Isabella's POV
"Mother?!" I gasp as a tear rolls down my eyes when I hoist my head to lock eyes with her blazing red face.
"How dare you lie to me, Bella? How dare you?!" She yells, her hands shaking with tears streaming down her eyes.
"Grandma", I hear Jayden call before he steps in beside me. My face stings and I shift my gaze to Juliet.
She has a proud smirk on her face and she winks at me.
Bitch!
"Don't you dare talk to me, you idiot", she attacks Jayden too. "How dare you lure her into a deceitful affair such as this? How dare you!" She grabs at his shirt.
"Mother, stop it", I try to take her hands off him while he is standing calmly as though nothing is happening. "Please stop it."
I succeed in taking her hands off him as she glares at him in anger.
The maids appear from the door which opens right behind Jayden and they all come out, looking from me to the others with curiosity written all over them. It is apparent that all is not well and they want to know what is happening on their boss's wedding night.
"Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you, what happened, Paulina?" He confronts the eldest woman who bows slightly.
"We were having a meeting", she informs him, and Jayden's brow creases. He must be wondering what type of meeting they were having.
Not wanting to delve into the matter further and to give us privacy to finish up what we have started, he orders with implacable authority. "Get my wife's things up to my room immediately, she needs to have a change of clothes."
Paulina is hesitant. "What about the other…"
"Do as I say", Anger flashes across his expression as he yells at her.
Paulina nods vehemently and she instructs the younger maids to get the luggage before dismissing the others.
I don't have a lot of clothes so I came with just two bags. The two girls grab the suitcases and they walk upstairs with them.
Paulina disappears after flashing me a sweet smile and Juliet scoffs.
"I really do not know what is happening here, can someone explain?" Jayden asks with a serious expression on his face, folding his arms around his bosom.
I should have known that Juliet would do this. I am not surprised, I was expecting this already. I know how desperate she can be when she wants something.
I am just glad she didn't come in while the marriage proceedings were ongoing. That would have ruined everything.
I already had plans to tell Grandma after the marriage but not this soon. I have barely ticked out the first day out of the 365 days I am supposed to spend with Jayden.
Despite knowing what Juliet is capable of, I still feel hurt and betrayed. I trusted her. I loved her. I sacrificed a lot for her.
Working with Jayden comes with a satisfactory salary but how can I live a good life when I have a good heart and I am too selfless? Now I see the reason why Juliet scolds me for being selfless. Now I see why it is too bad to be too selfless.
Apart from taking care of the bills and Grandma's health, Juliet had always been my responsibility ever since I began working for Jayden. It has been over a year already since I started working there but I have no savings at all.
Juliet relies on me. I help her with the groceries and even take her out shopping most times. Even if she didn't make me feel that I needed to do this for her, I would have done it.
But Juliet felt entitled to my salary because she claimed to step down for me. We both went for the interview and a day before I got the job, she told me she was going to step down for me so I could get the job.
That was before she got to know that Jayden is the boss. After she got to know he was the boss and her crush, she regretted her actions and always said it to my face.
It always makes me feel bad and I feel responsible for her situation. I know the major reason why she backed out was that she wasn't confident enough to get the job. She is a school dropout.
"What happened is that Grandma now knows the truth about this facade", Juliet answers on her behalf, walking closer and demonstrating with her hands. "I really do not like it when you keep old women in the dark about something as huge as this so I decided to tell her on Isabella's behalf. I know Isabella doesn't have the guts to do that", she flashes me a wicked smile.
"What?!" Jayden and I both exclaim, feigning ignorance.
"What do you mean by facade?" Jayden dips his hands into his pocket and face her squarely.
I turn to Grandma. "What the hell did she tell you?"
"Stop pretending", Grandma grits her teeth in anger and wipes her tears which gets my heart breaking into pieces.
"You shouldn't believe any single word this woman here feeds you with", Jayden says to Grandma. "Isabella and I are truly married and we swore before man and God…"
"To be married for a year", Juliet cuts his short again. "Without having sex."
"What?!" I exclaim, looking surprised.
"Is that what you told her?" Jayden questions, taking slow, threatening steps toward Juliet who suddenly looks scared and steps back. "Why then didn't you tell her what you did? Why didn't you tell her how you came into my office and asked me to marry you instead of Isabella? You forgot to include that in your lie?"
"What? I didn't do that", she mutters firmly. "Don't you dare lie about me?"
"Lie? Why did you lie to her then?" He points to Grandma, halting in his steps.
"I didn't lie to her, I only told her the truth", she moves away from his presence and rushes over to Grandma.
"Let's go", she touches her.
"Let go of me", Grandma shouts at her, wriggling herself from Juliet's hold. She glares at her before throwing me another scowl. "Birds of the same feather."
With that said, Grandma twirls back and begins to walk to the door. Juliet runs after her and I let out a deep sigh, chiding myself not to cry.
I feel a hand around my shoulder and I jerk my head up to see that it is Jayden's. He is looking towards the front door which Grandma and Juliet took.
"Don't be sad", he murmurs. "I guess you will have to spend the night in my room then. I won't be surprised if my mother also shows up to come and see if this is real."
Without waiting for a response from me, he drops his hand and saunters to the staircase, his gait unchanged. He doesn't look bothered by anything and I wish I am this carefree.
How the hell can I spend the night in his room on our wedding night when it isn't supposed to be so? It was clearly stated in the contract that we will have our separate rooms and we won't be allowed to invade each other's privacy.
Should I just go find Paulina to show me to my real room and help me with my bags again?
I doubt if I can be comfortable sleeping in the same room with him. The thought of this happening never crossed my mind and I didn't see any reason to bother about it.
I am a deep and funny sleeper. I will be so ashamed of myself if I do something funny before tomorrow morning. This is the reason why I shouldn't spend the night there.
I look around but no one is in sight. I haven't been given a tour of the house and I don't know anywhere except for Jayden's room and that is because I saw him go upstairs earlier when we arrived from his parent's mansion.
How can I find Paulina or any of the maids? Should I just go and sleep in Jayden's room for tonight and then tomorrow, I will have my things moved to the other room?
I am pretty exhausted already from the day's events and I crave a comfy bed that will make me forget my sorrows or probably pretend as if they are nonexistent.
I am supposed to be happy tonight, not because it is my wedding night and I am a bride that ought to consummate her wedding but because this is a new chapter of my life and a new beginning to great things but my mood has been dampened by the appearance of Juliet.
I am supposed to go shopping with Jayden's Assistant tomorrow just like he has planned for me and I am supposed to go home afterward and help Grandma pack her things.
Jayden got a new house for Grandma with maids who will help her with the domestic chores and also keep her company since I am not moving in with her.
Now the plan will change. I need to go see Grandma first thing tomorrow. She didn't want to leave our house until the wedding was over and now that it is done, I doubt if she will want to move tomorrow.
My head begins to ache from a lot of thinking and I shake my head, my tear-stained face already dry and I make a resolve not to let anything bother me anymore tonight.
Tomorrow is another day.
I want tonight to be special. I am in a new home. I want to have a dreamless sleep tonight, not those sleep with dreams of how the landlady comes knocking on our door for us to pay the house rents.
I take a step forward and another until I am on the staircase on my way to Jayden's room.
Tonight should be different. Devoid of any forms of sorrow or sadness.
Why?
Because it is my wedding night.