The Fall of a Proud Princess

Chapter 4- Not Prince Charming

DANIELLAH

“This taste delicious.” I'm eating the moist and tender lamb Conrad made.

So hubby can cook, good for him.

“I’m glad you like it,” he devours the food on his full plate.

We keep our dinner conversation light. I fill him in on the charity event we have next Friday and he tells me about his company stock going up and I pretend to understand but he might as well be speaking gibberish.

Conrad is the head of Marketing & Sales for the Hilton Hotels, his job is basically travelling to look for investors and pontential sites for new hotels. He also oversees a few branches around the world that I understood.

“Your mom wants us to have a baby.” I drop the bomb and he nearly chokes on his ice-cream.

What? Dessert seemed appropriate to talk about it.

We left Stacy to clean up and decided to share a small tub of cookie-dough ice-cream in the kitchen for our dessert. I’m sitting on the counter as he leans over it next to me.

“One more time?” He clears his throat.

“She said, two years is enough time and feels like a baby will bring us together and motivate us plant roots or something like that.” I sound nonchanlant but I wasn't having it.

All the color drained from my face when she began to discuss grandkids with me earlier, I wanted to scream HELL NO but clealry couldn't.

“And what did you say?” He looks terrified for some reason.

“I said I’ll discuss it with you,” I shrug though my shoulders tense. “It takes two to tango remember?”

“Yes but it’s your body and stuff,” he puts the tub down. “Do you want a baby?”

“Do you?” I bite the inside of my cheek.

I’m fully aware of my duties as his wife but I’m also 22 years old. I’m still exploring the freedom being Mrs Hilton has provided for me and I might be a glorified housewife now but for the fist time ever no one is telling me what to do.

Well no one except his mom but hers are more like gentle requests and I know my father is still watching but there isn’t much he can do to me now.

I’ve actually done a lot without him knowing. I even managed to help my brother and his friends out of the Paris boarding school he shipped him to. I also saw my mother for first time since I was 16 and I made my first friend.

I admit, considering Emily my friend is a bit sad but if she screws me over I can always fire her.

“Like I said it’s your body,” his eyes are on the ice-cream. “You’ll be there one who has to carry the child, push it out and explain to it why people are always taking our pictures.”

“Conrad.” My eyes communicate more than my tone.

I need more than that.

“Okay, Do I want kids? Yes.” My heart sinks, “but do I want them now? Definitely not, we’re in our 20’s Dee.”

I have to fight the smile that wants to appear on my face.

“It’s bad enough I’m a 23-year-old married man who hasn’t had s*x in 2years, 4months and 3days.” He scoffs. “Maybe we should consider having kids, it will definitely end my dry spell.” He says this part under his breath.

But wait, what?

“You haven’t had s*x since we got engaged?”

I haven’t either but I was going through a break-up and enjoying being sort of free and alone.

“Nope, sadly I am hell bent on torturing myself and staying faithful to a woman that won’t let me touch her.” He avoids eye contact before adding, “it’s like I’m 14 all over again but it’s worse because woman actually throw themselves at me.”

“14?” I know I should address the woman comment but this is a lot of information all at once.

With all his travelling, I expected Conrad to be indulging himself.

“I lost my v-card at my 15th birthday party and have been getting laid till I mailed your engagement ring.” He straightens, "I actually take pills for my blue balls because it’s actual torture."

He walks to our liquor cabinet and I am surprised to see him pull out a bottle of whiskey.

“Okay, I know I should comment on the s*x thing but where did we get alcohol?” I jump off the counter.

When Stacy and I were packing the kitchen, we left the cabinet empty because we were still stocking the wine cellar. That’s still half full.

“Again, I went shopping.”

“Did you get champagne?” I re-open the cabinet and go on my toes to look around. We literally have everything, from tequila to rum but “I swear if you only got yourself—”

“It’s in the fridge. I know you like it chilled.” He says against the bottle and I basically float to there.

We continue eating our dessert while drinking from the bottle from our perspective drinks. I notice how low he has been since I brought up kids so I guess it’s time to offer an olive branch.

“You can sleep with someone.” I hand him the spoon. “I didn’t know you had to take pills to repress yourself, hell I didn’t think you were not—”

“Cheating?" He fills in and I nod. "Yep unfortunately, I take marriage seriously.” He doesn’t bother to hide the regret.

“Well consider this a clause,” I try my best to smile. “As long you don’t get caught by your parents, my father or the paps then I say go crazy, blow some steam.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” He stands straight and I nod.

This marriage is a business transaction. I don’t care who Conrad knocks boots with outside of it as long as he keeps it clean.

“I am serious and use protection too.” I point the spoon at him, “I know that we eventually have to be intimate but I don’t want trouble in future.”

“You’re really cool with me sleeping with another woman?” His tone changes as he looks at me.

“Yeah,” I hand him the spoon. “We’ve been married for two years but this is the first time we’ve been around each other this long alone.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” I sip my champagne.

“Is there someone giving you a release in New York? It would explain why you have basically moved there.” He chases the statement with a sip of whisky.

It might be the champagne or the playful energy from before but I decide to loosen up and tease him a little. I’ve been wondering how far my husband's understanding nature goes.

I think it’s time I found out.

“What if there is?” I rest my elbows on the counter, “I am a lady with needs.”

“Quit playing.” Conrad pushes the tub away and puts his bottle down.

I can’t tell if he’s mad or if he doesn’t believe me,

“Oh he loves playing,” I bite my lower lip. “Why do you think I’m always so reluctant in coming here, he—”

I’m cut off by Conrad wrapping his hand around my neck. He presses my body against the kitchen island and closes the space between us with a step.

Kinky.

