Chapter 19

Sophia

When I woke up the next morning, it was barely dawn. The new day was creeping into the room, lighting up the unfamiliar surroundings.

Where the fuck was I? A cold sweat washed over me and I froze, afraid to breathe, before memories flooded my mind; everything that happened yesterday rushed through my head at the speed of lightning, making me want to throw up.

I tugged the soft cover off my body, trying to recall when I pulled it over myself, but I couldn’t even recall when I fell asleep. The last thing I remembered was sitting on the bed, contemplating what I should do and how I should act around Kieran in the future.

Lazily, I got up and headed straight to the bathroom, where I took a moment to admire it once again. It was clean and shiny to perfection, looking like a set from a home decor magazine, with the sensor lights and hydro-massagers in the shower, where I stayed longer than necessary simply enjoying the feeling.

Fresh and woken up, I proceeded to unpack my suitcase, taking only a few shelves to fit all the clothes I had in it. For a moment, I contemplated getting the rest of my things from the apartment, but then I realized I should keep that place just in case.

For the first day at work, I chose a simple combination of black pants and a pearly white blouse with a pair of 2-inch heels, comfortable enough to get me through the day. I pulled my naturally blond hair into a high ponytail, put on my wristwatch and got my handbag, and took a last glance at the floor-length mirror in the walk-in closet. I was satisfied with myself, and even though my clothes were not expensive, tailored, or from luxury brands, I seemed decent. Professional. ‘Nothing that would embarrass my husband in public.’ The memory of his only request made me cringe profoundly.

It was around 6.30 when I left the room, wanting to eat before it was time to go. The last thing I ate was the granola bar I had on the train to Richmond, but when I finally found my way to the kitchen on the east side of the house, I realized my stomach was tied into knots, and I had no appetite whatsoever. The mere thought of food made me nauseated, but I had to get something in my stomach so I wouldn’t collapse. So I set up a coffee machine and prepared toast in the meantime.

That’s where Kieran found me a few minutes later, biting on a piece of bread and sipping coffee.

Our eyes met for a second before he went and poured some coffee for himself. He continued to the fridge and got himself busy, and I did my best to ignore his presence.

Not long after, Kieran sat at the table right in front of me, serving himself the sandwich while I nibbled on a piece of toast that felt like scratchy cardboard on my tongue.

“Aren’t you going to have a proper breakfast?” Kieran’s voice startled me, and I snapped my head up to look at him.

Was this him saying good morning?

“Not hungry,” I said dryly.

Kieran devoured his sandwich in minutes, not saying anything else, so I kept quiet too. After he was done, he got up and showed me the sign to follow him, which I almost too eagerly did. In the end, busying myself at work and being productive was for sure a better option than dwelling over my tragic fate.

Again, he opened the car door for me, and I know I should’ve gotten used to it by now, but every time he did that, it caused some strange emotions to stir in me.

We drove through the city in complete silence and judging by Kieran’s hands clenched around the wheel and his tightened jaw, this lack of conversation was as uncomfortable for him as it was for me. But I chose to stay quiet.

However, I couldn’t help but think if this is how it will be between us from now on, what was the meaning of the fucked-up relationship between us? Did Kieran intend to keep our marriage secret, or did he intend to announce it? How long did he plan to keep me? Did he have some sort of hidden agenda concerning me?

Questions kept popping in my mind, one after the other, and I was getting desperate to seek the answers, but my pride wasn’t letting me ask them aloud. I’ll have to train my patience and let time shed light on all those things I needed to know.

Kieran parked the car in the underground garage. I exited the vehicle before he got to my side, which earned me a disapproving glance from him, which I ignored and followed him to the private elevator that took us to the top floor, where his headquarters were. The tiny space of the elevator made me shiver uncomfortably, revoking a particularly unpleasant memory of the last day at my previous job, but I quickly composed myself and hoped Kieran’s prying eyes focused on the mirror in front of us missed it; I had no desire to answer any more of his questions.

The secretary I met before was at her workplace, behind the counter. She rose to her feet and greeted us when she noticed us coming.

“Good morning, Mr. King. Mrs. King.” She acknowledged us both, much to my surprise.

So, she already knew who I was now. When did Kieran tell her? Yesterday?

