Chapter 2 The Marriage Was Never Real
Every time I try to close my eyes, I see the video again. His hands on another woman. The way he kissed her like I didn’t exist.
By morning, my head hurt from crying.
I sat quietly on the bed still wearing my robe when Xavier walked back into the room like nothing had happened.
He looked perfectly calm.Perfectly normal.Meanwhile, I on the other hand looked like my entire life just crashed overnight.
“You should get ready,” he said while adjusting his watch. “My parents are expecting us for lunch.”
I looked at him unbelievably.
“That’s all you are going to say?”
Xavier frowned and signed slightly. “What exactly do you want me to say?”
I laughed bitterly.
“You cheated on me on our wedding night.”
His expression didn’t change.
“It happened.”
The coldness in his voice hurt more than I expected.
“It happened?” I repeated quietly.
Xavier sighed like he was already tired of the conversation.
“Laurel, I don’t want drama this early in the morning.”
Something inside me snapped.
“Drama?” I got off the bed immediately. “You humiliated me!”
Xavier remained calm while watching me.
“No one humiliated you.”
I almost laughed at how stupid and he sounded.
“There’s literally a video of my husband sleeping with another woman!”
“And nobody else has seen it,” he replied coldly. “Unless you plan to embarrass yourself by spreading it.”
I froze.
Embarrass myself?
For the first time, I realized Xavier cared more about protecting his image than protecting me.
“You don’t even feel remorseful,” I whispered.
He looked at me for a few seconds before speaking.
“Guilt changes nothing.”
The answer strung me painfully.
“I can’t believe you are this heartless?”
Xavier walked closer slowly.
“I’m realistic.”
“No,” I replied shakily. “You’re cruel.”
There was a change in his expression, a dark flash across his face before disappearing.Then he stepped close and touched my chin gently.
“You’re my wife now, Laurel. Stop behaving like a child.”
I pushed his hand away immediately.
“I’m not going anywhere with you today.”
His expression hardened slightly.
“You are.”
“No.”
For a few seconds, silence filled the room.
Then Xavier smiled.
But there was nothing warm about it.
“You still don’t understand your situation.”
A chill ran through my spine.
“What does that mean?”
“It means this marriage isn’t something you can walk away from because your feelings got hurt.”
My stomach tightened.
“Hurt?” I repeated softly. “You betrayed me.”
“And you’re Mrs. Blackthorne now,” he replied softly.
The way he said it made me feel like I just walked into a trap .Like my emotions no longer mattered because I belonged to him now.Tears gathered in my eyes again, but this time I refused to let them fall.
Xavier noticed my silence and adjusted his cufflinks.
“Be downstairs in twenty minutes,” he said before walking toward the door.
Then he stopped.
Without turning around, he spoke again.
“And delete the video.”
The door closed behind him quietly.
country.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
I stood still, staring at the closed door.
Just yesterday, I was the happiest woman on earth
I had married the man I loved.
The man I defended.
The man I chose over everyone else.
Now I couldn’t even recognize him.
My knees gave way, and I slowly sank onto the floor.
The tears I had been holding back finally escaped.
“Dad was right…”
The words came out in a whisper.
My father had looked me straight in the eyes a week before the wedding.
“Laurel, I’m not asking you to hate Xavier.I’m asking you to be careful. There’s something about the Blackthorne family that doesn’t sit right with me.”
I had laughed.
“Dad, you’re overthinking it. Xavier loves me.”
“Love shouldn’t make you ignore your instincts.”
“You’re just saying this because he’s rich.”
My father had sighed.
“No. I’m saying it because I’ve spent my entire career reading people. That young man is hiding something.”
I never listened.
Instead, I begged him to bless our marriage.
And he did.
Not because he trusted Xavier.
Because he loved me.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
One of the maids entered carefully.
“Mrs. Blackthorne… breakfast is ready.”
“I don’t want to eat.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
She hesitated before lowering her voice.
“Mr. Blackthorne asked me to make sure you come downstairs.”
Even the maids answered to him.
I wiped my face and stood up.
When I reached the dining room, Xavier was already eating.
He looked up briefly.
“Sit.”
I remained standing.
“I’m not hungry.”
“I wasn’t asking.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I slowly sat opposite him.
A maid placed food in front of me.
“I said I’m not hungry.”
Xavier didn’t even look up.
“Eat.”
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
I stared at him.
He finally met my eyes.
“I don’t repeat myself, Laurel.”
My appetite disappeared completely.
I forced myself to take a few bites.
Only then did he continue eating.
It wasn’t a concern.
It was controlled.
Everything had to happen his way.
When breakfast ended, he stood.
“We’re leaving.”
“For where?”
“My parents’ house.”
“I’m not going.”
“You are.”
“I don’t want to pretend everything is fine.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So that’s what this marriage is?”
He picked up his car keys.
“This marriage is exactly what I wanted it to be.”
His words echoed inside my head.
“What does that mean?”
For the first time, he paused.
Then he looked at me.
“You keep asking the wrong questions.”
“Then give me the right answer.”
Silence filled the room.
Finally, he spoke.
“I didn’t marry you because I was in love with you.”
My heart stopped.
I felt every drop of blood drain from my face.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“No…”
I shook my head repeatedly.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why marry me?”
He slipped on his suit jacket before answering.
“Because you were the right choice.”
The right choice.
Not the woman he loved.
Not the woman he wanted.
Just…
The right choice.
“Choice for what?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
A slow smile crossed his face.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
He walked toward the door.
“I’ll never forgive you.”
He stopped without turning around.
“I never asked for your forgiveness.”
Then he left.
I stood there alone, trying to understand how the man I loved had become a complete stranger.
Just then…
My phone vibra
ted.
Unknown Number.
My fingers trembled as I opened the message.
It wasn’t another video.
It was a single sentence.
“Ask your husband why he wanted Victor Carter’s daughter… not Laurel Carter.”
My heart almost stopped.
What did that mean?
Who was this person?
And…
What did my father have to do with my marriage?
