The Virgin Bride

One Year Later

It was true that my life had not been the same since my wedding.

At first, I was afraid because Arthur and I barely spoke, but he still gave me a couple of credit cards just for me. However, after what I had seen that day, I didn't want to touch a single cent of his money until one sleepless night I realized something.

I didn't love Arthur, no matter how attractive he was. He didn't really see me as a woman either, so it really shouldn't matter to me what he did with other women as long as it didn't affect me.

With that thought in mind, I didn't feel any remorse when I spent my first thousand dollars on a handbag, and although I didn't really need it, I truly enjoyed spending his money. It was, in a way, compensation for the trauma I had to endure.

As time went by, I discovered that Arthur had his own life. Meaning, it hadn't affected him at all that we were married since we didn't actually live in the same house.

From what I had heard some employees say, Arthur had an apartment not far from his office, so he stayed there on workdays and only came on weekends. Perhaps to see if I was still alive. But even so, he has no connection or interest in me. I was just a decoration in his beautiful and luxurious house, just as I had always been.

Months went by without me noticing, and with all the free time and money on my card, I eventually decided to take control of my life and not let others control me.

So, I decided to finish my studies online and also take a language course. Thus, during the mornings, I was very busy with classes, and in the afternoons, I spent my time on assignments and projects that I had to submit to make up for lost time.

Little by little, I gained the trust of Arthur's employees, like the housekeeper. From the day I set foot in that house, she looked at me with a certain disdain. Perhaps because of my age or simply because she didn't expect the lady of the house to actually be a girl. At least on that, I didn't entirely agree. I deserved respect, whether she liked it or not. So from my arrival, I avoided crossing paths with her. But when I resumed my studies and used the large dining table as my private office, she was a bit more cordial towards me.

Without me asking, she began bringing me breakfast or lunch while I was in class. We didn't exchange a word, but it was easy to see that her attitude towards me had changed, no longer so cold and no longer so distant.

I also managed to get along a bit with the gardener, thanks to having a twenty-minute break between each class, so I would go out to the garden to stretch my legs and get some sun, and that's where I met him. He was quite a pleasant man, in his fifties or sixties, and seemed to have a lot of experience. And although I wasn't very interested in the world of flowers, sometimes it was nice to talk to someone other than myself since I didn't really have any friends.

I started to think my life wasn't so bad until my 16th birthday came around. In reality, my birthdays weren't all that special, but at least at my father's house, it was only the servants who celebrated my birthday, and I was happy with that. But being alone in the mansion that belonged to Arthur Sallow, my birthday felt even emptier.

It was a cold Saturday in September, in the middle of autumn, and it's not that I didn't like this season. in fact, as a child, I loved it. I adored throwing myself into piles of leaves dyed red and orange, rainy afternoons, and also the horror movies I could watch on broadcast television, since my father had forbidden me from having that kind of entertainment.

But being alone with no one to celebrate my birthday with, I had mixed feelings, between sadness, loneliness, and also a bit of optimism. The latter encouraged me to see the day in a better light. After all, I was free to do whatever I wanted, and I had an unlimited card in my pocket, which couldn't give me the company I needed. It did help me forget that this birthday would be different.

After putting on a blue dress that I loved, I took one of the many bags I already had, thanks to Arthur, and left my room with the idea of not returning until nightfall. However, as I went down the stairs and headed to the front door, I noticed a man who seemed to be the postman.

I was surprised that he was allowed entry to the mansion, since the place was fenced off, like many houses in the area. The man handed the mail to the housekeeper, and as I approached, she looked surprised and handed me the envelopes.

In total, there were five envelopes. Four of them addressed to Arthur, but the last one had my name written on it. So I handed the rest to Mrs. Helen and opened the envelope, as it seemed to be something related to real estate. It could be that my card had no limit, but I didn't remember buying any property. I immediately became worried, thinking that someone might have cloned my card to make purchases in my name.

I immediately called the bank and asked them to block my card, in case someone continued buying expensive things. After mentioning that the purchase of what seemed to be an apartment was a transaction I didn't recognize, they told me that the purchase had been made by my husband using his account, but he had put it in my name, something I truly didn't expect.

"Had he bought me a flat for my birthday?" was the first thing I thought, but more and more doubts came to my mind.

