The Rules of This Marriage
382 Words
Alina sat silently on the edge of the bed, her suitcase still untouched. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the faint ticking of the antique wall clock. Her husband—Arman—stood near the window, his back to her, lost in thought.
“I suppose we should talk,” he finally said, his voice calm but distant.
She looked up. “About what?”
“This marriage. We both know it wasn’t out of love. So maybe it’s best if we set a few rules.”
Alina’s heart tightened. Rules? She never imagined her marriage would begin like a business deal.
“Rule one,” he said, turning to face her. “I won’t force anything. We’ll respect each other’s space.”
She nodded slowly.
“Rule two,” he continued, “In public, we’ll act like a normal couple—for our families. But behind closed doors, we can be… civil strangers.”
“Civil strangers,” she repeated under her breath. The words felt heavier than they should.
He took a step closer. “And one last thing,” he said, voice lower now. “If at any point you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”
That hit harder than expected.
“I’ll never be a prison to you, Alina.”
She looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat. Maybe she had expected something… anything… different.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. A servant peeked in nervously.
“Sir, your mother is asking if you two will come down for breakfast together.”
Arman looked at Alina, giving her the choice. She took a deep breath.
“We’ll be down in five minutes,” she said, surprising even herself.
As the servant left, Alina stood up and walked past him, her shoulder gently brushing his as she crossed the room.
Arman turned slightly, watching her walk away.
And in that brief moment—just a second—she felt it.
Not fear.
Not discomfort.
But a strange warmth.
Maybe... just maybe... being strangers wasn’t the end of the story.
But what she didn’t know… was what Arman had locked away in the drawer beside his bed—something that could change everything.
✨ Written by MD NURUL ✨
- Writer
