Wedding night

ARIA'S POV

It was finally time to say goodbye. Goodbye to my parents. Goodbye to the people I once called home.

I hugged my mum and held on longer than I should have, her familiar perfume hovering around me. I was going to miss that smell. When I finally let go, her smile was too bright, the most obvious fake smile I’d seen all day. The guests were better at hiding theirs. I could see she was breaking inside.

My dad didn’t hug me. He held my hands instead and whispered, “Be strong.” I nodded and forced a smile of my own. Then he let go.

The car was already waiting.

“Goodbye,” I said to both of them before turning away. Why that word? It felt too heavy, like I was saying see you never. I wanted to run back and hug them again, but my feet kept moving forward, maybe so they wouldn’t see the tears building in my eyes.

The valet shut the car door behind me with a heavy thud. The chauffeur glanced at me in the rearview mirror and gave a slight nod, saying nothing. I was glad. I didn’t think I had the strength to talk.

As the car rolled forward, I twisted slightly in my seat, catching a glimpse of my parents through the window. They were still standing in the same spot, holding each other now. For a moment, I imagined running out of the car, crying really loud, choosing home instead of this gilded prison. But the image dissolved as the distance grew, until they were nothing more than blurred silhouettes swallowed by the city lights.

I hadn’t realised how tired I was until I leaned my head against the glass, the cold seeping into my skin, watching the city blur past.

People were laughing, living, moving freely. Each glimpse was a reminder that their world kept spinning while mine had stopped.

Silence filled the car, making it too easy for Dominic’s words to replay in my head.

“Alina…”

He didn’t even know my name.

I pressed my lips together, fighting down the lump in my throat. This was supposed to be a blissful beginning. Instead, it already felt like an ending.

The drive stretched longer than I expected. But when the car finally turned through tall iron gates, I knew we were close. From the gates to the house was another journey. When I finally saw the mansion, I was stunned. It was glowing in the dark, and it was huge.

Is he the only one living here? How many rooms are there? Will I get lost in a place like this?

I was still thinking when the car came to a stop under a wide archway. The chauffeur quickly stepped out and opened my door. As I stepped out, my heels tapped against the stone, and for that second it was the only sound I heard. The whole place was so quiet, as if the house was holding its breath.

A woman dressed in a uniform appeared at the door before I could even reach it. She gave a polite smile and said, “Mrs Sterling. Welcome."

That name. I’m probably the fourth person she’s said it to. It didn’t feel like mine, it felt like I was borrowing it until my time came.

I followed her in, gathering my gown. Inside, the house swallowed me whole. The first thing I noticed was how bright everything was, guess they don’t have to worry about electricity bills. From the high ceilings to glowing chandeliers, then to staircases that seemed to have no end, my eyes kept scanning everywhere. They couldn’t settle on one thing. I felt like I was in a beautiful museum that was meant to be admired, not lived in.

After feeding my eyes, the woman led me down a long hallway until we stopped in front of a door. She pushed it open.

“This will be your room,” she said.

My room. Not our room. Just mine.

The bed was enormous. I was pretty sure even if I turned a hundred times, I wouldn’t reach the end. A chandelier hung above, curtains heavy and tall enough to touch the ceiling. This was the kind of room I imagined a princess would live in.

The woman set my small bag at the dresser. “If you need something, press the bell,” she said, pointing at it. “Someone will come.”

Then she left, her footsteps fading until I was alone in the silence.

I walked to the bed and sat at the edge. I wondered how many women had sat here before me. How many had been brought in like this? Did he put his former wives in this same room, or did they get different cages of their own? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

As a distraction, I stood and walked to the window. I suddenly realised how high my room was. I could see the gates at the far end of the driveway, tall and heavy. Outside those gates was freedom, but the distance reminded me of how impossibly far it was from me.

I didn’t know how long I stood there staring, until a knock startled me. I turned quickly, expecting someone to enter, but no one did.

When I opened the door, it was the same woman from earlier. I didn’t know why I was disappointed, I wasn’t expecting anyone else.

She stood there and said, “Dinner is ready. And next time, ma, I’ll need your permission to come in so you don’t have to stress yourself to get the door.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you,” I replied, expecting her to leave so I could go when I was ready, but she just stood there. I realised it was my cue to follow.

I walked with her down the quiet hall until we reached the dining hall. The table was long enough to seat twenty, yet I was the only one there. Dominic’s chair was obvious, the tall one at the head of the table.

The woman guided me to sit near the centre. More servants appeared suddenly, moving in perfect silence. They were wearing the same uniform as hers. None of them made eye contact with me, their eyes lowered, and before I knew it, plates and silverware were set before me.

Different kinds of food were placed in front of me, like they were testing what I liked.

I tried to eat, but each bite was tasteless. The food looked delicious, but I had no appetite. I felt like a pin dropped into an ocean, small, invisible, forgotten. Maybe my face gave me away, because before I even pushed the plate aside, the servants were already clearing it. Their movements were swift and practiced, as though they’d done this a hundred times before.

When they were done, I stood up. The woman was still waiting, and I was relieved she walked with me. At least I wouldn’t have to walk the endless hallway alone.

When we got to my door, she gave a polite nod and went away. I was alone again.

I entered, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. This was my wedding night.