NEW REALITY.

I was seated by the side of my mom in the hospital bed, it was peaceful watching her sleep.

I muttered a Prayer and hoped the heaven heard me.

My stomach grumbled, giving me a quick reminder that I haven't eaten all day, checking the time on my cellphone, it was 15 minutes past 9.

I clutched my bag to my shoulder, gave my mom a forehead kiss and exited the ward room.

"Are you ready to leave now?"

I was greeted by the sound of Enzo's Voice, he was seated in the reception seat.

"Why are you still here?" I asked.

"Because you are my wife." He responded.

I snorted mentally, his wife? Of course, I was his wife but we weren't in love or anything. 

If anything, he was only with me at the hospital to have a "record" that he was a good husband.

"I spoke to the Doctor already. He said she will be fine."

"Will she really be?" I questioned, the doubts in me getting clearer by the minute.

"Yes, Yvonne. She will be." Enzo answered.

Oddly, it felt soothing hearing that.

Looking into his eyes, I couldn't tell who he actually was, was he the ruthless person everyone believes him to be or was he…different?

For a minute, I was curious to know more about him.

"Let's go home." I said.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the world seemed at peace, except Enzo. He placed the flowers on his late father's grave.

Watching him from the window in the corridor, I could see it clearly or rather, sense some deep sadness in him. 

"Once it's this time of the year, he gets this way." 

I turned to the sound of the voice and it was a middle aged woman, dressed in her maiden uniform, it seemed quite different from the rest but unique.

I could guess she was the head maiden.

"Mrs Enzo. We haven’t really met, have we?" She stated as she walked to stay beside me, a bright infectious smile played on her face.

In a few seconds, we were watching Enzo grieve, for the most part, I was uncertain while his grief bothered me.

"His dad meant a lot to him; and Enzo meant a lot to his father." Nanny Amelia started.

I could also sense the sadness in her voice, I turned back to look at Enzo and he wasn't any different.

"How long have you worked here?" I asked.

"Long enough to see Enzo grow." She answered and she seemed proud of that.

"I see."

"Do you think he's okay?" She asked.

 How would I know that? Like she read my mind, she continued.

"You are his wife. You ought to know."

"Um..yeah." I replied, stopping myself from thinking any further.

"I think he's fine." I concluded.

She turned to me,and I did the same. "You should watch over him. When it's this time of the Year, he tends to fall sick."

She brings out a sealed pack of drugs from her apron. "Give this to him. I usually do this, but now that he has a wife, you should do it now."

There was a slight hesitation on my part but I accepted the drugs in the end.

Mentally i sighed, I'm really going to be in the same space with him, will I not?

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

I walked into his study room as Nanny Amelia said he would be there; trying to get a good look of the structure.

And he was there, right there on the Couch, sleeping.

A light chuckle escaped my lip, I walked towards him, careful with my steps to avoid waking him up.

As I approached him, I drew nearer, observing his pallid complexion and dehydrated mouth. It was evident that he was unwell, and though I disliked acknowledging it, Enzo was generally handsome.

His eyes flickered open and mine slowly widened on realisation that he was awake. For a moment, we stared into each other's eyes.

A sudden wave of warmth washed through and I responded by screaming and falling to the ground.

He groaned and sat up on the couch, "What are you doing?" 

What was I really doing? I looked up at the sight of him and I couldn't read his expression. What was going through his mind? Was he irritated?

I was irritated at myself. I gathered my thoughts and got up to my feet.

"I…i…was asked to give you this." I stretched the drugs to him, avoiding his sight, hoping to forget the embarrassment.

He looked at the drugs and backed up at me, "What's this?" His question came out low and unhinged.

"Nanny Amelia asked me to give you this." I said, still waiting for him to accept the drugs.

"Why? She does this herself."

"Well, she says I'm your wife now and I should do it instead."

And when I least expected it, he drew a warm smile, my eyes widened at the sight of it..a chuckle left my lips.

He got to his feet and accepted the drugs then walked to his office seat.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I have things to do. Why?" He answered, looking up at me from his computer.

"I mean, you should rest up. You look sick." 

"I'm doing okay. Leave." He ordered.

Mentally, I shrugged.

"You shouldn't work right now…you should."

"Leave." He stated firmer, his voice heightening a bit as he looked up at me. Irritation laced in his words and it made me feel stupid about myself.

In an annoying sigh, i walked towards the door and when I was at the entrance, I looked back at him, he was fixated on his system.

In a silent sigh, I looked away from him.

Mean jerk.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

A ripple of smothered laughter circled the ward room, seeing my mom laugh genuinely made me glad.

"Where is your sister?" My mom asked.

"Oh..she will be here soon with Dad." I answered as I continued cutting the fruits.

"You know I was thinking we all travel to Hawaii." 

"Oh really? That's a good idea." I said, feeding her a slice of the apple.

I held her fingers and slowly massaged them.

"I know right? It will be fun. Me, your father, Ariel, then you and your husband."

Something in me fell hearing that last statement.

"H…usband?" I questioned.

"Yep." My mom replied with a smile glued on her face which honestly was weird because she was well aware of the circumstances behind my marriage with Enzo.

"W..why? You know…

"What do you mean why? He is part of the family, is he not?"

I scoffed, "But mom…."

"Yvonne." My mom called.

I looked up at her and she sighed, "He is part of the family now and part of your life now."

Drawing in a deep breath, I fell back to the chair.

A vacation?

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

There were no exact words to describe how I was feeling, a vacation seemed fun and relaxing but with Enzo around, that would ruin a lot.

"He is part of the family and part of your life."

I felt disoriented, sick and tired. My parents trying to push away the circumstances behind I and Enzo's marriage made no sense.

Staring at my room's door, i sighed.

"Yvonne."

Inhaling deeply, I shifted my gaze towards his side, the source of the voice, and there he was. His presence remained unchanged, as did the indescribable expression in his eyes.

"Where have you been? Thought you were kidnapped again." His question came out as emotionless and for a second, I wondered why he was asking.

"I was with my mom." I answered in a low tone.

"I see."

He turned to walk away…

"She desires for us to embark on a family vacation." I said, making him halt.

He turned back at me, his face as stern as always, a hand in his pockets "A vacation?"

"Have your parents forgotten the circumstances behind our marriage?" He asked in a drawl.

Although I had previously asked myself that exact question, I felt insulted for some unknown reason that it’d come from him. I swallowed hard and racked my brain for words to say in my parents’ defense.

“You can be rude all you want to me or anyone else but leave my parents out of that category. They’re only trying to-”

“I would be rude to anyone I deem fit. How they act oblivious to this whole thing is weird. What exactly are they out to achieve?”

"To make us fall in love?"

“Why don’t you go ask them yourself? After all you’re in-laws; you have absolutely no regard for-”

“Don't…Don't talk back at me."

Enzo snapped, cutting me short. I parted my lips but no words came out. He raised a hand, further silencing me.

“I only got married to you to save your family, so don't flatter yourself to think I want to have any romantic relationship with you. Do not forget this."

His brows were furrowed in a deep frown and he wore a mean demeanor. My eyes locked his for a few seconds and I felt a shiver run through me; they were cold as ice with no ounce of emotion.

I looked down at my feet, clenching each of my hands in the other as I withheld tears.

He stormed out angrily and I rose my head slowly, staring after him in dismay at the realization of the heartless and rude savage I married.

Truly, this is my new reality.