Chapter 6

I fell silent.

Marriage. I'd never imagined getting married, especially not to a man as rich and as mysterious as Mr. Leon. I was just a plain, fat girl who spent her life cleaning up other people's dirt.

"Why me?" I asked.

Mr. Leon was still crouching in front of me, his eyes staring at me without blinking.

"You won't bother me with demands for love or attention. You just want to survive."

That was true. I didn't have big dreams. I'd never dreamed of becoming rich or famous. My only dream back then was to see my mother smile without pain. Now my mother was gone. I just wanted to move on with my life.

"And because you're not pretty," he continued, a little mockingly, but it was the truth. "No one will suspect anything. This secret marriage will be safe. No other woman will be jealous or try to find out who my new wife is."

I looked down. My trembling hand was still holding that brown envelope.

"But why does it have to be marriage? Why isn't it enough to just…"

"Just serve?" Mr. Leon finished my sentence. He stood up again, leaving me sitting there stiffly. "Because my father isn't stupid. He has an investigative team. He'd know if I was just living with a mistress. But if I get married, even to a woman like you, that's enough to meet the conditions he set."

A woman like you.

Those words felt like a slap, but strangely, I wasn't angry. Maybe because I knew it was true. I really wasn't special. My face was round with chubby cheeks that made me look like a little kid even though I was already 25 years old. My body wasn't proportional either—no beautiful curves like the women in adult magazines. Just rolls of fat on my stomach and arms that jiggled when I lifted a bucket of water.

But one thing made me shiver.

"Open marriage. You mean I have to…"

"Be with Mr. Adrian and Mr. Sebastian too, if they want to and if you want to. I won't be jealous. This is just a contract matter. I get my father's assets. You get freedom from debt and a decent life. Adrian and Sebastian get what they want. Everyone's happy."

"Do I have a choice?"

I remembered his words about prison. About the women there, who he said were all bad. My helpless, fat body would be an easy target inside that narrow cell. I could imagine it—long nights without protection, without anyone who cared.

At least here, in this grand mansion, I had a warm bed. I had food and I got money.

"I agree," I said.

Mr. Leon nodded slightly. "Good. Tomorrow we'll sign the prenuptial agreement. You don't need to bring anything. I've prepared everything."

He walked toward the living room door but stopped at the threshold.

"One more thing, Ana. You said I chose you because you're not pretty. But remember this—beauty and bodies can still be changed. Tonight, you'll move into my room. I've had someone prepare a new wardrobe for you. Starting tomorrow, your life will be different."

After he left, I sat alone in that spacious living room.

I held the brown envelope up to my face. Money. Money that would save me from prison. But how much of myself would I have to sacrifice to get it?

I remembered what my ex-boyfriend said.

"I'm embarrassed to take you to work events. All my friends' girlfriends are pretty, and you're like a pig."

He said that right in front of my sick mother. She heard it. I saw her eyes well up, but she couldn't do anything except hold my hand tightly.

Now, in this cold living room, I whispered to myself.

"I'll prove you wrong, Max. Not because I still love you, but because I need to believe that I'm not what you said I was. I can change. I can become beautiful."

I gripped the envelope tightly. This was my only way out. Maybe it wasn't a respectable path, but at least it was my path. And I chose it.

I stood up, smoothed my dull uniform skirt, and walked toward Mr. Leon's room.

His bedroom door was open. Inside, a maroon silk nightgown was already laid out neatly on the bed. I touched it. It was softer than any fabric I'd ever owned in my life.

"Good night," Mr. Leon said from behind the bathroom door. I could see his reflection in the mirror.

I didn't answer. I just closed my eyes and let out a long breath.

Welcome to your new life, Ana. I hope this decision doesn't destroy you completely.