Isla's POV
As I lay on the soft silk bed, I cast my mind back to the events of the day. The day had been quite tiring. The reception was dull and boring, except for the father and daughter dance. I had enjoyed dancing with my father; he was such a terrible dancer and almost tripped on several occasions, which cracked me up.
Landon, on the other hand, avoided me like the plague. He never once looked at me, whereas I watched his every move. I couldn't help it. He looked so dashing that I couldn't take my eyes off him. I could not hide how happy I was to be married to him, even if I tried.
"Get out of my bed, you gold-digging bitch!" His thunderous voice reverberated off the walls of our bedroom, but I didn't think I heard him right. I jumped in shock and stared at him in disbelief as his nose flared like a raging bull. I took a step toward him, and he stepped back.
"Because of you, I have lost the one thing that means the most to me. I have lost the love of my life! How could you say yes to your father when I specifically told you to decline his offer?" I was completely horrified by what he just said. He was in love with someone else. Why didn't he tell me? God, what had I done? My feet went cold, and my knees threatened to buckle. I looked down in embarrassment, unable to bear the look of hate in his eyes.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you. I want to see the face of the person who has subjected me to this miserable life." His voice was a low hiss, and his words stung like a bee, bringing tears to my eyes. "You could have told me if you wanted the money."
"You think I married you because of your money?" My voice cracked as I spoke. "Then what? Let me guess, you married me for the recognition, right? You've gotten what you wanted. Since you have decided to subject me to this marriage, I will show you how good of a husband I can be. You have no fucking idea what you just signed up for."
He stood so close to me that I was shaking with fear. His eyes were cold and emotionless as he stared at me. "Stay away from everything that belongs to me. I don't want your filthy hands soiling my properties." I gasped in shock at the amount of anger and hatred he had toward me. "Undress yourself." He commanded, and my jaw dropped in sheer horror.
"What's wrong, my lovely wife?" His tone was very condescending and sarcastic, dripping with mockery. He raised his hand and was about to touch my face when I jerked away from his touch.
"This is what you want, right? A husband, a marriage. Aren't you happy that I'm giving you what you want? As far as I know, a wife should fulfill her husband's every desire. You're naïve, but even you should know that." He smiled devilishly as he watched me whimper and take several steps backward. The smile vanished from his face as he made another shocking statement. "I want you as my mistress."
"No, I can't do that," I replied firmly.
"I wasn't asking you. I was telling you. You don't have any other choice, sweetheart, do you? You wanted to fulfill your father's wish; now you can do that to your heart's content. You must suffer in this miserable life that you've subjected me to, just the same way I'm suffering." A flash of emotion crossed his face.
"I didn't know you were in love with someone else. Otherwise, I wouldn't have married you." I whispered in a low voice, feeling extremely hurt that my life, which I thought had turned out so wonderfully, was merely a hoax. The person I loved and got married to was not only in love with someone else, but absolutely hated me.
"Shut the fuck up and drop the innocent act. I sent you a letter when I was in Germany explaining everything. You can drop the good girl act now; we both know that's fake."
Which letter was he talking about? I had never received any letter.
"I did not get any letter from you," I tried to explain.
"Just stop it! This act is irritating. Did I not tell you to undress yourself? Take your clothes off and wait for me." He ordered and turned to leave the room, but then suddenly turned back toward me after a few steps. "I will ask my lawyer to prepare a contract. Don't you dare tell anybody about this, or I swear I will make every minute of your life miserable." And with that, he left the room.
I slumped to the ground and let my tears fall. I could not get a divorce; that would be even worse than disagreeing to get married. My father would not be able to take it.
I loved Landon, but it was never my intention to trap him into a loveless marriage. If he was happy torturing me for what I had done to him, then I would have to pay for it and endure in silence. I managed to cry myself to sleep.
I half wondered if I was in a dream. Most times, dreams were better than reality. I blinked, shut my eyes, and blinked again. I sat up to take in the shafts of light that burst in through the window, but instead, I saw a figure sitting in front of me. His eyes were fixated on me. This time, they showed warm emotion, but it vanished almost immediately when I looked at him. His eyes darkened, and his face hardened into an expression of hatred. Once again, I was the enemy.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me you were a fucking virgin?" He ran his hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face.
My heart raced in horror once again when I remembered last night and the terrible sex he had with me when he came back. He practically forced himself on me and gave me no room to object or say anything. He just came and took what he wanted, leaving me totally shattered and in absolute pain. I looked down at the bloodstain on the bed sheet, and only then did the pain I felt on my body return.
"Answer me." His eyes shot daggers at me.
"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't let me say a word."
"Don't consider what happened yesterday as lovemaking. You are just a toy to me and nothing else." His words were like a sword that pierced right through my heart.
With that, he took his coat and left, and once again, I cried my eyes out.
After taking a long and very necessary hot bath to help me relax a bit, I put on a simple loose dress. I felt more comfortable in loose clothes than in tight ones. I also put on a little makeup and stepped out of my room, wearing a fake smile on my face. I walked down the stairs and saw Alex and Olivia, Landon's parents, having breakfast. They looked so happy that I couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous of them. I wished Landon and I had what they have, but he had proved to me that it was impossible.
"There she is, good morning sweetheart. We were just talking about you." Olivia said, smiling beautifully at me.
"Good morning, Olivia. Hi, Alex."
"Sweetie, are you alright? You've got dark circles around your eyes, and you look pale." She asked, studying my face with concern.
I remained quiet and averted my gaze from her, trying to make sure not to cry. A sensitive person like me would definitely burst out at any time.
Alex cleared his throat. "Darling, yesterday was her first wedding night, of course, she'd be tired," Alex told his wife, and she giggled in acceptance.
I blushed.
"Landon left home quite early today," Olivia remarked in confusion, obviously waiting for an answer from me. My smile faded a bit.
"Yeah, he said he had to attend an important meeting."
Great! Starting my new life with a lie barely 24 hours later, and the husband of the year award goes to… Landon!