Chapter 6
The wedding rituals were exhausting, with one ceremony blending into the next. By the time everything was over, I could barely straighten my back.
Noticing my fatigue, Frederick suggested softly, “Why don’t you go freshen up?”
I blinked at him, feeling a flicker of embarrassment.
It was our wedding night, after all. His words were innocent enough, but there was an undertone of intimacy that was hard to ignore.
The thought of what might happen later made my face heat up and my ears burned with a crimson glow.
“I… um…” My words trailed off awkwardly.
Frederick chuckled lightly, removing his suit jacket with practiced ease. He crossed
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the room, opened the closet and pulled out an extra blanket. Placing it neatly on the side, he said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to push you into anything. We‘ re married now–there’s no need to rush. We’ll take things one step at a time.”
True to his word, Frederick didn’t try to cross any lines. Though we shared the same bed that night, the extra blanket between us served as a quiet reminder of the space he was willing to give me. As I stared at the ceiling, thoughts of his family’s generous betrothal gifts began to cloud my mind. I couldn’t understand it. We had no history, no shared memories and no reason for his sudden appearance in my life, so why had he chosen to marry me?
The question burned in my chest until I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Frederick,” I called softly, “why did you come to my family with so much gifts?”
He didn’t respond immediately, his
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breathing steady and even.
His breathing was steady and quiet and for a moment, I thought he might have fallen asleep. Just as I was about to let the matter drop, his deep voice broke the silence.
“Because I wanted to marry you.”
His answer was so straightforward, so unguarded, that it left me speechless.
I stared at the ceiling, my mind reeling. “Did we know each other before?” I asked hesitantly.
This time, there was no reply.
Before I could process the silence,
Frederick rolled over and, through the
barrier of the blanket, wrapped his arms around me.
“If you‘ re not sleepy,” he teased, “why don‘ t we find something more meaningful to do?”
“N–no, I’m sleepy. And very tired. Good night,” I squeaked, squeezing my eyes
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shut.
In the darkness, I heard him chuckle–a soft, quiet laugh.
*
Meanwhile, at the Rollins household, the chaos was brewing.
“Look for it!” Daniel’s voice thundered; his frustration echoing through the room.
“Find out who Lenore married!”
Daniel’s rage exploded as he slammed his foot into the coffee table, sending it crashing to the ground. His eyes blazed with fury and his chest heaved with barely contained anger.
Grace, dressed in a scarlet silk nightgown, cowered in the corner, trembling.
Summoning her courage, she tentatively reached for his arm. “Daniel… tonight‘ s our wedding night…”
But before her fingers could even graze him, he shoved her away with a venomous
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glare. “Get out!” he bellowed.
His mind was a whirlwind of disbelief.
Married?
The word echoed in his head like a cruel taunt. How could I have married someone else without him even knowing? The thought was a dagger to his heart.
His fingers fumbled as he dialed my number again and again, but all he got was the cold, unfeeling voice of the automated operator. Every message he sent was swallowed by the void, leaving him with nothing but the mocking silence of rejection.
Desperate, Daniel clung to the past, scrolling through our old conversations with trembling hands. He read every word, his emotions swinging wildly between bitter laughter and helpless tears.
When someone finally told him I had
married Frederick, the youngest heir of the Cortez Family, his shock turned into
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Chapter 6
desperation. Without even pausing to put on his shoes, Daniel grabbed his car keys and sped off toward the Cortez estate.
Meanwhile, I was sound asleep when I vaguely heard someone shouting in the distance. Stirring slightly, I tried to push the noise away. But as my mind cleared, the words grew sharper and more distinct.
“Lenore! Come out here! I won t let you marry anyone else you‘ re mine!”
The familiar voice made me sit up abruptly, my heart sinking with dread. Instinctively, I turned to the side, expecting to see Frederick, but the space beside me was empty. A faint rustling sound came from the balcony. My pulse quickened as I slipped out of bed and padded toward the noise.
Outside, Daniel’s shouting continued, his voice hoarse but unwavering. “Lenore! I’m not leaving until you come out! I love
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Chapter 6
you! Come home with me! I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted–I swear I’ll never make you angry again!”
The sound of his pleas grated on my nerves, each word clawing at my patience. Stepping onto the balcony, I found Frederick leaning casually against the railing, a cigarette balanced between his fingers. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as he observed the chaos unfolding below.
Noticing my presence, he stubbed out the cigarette and turned to face me. “Did he wake you?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly.
I nodded, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Yeah.”
It was our wedding night–supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, yet here we were, dealing with a crazy ex–boyfriend causing a scene. Most men would’ve been livid, but Frederick remained unfazed. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, nor
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did I know how to navigate the awkward silence between us.
Frederick’s gaze dropped to my feet, his brows knitting together. “Why aren’t you wearing your slippers?” he asked, his tone sharper now.
“I was in rush, didn’t think to put it on,” I mumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
Without another word, he bent down and scooped me into his arms. The unexpected motion made me gasp softly and I instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders.
He carried me back to bed, his hold steady and firm and gently set me down. Then, as if tucking in a child, he pulled the blanket over me and patted it softly. “Go back to sleep. It’s still early.”
“But he’s still down there, making a scene. What if he wakes the neighbors? Don’t you think we have to do something to…” My words trailed off. I was not sure
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Chapter 61
if he even cared.
“I’ll have someone take care of it,” he said simply. Pulling out his phone, he made a quick call and then climbed back into bed beside me.
Not another word he said about the matter. His calmness both reassured and puzzled me. Given that our marriage was more of an arrangement than anything based on love, perhaps it wasn’t something worth dwelling on. With that thought, I let my eyelids grow heavy and drifted off once
more.
When I woke again, the first thing I reached for was my phone. It had powered off overnight, drained of battery. I plugged it in and waited for it to turn back on, yawning as I stretched.
The screen lit up and a flood of notifications poured in–missed calls, unread messages, all from Daniel. His name dominated my screen like a bad dream I couldn‘ t escape.
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Opening our chat, I skimmed the countless messages without reading them. My fingers hovered over the keyboard before I finally typed a single response:
“I’m married now. Please don‘ t contact me again.”
Almost immediately, his reply came through:
“Lenore, stop joking around. I know you‘ re upset about me marrying Grace, but I can explain everything. Let’s meet at the coffee shop.”
I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I deleted our entire conversation, along with every trace of his contact information. There was no need to hold onto the past. It was time to move forward, once and for all.
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