Chapter 5: The First Crack
1028 Words
One week into the marriage, Ava learned something about Alexander.
He didn't sleep.
She noticed because his office light was always on. At midnight. At 2 AM. At 4 AM.
She walked past his door one night. It was slightly open. He was sitting at his desk, staring at his computer.
"Alexander?"
He looked up. His eyes were tired. Dark circles beneath them.
"It's 3 AM."
"I know."
"You haven't slept."
"I don't sleep much."
Ava pushed the door open wider. "Why not?"
He didn't answer.
She walked into his office. Sat in the chair across from him.
"Bad dreams?"
His jaw tightened. "Something like that."
"You can talk to me."
"I don't know you."
"You're married to me."
"That's different."
---
Ava looked at his desk. Papers everywhere. A photograph in a silver frame.
A woman. Older. Kind eyes.
"Your mother?"
Alexander's expression softened. "Yes."
"What happened to her?"
"She died. When I was twelve."
Ava's heart ached. "I'm sorry."
"Car accident. My father was driving. He survived. She didn't."
"Where is your father now?"
"He died five years ago. Liver failure. He drank himself to death after she was gone."
Ava didn't know what to say. So she said nothing.
---
She stood. Walked to the window.
"You're not the only one who lost someone."
"I know."
"My mother died when I was sixteen. Cancer. My father spent years drowning in debt. Trying to save the company she built. Failing."
"That's why you signed the contract."
"That's why I signed the contract."
Alexander stood. Walked to stand beside her.
"We're both broken," he said.
"Maybe. Or maybe we're just healing."
"Same thing."
She almost smiled. "You're quoting me."
"You're quotable."
---
They stood in silence. The city lights sparkled below them.
"Why don't you sleep?" Ava asked.
"Because when I sleep, I dream."
"Of what?"
"The accident. My mother's face. The way she looked at me. Like she knew she wasn't coming back."
Ava reached out. Touched his hand.
He didn't pull away.
"You're not alone anymore," she said.
"I've always been alone."
"Not anymore."
---
They stood like that for a long time. His hand in hers.
"You should try to sleep," she said.
"You should too."
"I will. After you do."
Alexander looked at her. His gray eyes were soft.
"You're stubborn."
"I'm persistent. There's a difference."
"Same thing."
"Goodnight, Alexander."
"Goodnight, Ava."
---
She walked to her room. Closed the door.
Her heart was pounding. Her hand was warm where she had touched him.
She was married to a stranger. A man who didn't sleep. A man who dreamed of his mother.
She was starting to care about him.
That was dangerous.
---
The next morning, Alexander was different.
He was still cold. Still distant. But his eyes were softer.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning. Did you sleep?"
"A few hours."
"That's progress."
He poured her coffee. Handed it to her.
"We have a meeting today."
"With who?"
"My lawyers. They want to discuss the estate."
"Estate?"
"The family inheritance. It's complicated."
Ava sipped her coffee. "Why do I need to be there?"
"Because you're my wife."
---
The meeting was held in Alexander's office.
Three lawyers. Thick documents. Serious faces.
"The terms of the trust require Mr. King to be married for one year before accessing the full inheritance," one lawyer explained.
Ava's eyes widened. "You married me for an inheritance?"
Alexander's jaw tightened. "I married you for many reasons."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have."
---
After the lawyers left, Ava confronted him.
"You used me."
"I used you. You used me. We used each other. That's how deals work."
"I thought this was about image."
"It was. It is. The inheritance is part of it."
Ava paced the room. "What else haven't you told me?"
Alexander walked to the window. "My father's will stipulated that I must be married for one year to receive his fortune. If I don't, the money goes to charity."
"And you want the money."
"I want control. The money comes with control."
Ava stopped pacing. "So I'm a means to an end."
"We're both means to each other's ends. You get your father's company. I get my inheritance. Fair."
She wanted to be angry. But he was right.
---
That night, Ava called her father.
"Papa, did you know? About Alexander's inheritance?"
Her father was quiet for a moment. "I suspected."
"You didn't tell me."
"I didn't want to scare you."
"I'm not scared. I'm... confused."
"He's a complicated man, baby. But he saved us. Don't forget that."
---
After the call, Ava walked to Alexander's office.
The light was on.
"Come in."
She opened the door. He was at his desk. Papers everywhere.
"I'm not angry," she said.
"You should be."
"I'm choosing not to be."
He looked up. "Why?"
"Because anger is exhausting. And because you told me the truth. Eventually."
"I should have told you sooner."
"Yes. But you didn't. So now we move forward."
---
Alexander stood. Walked to her.
"You're different."
"So you've said."
"Most people would have yelled. Thrown things. Threatened to leave."
"I'm not most people."
"No. You're not."
He reached out. Touched her face. Just a brush of his fingers.
"Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
"For staying."
"I made a deal. I keep my promises."
"So do I."
---
That night, Ava lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
She was married to a stranger. A man who married her for money. A man who didn't sleep. A man who touched her face and made her heart pound.
She was in trouble.
Across the hall, Alexander stood by his window.
He was thinking about his wife. Her fierce eyes. Her steady voice. The way she had said "I'm choosing not to be angry."
He had used her. Lied to her. Kept secrets.
And she had stayed.
"Why?" he whispered.
The city didn't answer.
But he was grateful.
---
The next morning, Ava woke to flowers.
Dozens of roses. Red. White. Pink.
A card.
*"Thank you for staying. — A"*
She smiled.
The walls were cracking.
And she was starting to fall.
- Writer
