Chapter Five
1390 Words
THE CONTRACT.
I woke up earlier than I wanted to.
For a few seconds, I stared at the ceiling, completely confused.
This wasn’t my room.
The unfamiliar walls.
The quietness.
The soft sunlight coming through the curtains.
Then my eyes landed on my hand resting beside me.
The ring.
And everything came rushing back.
I was married.
I was in Riven Valmot’s house.
And Valerie was back.
A small sigh escaped my lips as I sat up.
It was strange how quickly my life had changed.
A few weeks ago, I was still Bella Rose.
The adopted daughter who spent her entire life trying to prove she belonged.
Now I was Bella Valmot.
The wife of one of the most powerful men in the city.
Yet somehow, I felt more like a stranger than ever.
I looked around the room.
It was beautiful.
Everything was perfect.
The furniture.
The decorations.
The view outside the window.
But nothing here belonged to me.
Maybe that was why I felt uncomfortable.
Because I had entered a life that was already created for someone else.
A life that was supposed to belong to Valerie.
I got out of bed and prepared myself for the day.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do as Riven’s wife.
I didn’t know his habits.
I didn’t know what he liked.
I didn’t know what annoyed him.
I barely knew the man I married.
The only thing I knew was that he didn’t want me.
And now the woman he actually wanted was back.
When I walked downstairs, the first thing I noticed was how natural everything looked.
Valerie was sitting in the living room
Beside Riven.
They were talking quietly.
Not like strangers.
Not like two people who had just reunited after everything.
But as two people who already knew each other.
Riven looked different.
Again.
That was the part that destroyed me the most
Because I had started to think maybe the coldness was just who he was.
But it wasn’t.
I had seen another side of him.
A side he only showed to Valerie
“Good morning.”
Valerie looked at me and smiled.
“Bella.”
Her voice was sweet.
Almost too sweet.
“Did you sleep well?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
A simple answer.
Because I didn’t know what else to tell her.
Riven glanced at me briefly.
“Sit.”
He said pointing to the couch close to me
That was all.
No good morning.
No question.
Nothing.
I sat down quietly.
The difference between how he spoke to me and how he spoke to Valerie was impossible to ignore.
He asked Valerie if she needed anything.
He remembered everything small details about her.
The kind of things you only remembered about someone you cared about.
And I hated the fact that I noticed it.
Because I knew I had no right to feel hurt.
This was not a love marriage.
I knew that.
I knew from the beginning.
But knowing something and accepting it were two different things.
“Bella.”
Valerie’s voice pulled me back.
I looked at her.
“I’m sorry.” She said.
My brows slightly furrowed.
“For what?”
She looked down.
“For everything.”
The words surprised me.
“I know you didn’t ask for any of this.”
I stayed quiet.
Because she was right.
I didn’t.
“I know you had to step into my place.”
There was something about the way she said it.
Like she understood exactly what had happened.
Like she knew I was the replacement.
“I appreciate what you did for my family.”
My fingers tightened.
My family.
That word always felt complicated.
“I didn’t do it for you.”
The words came out before I could stop them.
The living room became silent.
Valerie looked surprised.
I looked down.
“I mean…”
I corrected myself.
“I did it because I couldn’t watch everything fall apart.”
It was the truth.
I didn’t marry Riven because I wanted his name.
I didn’t marry him because I wanted his money.
I married him because my family asked me to.
Because I had spent my entire life being the person who sacrificed.
Riven’s expression changed slightly.
Just for a moment.
But I noticed.
Then it disappeared.
I returned to my room.
I thought that was where I would stay.
Out of everyone’s way.
But a few minutes later, there was a knock on my door.
I turned.
“Come in.”
Riven walked inside.
My heart unexpectedly reacted.
And I hated it.
Because I was still affected by him.
After everything.
After knowing where his heart belonged.
“You’re quiet.” he said
I looked at him.
“I’m always quiet.”
His eyes studied me.
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“You are quieter than yesterday.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Because he was right.
But I didn’t want to admit why.
“Is there something you want to say?”
He asked.
I looked away.
For some reason, having him ask me that made me uncomfortable.
Because it almost felt like he cared.
And I didn’t know what to do with that.
“Are you going to ask me to leave?”
The words surprised both of us.
His brows lowered.
“What?”
I forced a small smile.
“Now that Valerie is back.”
Silence.
“I mean, isn’t that what everyone wanted?”
His expression changed.
“You think I want you gone?”
I looked at him.
“I think you want your life back.”
The words hung between us.
Because that was the truth.
This was never supposed to be my life.
Riven stepped closer.
Not like last night.
Not with that same tension.
This time, he looked confused.
“You agreed to this marriage.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
“Then why are you acting like you are the only person who lost something?”
His words stung.
But not because they were cruel.
Because maybe there was some truth in them.
I looked at him.
“Because I did lose something.”
His eyes met mine.
“My choice.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I continued.
“I lost the chance to decide what my life would look like.”
His expression changed slightly.
And for the first time, I wondered if he actually heard me.
Not as the substitute bride.
Not as Valerie’s replacement.
But as Bella.
A sharp pain suddenly moved through my chest.
I tried to hide it.
But I wasn’t fast enough.
Riven noticed.
His hand reached out instinctively.
“Bella.”
I stepped back.
“I’m fine.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You keep saying that.”
My heart skipped.
Because that was the same thing Zara always said.
“You always say you’re fine.”
I looked away.
“I’m just tired.”
He didn’t look convinced.
But before he could say anything else, a knock came.
A servant stood at the door.
“Mr. Valmot, your grandfather is asking for you.”
Riven looked at me for a few seconds.
Then he left.
And somehow, I felt the room become colder.
That night, when I returned to my room, something was waiting on my bed.
An envelope.
My name was written on it.
I frowned.
I didn’t recognize the handwriting.
Slowly, I opened it.
Inside was a document.
I read the first few lines.
Then my hands went cold.
It was a copy of my marriage agreement.
My eyes moved down the page.
And then I saw it.
A condition I never knew about.
A condition nobody told me about.
This marriage will remain valid for one year. After that, both parties are free to end the arrangement.
I stared at the words.
One year.
This marriage had an ending date.
My fingers trembled slightly.
I turned the page.
There was a note attached.
Only one sentence.
My heart stopped.
Ask your husband why he married you when he never planned for this marriage to last.
I stared at the message.
Because suddenly…
I wasn’t just wondering if Riven loved Valerie.
I was wondering if I had ever truly been his wife at all.
- Writer
