ChapterFour
1765 Words
THE ONE HE CHOSE.
The door opened.
And I froze
My heart beating so fast, I could barely breathe
For a moment I thought I was beginning to see things, I forget the arguments we had.
I forgot the anger I had carried all the way here.
I forgot the fact that just seconds ago, I had been standing so close to Riven that I could feel his heartbeat.
Because the person standing outside the door was the last person I expected to see.
Valerie.
My sister.
She stood there smiling like
Like she had not disappeared the night before her wedding.
Like she had not left me to walk down the aisle wearing a dress that was never meant for me.
Her eyes met mine.
And for a moment, neither of us spoke.
I did not know what I was feeling.
Anger?
Relief?
Confusion?
Betrayal ?
Maybe all of them at once.
Because no matter how much I tried to deny it, Valerie had always been the person who changed my life
The day she was born was the day I stopped being enough to anyone in the family.
And now, that same woman was standing in front of me.
Inside the house to the man who I had just married
After I had taken her place.
My eyes slowly moved away from her and found Riven.
And just like that my heart cracked into pieces
Because I saw the look in his eyes.
The man who had been standing in front of me moments ago was cold.
His words were sharp.
His eyes were unreadable.
His expression was emotionless.
But now…
Now there was something else.
A softness I had never seen before.
A warmth I did not know existed.
It was so fast.
Almost impossible to notice.
But I noticed.
Because I had spent every moment since entering this house trying to understand him.
Trying to figure out the man I had married.
And now I realized there was a version of him that belonged to someone else.
And that person was not me
“Riven…”
Valerie’s voice was quiet.
Almost fragile.
“I know I don’t have the right to be here, in this house
Riven did not answer immediately.
He only stared at her.
The silence between them felt like something I was not supposed to witness.
“You disappeared.”
His voice was low.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Just hurt.
The sound of it surprised me.
Because I had never heard him sound like that with me.
Valerie lowered her eyes.
“I know.”
A pause.
“I was scared.” She said to him.
My fingers slowly curled at my side.
Scared.
That was her reason?
The woman who left everyone to deal with the consequences was scared?
What about me?
I was scared too.
I was terrified when my mother asked me to marry a stranger.
I was terrified when I stood at that altar knowing I was only replacing someone else.
I was terrified when I hid my failing heart from the world.
But nobody asked if I was okay.
Nobody waited for me.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Valerie continued softly.
“I thought I needed time.”
Riven looked at her.
And somehow, I hated that I understood.
Because I could see it.
He still cared.
Maybe he was angry.
Maybe he was hurt.
But he cared.
And that was something I could never compete with.
Not because Valerie was better than me.
But because she was the person he chose.
And I was only the person who arrived after she left.
“I think I should leave you two alone.”
The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them.
Both of them looked at me.
For a second, Riven’s expression changed.
Like he wanted to say something.
Like he wanted to stop me.
But he didn’t.
And that silence was enough.
I forced a smile.
The same smile I had worn for years.
The smile I used whenever I wanted people to believe I was okay.
“You both have a lot to talk about.”
Then I walked away.
I did not wait for him to call my name.
Because deep down, I already knew he wouldn’t.
The hallway felt longer than it had before.
Every step I took sounded louder.
The mansion that once looked beautiful now felt colder.
I entered my room and closed the door behind me.
Only then did I allow my expression to fall.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
The woman staring back at me was wearing a wedding ring.
A ring that was supposed to represent love.
Commitment.
A future.
But my future was something I could not even promise.
A bitter smile touched my lips.
“What did I expect?”
I whispered.
I knew this marriage was not because of love.
I knew I was not the woman Riven wanted.
So why did it hurt?
Why did seeing him look at Valerie that way make my chest feel heavier?
I sat on the bed and looked down at my hands.
The same hands that had held my wedding bouquet.
The same hands that had signed papers changing my entire life.
I remembered the kiss.
The warmth of his lips.
The way, for a few seconds, I forgot that he did not want me.
And that scared me.
Because I did not know what that moment meant.
I did not know if it was anger.
