I didn't sleep that night.
Even after Adrian left the room, his words lingered like a threat carved into the walls.
You're not leaving this marriage.
The mansion was silent, but my mind was loud. Every corner of this place reminded me that I didn't belong here—not anymore. The marble floors, the expensive paintings, the chandeliers that glittered like stars… none of it had ever been mine.
I had been a guest in my own marriage.
Morning came too quickly.
I was standing in front of the mirror when the door behind me opened.
I stiffened.
Adrian walked in like he owned the air I breathed, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his presence filling the room. He didn't look like a man who had argued with his wife the night before. He looked calm. Controlled.
Dangerously so.
"You're awake early," he said.
"I didn't sleep," I replied flatly.
"That's not my problem."
I turned to face him. "Why are you doing this?"
He paused, adjusting his cufflinks. "Because walking away isn't an option."
"For who?" I asked. "You or me?"
He finally looked at me then, really looked at me. His eyes lingered for a second longer than usual, as if he was seeing something new—or something he had ignored for too long.
"This marriage protects us both," he said. "You leaving creates unnecessary complications."
I let out a hollow laugh. "You're worried about complications now? After humiliating me?"
His jaw tightened. "I didn't humiliate you."
"You loved another woman while married to me," I snapped. "What do you call that?"
Silence.
He walked past me and poured himself a glass of water, completely unbothered. "That situation has nothing to do with this."
"Everything about it has to do with this," I said. "That's why I'm done."
He took a sip, then set the glass down slowly. "You're emotional. Give it time."
"I gave you three years," I replied quietly.
That made him stop.
"You think leaving will make you free?" he asked. "You'll be watched. Followed. Questioned. Every move you make will be linked to my name."
"I don't care."
"You should," he said. "Your family will be dragged into it."
My heart clenched. "Don't involve them."
"They're already involved," he said coolly. "They always were."
I felt trapped.
Later that day, I escaped into the garden just to breathe. The sky was clear, mocking my mood. I had just sat down when my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
He's lying to you.
My fingers froze.
Another message came in.
He never planned to let you go.
My heart raced as I typed back.
Who is this?
The reply came almost instantly.
Someone who knows the truth about Adrian Blackwood.
I stood up abruptly, panic and curiosity colliding in my chest.
Before I could ask anything else, the phone buzzed again.
Meet me tonight if you want answers.
A chill ran down my spine.
That evening, Adrian came home late. Again.
I watched him from the staircase as he loosened his tie, his phone pressed to his ear.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Make sure she doesn't leave the house."
My breath caught.
He hung up and looked up, his gaze meeting mine.
"For your safety," he said calmly. "I've assigned security."
"I'm not a prisoner," I said.
"No," he replied. "You're my wife."
I clenched my fists. "For how long?"
His eyes darkened. "As long as I say."
That was it.
The final straw.
Later that night, I packed a small bag and hid it under the bed. I didn't know who had texted me. I didn't know what truth awaited me.
But I knew one thing.
Staying was destroying me.
And whatever secrets Adrian was hiding… they were big enough to keep me trapped in a marriage he claimed was already broken.