I stood there, staring at the fancy hotel, feeling like a total idiot. My heart was racing, but I couldn't figure out if it was because I was mad or because I was suddenly completely alone. Either way, I didn't like it.
I took the elevator up to my floor. Watching the numbers light up one by one. The weight of the day, the vows, the cameras, the empty kiss. It all pressed down on me.
When the doors slid open, I stepped into a world of quiet luxury. The suite was massive, all glass walls and expensive decoration, the city lights shining beyond the floor to ceiling windows.
But it felt empty.
I kicked off my heels, the silence pressing in. My wedding dress, once dazzling under the reception lights, suddenly felt heavy and suffocating.
Slowly, I walked to the bed and sank onto it, my fingers gripping the silk sheets.
This wasn't how a wedding night was supposed to feel.
I had known from the start that this wasn't real. That this wasn't love. But somehow, being left alone in a hotel room made it feel more real than ever.
I glanced at my phone. No calls. No messages. Not even a text from Damian.
Of course not.
I felt sad, as I lay back, staring at the chandelier above me.
One year. That was all I had to endure. One year of playing the role of Mrs. Damian Blackwood.
But why did it already feel unbearable?
I turned onto my side, curling up, but the weight of the diamond ring on my finger became heavier than it should be.
And for the first time that night, I let the tears fall.
The soft hum of the city outside the windows was the only sound in the room, a constant reminder of how alone I truly was. My body ached with exhaustion, but my mind wouldn't let me rest.
This was supposed to be a celebration, right? A night filled with romance, passion, or at least something that resembled it. Instead, I was alone, drowning in the quiet.
As I absentmindedly played with the diamond ring on my finger, I noticed the reflection in the light. It felt cold and heavy, and I realized it wasn't just the ring weighing me down, it was everything around me.
Everything had changed. A single signature, a few simple words, and suddenly, I was trapped in a life I didn't want.
I thought back to the ceremony, how Damian's eyes never met mine, how the kiss felt more like a transaction than an act of affection. How I was nothing more than a pawn in some twisted game.
One year. That was the deal. I could do this.
But it didn't feel like "one year." It felt like a lifetime.
A part of me wanted to call him, to ask why he hadn't checked in, but I already knew the answer. He didn't care. Why would he? This was business, not marriage.
And yet, there was something about his indifference that stung more than it should. I had no right to want more, no reason to expect him to be anything other than what he'd shown me.
But that didn't stop the ache in my chest, the raw feeling of loneliness settling deeper and deeper as the night dragged on.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand, trying to push the tears back. No one needed to see this weakness. Especially not him.
I thought about Damian, about the cold, distant man I had agreed to marry. The man who would probably never be more than a stranger to me.
But no matter how much I tried to distance myself, I couldn't shake the truth. This wasn't just a marriage, it was a cage.
A year. I had to survive a year.
I rolled over and hugged the pillow to my chest, burying my face in the softness, trying to drown out the thoughts that were too loud in my head.
The wedding night was supposed to be about new beginnings, but it felt like the start of an endless void.
And I had no idea how I was going to fill it.
In the midst of my thoughts, I had slept off, only to be awakened by the early morning singing of birds. I had slept in my wedding gown.
I removed it and pick up a tooth brush and tooth paste to wash my mouth and take a quick shower.
As soon as I came out from the bathroom, my phone rang. It was Mr Damian Blackwood, the driver was downstairs to pick me up.
A knock on the door, brought in a bag and fresh change of clothes that made me look decent and comfortable.
I took the elevator down and I was on my way to Damian's penthouse.