Chapter 5

• And there she was, loving him with every ounce of her being, while he had become the
• continuum of unanswered prayers, not even knowing her name.
• ARLET
• Aghast, my senses benumbed, I stared at the people around me. It didn’t take long to understand the reason behind his placidity. His parents seemed delighted, tears of happiness in their eyes. The little girl clapped, beaming at me with expectant eyes. They hadn’t seen Reile, and for them, I was simply the face of Ruben’s life partner. Momentarily, the paparazzi sealed the deal, exposing my face to the world as Ruben’s better half.
• But the way his friends looked at me, their eyes full of anxiety, told me I was heading toward an unstoppable storm.
• We stepped down from the stage, and I quietly followed him. There was no smile on his face—just pure anger. We walked toward the car, and I struggled to keep up with his long strides in my uncomfortable wedges and ill-fitting dress, but I tried. I stumbled when Milo grabbed my arm.
• “Arlet... what... is... this?” Trust me, Milo, I’ve asked myself that question a thousand times in the last ten minutes. I swallowed hard, my soul aching, eyes filled with tears, and tried to offer him a smile—but it never came. I knew he could read me better than anyone else, but today, he seemed hurt by me.
• “What the hell did they do to you?” His words carried the rage he felt for William and Debbie. I grabbed his hand, shaking my head, silently telling him not to make a scene—not now, when I was responsible for Ruben’s reputation. He cupped my face, his hands gentle as if he wanted to wipe away my tears, but before I could feel the warmth of his touch, I was pulled away harshly by someone else.
• I was taken from Milo. The pain that shot through my forearm came from none other than Ruben. He dragged me toward the car as if he were desperate to escape the chaos we had found ourselves in.
• He opened the back door and pushed me inside as if I were the one who could sense the disgust in his gaze and his touch, while others likely saw only desperation—a man desperate to have his wife for the wedding night.
• With a sharp, grating motion, he slammed the door, his actions speaking louder than words: he hated me with every fiber of his being.
• I looked at the crowd, my eyes meeting the faces of Oliver and Milo. They both stared at me with confusion, and a deep sense of self-loathing washed over me. Why hadn’t I spoken up when I had the chance? Why hadn’t I told Milo that this was not the way I wanted things to go with the man I loved?
• “Take me home,” Ruben muttered, the first time he’d spoken so close to me. As much as I wanted to respond, his frustration was palpable—he was upset with everything, including me.
• “But boss, what about the cake ceremony and...” The driver began, but Ruben cut him off mid-sentence.
• “Shut the fuck up, Trevor. D... R... I... V... E.”
• Trevor, the man, didn't dare to glance at the mirror. He silently drove us away from the place where it all began. Should I apologize for being involuntarily involved in this mess? I shifted in my seat, keeping my gaze lowered, swallowing hard.
• The journey was short, but each minute felt like an eternity. His heavy breaths churned my stomach with anxiety. He exhaled sharply, not bothering to look my way. The car came to a stop in an open space in front of the fountain. Before I could take in the sight, Ruben was already out of the car, slamming the door behind him.
• Trevor met my gaze in the rearview mirror, his look questioning, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
• "Hello, Mrs. Rodriguez. I’m Trevor," he said, his tone polite but laced with uncertainty. I let out a half-breath and mustered a nervous smile, nodding in acknowledgment.
• He exited the car and walked around to my side, opening the door for me.
• "Welcome to your new home."
• My chest sank, and pain echoed in my heart. What was I supposed to say or do? Was this really my new home? How could it be when the man who owned it didn’t even want to see me?
• "You must be tired. Call me whenever you need anything. I’m here to help," Trevor continued, offering a kindness that only made me feel worse. This poor guy had no idea. I wasn’t some proud, entitled woman—just a silent one, a mute woman lost in this overwhelming mess. Before I could even say something, I noticed the pen in his pocket.
• "You need a pen?" I asked, pointing at it.
• He nodded and handed it to me.
