TWO
394 Words
Chapter 2 – The Shadow of Clarisse
The night after the gathering, Althea stood before the mansion’s tall windows. The garden outside was filled with roses, but to her, it was nothing more than a gilded cage.
The words from last night echoed in her mind, carving themselves deeper each time she remembered them:
You’re nothing but a contract.
“You seemed a little lost last night, Althea,” a voice cut through the silence. Cool. Smooth. But laced with mockery.
When she turned, a woman stood there—elegant, commanding, dressed in cream. Clarisse Montemayor. She didn’t need to raise her voice; her presence alone demanded dominance.
“You’re… a friend of Xavier’s, aren’t you?” Althea asked carefully, though her instincts told her there was more to this woman than friendship.
Clarisse’s lips curved into a knowing smile.
“A friend? Is that what he told you? Althea, his heart has always been mine long before you came along.”
It felt as though a dagger pierced through Althea’s chest.
“I never intended to take him from anyone. I didn’t even choose this marriage—”
“But you signed,” Clarisse cut her off, circling her like a predator around its prey. “You carry his name, his wealth, his responsibility. But not his heart. Remember that.”
Althea swallowed hard, struggling to steady her trembling breath. Was it true? Was Clarisse the woman Xavier once loved?
The door suddenly opened. Xavier entered, his sharp aura filling the room.
“Clarisse,” he said firmly, though his tone was restrained.
She smiled with familiarity. “Xavier. We were only catching up.”
Althea’s eyes searched his face for an answer—for denial, for confirmation, for anything. But there was nothing. He gave her no words, no explanations.
And that silence was what hurt the most.
As Clarisse walked past her to leave, she leaned in close, her whisper sharp and deliberate.
“Enjoy your time while the contract lasts, Mrs. Madrigal. Because Xavier will never forget… Clarisse Montemayor.”
Althea felt the weight of the world crush her shoulders. And Xavier—he simply turned away, as if nothing had happened.
In that moment, she realized this wasn’t just about surviving the contract.
She would have to face the shadow of a woman who once owned her husband’s heart.
- Writer