Confusion.
Or something I was too afraid to name.
My hand slowly moved to my chest.
A sharp pain suddenly reminded me of the truth.
I closed my eyes.
Not now.
Please.
The pain slowly faded.
I reached into my bag and took out my medication.
The small bottle felt heavier than it should.
Seven months.
That was my reality.
Everyone was fighting for their future.
And I was counting my remaining days.
Nobody knew.
Not my family.
Not Riven.
Not even Valerie.
Maybe it was better that way.
Because what would happen if they knew?
Would they finally care?
Or would they only feel sorry for me?
I placed the medicine back.
A knock suddenly came from the door.
“Madam?”
I quickly wiped my face.
“Yes?”
“Mr. Valmot asked if you needed anything.”
Mr. Valmot.
Not Riven.
Not my husband.
The distance between us existed even in the way people spoke about him.
“No.”
I forced my voice to remain steady.
“I’m fine.”
The servant nodded and left.
I hated those words.
I’m fine.
Because I had said them so many times that sometimes even I almost believed them.
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.
Maybe because this house still did not feel like mine.
Maybe because sleeping beside memories of a kiss I did not understand was impossible.
I changed into a simple dress and walked downstairs.
I did not know what I was trying to prove.
Maybe I wanted to show Riven that last night had no effect on me.
Maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I belonged here.
But the moment I entered the dining room, I stopped.
Valerie was sitting beside Riven.
Talking.
Laughing softly.
Like she had always belonged there.
The servants treated her naturally.
Comfortably.
Like she was the woman they had been waiting for.
And suddenly, I felt like a guest.
A stranger.
The woman wearing a ring that belonged to someone else.
Riven looked up.
His expression changed when he saw me.
The softness disappeared.
The walls returned.
“Bella.”
I looked at him.
“Valerie will be staying here for a while.”
My fingers tightened slightly.
My heart sank with a mixture of pain and disbelief. I wanted to speak up but i struggled to find the right words.
“Okay.”
“I expect you to treat her with respect”.
Riven said
His words were not cruel.
But they still hurt.
Because I realized something.
He was not asking me to accept my sister.
He was asking me to accept the fact that despite what happened between us last night, I was still second.
I smiled, but it was only my lips that moved.
“Of course.”
I pulled out the chair and sat down.
Valerie looked at me.
A small smile slowly formed on her lips.
“Thank you, Bella.”
Her voice sounded sweet, yet sarcastic.
Which made me feel uneasy.
Maybe it was because I knew her too well.
Or maybe because I was finally beginning to see things clearly.
I looked at my wedding ring.
Then at the two people sitting across from me.
And for the first time in my life, I accepted the truth.
Valeria had everything I have always wanted
Family.
Love.
Attention.
Even the man I’m married too.
I might have his last name.
Bella valmot….
I might have his ring.
But Valerie still had the one thing I could never force him to give me.
His heart.
stared at the plate in front of me, but I could not taste anything.
Every sound in the room felt distant, like I was listening from underwater.
Riven spoke to Valerie again, softer this time, and I hated how naturally her name fit in his voice.
Like it had always belonged there.
Like mine never did.
I slowly placed my fork down.
The metal hit the plate with a small, sharp sound that made both of them glance at me.
“I’m done,” I said quietly.
No one stopped me.
No one asked me to stay.
As I stood up, Valerie’s eyes followed me.
That same soft smile never left her lips.
But there was something behind it now.
Something I could not name.
Something that made my stomach tighten.
I walked out of the dining room before my expression betrayed me.
Before they saw what I was really feeling.
Because I was not just sad.
I was beginning to feel replaced all over again.
The hallway felt colder than before.
Or maybe it was just me.
Halfway up the stairs, I stopped.
For a moment, I could still hear their voices below.
Riven’s low tone.
Valerie’s soft laughter.
A sound I used to think belonged to family.
Now it felt like something I was standing outside of.
Something I was never invited into.
I pressed my hand against the wall to steady myself.
The ring on my finger felt heavier than ever.
- Writer
