1.

Maya was pretending to be asleep when the bedroom door creaked open late that night. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. He was in the room. She felt the mattress dip beside her as he settled onto the adjacent bed.

This was the second night of their marriage. He hadn't come to the room on the first. She had been praying he wouldn't come tonight, but her prayers had gone unanswered.

Suddenly, she realized Sebastian, lying beside her, had taken off his clothes. In the dim light filtering from the hallway, she could just make out the motion. After he was undressed, he rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

His body heat was terrifying. She raised her hands to push him away, but froze as he caught both her wrists in one of his.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Sebastian’s tone was pure mockery. "What am I doing? Isn't this what you wanted? I didn't come to you yesterday, and you ran to Grandfather to complain. All so I would sleep with you, right? Stop the act."

His words were a sharp, icy shock.

"I didn't tell him," she managed, but her voice was so faint, she doubted he heard.

He didn’t. Ignoring her completely, he ripped her nightgown.

The next morning when Maya awoke, she was alone. If not for the deep ache in her body and the torn nightgown lying in a heap on the floor, she might have convinced herself that last night had been nothing more than a nightmare.

She showered, dressed in clean clothes, and went downstairs. In the dining room, two members of the household were already at the breakfast table: Sebastian’s grandfather and his younger brother, Aiden. Servants moved quietly around them, serving food.

As soon as Sebastian's grandfather saw her, he smiled warmly. "Maya, come, have breakfast with us."

Aiden turned, his own smile welcoming. "Maya, come join us."

She approached the table, wished them a good morning, and slid into a chair. Her face felt like a leaden mask. She couldn't bring herself to meet anyone’s eyes.

Sebastian's grandfather looked slightly annoyed. He glanced toward the grand staircase, then back at Maya. "Where is Sebastian? Is he again…?"

Before he could finish, Maya cut in. "No, Grandfather. Actually, he was with me last night. He just got an urgent call from work and had to leave early this morning."

The old man still looked troubled. When would his grandson ever grow up? It had been less than two days since the wedding, and he barely spoke to his new wife. Forget speaking—his grandfather had never even seen him so much as look at her. Sebastian had been dead set against this marriage. He had hoped things would change after the ceremony, but he could feel that they hadn't.

Sensing his grandfather's rising anger, Aiden deftly changed the subject. "Grandfather, I see pastries on your plate. Are you trying to cheat again?"

The old man glanced down at the forbidden sweets and huffed. "I'm not eating them. They're just… for decoration."

The absurd excuse made both Aiden and Maya crack a small smile. Just then, Aiden’s phone buzzed. He read the message, and his expression shifted. Maya and his grandfather were too busy with their breakfast to notice.

Aiden said nothing until the meal was over. The moment his grandfather left the room, he turned to Maya. "Sister-in-law," he began, his voice low, "That was a message from my brother. He wants you to pack your things. You're both moving back to the penthouse near his office, where he lived before the wedding."

Maya just nodded. Her hands tightened in her lap, but she kept her face a placid blank. "Alright," she said.

Aiden studied her. "Doesn't he have your number?"

"It's not that," Maya lied smoothly. "He does, but I forgot to charge my phone. The battery must be dead."

With that, she quickly stood and escaped upstairs, avoiding his perceptive gaze.

Aiden knew she was lying. And he knew his brother. He was worried for Maya, now that she would be living alone with Sebastian. Everyone knew about his brother's temper, but worse than that was the simple fact that he hated her. He had only gone through with this wedding because their grandfather had forced him.

Maya’s mother had been a nurse, hired to care for the old man back when he lived at the old estate. One day, she had thrown herself in front of a car to save his life, and had died from her injuries. Maya, then still in school, was her only child. When his grandfather found out, he took full responsibility for her, paying for her education and promising her dying mother that he would marry Maya to his eldest grandson. From the moment Sebastian returned from abroad to take over as CEO, the pressure had begun.

Maya had lived in a hostel the entire time. After finishing school, she had refused to take any more money from him, supporting herself with part-time jobs.

When his grandfather felt his time was running out, he had intensified the pressure on Sebastian. For three years he pushed, and for three years his brother refused. Finally, after a particularly intense ultimatum, Sebastian had relented and agreed to the marriage. But he didn't accept it, and he certainly didn't accept Maya as his wife.

Aiden replayed the whole sordid history in his mind. "God knows what will happen now," he muttered to the empty room.

Upstairs, Maya began to pack. Before the wedding, when she was working, she had lived simply, buying only what she needed. The little money she saved, she donated to charity or used to feed stray animals. But when she married, Sebastian's grandfather had showered her with gifts.

She packed only the essentials and left the rest behind. Downstairs, Sebastian had arrived to pick her up. Aiden had already informed their grandfather that they were leaving for the penthouse.

"Why are you in such a hurry to go back to the penthouse?" the old man demanded, intercepting Sebastian in the hall. "You just got married. Stay with us for a few days."

