Ch. 1: What People Don't Know

Natalie Hills thought about her perfect life as it is to everyone who viewed it from outside. She is the gorgeous and sexy wife of a famous billionaire. What else is there for her to worry about if not to enjoy and swim in riches? 

She was supposed to be happy, and feel fulfilled, instead of allowing emptiness and loneliness to overwhelm her, but she couldn't ignore the obvious.

Admiring the spectacular view through the window, she thought about how the beautiful scenery outside is shading the raging storm inside her heart.

She was supposed to feel on top of the world because she is living her dreams, but the secrets lurking around the house she has been marrying herself in for the past two years are too big to ignore. 

She turned around and slowly walked to the middle of the living room and stared at the television, where her husband, Oscar Georges, was being interviewed by the press. 

She should be proud and boastful about the fact that her husband is a handsome, gentle and famous billionaire, but she wasn't. She rather felt exhausted and sick of her life in general.

Hissing, she set the glass of wine she held on the center table, took her phone and dialed her friend's number. It was high time she told someone about her married life.

While she placed the phone on her left ear and turned to stare at her faint reflection on the glass window, she remembered the last day she saw her childhood sweetheart, Archer, who happens to be her husband's brother.

They all went to summer camp. She was the only outsider in the midst of the wealthy and famous Georges family, invited by her friend, Aria, the only daughter of the Georges. 

The two brothers, Oscar and Archer, had fought, but no one cared to listen to the two sides of the story. They took Oscar's word and shushed Archer. He was the illegitimate son after all, so he angrily left the camp.

She didn't expect him to give up so easily. She expected him to at least think about her and not leave, but he left without even leaving a message for her. She was heartbroken and cried all night, since then, she never saw him again.

He said he loved her, and he made so many promises, but they were all lies. He didn't look back when he walked out of her life and he never reached out to her again.

"Hey, Natalie!" Stephanie's voice interrupted her thoughts. It was a good thing she picked up at the right time before she recalled more painful days after his disappearance.

"Stephanie Howard, where on Earth have you been for the past few weeks?" Natalie wanted to sound enthusiastic to hear her friend's voice after so many weeks, but her cracking voice gave her in. 

"That voice… Natalie, are you okay?" Stephanie asked worriedly.

She could see her friend's face frowning and eyes filled with worry. It is like Stephanie notices her sadness even though she can't see the tears that have formed in her eyes. 

She is that friend that she could trust with anything and that is why she has to tell her what has been eating her up. 

"I'm not fine," She replied with a croaky voice.

"Should I come over?" 

"I would love that. I have a lot to tell you, Steph." Natalie broke into tears. 

Her world is shattering. It has been crumbling from the day she turned ten years old, but she has been ignoring it until two years ago when her heart started ripping apart. She's slowly drifting away without knowing. She needs a shoulder to lean on.

"Are you crying, Nat?" Stephanie's sigh brought a smile to her gloomy face.

"Hey, don't worry about me, you know how tough I am. Let's see when you come. Okay?" Natalie tried to cheer herself up.

"Alright. See ya," 

"Yeah." Natalie cut the call and sank into a chair.

She picked the glass of wine again and drained it. She laughed throatily at herself as she went through the memory lane again. The most painful part of her life.

Having a drunk and a gambler as a father and a drug addict as a mother, she has never felt really happy her entire life. She didn't know that she was a collateral for the huge amount of money that the Georges loaned them.

She promised herself that she would only marry a man that would always be there for her when she needs him. Someone that will stay by herself when it is storming out and kiss her fears away. Someone that would never do anything to hurt her.

It turned out that she must've watched a lot of love movies and read too many fantasy books that she couldn't discern reality and beautification to work of literature created to entertain. She was just a bait. 

She didn't want love. She believed that anyone who wanted a good man and still hoped for true love is being greedy. She chose to have only the good man because, together they can build their love, by starting with trust and care as foundation. 

She is more like a prisoner in her husband's house. Many single women out there who envy her don't know that she envies their freedom. She is living in bondage, she has always been and that seems to be her destiny.

She stood up shakily, feeling light-headed and dizzy, she swayed, fell back to the seat, then pushed herself up again and quietly went to the kitchen.

What is the use of all these luxuries when she is not enjoying them? If she had the power to rewrite her life, she wouldn't have chosen this hell she is living in. 

This luxurious estate. The big and fancy mansion she resides in. Soaring ceilings, large windows with postcard perfect views flooded with natural light, grand entrance, multiple fireplace and meticulously maintained multi-million mansion.

Of course there are the expansive outdoor spaces such as gardens and swimming pools. The guest houses, wine cellars, video room, home gyms, lounge, ballroom, patio and live-in quarters designated for staff, cooks, gardeners, laundress, drivers, armed guards and other household workers all in one multi-million estate.

She is the queen of this territory, but she is not satisfied. So many things are missing in her life and that is why she must find a way to disentangle herself from the mess or remain a prisoner of the Georges forever.

As she set the empty wine glass on the kitchen counter and turned to retrace her steps, she saw a man standing in the doorway, hands in pockets, eyes fixed on her and a bag hung over one shoulder. 

Archer! Her eyes widened first, her lips patted, hands rose to clutch her racing heart, and head pounding as if she was being hit with a pestle. She swayed, this time, nothing held her as she bumped her head on the counter and instantly went unconscious.

Archer hated to meet Natalie again in such a state. He left without saying goodbye to her because he knew that he was only going to keep hurting her. He was no good and he had nothing, so there was no way he was going to be able to take care of her the way she deserved.

It has been ten years since he last saw her, but he remembers his first love. He never forgot the smell of her, and the way she smiles as if she had nothing to worry about. The way she cried when she can't hold it in anymore and how he says his name breathlessly.

He couldn't come back or try to reach her because he knew that she was going to be traded for money by her broke parents. She didn't deserve that, but he couldn't help her and that was one of the many reasons why he ran away like a coward. 

He hoped to make a lot of money someday and come to rescue her, but ten years have already passed and he has nothing to call his own. He is a loser. He has always been in the family that he never felt belonged.

Seeing her faint in front of him like that, pain ripped through his heart and he realized that he has been wrong and selfish all along. He could have done more than run away because she didn't faint because of shock, but the pain she has been holding inside for the past ten years.

He hurriedly carried her into the living room, laid her on the couch and called her name. Her eyes fluttered open and tears streamed down the corners of her eyes. 

"Archer," She whispered softly, eyes locked with his as he cradled her head. 

"Ma'am, are you okay?" 

Archer didn't know when the woman came inside and the way she looked at him told him that she didn't trust him around Natalie. He didn't blame her for being wary of him since she didn't know their story.

Judith, her private chef, stepped into the room and sent him another long disdainful look before she talked softly to Natalie. When she looked at him again, she asked him what he did to her.

"I'm fine, Judith. He actually helped me when I fell and hit my head on the kitchen counter." Natalie told her.

"You fell?"

"Who fell?"