Chapter 1: Lies

"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

She gripped the hem of her dress and her jaw clenched hard. She wanted an explanation right now. That is the only thing she needed. 

Her voice trembled as she grabbed a vase and threw it right where the man stood up.

"How dare you!" She yelled again. "I trusted and loved you and this is all I get?!" 

Her tears were already ruining her makeup. This is supposed to be a happy day for them. Today is their fifth wedding anniversary as a husband and wife but now it is all ruined. It is ruined because of that photo she saw from his husband's phone.

Carole was married to Aston, the richest and known man in the country. She had no choice since it was an arranged marriage. She needed to save their family business or else their family name would become a laughingstock to the business world.

She loved Aston from the very start. It made her like a servant, giving him whatever he likes. However, her husband will never return everything she sacrificed for him.

He will never love her. 

"Answer me! How dare you treat me like a kid?! You think I will never find out?!"

Carole's voice was already echoing inside the exclusive hotel they're in. She didn't care if there were already people staring at them. She knew that she looked scandalous right now, but she didn't care.

Instead of explaining and understanding her wife, Aston gripped her pale thin arms and dragged her outside. He pushed the woman inside the car that was waiting for them at the front of the hotel and shoved her like a stuffed toy. 

The driver got out and just stood outside with sadness in his eyes. Even though he wanted to help his madam, his job is much more important. 

"When will you fucking shut up?!" 

Aston's eyes sharpened and the side of it glared really hard at Carole. His palms traveled to her chin and grabbed it,making the woman irked in pain. He looked her straight in her eyes and said.

"You have no right to ask me for an explanation. You are just my wife. Be thankful I'm still considering you even though you look like trash to me now, do you understand?" 

Those words pierced Carole. Not only her pride as his wife but also her heart. Her eyes teared up again, from the pain outside and inside she was feeling.

Aston pushed her hard on the backseat and grabbed her arms up. She jolted and tried to break free.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

The truth is, even though the man is angry, he still appreciates the silk dress his wife was wearing. It has a slit from her thighs down to her heels, exposing her soft pale skin. It was enough to wake up the lust within Aston.

"Aston, what are you doing?!" 

Carole yelped, trying to figure out why Aston can be in this state while they are in the middle of an argument. She is not in the mood to do it right now. Besides, they are inside the car. 

She was about to kick him when he won by turning her over,pressing her face on the car seat. The next thing she felt was her dress getting ripped off. 

"Aston, stop! I'm not in the mood!" she yelled but ended up getting pressed hard. 

Carole had no choice. The man took his way to her and all she did the whole time was cry in pain and hatred. She was used like a doll by how many times Aston wanted her.

Their anniversary date turned into a nightmare she will never forget.

As soon as they went home, Carole rushed to the shower and cleaned herself. She looked so devastated and broken looking at her pitiful self. The cold water touched her body and she shivered in pain.

Hugging herself, her knees gave up. She slumped down on the tiled floor and cried like a child. The photo she saw earlier came back to her mind. She couldn't believe that her best friend since birth betrayed her.

Carole trusts Natalie so much. She's like a sister to her. She never thought that Natalie would do it to her. Not only Natalie, but her husband too. She thought that the man would change over time but he just became more selfish. This relationship is too late to save.

She was wrecked and didn't know what to do anymore. She was helpless as if she already wanted to die. There is no one who would understand her. Even her parents tolerated Aston because the only important thing to them was money and business. 

There are a lot of questions she wanted to ask herself and Aston. All she ever wanted was to have the dream family she ever wanted so bad since she was a child. A family filled with happiness without involving money or business or even fame.

It was too late to dream about it. Her life was already into pieces, broken pieces she will never put back again. 

Inside her room, yes, she is sleeping in a separate room. Even though they are married, they are not sleeping together. After their honeymoon phase, Aston ordered her to sleep in the guest room. The man will only sleep next to her if he wants sex. That's all. 

Carole wrapped the comforter around her shoulders and leaned her back on the bed head. She took her favorite pillow and hugged it. Then she realized that she hasn't opened her phone since earlier. She turned it off since she didn't want to ruin the celebration they have tonight. 

As soon as the phone turned on, a lot of notifications popped up. It was from Natalie, her best friend, which broke her heart.

Carole played the voice message.

"Hi,Carole my sweetheart! Happy 5th anniversary to both of you. Aston will take you to a fancy dinner, right? I'm so excited to see you in that dress I gave you as your present. Don't forget the gossip about it later. Love you!"

It broke her heart. Carole squeezed the phone and her chest sunken. She didn't know what to feel. How could Natalie talk to her like that as if nothing is happening between her and Aston? The betrayal of it was already enough to make Carole cry.

The phone fell from her grip and her vision started to blur. She wanted to shout and blame Aston for everything, but she was so kind that she ended up blaming herself. 

Maybe if she took good care of Aston more, he would never do this. Maybe if she didn't refuse those nights where her husband wanted her so badly, he would not look for another woman, her best friend. 

Just maybe, Carole will be the perfect wife Aston wanted.