Without looking up from the papers in his hand, Sebastian replied, "It makes no difference if I go today or tomorrow. The estate is too far from the office, and I have more important things to do. I can't waste my time commuting."

His grandfather glared at him, but before he could retort, he saw Maya descending with her suitcase.

"We're leaving, Grandfather," Maya said softly.

The old man was left speechless. Sebastian was already on his feet and heading for the door. Outside, a car was waiting. The driver opened the rear door, and Maya got in. Sebastian slid in beside her, but for the entire drive to the penthouse, he didn't say a word to her. He didn't even look at her once.

When they finally arrived, the driver hurried out to open her door. She glanced over and saw that Sebastian hadn't moved. It seemed he had no intention of coming inside.

Did he hate her so much, she thought with a pang of despair, that he couldn't even bear to walk through the door with her?

With a heavy heart, Maya went inside. A few housekeepers were already there. The head housekeeper came forward quickly to help with her luggage.

Later that evening, after serving her dinner, the housekeeper approached her, hesitating. "Ma'am," she said, her eyes downcast. "Sir… he asked me to give you this." She held out her hand, revealing a small packet of birth control pills.

Maya's throat went dry. Sebastian hated her so much that he couldn't even risk the possibility of her getting pregnant. He had made that clear before the wedding, so why did it still hurt so much?

This time, she took the pills without a word, swallowed them dry, and fled to her room.

A month passed. She never saw Sebastian's face. He didn't come back, not even for a single day. Whenever his grandfather called to check in, she would lie.

One afternoon, she was walking on the terrace when his grandfather called again. He told her that she and Sebastian were expected at a party that Sunday. Maya agreed on her own behalf, but she had no idea what to do next. Should she try to tell Sebastian? She didn't even have his number. She decided to stop thinking about it.

She spent the rest of the day in her room until her phone rang. It was Sophie, her best friend from her old job.

"Hello," Maya said, her voice flat and tired.

Sophie recognized her friend’s desolate tone instantly. "What's wrong, Maya? You sound miserable. You should be happy! You're married to Sebastian Royce, for God's sake."

Maya said nothing, unable to stop her mind from replaying the last month. Her fists clenched and her eyes began to burn.

"What is it?" Sophie pressed. "Come on, let's meet up. Our old spot. Now."

Maya quickly agreed. This time she took the elevator down instead of the stairs. As she crossed the living room, the housekeeper appeared.

"Ma'am, are you going out?"

Maya nodded. "I'm going to meet a friend."

She hurried outside. It wasn't easy to find a cab in this neighborhood, but after a long walk, she finally flagged one down and headed back to her old part of town.

The moment Sophie saw her, she pulled her into a hug. "Oh, sweetie, you look so beautiful! But what's this? Under your eyes? Where did you get these dark circles?"

Sophie was shocked. She sat Maya down at a small plastic table and yelled to a boy working there, "Pip, two plates of dumplings!"

She turned back to Maya. "What's happened? Aren't you going to tell me? Is something bothering you?"

Maya looked at her friend's concerned face and forced a smile. "No, I'm fine. I'm happy."

Sophie's expression soured. She knew Maya too well. "If you consider me a friend, you'll tell me what's wrong. Are they not treating you well there? Is this because of Sebastian?"

At the sound of his name, Maya's hands began to tremble.

Sophie saw it. "So it is him. I should have known. That man looked like such a sullen grouch at the wedding, like he was being forced there at gunpoint. You never should have married him. He's not good enough for you."

Maya didn't answer, staring out at the bustling street. They were sitting in the tiny dumpling stall where they used to come all the time.

"He hasn't been home in a month," Maya said, her voice barely a whisper. "He told me he hates me and that he doesn't consider me his wife."

Sophie's heart sank. She grabbed Maya's hand. "If you're not happy, then leave him. You're beautiful and talented, you could find anyone. Maybe he wouldn't be as rich as Sebastian, but at least he would respect you."

Maya gently pulled her hand away. "No."

"Are you still crazy in love with him?" Sophie asked, exasperated. "That man isn't worthy of you. Why don't you understand?"

Seeing Maya's unchanging expression, Sophie put her head in her hands.

"Maya, how can I make you see? Do you still love him? He thinks you're nothing. You got married a month ago, and he hasn't even come to see you since. Seriously, you still want to be with him? He doesn't care if you live or die."

Just then, Pip arrived with the dumplings. "Okay, here," Sophie said, pushing a plate toward her. "Eat before they get cold. I know you hate cold dumplings."

Maya stared at a single dumpling for a long time before picking it up, as if trying to remember something she had lost.

What would she do? Caught between a loveless marriage and a promise she felt bound to honor, Maya was trapped. And what would happen when the old patriarch discovered the truth about the life his grandson had built—a life from which Maya was completely, and cruelly, excluded?