Why would he do that? Did he feel guilty for marrying a teenager? Did he intend to give me more freedom with that flat?

I didn't want to be left wondering, so I put the documents in my bag and left the house.

I arrived in central London quickly and asked the driver to park very close since I would be making several shopping trips and didn't want to walk too much to drop off each bag.

First, I went to Deni's, a jewelry shop very popular on i********: and therefore quite expensive. I bought a rabbit-shaped ring that I loved and a matching necklace.

Afterwards, I went to a shop around the corner, which had something very special that had forced me to avoid it at all costs, since not even my sister had clothes from this brand. Not because she couldn't afford it, but because I had heard that Sophie had a problem with one of the managers at a branch in Italy. And for some reason, they had looked down on her for dressing as sensually as she usually did.

My dress didn't reveal anything. I didn't believe they would discriminate against me here solely for my taste in clothing, but still, I hesitated for a second before the doorman opened the door for me.

It was a CHANEL store, and this shop was selling a pair of gloves I had fallen in love with when I saw them in their online autumn-winter catalog.

It could be that my family held that resentment against the brand because of one person. But since it was my birthday, I wasn't going to leave that place unless I got what I wanted. And as if it were any shop, when I asked for my product, they packaged it for me. After paying, they handed it over without any problem. I was a bit surprised.

Upon leaving, I headed to a café to have a pumpkin pie and a mocha with lots of foam. I had to kill time before going to Arthur's office. He was supposed to leave work at four in the afternoon, but he usually had meetings and appointments until seven. Only then could I find him at his flat.

I wasn't sure how I would spend the day, but I wanted to talk to him about that purchase. I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing. And if that flat really was a gift, all I could do was thank him for his kindness.

I could hardly believe he would make such a gesture. And it wasn't just the flat, but the fact that he thought of me and, for some reason, remembered my birthday.

After finishing lunch, I took a walk in a nearby park while looking for recommendations on the internet to have a good time while waiting to see Arthur. But as I crossed the street, from afar I saw a small shop with just a white door as the entrance next to a large window where the name "Elegant Man" could be read.

When I arrived and peeked through the window, I saw that it was a*****e selling elegant ties and handkerchiefs for gentlemen. I honestly didn't know that anyone still uses embroidered handkerchiefs these days, but the store was open, so I went in.

In my mind, there was an internal struggle about whether or not to choose something for Arthur. I still wasn't sure if the apartment was for me, but I couldn't stop thinking about the embarrassment I would feel if it really was true. I wanted to thank him somehow.

"Can I help you with something, Miss?" a man said behind me, and when I turned, I saw a red-haired man, young, maybe around the same age as Arthur, I wasn't sure.

"I would like to buy a handkerchief," I said with some nervousness as he had taken me by surprise, and I wasn't even sure how to buy a handkerchief.

"Of course," he smiled at me, "Were you looking for any particular style?"

"Not really. It's the first time I'm buying one," I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Is it a gift?" he asked, perhaps to help me choose.

"Yes, it is."

"If it's for your father or grandfather, I have these styles," he pointed to a type of model in his display case. The colors were dark, with elegant but simple patterns, and there were a couple of models embroidered with gold or silver thread. “If it's for your boyfriend, I can show you this other type."

Nearby, there was another display case with more colorful and simple handkerchiefs that made me lose interest. I thought the first handkerchiefs were more appropriate for Arthur, although I wasn't entirely sure if he would use them or not.

"Could you show me this one, please?" I expressed upon seeing a very nice and elegant handkerchief, remembering a suit I had seen Arthur wear.

The man took it from its place and handed it to me to examine. It was quite lovely, and its price seemed quite reasonable to me, so I decided to take it.

"I want it," I said, returning the handkerchief for him to wrap it up.

"This model, being the most expensive, comes with a gift tie," he informed me, although it didn't seem really expensive to me. So in the end, I left that place with a tie and a handkerchief that matched, but I waited twenty minutes for the man to finish embroidering the initials "A" and "S."

While putting away the small box with my gift for Arthur, I had some trouble opening my purse, so I had to take things out to make space.

These were the documents for the purchase of the apartment. I hadn't noticed the exact address, but upon seeing it, I realized it wasn't far from there.