MY BROTHER'S WIFE

CHAPTER TWO

ETHAN'S POV

By the time we pulled into the driveway of the Maxwell mansion, the reality of everything that had happened still hadn't fully settled in.

I was married.

The thought echoed through my mind over and over again, each repetition sounding just as surreal as the last.

Married.

It was such a simple word, yet it suddenly carried the weight of an entirely new life. It felt unfamiliar, almost foreign, as though it belonged to someone else instead of me. No matter how many times I repeated it in my head, I couldn't quite convince myself that it was real.

Just a month ago, if someone had looked me in the eye and confidently told me that I'd be standing at the altar exchanging vows with a woman I'd only recently met, I would've laughed so hard I probably would've asked what they were smoking. Marriage had never been anywhere near the top of my priorities. Between running the company alongside my elder brother and carrying the responsibilities that came with my family name, I barely had time to think about relationships, let alone forever.

Yet life had a strange sense of humour.

Somehow, against every expectation I had for my future, I had stood before our families and friends, slipped a ring onto her finger, and promised to spend the rest of my life with her.

My wife.

The words drifted through my mind almost cautiously, as though I were afraid saying them too loudly would shatter the illusion.

My wife.

A slow smile found its way onto my lips before I could stop it. It wasn't forced or polite. It came naturally, surprising even me.

There was something strangely satisfying about those two words.

For the first time since the ceremony, I allowed myself to simply stand in the moment, letting the reality sink in little by little.

She was my wife.

And somehow...

I didn't hate the sound of that at all.

As we stepped through the grand front doors of the Maxwell mansion, I found myself stealing another glance at Sophia.

She walked quietly beside me, her gaze fixed on the polished marble floor beneath our feet. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, and not once did she look up or speak. She simply followed my lead in complete silence, almost as though she were trying to make herself invisible.

To anyone watching, it would have looked like nothing more than the nervousness of a new bride entering her husband's family home for the first time.

They would probably assume she was shy.

Reserved.

Maybe even overwhelmed by the attention.

But I had been watching her long enough to know that wasn't the whole story.

No...

This wasn't shyness.

She looked afraid.

Not the kind of fear that came from meeting new people or stepping into an unfamiliar place. It was deeper than that. Quieter. The sort of fear that settled into a person's bones after they had spent far too long waiting for something bad to happen.

Every slight movement seemed cautious, as though she expected someone to scold her for standing in the wrong place or speaking at the wrong time. Even the way she held herself felt guarded, like someone who had learned that drawing attention to herself often came with consequences.

The realisation made something tighten in my chest.

Ever since the day I first laid eyes on her, I hadn't been able to get her out of my mind.

There was something about Sophia that pulled me toward her in a way I couldn't explain. It wasn't simply because she was beautiful, although she undeniably was. Her beauty was effortless, the kind that didn't need expensive dresses or carefully applied makeup to stand out.

But that wasn't what captivated me.

It was her eyes.

Whenever our gazes met, there was a sadness buried deep within them. A quiet, lingering sorrow that she tried so hard to hide from the rest of the world. It was there one moment before disappearing behind a polite smile the next, almost as though she'd spent years teaching herself never to let anyone see how much she was hurting.

I couldn't stop wondering what had put that sadness there.

What kind of life had she lived?

Who had taught her to be so cautious?

Who had made her look over her shoulder as though she was constantly waiting for the ground beneath her feet to disappear?

Questions like those had followed me ever since we met, and instead of fading with time, they'd only grown louder.

I wanted to know her.

Not because circumstances had forced us into this marriage.

Not because she now carried my last name.

But because, somewhere along the way, my curiosity had become something much more genuine.

I wanted to know the woman hidden behind those guarded eyes.

I wanted to know what made her smile... what made her laugh... what made her cry.

More than anything, I wanted to know what had happened to her that made fear seem like the only way she knew how to exist.

And for reasons I couldn't quite explain...

I wanted to be the one who showed her she didn't have to be afraid anymore.

When my parents first told me they had arranged my marriage, saying I wasn't thrilled would have been an understatement.

I was completely blindsided.

Marriage was something I had always assumed would happen naturally, after falling in love with someone, after spending time getting to know her, after choosing each other. I never imagined my future wife would be introduced to me because our families had already made the decision.

An arranged marriage wasn't exactly the future I'd pictured for myself.

Still, there wasn't much room for argument.

Besides, everyone in the family already knew my older brother, Liam, would never agree to something like this.

If our parents had tried to arrange a marriage for him, he would've shut the conversation down before they even finished explaining. Liam had always kept people at arm's length, especially when it came to relationships. It wasn't that he disliked women, at least, I didn't think that was the case. He simply had no interest in letting anyone get close enough to matter.

Why?

That was a question only Liam could answer.

No matter how many times I had tried to figure him out over the years, he remained as unreadable as ever.

Which left me.

Eventually, after giving it a lot of thought, I accepted my parents' decision.

Not because I had been forced into it.

Because I trusted them.

They had spent their entire lives putting our family first, and they had never once made a decision out of selfishness. If they believed I was ready to begin this new chapter of my life, then I wanted to believe there was a reason behind it.

At the very least, I owed it to them and to myself to approach this marriage with an open mind instead of resentment.

Then I met Sophia.

