The mansion seemed to grow bigger the closer we got to it. I know it sounds stupid but it did . But Like obviously it wasn't actually growing. But from inside the car watching it through the window it just kept expanding until it felt like it was gonna swallow me whole.
Three stories of white stone and windows that probably cost more than most people's houses. A fountain in the circular driveway. Actual marble steps leading up to doors that looked like they belonged on a castle.
This was my home now.
The word felt wrong in my mouth . It felt like trying to speak a language I'd never learnedThe driver guy opened my door, and I stepped out on shaky legs. The air even smelled different here.Cleaner somehow. Like even the oxygen was expensive.
Adrian was already walking up the steps. He hadn't said a single word during the twenty minute drive. Just sat there on his phone typing away like I wasn't even in the car with him.
I grabbed my two pathetic suitcases and followed him. They had wheels but one of them kept catching on the smooth driveway and I had to yank it along. Real graceful. I probably looked like exactly what I was. A poor girl pretending to belong somewhere she had no business being.
The front doors opened before we reached them.
A woman stood there in a neat gray dress. Older. Maybe fifty something. Asian features. Kind eyes. She smiled when she saw me and it was the first warm thing I'd seen since getting in that car.
"Mrs. Sterling," she said. "Welcome home."
Mrs. Sterling. There it was again. That name that didn't fit.
"Thank you," I managed.
"This is Mrs. Chen," Adrian said without looking at me. "She manages the household. If you need anything you ask her."
Mrs. Chen..She had the same last name as me. I didn't know if that meant something… or if it was just coincidence."I'll show her to her room," Mrs. Chen said softly.
"No." Adrian finally stopped walking. Turned to look at me with those cold gray eyes. "I'll give her the tour first. We have things to discuss."
The way he said discuss made my stomach drop.
Mrs. Chen nodded and disappeared somewhere into the house .Adrain told me to follow him
, so I did. I left my suitcases by the door and walk behind him like a kid
The inside of the mansion was somehow even more intimidating than the outside. So big so beautiful
Everything was white and cream and gold, like those mansions I see in movies,
The marble floors were so shiny I could literally see myself in them, there was this massive chandelier hanging in the entryway , and the walls were covered with art that looked like it belonged in a museum
"Living room," Adrian said, nodding toward a room full of furniture that looked too nice to actually sit on "Dining room. Kitchen is through there but you won't need to go in it. Mrs. Chen handles meals."
He walked fast, and I had jog a bit to catch up "Library. Study. Guest rooms." He gestured to rooms as we passed them but didn't actually show me the inside.
"The east wing is my private office and bedroom. You don't go there unless I specifically invite you."
"Okay," I said quietly.Rude
We climbed a fancy staircase to the second floor. More hallways. More doors. More rooms I'd probably never actually use.
He stopped in front of a door near the end of one hallway. Opened it.
"Your room."
I stepped inside and my brain just stopped working for a second.I've never seen anything like this before
It was huge. Bigger than my entire apartment had been. A massive bed with white bedding that looked like clouds. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking gardens I hadn't even noticed from the front. A sitting area with a couch and chairs. Doors leading to what I assumed was a bathroom and closet. It was beautiful stunning and almost unreal
"Is this…" didn't let me finish my sentence
"Your room," he repeated. Like it was obvious. Like everyone had rooms like this.
I walked in slowly. Touched the bedspread. It was soft. Really soft softer than the one I had at home .
"The closet is stocked with appropriate clothing in your size," Adrian said from the doorway. "If anything doesn't fit Mrs. Chen will arrange for alterations. Your bathroom has everything you should need. If it doesn't, again, ask Mrs. Chen."
I turned to look at him. He was standing there in his perfect suit looking at me like I was a problem he's tryna solve
"Where's your room?" I asked.
"The east wing. As I said."
"So we're not…" I trailed off. Felt my face get hot.
Something changed in his expression. Might have been amusement. Might have been disgust. Hard to tell.
"This is a contract marriage Miss Chen. Not a real one. We maintain separate quarters." He checked his watch. "Unpack. Freshen up. Meet me in the study in one hour. We need to discuss the terms of our arrangement in detail."
"I thought I already signed the contract."