• "Wait, let me grab a piece of paper." He rummaged through his front pocket and handed me a crumpled sheet with a confused look on his face.
• Hello, Trevor,
• I’m Arlet.
• Nice to meet you. Please don’t mistake me for an arrogant person. It’s just... I can’t talk.
• I’m mute. ;)
• As I handed the paper to him, his expression faltered, turning blank.
• "I’m sorry, I didn’t know that."
• I smiled, hoping to ease the tension. It’s okay.
• "I’ll bring your things inside," he added, his voice a little more hesitant.
• I stood there silently, taking in the mansion. It was stunning—an expansive garden, a fountain, and a gazebo. The mansion was adorned with red and white flowers, the path lined with red petals, all carefully arranged as if to create the perfect setting for Ruben’s day with Reile.
• I took cautious steps, feeling the weight of the petals beneath my bare feet. This wasn’t my welcome—these petals weren’t meant for me. I pulled off my wedges, holding them in my hand. As I reached the door, a woman in her late fifties greeted me with a warm smile.
• "Hello, ma'am. Welcome home." She embraced me with motherly warmth.
• "I’m Magda, the housekeeper."
• I smiled back, setting my wedges aside. Before she could say more, a loud crash echoed from inside.
• Trevor dropped my duffle bag, and Magda and I rushed inside to see what had caused it. We found Ruben, standing over a smashed vase, his fury clear in the shattered pieces on the floor.
• The time had come for me to add insult to injury.
• "Boss..." Magda whispered, her voice soft with caution.
• Ruben spun on his heels, his anger palpable as he waved his hand dismissively at both Trevor and Magda.
• "Leave."
• "Take the day off."
• She gave me an uptight look, nodding in agreement with his command before marching away. Trevor pressed his lips together, casting me a concerned glance before following Magda out of the room. They left me alone, standing there while Ruben paced back and forth.
• I waited in silence, knowing the storm he was brewing was one I couldn’t avoid—one my family had dragged him into. He lifted another vase, this time smashing it right next to my feet, making me jump in place.
• "Answer me." His voice, pitched to its highest, reverberated through the room, shaking me to my core.
• I raised my gaze, my eyes meeting his with a growing sense of fear as he drew nearer, disgust swirling in his expression—an emotion solely reserved for me. He grabbed my forearm, his grip hot and forceful, and the pain started to blur. Was it in my feet from standing too long, or was it in my arm from his grip?
• "Answer me. Who the fuck are you?"
• His venom-laced words didn’t just bruise my heart—they shattered my soul. He was my everything—the one constant in my prayers—and yet, he didn’t even know my name.
• He shook me roughly, forcing me to face him, demanding an answer that was impossible for me to give. My throat was tight, the words lodged there, suffocating me. The sharp edges of the broken vase beneath my feet pressed deeper with every tremor in my body.
• "Where the heck is Reile?"
• The words hit me like a slap. Before I could respond, he pushed me to the floor. I fell like a dead leaf, crumpling beneath his anger.
• The bitterness in his eyes wasn’t what I had hoped to see. He grabbed his coat, walking out without a word, leaving me alone in this vast mansion.
• I pulled my feet close to my chest, my trembling hands reaching for the jagged piece buried in the scarlet liquid of my own blood. I tore a piece of my bridal dress and wrapped it tightly around the wound, the fabric soaked in the pain I couldn’t escape. Your freedom is my suffering, Reile.
• The tears came then, flooding my face with the agony I could no longer hold back. Nobody was there to witness my vulnerability, nobody to hear the screams I couldn't voice.
• I was that Rapunzel, freed from the tower, only to be abandoned in my own misery. This was the first day of my wedding—blood on my dress and the crushing weight of being nothing more than a replacement.
• I looked around desperately, hoping to find something, anything to shield me from the cold. But there was nothing. With the pain and the darkness closing in, I wrapped myself in the rug, curling into it like a fragile, broken thing. I closed my eyes, wishing for tomorrow to never come.