Chapter 1 Loveless marriage

VIVIAN

“Thank you for driving me home, Bree.” I hugged Aubrey before stepping out of her shiny red Porsche. “You know Nathan, he’s a... workaholic,” I explained.

I was trying to justify why my husband hadn’t attended my birthday party and why he hadn’t even come to pick me up so late at night.

“Never mind.” Aubrey gave me an understanding smile. “Sweet dreams.” She tried to cheer me up with a grin.

I forced a smile onto my face. “You too. Drive safely.”

“I will.” She blinked before shifting gears.

I stood on the veranda to watch her drive away. The engine roared as the fashionable car dashed down the empty street. The noise quickly faded, leaving me with a silent sense of loneliness. I opened the front door of our mansion.

I kicked off my high heels and stumbled through the hallway, switching on the lights.

No one was there. The doormat was as clean as my face.

My husband, Nathan, hadn’t returned.

I tossed my handbag onto the floor and walked barefoot into the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of water and downed it to quell the restlessness in my heart.

Our luxurious mansion was as cold and empty as always. Our hard-working maid, Lucy, had made sure it was meticulously tidy, as if it were a film set.

But it didn’t feel like a home.

It had been two weeks since Nathan and I got married. I could count on one hand the number of days I had actually seen him in this mansion. He left early in the morning and returned late at night. And even when we met, we hardly spoke. We greeted each other courteously, like barely acquainted roommates.

I might have been more enthusiastic towards Lucy than towards him.

I supposed this wasn’t normal for a married couple, but this was my life now, and I had to endure it.

Because Nathan never loved me, nor did he want me as his wife. Our marriage was built upon family interests. Our fathers wished to merge some of their businesses and strengthen the ties between our companies. Nathan and I were just collateral damage.

I lumbered out of the kitchen. All I wanted was a good night’s sleep. I wished to collapse onto my soft bed and lose myself in unconsciousness right away. But I couldn’t. I needed to wait for Nathan and tell him about the charity party my father was going to hold tomorrow night. My father had reminded me multiple times in his call earlier this morning not to forget to invite Nathan.

I sighed as I slumped into a soft armchair and curled up. I pulled my legs close to my chest and rested my chin on my knees.

Then I closed my eyes.

My head began to throb. I had drunk too much at the nightclub earlier. I was pretty sure Lucy had told me there were hangover remedies in the storeroom, but I didn’t bother to get up and look for them.

I was exhausted. I used my fingertips to massage my temples, just as my mom used to do for me, trying to ease the headache.

My phone rang, and a message popped up.

It was from Jessica.

[Happy birthday to the most beautiful girl on this planet!!] She sent, accompanied by a celebrating emoji. I imagined Jess’s expression when she sent this message. I couldn’t help but smile.

As I was about to reply to her, another message came.

[How’s your married life? Wedding night? Exciting? Enjoyable? Or hot??] she sent, along with a series of sly winks.

Wedding night? I stared at the question. Did Jess mean the night Nathan got himself drunk and slept like a log on the couch?

Nathan and I had never slept together. He avoided me like an ascetic. He said he’d use one of the guest rooms since he returned late every night and didn’t want to disturb my sleep.

I knew it was an excuse, but I didn’t want to argue with him.

The phone screen gradually dimmed, and I lit it up to type a reply.

[Don’t mention it. I was disappointed.] I replied with a sad face emoji.

[?] Jess sent, quickly followed by an [Oh dear... I thought he’s... you know, he looks huge. That’s definitely a fraud!]

I giggled at Jess’s reply and sent [Yeah. Never judge by appearances.]

I laughed as I exited the chat with Jess and scrolled down. My finger stopped at Nathan’s name.

I clicked the chat, and a message popped up on the screen.

It simply said, “Happy Birthday.” No other words. As if he was going to discuss business with me.

He sent it this morning, and I hadn’t replied.

I took a deep breath as I shifted my gaze to his avatar. I clicked on it, and his profile picture quickly filled the screen. It was a cartoon picture of a beautiful little bird.

This cute avatar didn’t match his serious demeanor, puzzling many.

But I knew why he had chosen it.

This image was drawn by our old friend, Annika Summers, the woman Nathan had loved with all his heart.

Before Annika appeared, I had always thought Nathan and I could be a perfect match. Our families had been close friends for generations. Nathan and I were childhood friends. We had known each other since we were toddlers. When I was a kid, I followed Nathan like his shadow. And as I grew up, he became the white knight in my romantic dreams.

He was the man every girl desired.

He was tall, handsome, and well-cultured. He had perfect gray eyes and chiseled features. The way he smiled was alluring, making you believe he might fall in love with you.

That’s why I had been deeply deluded.

I had always believed he felt the same way about me. But I was wrong. He never liked me. He allowed me to follow him around only because our families were close. He regarded me as his little sister.

It was when Annika Summers entered our world that I realized my sweet maiden dreams were nothing but foolish lies. I had seen them kiss. I had seen Nathan hold her gently in his arms and whisper to her.

I had been indignant and jealous. I had been the wicked queen in Snow White. I had been a snobbish stepsister in Cinderella.

That’s why he decided to trap me in this loveless marriage. He held me hostage and wanted me to pay for what I did to Annika.

Three months ago, Nathan Sadoc approached me about our engagement. I hadn’t seen him once after Annika left, yet suddenly, he suggested that we get married.

I silently listened to him, and when he finished, I said, “No.”

Nathan frowned. He might have thought I would accept his offer ecstatically. He might have thought I would be over the moon.

“You don’t want to marry me?” he questioned.

I sighed and replied, “I no longer like you.”

His frown deepened as he stared into my eyes. I jerked my head away to avoid eye contact. I was afraid of losing myself again.

“Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Very well.” He rose from his seat and glanced at me. Then he left without saying another word. He didn’t even try to convince me.

I had thought that was the end of it. Nathan and I would never see each other again. But fate was always cruel. When I decided to stay away from him, fate tightly entwined us together.

Our fathers intervened, and the marriage was set in stone. My protest was in vain. I was forced to make vows and exchange rings with Nathan.

We vowed that we would love each other until death do us part.

What a lie!