He leans into my ear and whispers, “—he what Mrs Hilton? What does your lover do?”

So not only is he the jealous type but he is also a bit possessive. His grip around my neck though very sexy, is not constricting any oxygen intake.

It’s actually pretty weak.

“He. Helps. Me. Release.” I smirk.

His lips are inches from mine as neither one of us attempt to break eye contact. It’s when I bite my lip that he removes his hand from my neck and puts space between us.

“Is that why you wanted me to sleep with someone? Because you’re whoring around?” He growls.

“Excuse you?”

Did he just call me a w***e?

“How else am I supposed to describe a cheating married woman?” He clicks his tongue, “a saint? You’re a princess for Christ sake.”

He must be mad if he's mentioning that I am a princess, it's his calling card.

“I advise you choose your next words carefully Hugh. I will not let you disrespect or insult me.” I fold my arms, my calling card is calling him by his 2nd name.

“I guess the crown is the only thing that makes you a princess because you’re a—” I connect my hand to his cheek before he can finish his sentence.

“I told you to NEVER use that tone with me again!” I unclasp the necklace around my neck and place it on the counter before walking away.

It’s clear he took me way too seriously.

CONRAD

After hearing the upstairs bedroom door slam close, I take a minute before cleaning the kitchen.

Before heading upstairs, I check Dani’s real anniversary gift in the room it’s been in all day and I enter our room to find my wife packing a small suitcase.

Of course she's leaving.

“Where are you going Daniellah?” I return the necklace back into its case and throw it on the bed next to her dress.

“Far away from you.”

She tosses toiletry products into the bag now in straight leg jeans and a Yale sweater with white sneakers.

“So this is how it’s going to be?” I block her entrance to our closet, “every time we have a fight. You’ll just pack and leave?”

“Isn’t that why we have two houses?” She bumps me on her way in.

“I agreed to the penthouse to make you happy. I agreed to your boundaries to make you comfortable. I even agreed to this ridiculously big house—”

“You and your mother chose this ‘ridiculously big’ house! So don’t you dare say it was for me!” She throws a pair of shoes in her suitcase.

“But it was. It’s all for you because like it or not, different houses or not," I pull on her arm so she faces me. "We are stuck together Daniellah.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose to calm down when she jerks her arms off and resumes packing.

“Look, I’m willing to overlook the cheating if—”

“Oh my God Hugh!" She throws her hands in the air, "I didn’t cheat on you!”

What?

“It was a joke, I was kidding.” She flings another pair of shoes into her suitcase.

Fuck.

“Well, how was I supposed to know? I barely see you and it would explain a lot, like why you leave every time we have a fight or disagree.” I point at the suitacase.

“I’m followed by paps everywhere I go in LA. One of my bodyguards is probably a spy for my father. How on earth am I supposed to cheat on you when I’m on constant surveillance?”

I guess that makes sense.

“My point is Dani, I’m trying here,” which is more than what she's doing.

"Trying?" She scoffs while folding a sweater.

“Yes, trying." I sit on the bed and look at my ring. "I’m trying to give you space, trying to be understaing. My job doesn’t even require that much travelling that’s what Skype and Zoom are for but I go for you.”

After our honeymoon, I realized Dani needed to get over her past relationship and heal from the trauma of being in an arranged marriage. I took the company trips so she can have that space to do that but I see now it just made things worse.

Made her worse.

“I try to understand how bad things were for you. I try to understand that you were just a 20year old still in college when the rug was pulled from under you. I try to—”

“What? Save me?” She scoffs. “You can’t. I might be a princess but you are not Prince Charming and I definitely don’t need to be saved.”

But she does.

“I can’t keep travelling and you can’t keep running away.” It’s straining our already pathetic attempt at a marriage.

“Yes, I can because if you have forgotten we are not a real couple.” She's closing her bag as she says, “this is not real. We're not real.”

"Daniellah--"

“We can play dress up and you can cook and be celibate, but it won’t change the fact that we will never be a real couple Conrad.” She looks at her gown on the bed. “And you insulting me isn’t helping either.” She drops the suitcases and pulls up the handle.

“Just tell me how this can work because I can’t keep flying around the world to avoid my own wife. What happens when we have kids?” I deflate.

Being young or not ready is not the only reason I don't want to have children now, we can't bring a family into this life.

“Look,” she looks at me. “You have the option to divorce and leave me but I don’t.”

“Is that so?”

She wants a divorce two years in? We haven’t even tried to make it work.

“Yes," she doesn't hesitate. "This is it for me. You’re my forever, this marriage is forever till you decide its not."

Forever is a long time Dani, I want to interject.

"If you don’t leave me, I’ll have your kids. Love and raise them with the purest form. I'll make sure not to pull the plug when you’re brain dead” I notice the tears that sparkles in her eyes. “I’ll take care of you when you’re sick, I’ll be at every event, speech and big milestone you reach.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Why does she keep running?

“The problem is, I’ll do all that because it’s my duty not because I want to." My chest suddenly hurts, "I’ll never hold you at night. I’ll never say I love you and mean it or kiss you when no one is watching. I will never give you more than what I’m expected, even when we have a family.”

“But I could give you the world.” I stand and face her.

“But I don’t want it Conrad.” She takes a step forward, “I grew up with the world at my feet. My brother had it too and we were still miserable.”

“Dani—” I step forward but she moves back.

“You clearly still need time and space to accept that just like with my title back home, I’m only your wife on paper. A paper that bounds me to you.” She hold the suitcase handle, “so it’s best I leave so it sinks in.”

“What if it’s not enough? What if I want more?” I call when she reaches the door.

“Then you can leave.” She twists the doorknob and walks out.