Between Love and Betrayal

ded ceiling that was too high, in a huge room that she had never imagined more than in her worst nightmares. People laughed around her, their voices intertwining with th

ways dreamed of this day, but never of this reality. She hated the solemnity of this moment, the gaze of the guests, the photographer's camera that was constantly focused on her, capturing smiles that she had not given. She

od why he had chosen her. Why her, a young woman with no history, a little lost in her dreams and desires. She was 23 years old and he was almost twice that. But he had an envied social position,

it seemed artificial to her. There was nothing real in this world of appearances. Not a knowing look, not a word of tenderness exchanged. Just mechanical gest

e her forever. By marrying her, Henry had made her a part of his empire. She wasn't there to love him. No. She was there to be one more piece in this puzzle of app

ed why her hands were shaking, why her heart was tight. It was madness to have let him do it. But how could she be otherwise when the only thing she had ever learned was to submit, to face

resence. Lena knew he didn't expect anything from her. No hug, no declaration of love. What he expected was for her to be there, simply, to embody the perfection of hi

smile almost frozen on his lips. She looked at him without knowing how to react. She

Henry said in a calm voice

e light of the candlesticks. She looked at it, a cold glint in her eyes, before looking up at her husband. He wasn't even looking at her. He was already somewh

llows the instructions given to it. The room was shining, the guests were applauding, but Lena felt nothing. No emotion. No warmth. J

ss of colors, sounds, and faces. She undressed slowly, her heart heavy, and slipped under the sheets. The large king-size bed seemed even more

. The smell of her mother's lavender, the laughter around the table, the long walks in the garden. E

ushed hers during the ceremony. It all seemed so far away, as if she had been a mere extra in a scene that did

without love, without affection, without anything but obligations. She tossed and turned in bed, seeking comfort, but th

no idea what awaited her in this big house. Nothing she had experienced so far could prepare her for what was to come. Bu

onviction, that a miracle would come to bre