Chapter 3
1086 Words
Ariel's POV
Matt walked in slowly, his brows arched, not into a frown but more like concern.
His eyes went to the cracked mirror, the beads that were all out of their thread, before he turned to me.
"You broke it."
"I'll pay for the mirror. You don't have to worry about that." I sniffled, avoiding his gaze.
"That's not what I'm talking about..." He shut the door and took a few steps inside the room.
"Shouldn't you be downstairs with—"
"She's on a call, and I heard something break. I came to check if you're alright." He took another step forward.
"Well," I wiped my face with my hand and finally looked at him. "I'm alright. There's nothing wrong with me. You can go back to your guest or—"
"Why did you throw the necklace?" He interrupted me immediately.
"Why did you buy it?" I fired back.
His eyes narrowed.
"Why do you do any of it, Matt? The breakfasts, the necklace, asking about my day?" I felt my heart race as my voice increased, "Why pretend to care when you're counting down the days until you can be with... with... her?" I choked on my words.
"I'm not pretending." His face hardened. I could tell he was either offended by my words or the tone of my voice.
This was the first time I had ever expressed my views, let alone raised my voice at him.
"Then what do you call this?" I slapped my hand hard on the bed. "Five years of playing house? Five years of sleeping next to me but never with me? Five years of making sure I knew I was temporary?"
"You knew what this was from the beginning." His voice was cold, and it broke me.
"Did I?" My voice cracked. "Because somewhere along the way, I forgot it was fake. I forgot you didn't choose me. That all I am is just an obligation."
Matt steps closer. His eyes are intense, and I didn't want to hear the next words that would come out of those perfectly shaped lips. "Ariel—"
"No, don't call me."
"Why?" He pressed on.
"Because you don't deserve to."
"Where are all these coming from, Ariel?"
"Tenant?" My bottom lip quivered as I pronounced that word.
"I can explain..."
"I know this whole marriage was meant to be secret..." I gestured with my hands, "But would it hurt if you tell her about the contract? That she sees me and have a little amount of respect for me, Matthew Garfield?" A tear escaped from my eyes and I didn't bother wiping it off.
"It would have made things complicated with her."
"How?"
"She, just like everyone else believes I'm single. She just got into medical school when I met her and we both agreed that we'd get married when she was done. That was long before you came into the picture." He ran his hand through his hair.
"It would break her heart to know that I married someone and I don't think she will buy anything written in the contract." He added.
It would break her heart... But what about mine?
Did my heart get cheaper because I signed a contract?
"I think you should—"
"Matt? Where are you?" Beatrice's voice rang from downstairs.
Matt didn't move, his eyes were fixed on me... till she called the second time.
"I should go." He shook his head.
"Of course you should." I tore my gaze away. "That's all you've ever done."
Matt walked back to the door, but just as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he muttered, "About the necklace..."
"What about it?" There was no emotion in my tone.
"The necklace had been in my desk drawer for five months before I gave it to you. I looked at it every day. I almost gave it to you at your birthday last month or on Christmas a few months back..."
"Why didn't you give it to me back then? Why did you give it to me now?" I probed.
"I gave it to you now because it's our anniversary... But I couldn't the entire time because I knew what it would mean. I knew it would be a lie."
He wasn't making any sense.
"What do you mean?"
"The necklace was never a goodbye, Ariel." He grunted with his eyes closed and the silence between us stretched for a moment.
"It was everything I couldn't say." He whispered.
I got to my feet, but before I could utter a word, he had already left the room.
The door clicked shut and I stood there, with my lips parted and words dying on my tongue.
"It was everything I couldn't say." His words echoed in my head.
Slowly, I sat back down on the bed. My chest felt like something had gone inside and was squeezing it.
I couldn't believe he had that jewelry for four months. That was...
No, Ariel. I shouldn't overthink this.
Then I heard Beatrice's voice echo from downstairs. It was soft at first but then it grew intense.
"Why were you upstairs for that long?" I heard her ask.
Matt replied, but his tone was too low for me to catch.
"Oh, I need to know." Her voice came out sharper.
"This is not your business, Ariel," I told myself and lay flat on the bed, but their voices kept rising, making it difficult for me to ignore.
Were they fighting because of me?
The argument lasted for a while and then there was silence.
Complete silence.
The silence felt worse than the argument, and before I could talk myself out of it, I was out of my room, heading to check on them.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I expected to find them sitting across from each other.
Or standing apart, with the room still thick with tension.
But I ended up walking into Matt, pressing her against the wall, his hand on her waist, as she hung one of her legs around him.
He was kissing her, passionately and deeply, his hands fondling her boobs.
I heard him grunt while she moaned and my heart stopped for a second.
Matthew Garfield had never kissed me, not once in five years... unless you'd count the four-second kiss we had at the courtroom.
And even that felt like charity. But this right here with her? It wasn't charity. It was desire, hunger, and longing.
- Writer
