Chapter 7: Days of sorrow.

“Did you see the way I posed as the bride instead of her?” Taylor V laughed.

“Like, girl that was so good. You guys looked so perfect together. If it hadn't been for you, that picture with her in it, would have been a horror. She's so dull”

“I wonder why she always looks so dead like her world is over”

“She hasn't seen anything yet. I'll make her life so miserable she'd never try to be more than just a womb renter…”

Ursula walked into the kitchen interrupting their conversations.

They stared at her.

Their eyebrows furrowed.

Ursula's face was still a bit swollen from last night, almost red if not for the fact that she had taken a morning shower to refresh herself and had done her makeup in preparation for the interview.

“Good morning” Ursula managed to say

Nobody responded.

They rolled their eyes instead and still fixed them on her.

Ursula walked around the kitchen like she was looking for something.

“Looking for something?” Taylor V asked with a hint of mockery in her voice.

“I need a glass of water, please. I'd really appreciate if you show me…”

“Don't worry, I'll get it for you.” Taylor responded.

Camilla looked at her immediately and frowned.

“You'll do what?”

Taylor looked Camilla in the eyes, patted her on the arm with a smirk on her blood red lips and said “let me”.

She walked towards the fridge.

It was blended with the wall like a secret door.

One wouldn't know there was a fridge or anything there if they didn't look properly.

She swiped her thumb over the fridge's handle and it responded with a beep and slided open.

Taylor's face lit up with the fridge light as she searched for a bottle of water.

“Oh, there you are”

She took out a rose colored bottle of sparkling water and opened the cork, walking towards Ursula.

Ursula reached for a glass cup and walked simultaneously towards her.

She stopped right in front of Ursula staring into her eyes.

Ursula lowered her eyes.

She was so close to Ursula that Ursula could smell her expensive sandalwood perfume. It was too concetrated that it almost nauseated her.

As Ursula stretched out her hand to reach for the bottle of water, Taylor V emptied the whole thing on Ursula's head.

It was so cold that Ursula gasped and gasped for until the entire thing finished.

Her hair now plastered to her face and her clothes and makeup ruined.

Camilla let out a loud and wicked cackle.

“You almost had me there. I thought you had fallen in love with her or something”

They high fived each other, pushed Ursula to the ground and stomped out of the kitchen with their heels making koink-koink sounds.

Ursula staggered as she stood up and cried her way back to her room.

She didn't want to disturb the maids again to get her the make-up artist so she dabbed away the liquid and changed her clothes.

She remembered the words of her mother and her heart ached.

The people who treat others like nothing have nothing so they attempt to bring others down.

She held her head as the headache increased making her feel dizzy for a while.

Her room door barges open.

Ethan.

Draped in a black suit perfectly from head to toe. Hair combed and styled so neatly. His blue eyes searching the room till they landed on Ursula.

“Did you practice the script they gave you?”

“Yes”

“Are you sure? Don't be a disappointment today like you always are”

“I…”

“Okay, let's practice what you were given.”

She looked up at him.

“Come on! Don't waste my time. Don't ruin my mood already” he scolded her.

Shaking, she said “okay”

“My name..is Ursu…”

“Mrs Blackwood. Nobody cares about your name. You are my…..wife! Mrs Blackwood. Not Ursula. You're not some made person with anything to her name.”

“My.. name is Mrs Blackwood..” she continued, tears still poured from her eyes. She couldn't fight the war inside her.

She couldn't fight the ache that wouldn't leave her throat no matter how much water she drank. It stayed there stuck and her chest hurt like someone was hitting it inside and begging to be let out.

“What is wrong with you? Be confident or at least try to look it. Stop always acting like a lifeless thing”

“I can't do it…I can't..I'm sorry.”

“You'd rather be in prison until you pay off the twenty thousand dollars?... look here, Ursula or should I say Mrs Blackwood…you're already married to me. If you try a wrong move, you'll be in jail for breach of contract and ruining my image…it was all in the contract! Now, act .. accordingly!”

He grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her like shaking her would stop her from crying, like she was some robot or something.

“Stop it and focus”

Ursula nodded firmly with her lips pursed, fighting the tears.

“My name is Mrs Blackwood. I'm so happy to be able to say that I'm finally married to the love of my life, Mr Blackwood. He means everything to me and….our love is like no other. He's the…kindest man I know..”

“Is that all?”

“It…says that we're supposed to fake a kiss.”

“Okay, come closer. I need to show you how it's done. I don't need you making this weird on camera”

“What?”

He pulled her by the heads towards him.

She almost hesitated but she was weak and her had the control.

Without closing his eyes, he kissed her lips almost like it was passionately.

Their eyes locked in to each other's for some seconds.

Ethan felt like he was weak looking into her eyes. Whether it was pity, guilt or.. something…

He immediately pushed her away.

She held her dressing table to avoid falling.

When he turned around, Taylor V stood at the door with her eyes wide looking at Ethan like she just saw a ghost.

She glared at Ursula, tears threatening to leave her eyes for the first time.

Ursula looked away, her heart pounding in her chest.

And then, Taylor V stormed off.