Chapter 002
1326 Words
Chapter 002
Lucas's POV
The church was surprisingly cold. The source of the cold was something heavier and darker than the winter air that filtered in through the old windows. It felt as though the walls were holding on to their heat. I stared straight ahead, trying not to look around, but I could feel eyes on me, curious, sharp, like a freak in a cage. None of it appealed to me. I didn't want a big show or long speeches. I only desired a brief marriage that ended abruptly. That was the plan.
There was Millie. There she stood, weak and silent. As though it were the only thing keeping her together, her shaking hands twisted the fabric of her dress. Her eyes were bright and wide, and for a moment I could see the flash of something like fear behind them. The impact of her fear affected me more deeply than I had anticipated. I decided to disregard it. pretended it didn't exist.
The priest began to speak, but his words were unclear. I was not getting the usual assurances or blessings. Instead, I watched Millie's fingers tighten her dress. She seemed to want to run, but she couldn't.
"Are you legally married to this woman?" The sound of the priest's voice made me shudder. I swallowed hard and nodded. My voice felt stuck somewhere deep.
That nod was all it took. The ink on the papers dried. The room erupted in polite applause, but it sounded fake. empty. We didn't speak to each other. We didn't swear or make any promises. A single penstroke locked us both into something we didn't want.
Then the silence between us in the car was about to end. Millie stared out the window, never focusing on me but following the flickering city lights.
"Are you okay?" I asked, breaking the silence.
She swallowed hard and nodded, but she didn't look at me.
Something about her seemed strange. I reached out and lightly touched her hand. As if I had stung her, she winced.
I pulled back, my heart pounding. What had I done?
That night, I poured myself a drink and looked out at the city from our penthouse. Finally, I caught sight of her on the balcony, clad in a silk robe, her hair fluttering in the chilling wind.
Her face was haunted but gentle. She appeared too distressed to divulge a secret. I had a query. I needed to know what those eyes were focusing on.
I whispered, "Millie."
No answer. The door clicked shut before I could speak again.
What made me believe that I was the one who had broken her?
What darkness was she concealing herself in?
And who was she really behind all the masks and lies?
Questions raced through my head like an uncontrollable storm.
What had I just promised?
"Do you think this will continue?" In my mind, a voice whispered.
"I'm not sure." Another voice answered.
"Looks like a trap."
"Perhaps."
I paced the room restlessly. I wasn't the only thing she feared. She was filled with a darker, more profound fear.
I couldn't stop thinking about how soft her skin looked under that robe and how her perfume was subdued but ominous, like a warning.
Was it wrong to want to touch her? Do I need to hold on to her?
I shook my head at the thought. No. I was not the kind of man who allowed feelings to interfere with his actions. No more.
But then I heard her whisper in the dark, so faint I almost missed it—
"I'm scared."
The impact of her words affected me more deeply than I had anticipated.
Was she afraid of me? Or could it be something else?
I was trying to find answers. I was in a state of panic.
But there was only silence.
I leaned back against the wall, my heart pounding.
Who was this woman? And why had she already looked so ruined?
As morning gradually came, gray light spilled into the room.
Finally, her voice was low and sharp.
"Don't touch me like that."
Like?
"As though you don't know who I am."
Neither of us wanted to face the truth.
With someone who appears so vulnerable, would it be possible for me to set boundaries? Or would she ruin them and leave me?
The night continued to drag. I lay awake staring at the ceiling, consumed by doubt.
What had I done?
What came next?
Could I tolerate a wife who was a stranger and whose secrets awaited discovery?
I didn't know. But it was clear that this was only the start.
And I wasn't ready.
What if her past was more sinister than I could handle?
What if it was already too late?
The door creaked open slowly.
She stood there with wild, desperate eyes.
"We have to talk."
My heart was hammering hard.
What would happen?
Am I able to handle it?
Or did things begin to fall apart now?
---
My breathing was barely audible.
"What is it?" I asked in a tight voice.
As she entered, the silk of her robe touched my skin. I was cold.
"I can't—," she started to say, but bit her lip and stopped.
"Can't what?"
Her eyes darted down, then back up, wild and searching.
"Tell you everything."
I laughed sharply. "So why even try?"
Her shoulders tensed. "Because I don't want to lose you, even if you don't know who I truly am."
I stared at her, trying to see the truth beneath her fear.
"What's frightening you?"
She swallowed, and her voice broke. "Because if I tell you, you might leave." She echoed the sentiments of her peers.
That was stronger than any blow.
As I approached, I cupped her face gently. She closed her eyes for a moment.
"You're not alone," I whispered.
She gasped. The space between us was brittle, dangerous, and electric.
"So why conceal?"
Despite opening her mouth, she remained silent.
I wanted to think she was real. I wanted to trust the woman because she was standing so close that I could feel her heartbeat.
But there was a shadow between us.
She harbors a secret that has the potential to devastate us.
I pulled her in. Her body was warm and soft. She pleaded silently, earnestly, and desperately.
"Tell me," I said.
She shook her head. "Not just yet."
The silence between us was deafening.
She put up barriers that I wanted to tear down.
But some things are harder to handle than others.
Moreover, not all secrets are kept secret forever.
As I held her, the intensity of the question increased—
Who was this woman?
And could I survive the truth she was hiding?
---
Suddenly there was a sharp knock in the apartment.
We both froze.
There was no visitor. Currently, I am not a guest.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
I stared at Millie with wide eyes.
"What was that?"
She inhaled deeply. "I'm not sure."
But I did.
Something was about to happen.
We were unable to ignore it.
Whatever it was, it was not going to wait.
---
As the night closed in, it was filled with secrets and fear.
And I realized one terrible fact—
There was more to this union than a contract.
It served as a battlefield.
We were already in a confined space.
---
The city lights flickered below as the storm outside began to rage.
To Millie, the woman I barely knew, I muttered,
"What did I do?"
And at that moment, the answer seemed riskier than anything else outside.
---
The door clicked again.
She stared at me with tears and fire in her eyes.
"Time is slipping away."
My heart ceased to beat.
What happened next?
I couldn't turn away now.
Would I survive what was ahead?
Or had I already lost my way?
- Writer
