Chapter 5

[LYDIA’S POV]

I didn’t hate her the first time I met her. In fact, I was just confused.

I had gone to Dave’s house thinking he would be alone. We had been close for years, and I wanted to surprise him with a visit. I walked right up to the front door and pressed the bell, a big smile on my face, already imagining the look of joy on his face when I saw him the moment the door swung open, I leaned forward, ready to throw my arms around his neck but I stopped dead.

It wasn’t Dave.

Standing there was a beautiful woman with a calm, gentle face. She didn't look like a guest, she looked like she belonged there. She looked so natural in the house, so at pace with the morning light. She greeted me politely, her voice soft and steady, and told me that Dave was upstairs in the shower. I walked in, my mind racing a thousand miles an hour.

We sat in the living room together for a few minutes. She was so kind, asking me what she could offer me to drink water, tea, juice? She acted so comfortable in the space, moving with a quiet confidence that made my stomach turn.

I hope this isn't his wife, I thought, watching her every move. She seemed so free, so at home in a house I thought I knew everything about. But then I shook the thought away. Dave wouldn't get a girlfriend and not tell me. We were too close for that, he shared everything with me. Maybe she’s just the new maid, I told myself, trying to calm my racing heart. Yeah, a very pretty, very lucky maid.

I was still spiraling in my own head when Dave finally walked into the room, smelling of soap and expensive cologne. I stood up immediately, ignoring her, and hugged him tight. I wanted to stake my claim right there.

"Hi, sweetie," I said, pulling back with a smile.

"I’m good. I didn't know you were coming." He said, calmly.

I glanced over his shoulder at her, my eyes screaming the question I couldn’t say out loud, Who is she?

The moment she saw Dave enter the room, she didn't say a single word. She didn't even look at him twice. She just stood up quietly, smoothed her dress, and headed upstairs, leaving us alone in the living room. Her silence made me even more suspicious. It wasn't the silence of a maid, it was the silence of someone who knew her place.

"Dave," I pushed, pulling him out of my embrace the moment she was out of sight. "Who is that woman? Why is she in your house at this time of the morning?"

Dave sighed and looked away, his face turning cold and distant. "Let’s just forget about that, Lydia. It's not important," he muttered.

"No, Dave. Tell me. Why is she living here? Why does she have the keys to your front door?"

He finally snapped, looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "Just let her be, Lydia," he said dismissively, waving his hand as if she were a piece of furniture. She’s only married to me based on a condition.

The word married hit me like a physical blow. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Even if it was "on condition," even if he didn't love her, she had the title I wanted. She was the one who shared his name and his home. My curiosity turned into something much darker in that second. She wasn't a maid. She was a wall standing between me and the life I deserved.

"Married?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "How can you be married to someone like that?"

Dave gripped my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "It was a contractual necessity for the property, Lydia. It's just business, She's just a signature on a piece of paper so I could keep what belongs to me."

He said it so coldly, but I didn't care about his reasons. All I saw was a pretty woman upstairs who had what belonged to me. That was the day I decided she had to go. Contract or no contract, I was going to make sure that necessity became a thing of the past.

I stayed for dinner that night, watching her like a hawk. Every time she moved, every time she set a plate down, I looked for a crack in that calm face of hers. If this was just a business deal, why was she so domestic? Why did she look so settled?

Dave barely spoke to her. He focused all his attention on me, laughing at my jokes and asking about my life, but I could feel her presence at the end of the table. She was like a quiet shadow that refused to fade away.

"The food is good," I said, my voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Did the cook prepare this, or was it you?"

She looked up at me and gave a small, polite smile. I did. I'm glad you like it.

I felt a surge of heat in my chest. She was cooking for him. She was playing the part of the wife too well for someone who was just a "contractual necessity."

Later, when she went into the kitchen to clear the dishes, I leaned in close to Dave. "She seems very comfortable, Dave. Are you sure she knows this is just for the property? She acts like she actually likes being Mrs. Dave.

Dave grabbed his glass of wine and took a long sip. "It doesn't matter what she thinks or feels, Lydia. When I get my hands on the properties, she will be gone. She's just a tool to get what I want.

I looked toward the kitchen, still feeling uneasy. "What if she tries to trap you? What if she tries to make it real? What if she tries to get pregnant just to stay?

Dave laughed, but it was a dry, hollow sound. She's not my type, You know that. My heart isn't with her.

He reached out and squeezed my hand under the table. Even though he said the right things, I couldn't stop thinking about the way she moved around the house. She didn't act like someone who was leaving. She acted like she was building a home.

"I just don't want her getting ideas," I whispered. "A woman like that might think she can change your mind if she stays long enough."

She can't change anything, Dave said, his voice turning hard. This is about business. The moment the papers are signed and the property is fully mine, I’ll hand her the divorce papers myself. You don't have to worry about her.

But I did worry. I looked at the empty seat where she had been sitting. She was too pretty and too quiet. Quiet people are the most dangerous because you never know what they are planning. If she was the only thing standing between me and being the real Mrs. Dave, then I had to make sure her time in this house was a nightmare.

I smiled back at Dave, but in my head, I was already counting down the days until she was out on the street where she belonged.