"You signed the financial agreement. Now we discuss how this actually works on a day to day basis." He turned to leave. Paused. "One hour. Don't be late."
Then he left .
I stood there in that massive beautiful room and felt more alone than I'd ever felt in my tiny apartment.
At least my apartment had been mine. At least there I'd belonged.
This was a cage. Just a really expensive one.
I found my suitcases outside my door ten minutes later. Someone must have brought them up. Probably Mrs. Chen. I dragged them inside and started unpacking.
All my clothes looked wrong here. Faded t-shirts and old jeans and that one nice dress I'd worn to Mom's remission celebration. I hung them in the closet next to the new clothes Adrian had mentioned.
Rows and rows of expensive dresses. Blouses. Skirts. Pants. Shoes lined up on shelves. Everything colored in blacks and whites and creams and navy blues. Nothing bright. Nothing fun. Everything looked like what a billionaire's wife would wear.
Everything here looked like a costume.
Minutes later I took a shower in the bathroom it was bigger than my old own . The water pressure was incredible. The towels were thick and soft and warm somehow. There were products I didn't even know the names of lined up on the counter.
I dried myself and put on my own clothes. Jeans and a sweater. Something that felt like me.
Then I went to find the study.
It took me fifteen minutes and several wrong turns before I found it. The mansion felt like a maze. I was gonna get lost here constantly.
I knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Adrian was sitting behind a massive desk. Still in his suit.Still cold, perfect, and completely untouchable.
The study was beautiful ,dark wood and leather chairs, with more books than I'd ever seen in one place. It smelled like a mix of expensive cologne and old paper.
"Sit," he said.I lowered myself into one of the chairs across from his desk, it felt like I was in the principal's office or something.Then He pulled out a folder. Different from the contract I'd signed yesterday. Thinner.".
" These are the rules," he said. "Learn them. Follow them. One year will go smoothly ."
"Okay."
"Rule one. In public we are a happily married couple. You smile. You laugh at my jokes. You touch my arm. You look at me with the look of love ." His voice was completely flat emotionless . Like he was reading a grocery list. "The media cannot suspect this is anything other than genuine."
"Okay."
"Rule two. In private you stay out of my way. I have my spaces. You have yours. We maintain separate schedules except for required public appearances."
That was harsh I don't even know this man and he's this rude .
"Rule three. You do not discuss the nature of our arrangement with anyone. Not friends. Not family. Not staff. . As far as the world is concerned, we met, fell in love, and got married fast."
"What about my mom?" I asked, my voice tight.
"Just tell her we met through my charity work at the hospital," he said
That I was smitten. Whatever romantic story you think she'll believe." He flipped a page. "Rule four. All public appearances must be approved by me or my assistant James. You'll receive a weekly calendar of required events. Attendance is mandatory."
I nodded. My throat felt tight.
"Rule five. Your appearance must meet certain standards when we're in public. Your Hair, makeup, clothing. Mrs. Chen will help you. There's also a stylist on call."
"I don't know how to do that fancy makeup stuff," I admitted quietly.
"You'll learn." No sympathy in his voice. . "Rule six. For the first month there's a ten PM curfew. If you need to go out you inform either myself or James of your whereabouts."
My head snapped up. "A curfew? I'm not a child."
"You're a stranger living in my home with access to my life and my business. The curfew is non negotiable." His eyes were hard. "After the first month if you've proven trustworthy it will be lifted."
I bit my tongue. Literally bit it to keep from saying something I'd regret.
"Rule seven. No guests in the mansion without prior approval. That includes your mother once she's recovered."
That one really stung. "She's all I have."
"I'm aware. That's why she's alive right now." He said it so casually. Like he was reminding me he owned me. "She can visit once I've approved it."
I looked down at my hands. They were shaking again.
"Rule eight. You do not enter my office or bedroom without explicit invitation. Those spaces are private."
"Fine."
"Rule nine. We maintain the appearance of physical affection in public but there is no expectation of intimacy in private. Those terms are not part of our contract."
My face burned. "I wasn't… I didn't think…"
"I'm clarifying," he said coldly. "So there's no confusion."
I nodded. Couldn't look at him.