Somewhere between our first meeting and standing together at the altar, my doubts had begun to fade.

I couldn't explain why.

Maybe it was the quiet kindness she carried despite the sadness in her eyes.

Maybe it was the gentleness in the way she spoke.

Or maybe it was simply because, from the moment I met her, I felt an undeniable urge to know the person hiding beneath that fragile exterior.

Whatever the reason, giving this marriage a chance no longer felt like an obligation.

It felt like something I genuinely wanted.

"Sophia," my mother said, her voice warm and welcoming as she stepped toward us with a gentle smile. "You are now the daughter-in-law of the Maxwell family. Why don't you go upstairs with Ethan? He'll show you the room the two of you will be sharing from now on."

I glanced toward Sophia.

She didn't protest or hesitate.

She simply lowered her head ever so slightly and nodded in quiet acknowledgement.

"This way," I said, offering her a reassuring smile.

For a brief moment, our eyes met.

She returned the smallest nod before following after me without a word.

Together, we walked toward the staircase, our footsteps echoing softly through the spacious mansion.

It was the first time since the wedding that we would finally be alone.

And strangely...

I found myself looking forward to it.

The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable exactly... just unfamiliar.

Once we entered the room, I closed the door behind us.

"What do you think?" I asked.

She looked around the room politely before giving a small nod.

"It's beautiful."

I grinned.

"I'm glad you like it."

After standing in a suit all day, I felt like I was melting.

Without thinking much of it, I loosened my tie, slipped off my jacket, and pulled my dress shirt over my head.

The room instantly felt cooler.

Then I heard a soft gasp.

"What are you doing?"

I blinked.

Sophia had turned around completely, both hands covering her eyes.

I stared at her in confusion.

"...Taking my shirt off?"

"You can't just do that!"

Her face had already turned bright red.

"Please... if you're going to change, use the bathroom."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"I promise I'm still wearing trousers."

"I don't care!"

Her voice came out louder this time.

"Please put your shirt back on."

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hide another laugh.

This had never happened before.

Most women complimented my physique.

My own wife wanted me fully dressed.

For some reason...

I found that adorable.

"Alright," I said, raising both hands in surrender. "Bathroom it is."

I grabbed a fresh set of clothes before disappearing inside.

A few minutes later, after taking a quick shower, I stepped back into the bedroom wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a plain T-shirt.

"You can open your eyes now."

She cautiously opened one eye.

Then the other.

Only after making sure I was telling the truth did she lower her hands.

I chuckled softly.

"You know," I teased, "I wasn't planning on attacking you."

A hint of embarrassment crossed her face.

"I... I know."

"My mum said one of the maids will bring you some clothes to change into. Since you didn't have time to pack anything."

"Thank you."

Another silence settled between us.

It wasn't long before Sophia spoke again.

"Ethan..."

"Yes?"

"Where am I sleeping?"

I pointed at the king-sized bed.

"There."

She blinked.

"And you?"

I pointed at the same bed again.

Her eyes widened.

"You mean... together?"

I frowned.

"Well... yes."

"But we barely know each other."

Her nervousness finally made sense.

I shook my head gently.

"Sophia... you don't have to be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then why are you looking at me like I'm a criminal?"

She looked away.

"I've just... never shared a room with a man before."

"Oh."

That explained everything.

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"I understand."

She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Ethan... I think we need to be honest with each other."

I nodded.

"Our marriage happened because of our families."

She paused.

"We're strangers."

Her words were calm.

Careful.

As though she'd rehearsed them countless times.

"I never wanted to get married," she continued quietly. "I wanted my freedom. I wanted to live my own life without anyone deciding things for me."

She looked at me for the first time since we'd entered the room.

"So... I don't expect you to fulfil any duties as my husband."

My smile slowly disappeared.

"You can continue living however you want. I won't interfere."

Each sentence landed heavier than the last.

"I don't want either of us pretending we're in love when we aren't."

I remained silent.

"Our marriage only exists on paper."

Those words hurt more than they should have.

Five minutes ago, I had been imagining what our future together might look like.

Now she was telling me we were nothing more than strangers sharing the same last name.

"I hope..." she continued softly, "we can simply be friends. We can act like a happy couple in front of our families, but when it's just us... let's respect each other's space."

The room fell silent.

I looked at her.

She wasn't trying to be cruel.

She genuinely believed this was the best arrangement for both of us.

She had no idea that every plan I'd been making for our future had quietly fallen apart in the span of a few minutes.

I forced myself to smile.

"Okay."

It was the only word I could manage.

"I'll give you some time to settle in."

Before she could notice the disappointment on my face, I walked out of the room and headed straight for the one place I always went whenever something weighed on my heart.

My brother's room.

Liam wasn't home.

He had left on a business trip before the wedding, and I was still annoyed that he'd missed one of the biggest days of my life.

As I stepped inside his room, my eyes landed on the framed photograph sitting on his bedside table.

I picked it up.

"You really picked a terrible time to leave, you know that?" I muttered with a weak smile.

I missed him.

Liam had always been more than just my older brother.

He was the person I told everything to.

The person who listened without judging me.

The person who somehow always knew what to say.

I let out a quiet sigh.

"I think my wife rejected me before our marriage even had the chance to begin."

The room offered no answer.

Only silence.