HOME ALONE
1166 Words
SELENA'S POV
I stepped outside and saw Greg already standing near the car like he knew the exact second I would come out. Sometimes I wondered if everyone around Alexander Blackwood could see the future except me.
"Let's go, Mrs. Blackwood," he said with a slight bow.
My body stiffened immediately. Mrs. Blackwood.The name sounded strange, heavy, like it didn't belong to me. Hearing someone say it out loud made everything feel real, like I had just stepped into a life that wasn't meant for me.
Then a thought hit me. How did he even know? That jerk said this was supposed to be a secret. Then it clicked.. Greg was his PA. Of course he would know.
I bit my lip and sighed. "Can you just call me Selena instead?" I muttered, walking toward the car.
Greg chuckled softly and shook his head. "Pardon me, ma'am. Mr. Blackwood's instruction."
I groaned as I got in and closed the door. "Then at least call me Selena when we're alone. You can keep up the Mrs. drama whenever he's around, he wouldn't know. Not like he's a wizard. Or is he?" I lifted my brows suspiciously.
Greg tried to hold his laughter and failed, a quiet snort escaping him. "Go ahead and laugh," I whispered. "That grumpy man isn't here." This time he laughed properly as he started the engine.
The drive went on for almost three hours. At some point I stopped wondering where we were going and just stared out the window, watching the road stretch endlessly ahead.
When the car finally slowed, I noticed a huge estate gate ahead, security everywhere. Before we even reached it, the gate slid open automatically. The word "wow" slipped out of my mouth on its own.
The place looked unreal. Wide roads, perfectly trimmed lawns, trees lined up like they'd been placed by hand, buildings that looked straight out of a movie. We kept driving, and it took nearly ten minutes inside the estate before we reached another gate. It beeped red for a second, then slid open slowly.
My jaw dropped.
The building in front of me looked like it was made of glass and light, everything shining, everything expensive. I blinked. Did I think Kelvin was rich? My husband was on another level entirely. I blinked again at my own thought. I just called that jerk my husband. Crazy.
The car stopped and I stepped out slowly, my eyes moving everywhere at once. Luxury cars lined the grounds, gleaming under the sun, and the house itself looked like a crystal palace. For a second I almost felt like crying. Is this what gold diggers enjoy? Count me in. Forget love.
"Welcome, Mrs. Blackwood."
I turned to see an older woman walking toward me with a warm smile. She looked elegant, smooth skin, perfect posture, and if she'd told me she owned the place, I would have believed her. "You can call me Margaret," she said. "I'm the housekeeper."
Housekeeper? She looked richer than me.
"Follow me," she said gently, and I nodded and fell into step behind her.
The moment I stepped inside, my legs almost stopped working. The living room alone was bigger than my entire apartment, high ceiling, crystal chandelier overhead, white marble floor polished like a mirror, gold and silver details placed so perfectly they could have been in a museum. Everything smelled clean. Everything felt untouchable.
Margaret walked through it all like she was used to it, while I quietly tried not to look like a village girl seeing the city for the first time.
She showed me the kitchen next, huge, modern, every appliance I'd only ever seen in ads sitting right there. Then we went upstairs, up a beautifully curved staircase with a railing that gleamed under the lights.
"This is your room, ma'am," she said, opening a door. "Opposite Mr. Blackwood's."
I said nothing. Opposite. Of course. We're just housemates.
She walked further down the hall and stopped at another door. "And this room is private. No one is allowed inside. That is the rule." I nodded, though my curiosity immediately sparked. What could possibly be in there?
She cleared her throat, and I looked back at her. "One more thing, the house lights always remain on at night. You may freshen up now. Breakfast will be ready soon." She was gone before I could ask anything else.
I let out a long breath. Finally. Alone.
I walked into my room and froze. It was enormous, bigger than the apartment I'd just rented. The bed looked like something from a luxury hotel suite, white sheets spread perfectly. I touched the surface lightly. So soft. I could fall asleep right there.
Then I saw the closet. A walk-in. My eyes widened as I stepped inside, rows of clothes, shoes, and bags, all arranged perfectly, all expensive brands. How did he prepare all of this in one day?
The bathroom came next, and I almost laughed. It wasn't a bathroom, it was a spa. Massive tub, glass walls, marble everywhere. I peeled off my clothes and stepped in slowly, letting the warm water rise around me until my head finally felt calm.
Everything started replaying quietly. Kelvin. The divorce. The baby. The contract. This house.
Maybe this baby wasn't a curse. Maybe this was my chance to start again.
**************
ONE WEEK LATER
If there was a word stronger than boredom, I didn't know it.
I had been sleeping, eating, watching movies, and drifting through the house like a ghost. No friends, no calls, nothing, and even the maids were always stiff and formal around me. Turns out being rich and lonely felt worse than being broke and busy.
At least one thing had changed. I was glowing. Good food, zero stress, and expensive skincare had done their work, and even I had to admit I looked better.
Out of curiosity one afternoon, I searched his name. Alexander Blackwood.Turns out my fake husband owned half the world, industries, fashion companies, a media channel, a model agency, a multi billion dollar empire. Funny how I had to find out about my own husband from the internet, given I hadn't seen him once since arriving. He left before I woke up and came back after I was already asleep.
I looked at my phone, even that had been replaced. According to Margaret, I needed to live up to his standard now. I groaned and tossed it onto the couch.
So bored.
The door opened.
I froze.
He walked in, Alexander and his eyes landed on me immediately.
My heart nearly stopped.
I was sitting in the living room wearing bum shorts that barely covered anything and a cropped top that showed my belly button. And the worst part, I wasn't wearing a bra.
His gaze stayed on me a beat longer than it should have, and my face burned so hot I suddenly wished the floor would just open and swallow me whole.
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