded in his goals, little did I know I'll find myself trapped in a marriage with no emotions.

His life was a cheat map, easy to predict but without knowing the outcome of each move.

I started living the life of a text book: Woke up every morning to his orders of what I needed to do daily, and he would return to the mansion by midnight to give me very vague information about his life.

Most of the time, he was drunk.

During the weekdays, it would seem like he got his brain refreshed and he would get back to serving my favourite tea on my bedside before I wake up, arranging the workspace without me asking, and making efforts to have dinner early.

In all of this, just in one moment, everything could change. He would disappear for four days without being heard from, and he returned home with no explanations.

Then, on a random day, I decided to stay outside the room. I didn't want to wallow in my sorrows so I wouldn't birth a sad child.

I got so used to hiding my pregnancy that sometimes I forgot I was actually pregnant.

I made so much effort in my dressing today and I decided to observe everything that normally happens in the mansion normally.

After walking around and seeing how each worker toiled like they were going to lose their job if they didn't, I realised I was playing all along.

Suddenly, a call came through from the landline. The workers were still busy, they couldn't even catch up with the fact that the phone was ringing.

I picked it.

“Alexander?” Her voice was low, but audacious.

“I'm looking for Alexander,” she repeated and I couldn't even say a word out of shock.

I didn't know what to say. I dropped the phone and that was when the housekeeper showed up.

“Ohh, you're here,” I uttered like I wanted her to actually get the phone.

“Yes, ma’am…”

Before she could continue, I interrupted her.

“A lady called on the landline and asked for Alex.” I moved along without any comments.

I had to hold myself. I mean, I have no concern for him. Yet, I couldn't tell why my jaw ached from holding it tight.

So many things ran through my mind. I didn't know which one to take, or the one to ignore.

I wanted to know it all.

I walked briskly upstairs without a second thought of what the housekeeper might think.

I stormed into my room and crashed on the study table where Alex usually dropped my coffee.

I was shivering and out of breath at the same time.

“Alex Blackwood.” I muttered.

Then I wondered if it was Valerie who called and I suddenly forgot about her voice.

I pulled the laptop on the reading table. With no intention, I searched his name online.

For the first time, I began to wonder why I didn't search him up before I got married to him.

…Before I even accepted his diamond ring.

I did a deep research, ignoring the other parts of his business profile.

The only thing I could find was a tabloid of pictures. Him on different yachts, galas and a rotating gallery of beautiful women on his arm.

They were all beautiful.

It felt like they took turns to have the billionaire CEO.

They never lasted, and they never even got to the stage of being his wife—even if it was a fake one, but I did.

It felt like an achievement. It was like doing reputational insurance that other women never got to experience.

“I'm his first wife,” I repeated it to myself like I was casting some evil spell.

“I'm his first wife.”

It was indeed an achievement.

I buried myself in those thoughts till darkness covered the sky and I didn't even realise.

That evening, Alex got back happy. It was a rare scenario.

“My beautiful darling,” he uttered.

My brows were furrowed in confusion. He never added any endearments to my calling.

It has always been Bella, Bella…Bella!

“I got you a dress and business card,” he squeezed in joy as he handed over the bag to me.

Curiosity was biting my neck. I hurriedly tore the bag apart and I was sunk in shock a million times in that little moment.

“A dress? A business card?” I repeatedly said it as I pulled out the gifts.

“Yeah, a business card. I have gotten you a new gig. You have always wanted that right from the beginning of time, right?”

I didn't even know how to express myself. I didn't know if I should be happy or out of my mind that I was so confused about what he was doing.

I was unmoved

How did he know that right from the beginning of time, that I've always wanted that big gig that would change my life and give me better connections?

Life can be so sad and meaningless.

“It's fine. You can see it later,” he uttered and pulled the bag from my hands and placed me on the sofa.

He went ahead to pour me a glass of water, “Here, you actually need this,” he uttered softly.

“Thank you,” I struggled to mutter those two words after I clearly saw the stain on his shirt.

The pink lipstick on his shirt looked faded, like he made an attempt to remove it, but it couldn't go off.

I was irritated. After being inside many rooms, after doing whatever his mind pleased him to do, he would return home happy to me like I was some old slave.

“You haven't been eating well…” he interrupted my thoughts.

“I would arrange a totally different chef to prepare your meals. You can pick whatever you want to,” he added and I nodded.

I didn't want to drag anything off further till I had read the framed contract again.

I realised that I didn't have time to hide my pregnancy, the bump was already going to be visible.

Then I decided to put up with a plan.

Around 2a.m, Alex returned to the mansion. I couldn't sleep, I was thinking deeply as I stayed by the window.

My mind lingered to the night where we met, where we both had a good taste of our own bodies as strangers.

Then I halted, could that be the same thing he was going out to do to return ethe mansion by 2a.m?

I am truly not special then. The only thing left that I should have avoided was actually getting pregnant.

He got into the sitting room and something shifted. It seemed like he couldn't move anymore, like a crack in his expression.

“You should be sleeping by now," his tone was cold and off.

It sounded like an order.

I looked back at him with the same audacity I had then with alcohol to pull off my clothes and let him pull mine, "So should you.”

I knew that pause lasted for less than five seconds—There was nothing left to say.

He sighed deeply and walked away.

I sniffed my nose carefully after I recognized a strange fragrance that would not suit being used by a man,but a woman.

Sniffed myself into denial that I thought it was just in my head.

I sniffed to the point that tears had no time to ask for permission. My sight became blurry and my cheeks were already soaked with tears.

I shook violently in tears because the same perfume I sniffed my nose into denial, was Valerie’s signature scent.