16.

I stood in front of the mirror, the weight of the moment sinking in. The interview was set to air in less than an hour. My mind was numb, yet my body moved mechanically as I finished pulling on the outfit the maids had laid out for me. It wasn’t anything special—just another dress, another attempt at trying to look like someone I wasn’t. I felt like a mannequin, a lifeless display, just like the answers I was about to give.

The room felt suffocating as I stared at my reflection, not recognizing the person staring back at me.

Vera. That was me, wasn’t it?

But who was I anymore? There were pieces of me scattered all over the place—shattered fragments of the girl I used to be, and now, all I could do was play along.

A knock on the door broke my trance. The maids had already prepared everything, but I knew what was coming next. Daniel.

He entered the room without waiting for a response, just like he always did. His presence was imposing, and even without saying a word, he commanded the space around him. I didn’t even bother looking up at him. He had already made it clear I was to follow his every lead.

"We're leaving now," he said flatly, his tone not even bothering to hide his impatience.

I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. There was nothing to say anymore. I just followed him, as I had done for days now, like a lifeless shadow.

The car ride to the venue was uneventful. The world outside blurred, and inside the car, it felt like a strange, muted silence surrounded us. I couldn’t even bring myself to care about the impending interview. The questions would come, and I would answer them. That’s all it was now. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Once we arrived, I could feel the eyes of the cameras, the weight of the stage, but it all felt so distant. I was there, yet not really. I was just going through the motions.

The host greeted us with a smile, and the cameras rolled.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Hart!" the host said brightly, turning toward us. "It’s so lovely to have you both here today. How are you feeling about your recent marriage?"

I caught Daniel’s eye for a brief moment. He didn’t even blink before turning his attention to the host. His answer was rehearsed, flawless, and emotionless. He spoke about the union being a "strategic and harmonious partnership," his tone smooth and indifferent.

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but the tears wouldn’t come. There was no emotion left in me. Only emptiness.

When the host turned to me, I was frozen. I forced a smile, the same one I had practiced a thousand times before, but it felt foreign now, like a mask that didn’t fit.

"And what about you, Mrs. Blackwood?" the host asked, his smile expectant. "How do you feel about this union?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no real words came out. I had practiced the answers, I had rehearsed them over and over in my head, but now... now it felt like a lie. It was a lie.

I managed to say something about how we had "great respect" for each other, how we were "learning to love" and "supporting each other." Words that had no real meaning, no truth behind them. Just empty statements.

I could feel Daniel’s eyes on me, watching, waiting for me to get it right. His presence felt suffocating, like a weight on my chest.

The questions kept coming, one after the other. "What is your favorite thing about each other?" "How did you know he was the one?" "What are your hopes for the future together?"

I answered mechanically, the words coming out of my mouth as if they belonged to someone else. My heart wasn’t in it. How could it be? There was no love here. There was nothing between us. Just a contract. Just business.

The interview had gone on, question after question, and I had played my part perfectly—no hesitation, no emotion. But then, something unexpected happened. The host, with a confident smile, asked a question that wasn’t on the list of pre-approved ones.

"So, Mrs. Hart," he began, addressing me now, "we’ve heard some rumors about your husband. There’s been talk that his ex-partner, Evelyn, is pregnant. Is this true? And if so, is the child his?"

The question hung in the air like a thick fog, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. My heart skipped a beat, but I didn’t show it. I knew it was a trap. I knew it was a question meant to catch us off guard. But the real shock came from Daniel. His cold, stone expression remained unchanged as he shot me a quick, decisive look.

Before I could respond, Daniel cut in sharply, his voice cutting through the silence.

"This wasn’t part of the questions," he said, his tone sharp, devoid of warmth, his eyes locked on the host. "This interview was about Mrs. Hart and I. Not about my past or anyone else. We’re done here."

The host stammered, clearly caught off guard, but Daniel had already stood up, signaling for us to leave. The cameras stopped rolling, but my mind was still reeling from the unexpected revelation.

As I stood there, the weight of what had just been said hit me like a wave. I had known there were rumors about Evelyn, but hearing it openly discussed in front of cameras, about her pregnancy, about a child that was his, felt like a slap in the face.

The world around me spun, but I didn't let my face show it. I looked at Daniel, the man who was supposed to be my husband, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

I laughed—harsh, bitter, a laugh without joy. I pointed at him, my hand trembling slightly as I tried to keep my voice steady.

"So, let me get this straight," I said, my voice thick with sarcasm. "You’re going to have a child with another woman, but I’m still here? What's the point of me then?"

It was a sharp, cruel question, but I couldn’t stop myself. The words came out, my anger and hurt boiling over.

Daniel’s gaze didn’t falter. He stood there, silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. But I didn’t care. It didn’t matter anymore. The man who had married me, who I was supposed to share my life with, was already moving on with someone else, creating a future with her. I was just a pawn, a place-holder in a game I had no control over.

"Vera," Daniel finally said, his voice cold and distant, like it always was, "We have a contract. This isn’t about what you think. It’s business."

His words stung, but I was too numb to feel it deeply. Business. That was all it was. I wasn’t a wife to him, just another piece in his empire. The reality of it hit me hard, and I felt the weight of the situation crash down on me.

I turned away, walking out of the studio with him, the emptiness inside me growing with each step. We were just going through the motions now—me, walking beside him like a shadow, a robotic echo of the person I used to be. I had no fight left. What was the point? I had no love for him, and he had no love for me. There was nothing but this empty contract binding us together. Nothing but business.

And Evelyn, the woman carrying his child, was the true reason behind it all.