"Rule ten. This arrangement ends in exactly one year from yesterday. December fifteenth. At that point we file for quiet divorce. You receive your settlement. You sign your confidentiality agreement. We never see each other again."
Never see each other again.
Yh exactly what I wanted I can't bear to keep seeing this rude rich guy.
"Do you understand all of these terms?" Adrian asked.
"Yes."
"Any questions?"
About a million. But I just shook my head.
"Good." He closed the folder. Stood up. "Dinner is at seven. We eat together most nights. It's good for the staff to see us acting like a real couple. Don't be late."
He walked past me toward the door. I thought he was leaving but he paused.
"And Miss Chen?"
I looked up at him.
"Change before dinner. The jeans are inappropriate."
Then he was gone.
I sat there in that expensive leather chair in that expensive study
This was my life now.
Playing dress up. Following rules. Pretending to be someone I wasn't.
Being nobody.
I stood up slowly. Walked back to my room. Changed into one of the fancy dresses from the closet. Navy blue. Conservative. Nothing like anything I'd ever worn.
Looked at myself in the full length mirror.
I didn't recognize the girl looking back.
Dinner was torture.
We sat at opposite ends of a table that could have easily seated twenty people. Mrs. Chen and another staff member I didn't recognize brought out dishes that probably had fancy French names I couldn't even begin to pronounce.
Adrian ate in silence. Checked his phone between courses.I picked at my food. It was delicious but I couldn't taste it. Everything felt like dust in my mouth.
"You need to eat," he said without looking up from his phone. "You're too thin. It doesn't look right."
Even my body was wrong here somehow .
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't care. Eat."
I ate. Just to avoid another rule. Another criticism. Another reminder that I didn't belong.
After dinner we both left ,he disappeared to his office. I went back to my room.
Sat on that massive bed in that massive room and stared at nothing. Missing home
My phone buzzed. A text from the hospital.
Your mother is resting comfortably. Treatment went well today. Doctors are optimistic.
At least something was going right.
At least she was alive.
That's what mattered. That's the only thing that mattered.
I could survive a year of this. I could follow his rules and play his game and pretend to be his perfect wife.
I could be nobody if it meant my mom got to be somebody. Got to live. You can do this Ali
I lay back on the bed. Stared at the ceiling.Boring .
In my old apartment I could hear everything. Neighbors fighting. Cars honking. Life happening all around me.
Here it was silent.
So silent I could hear my own heartbeat.
So silent I felt like I was disappearing.
I woke up it was dark outside didn't realize I fell asleep someone was knocking on my door.
"Miss Chen?" Mrs. Chen's voice. Gentle. Worried.
I got up. Opened the door. She was standing there with a tray.
"You barely touched your dinner. I brought you some tea and cookies. In case you were hungry."
The kindness made me smile . "Thank you."
She smiled. Handed me the tray. Started to leave. Turned back.
"It gets easier," she said quietly. "Living here. Following his rules. It seems impossible at first but you adjust."
"How long have you worked for him?"
"Five years." She carefully looked down the hallway like she was checking if anyone could hear. "He's not as cold as he seems. He's just… scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of being hurt again." She patted my arm. "Give it time sweetie. You might surprise each other."
Then she was gone.
I closed the door. Set the tray on the table. Picked up a cookie.
It was homemade. Chocolate chip. Still warm.
I bit into it and suddenly I was crying.
Because it tasted like home. Like my mom's cookies. Like everything I'd lost.
I ate the whole plate sitting on the floor of my fancy prison crying into my expensive dress.
This was day one.
I had three hundred and sixty four more to go.
My phone buzzed again. I wiped my eyes and checked it.
Unknown number.
Weekly schedule attached. First event is Friday. Charity gala. Black tie. Car will collect you at 6 PM. Review attached etiquette guidelines. - James
I opened the attachment. Pages and pages of rules about what to say and what not to say and how to hold a wine glass and how to make small talk with rich people.
How to be someone I wasn't.
I set my phone down and stared out the window at the gardens I couldn't even see in the dark.
Somewhere in this massive house Adrian was probably in his office doing whatever he does
I've never felt this bored before somehow I miss working 2 jobs . This place feels suffocating
One year.
I could survive one year.
I had to.