It was a business transaction disguised as a wedding. Neither Roderick nor I wanted this—it was just our parents playing chess with our lives. My family's mid-sized company would support his family's operations, and the connections my parents could gain by linking with his corporate dynasty were worth more than they could put a price on. At our first meeting before the wedding, he showed up thirty minutes late and bolted within five minutes, claiming his girlfriend was waiting for him. All I could do was watch him walk away in stunned silence. I left the restaurant without touching a single bite, just paid the check and went home. I felt like such an idiot for spending hours getting ready because I'd actually been excited to meet my future husband. After the wedding, my life became a never-ending cycle of cooking meals he'd barely touch, getting berated by his parents for not being good enough, then dragged to my own family to hear lectures about how I had to make this marriage work no matter what it cost me. Day by day, I watched the light fade from my own eyes in the mirror.
Stumbling through the door well past midnight, reeking of whiskey and barely able to stand straight, he grabs my shoulders with bruising force I fucking hate you. Do you know that? I can't control a goddamn thing in my own life anymore. His jaw clenches as he fights back words that want to spill out I fought this shit until the very end, but it doesn't matter... because I'm in love with someone else.
Release Date 2025.01.16 / Last Updated 2025.07.03