Not sure when she'd fallen asleep on the couch, Olivia opened her eyes and saw the sun shining brightly through the window. Seeing it was 8 a.m., she went upstairs to dress for the day. Once she was ready, she came downstairs for breakfast. On getting there, she saw her husband walk in with Amalia and his bodyguard, deep in conversation as they entered the mansion.
"Good morning," Olivia greeted them both as they walked in.
"Good morning, Ms. Olivia," Amalia said calmly, before continuing her conversation with Alexander. At that moment, it felt like Olivia was an outsider in the family — even her so-called husband hadn't responded to her greeting. What she didn't realize was that Alexander rarely responded to people at all, and when he did, it usually meant he either had important business to discuss with you or was ready to torture you.
Minding her business, Olivia went to the dining hall for breakfast and left the mansion afterward.
The following days went on as usual, and it felt like time had rewound to before Alexander had returned home. She hadn't seen him in the mansion since that morning he'd walked in with Amalia. Still, she'd kept up with the business news and had seen mentions of his notable work at the Bradford headquarters. Aside from that, she knew nothing about this husband of hers. The days went on, until one evening she came back from college and found her husband at home — which was quite a shock for Olivia.
She entered the mansion and saw the man she hadn't seen in weeks, seated on the couch with a laptop in front of him. It looked like he was in a meeting, though he wore casual white slacks and a short-sleeved shirt.
Not wanting to disturb him, Olivia went upstairs quietly to change and get some work done. A few hours later, when it was time for dinner, she came back downstairs and found him still in a meeting, seated in the exact same position she'd left him in.
She walked toward the dining hall, wondering how the man could hold one position for hours without getting tired. Still lost in thought, she bumped into a maid carrying a jar of freshly squeezed juice into the dining hall. The jar fell and shattered on the marble floor, the crash echoing down the hallway.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I didn't see you coming," the maid who'd bumped into her said, trembling as she apologized — she didn't want to lose her job at the Bradford mansion.
"There's no problem. I'm also to blame for not watching where I was going," Olivia said to the maid with a smile, kneeling to help pick up the broken glass. Still picking up pieces alongside the maid, she caught the reflection of a man walking toward them in the polished marble floor. Startled, she felt a sting in her fingers — the glass had cut her hand by accident.
"Ouch," Olivia exclaimed, standing up and blowing on her hand.
"Are you okay, second young miss?" the maid asked, going over to check her wound.
"It's fine, don't worry. Please pick up the rest of the glass and clean the floor," Olivia said, hurrying toward the dining hall, though she glanced back at the man who'd already reached the scene.
As soon as she got to the dining hall, she patted her chest, wondering when he'd finished his meeting.
The man walked into the dining hall casually but elegantly, hands tucked in his pockets. He was mesmerizing — it felt like watching a god bestow his approval on the world. Olivia remembered coming across an article comparing him to the first Bradford, when the country had voted for its most eligible bachelor. He'd won by thousands of votes, even though he wasn't technically a bachelor — he was a married man.
Not sure where the pride came from, Olivia actually felt a swell of satisfaction at having married such a fine specimen.
Still caught up in her thoughts, she heard the man's voice.
"Are you my wife?" Alexander asked the woman staring at the plates as though she were solving a riddle.
Hearing the question, Olivia's pride deflated instantly. What does he mean? His grandfather introduced me alongside him on stage, on the day of the banquet, as husband and wife. He's even had breakfast with me once. And he's still asking if I'm his wife? If I weren't, would I be some hired help taking care of him? A swarm of thoughts crowded into Olivia's head, leaving her flabbergasted.
The maid's arrival brought Olivia back to reality. She looked up and saw the man already eating.
He still has the nerve to eat after asking a question like that… what a man, Olivia thought, picking up her spoon and starting to eat, since she could no longer reply — he'd already moved on and the etiquette of a rich family doesn't permit her to speak while eating.
After dinner, as the man was about to stand from his chair, she said, "Yes, I am your wife. Olivia." She didn't bother adding her surname, since she didn't want to be associated with her stepfather for any reason.
"Hmm," Alexander hummed, as he left the hall. That was it. No more questions. Just "Are you my wife?" Are you kidding me.
It felt like Olivia had stepped into a new world, starting from that day.
She left the dining hall as well and didn't see her husband anywhere in the living room. She went upstairs to her room and noticed the light on at the end of the hall, in the room she'd never entered.
When Olivia had first arrived at the mansion, on the day she got married, she'd realized that the room she was staying in wasn't the master bedroom — the true master bedroom had remained locked until Alexander arrived.
She walked into her room and went to bed, thinking about everything that had happened that day.