The Unexpected Bride

Chapter 7

No fight. No defense. Just quiet resignation, like she believed she deserved the coldness he’d given her.

His jaw tightened as he turned away, raking a hand through his hair in silent frustration not at her, but at himself. At the way she moved like someone expecting nothing more than silence in return. As if she’d already accepted she didn’t matter.

He didn’t stop her.

Didn’t call her name.

But as the sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway and the door clicked shut behind her, he muttered to no one but the shadows,

“You didn’t make me angry… I just don’t know how to deal with someone like you.”

The night felt heavier now.

Quieter.

Colder.

And for the first time in a long time, he found himself staring at a closed door… wondering why it suddenly felt so far away.

Nova's Room

In the room, Nova couldn’t hold back her tears.

“What exactly did I do wrong?” she whispered through sobs.

“I was only trying to make ends meet, just trying to earn a little money. And now he’s telling me not to go anymore. Am I supposed to just sit at home and do nothing?”

Her voice cracked, frustration mingling with hurt.

“He said this isn’t a prison… but it feels so much worse.” She let out a sharp, broken sound, half a cry, half a laugh of disbelief. “Wash!”

Curling into herself on the edge of the bed, her hands clutched the sheets as if anchoring herself to something real. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. The room felt darker than before, despite the soft glow of moonlight slipping through the slightly parted curtains.

“I didn’t ask to be here,” she whispered to the silence, her voice raw.

“I didn’t ask for pity. I just… wanted to do something for myself.”

She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as her thoughts spiraled deeper.

He says it’s not a prison, but I can’t go out. I can’t work. I can’t even breathe without being told I did something wrong. What am I to him? A burden? A stray? Some kind of project?

The ache in her chest deepened. Gratitude warred with frustration thankful for shelter, yet feeling caged in someone else’s world. A world with rules she didn’t understand and punishments she never saw coming.

Wiping her wet cheeks, she glanced at the closed door.

“I’m not a child… and I’m not his responsibility,” she murmured bitterly.

“If this isn’t a prison, then why do I feel like I’ve been locked away?”

Her voice trembled with defeat, but her eyes red-rimmed and glistening still held a faint spark of defiance. She didn’t know how long she could last in that house, but she knew one thing:

She wouldn’t let it break her quietly.

Her sobs eventually slowed, leaving only the hollow stillness of exhaustion. Her stomach let out a low growl a reminder she hadn’t eaten since the afternoon but she didn’t move. The shame, the helplessness, the weight of his cold words held her motionless.

She wrapped her arms around her middle, clutching herself tightly as if trying to guard what little strength she had left.

“I’ll just… close my eyes for a minute,” she whispered, her voice now a thread of sound.

The room fell silent.

A breeze stirred the curtain, shadows dancing faintly on the wall. Somewhere in the distance, a clock ticked, marking time that felt as if it stood still.

Eventually, her breathing evened out.

She didn’t dream.

She simply drifted into sleep curled in on herself, a slight frown on her face, and a hunger that no one had yet thought to feed.

Next Morning

Fletcher's House

Nova's Room

The soft morning light crept through the curtains, casting pale golden lines across the floor. Birds chirped faintly outside, their cheerful notes jarringly out of place amid the quiet heaviness that clung to Nova’s room.

She stirred slowly, lashes fluttering as she blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling. For a fleeting moment, she forgot where she was, until the memories of the night before came crashing back all at once.

The tears.

The shouting.

The ache of an empty stomach.

A quiet groan escaped her lips as she sat up, her body stiff and sore from the tight ball she’d slept in. Her stomach growled immediately, a dull, gnawing ache that throbbed beneath her ribs.

Her eyes drifted to the door, and her heartbeat stumbled.

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