“Clara, you will show my wife her office and get her familiar with her assignments. Sophia,” he sternly said to me. “Come to see me once you’re settled in.”

With that, he was gone, and I heard the door close behind him.

A discreet cough got my attention, and I turned to face the woman I now knew as Clara.

“This way, Ma’am.” Clara walked to the office next to Kieran’s, and I followed her.

I stepped into a space equipped with only the most necessary furniture: a desk with a laptop, a chair, and one shelf placed against the wall.

“Ma’am, I want to say I’m sorry for how I acted the other day. I had no idea you were Sir’s fiancée when you were here last time, and I’m sure you would understand how I have to maintain a certain attitude.”

Oh, I had no doubt women were trying to get Kieran by any means possible, and this poor woman had to be the last line of defense. How ironic was that?

“It’s Sophia, and you don’t have to worry about it. I perfectly understand your position here.” I smiled gently at her, not wanting her to take me the wrong way, and she visibly relaxed.

“Then you can call me Clara. We will spend a lot of time together, anyway. I will leave you to familiarize yourself with our work here. As soon as you’re done, please go to Mr. King’s office. He has a short temper for business-related questions.”

I wondered when he did not, but I didn’t say it aloud. She didn’t have to know I already experienced how short his temper really was.

Clara left, and I was alone with my wild thoughts. What in the hell should I do now?

My new job? Yes. Maybe that was for the best - go with the flow and see where it took me. And just maybe, a new opportunity for me to get my life back would open up, and I’d be damned if I missed it.

So, I sat in the chair meant for me and turned on the laptop. It was equipped with a few specialized programs that did not seem complicated. I got a planner from the drawer and a pen and headed to the CEO’s office, aka my husband’s office. The thought of his new role in my life made me want to laugh hard.

My knuckles met with the cold, hardwood door twice before I heard Kieran’s “Come in,” I pressed the brass handle with a strangest sinking feeling in my gut.

Even before I stepped a foot inside, he picked up the phone. “Clara, show the storage unit to my wife,” he said quickly, cutting the line. “Organize it.” The look he gave me chilled me to the bone; it held a dose of wickedness, and I hurried to run away from him.

Clara led me to the repository on the floor below the one we were on and showed me the door, but didn’t go in with me. Her only message was not to get discouraged.

The meaning of her words became clear to me the moment I walked into the room. My eyes stung with tears at the sight, and I blinked fast to chase them away.

The storage unit was not the correct expression; what was staring right back at me was storage hell! Countless shelves with folders and boxes, files scattered all over the floor! The sight alone was desperate enough; the thought of me being the only one that would have to sort this shit out was devastating.

If this was Kieran’s sick way of testing me, and I was sure it was, I would not by any chance give him the satisfaction of seeing me fail. So, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, rolled the sleeves of the blouse up to my elbows, and got on to work.

Deciding to go in alphabetical order, I started sorting files into separate piles. It took me hours to get to Z, and the growling in my stomach was getting louder and louder, but I paid it no mind. I continued working relentlessly. Organizing the files on shelves was way easier once I figured out the system that worked best. While sorting through the piles, I stacked them one by one while sorting files by alphabet.

Damn you, Kieran! Damn you and your perverted games designed solely to cause me pain!

It was almost 7 pm when I completed the task, and I sat on the floor to rest my aching muscles just for a bit before I left my personal hellhole.

Oh, I was perfectly aware that the mess I was sorting through today wasn’t a normal state in this company. A freak like Kieran would never allow something like this to happen under his watch. This was done intentionally because of me and for me. But it didn’t stop me from spending the day making it suitable.

What did I want to prove, and to whom? To Kieran? To myself?

Halfway through the day, I also became aware of the camera in the corner, though I ignored the knowledge of it. When I was done, I had a childish urge to stick my tongue out and floss it to the camera.

A door opening behind my back made my head instinctively snap in that direction, only to see Kieran leaning on the doorframe with an impressed expression on his face that disappeared as soon as his eyes met mine.

“You’re done.”

I chuckled darkly at his ascertainment. “Like you didn’t know that already.” And I motioned to the camera.

Kieran ignored my remark and turned to leave. “Come. I want to go home. I was waiting for you.”

I went after him, wondering if I’ll ever be able to understand the man I married.