The contract that broke us

Episode1: My Regrets Hilda Martin sat across a long wooden desk as her heart trembled with different thoughts. The contract looked simple, and like a marriage of convenience. At the other end of the desk sat Adrian Cole, the man who once made her heart race with love… and now made it ache with fear. His charcoal suit was crisp, his expression unreadable, his tone razor-sharp. “Sign it, Hilda. You said you’d do anything to save your father’s company. This is it.” She swallowed, her eyes stinging. “You’re really going to make me your wife just to humiliate me?” Adrain’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm — too calm. “Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t about you. It’s about business. And payback.” Her heart clenched. She wanted to scream that she hadn’t betrayed him, but his cold gaze silenced her. Outside the office window, the city lights of New York glittered like a thousand unspoken secrets. She signed. The pen glided across the paper, and with every stroke, something inside her broke a little more. When she pushed the document toward him, her voice was barely a whisper.“There. Happy now?” Adrian stood, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. “Happiness has nothing to do with this, Mrs. Cole.” The way he said Mrs. Cole made her flinch..as if the name itself was poison. He slid the papers into a folder, snapped it shut, and left the room without another glance. The door clicked behind him, and Hilda was left in silence, regrets, alone with her heartbreak and the echo of her own foolish love. Later that night, she found herself standing in front of her father’s hospital bed. Tubes and monitors surrounded him, each beep slicing through her chest. Her father stirred weakly. “Did… did he agree to help?” Hilda forced a smile through tears. “Yes, Dad. The company’s safe now.” He squeezed her hand. “You did the right thing, sweetheart.” But as she watched him drift back to sleep, she wondered if she really had or if she had just signed away her soul to a man who now despised her. The next morning, their wedding was everywhere; newspapers, gossip blogs, social media headlines. “Billionaire Adrian Cole Marries His Ex-Fiancée in a Secret Ceremony.” The world saw luxury, champagne, and glittering diamonds. No one saw the pain behind her practiced smile. The ceremony was held in his private garden…..small, elegant, and cold. Adrian didn’t look at her once as they exchanged vows. His “I do” was a blade. When the officiant declared them husband and wife, he leaned close, his breath brushing her ear. “Congratulations, Mrs. Cole. You’ve finally bought yourself a title.” She froze. Her fingers clenched around the bouquet. “And you’ve bought yourself a puppet,” she whispered back. Her eyes were looking straight. His smirk didn’t reach his eyes. That night, the mansion felt like a cage. Hilda stood by the window in her wedding dress, staring at the rain sliding down the glass. The city lights blurred, just like her tears. Behind her, Adrian’s footsteps echoed. He had loosened his tie, his expression sharp in the dim light. “You can take the guest room,” he said flatly. “I don’t share my bed with liars.” Her heart twisted. “You still think I cheated?”“Don’t play innocent, Hilda. I saw the messages. You and Ethan Ward” “Those messages were fake! Adrian, I told you” Her throat burned. “Then you’ll never get the truth.” She turned away, clutching her chest as tears fell. He stared at her for a moment, his face unreadable, but his eyes flickered with something she couldn’t name. Regret? Pain? He quickly looked away. “This marriage will last one year,” he said coldly. “After that, you’ll get your divorce. And we’ll both forget this ever happened.” “You have already forgotten me,” she whispered. He paused, put his back to her, then walked away without answering. The sound of the door closing was final. Hilda sank to the floor, clutching the edge of her gown. The diamond ring on her finger glittered cruelly — a reminder of the man she loved and the love that was now nothing but ashes. Outside, thunder rolled across the night sky. And in another room, Adrain poured himself a drink, staring at the reflection of his wife in the rain-streaked window.