I'll never forget the day Dad told me he'd arranged my marriage to Roman, the Mayor's son. I was livid! How could he do this without asking me? But I had to suck it up—for Dad's sake. He was in deep with the Mayor because of some debt.

Flashback:

"Dad, why do I have to marry someone I don't love? Are you crazy?" I shouted.

"Please, anak, do this for me," he begged. (anak = child/daughter)

"I'm not a kid, Dad. I make my own decisions. Tell me, what did you do this time?" I demanded.

He hesitated before admitting, "I borrowed money from the Mayor... for gambling."

My eyes widened. "How much?!"

"A lot, Valentina. That's why you need to marry Roman. He'll help us," Dad explained.

I was furious. "I'll fix this, Dad. But don't think we're square."

End of Flashback

I was furious at Dad, but I had no choice but to marry Roman—for his sake. I knew what would happen to him if I didn't help. The Mayor had no heart. So I had to marry Roman.

On our wedding day, a lot of people were invited, and everything was expensive. After the ceremony, we went to the venue, but Roman seemed distant, like he didn’t care about me at all. I didn’t know why, but he had no emotion at all.

After the venue, we went to our house. When we entered the mansion, Roman looked at me seriously. His cold, emotionless voice made my skin crawl.

"Let me make one thing clear: there are rules in this marriage, and you will follow them completely," he said.

"Rule 1: Obey without question. You'll do what I say, when I say it, without hesitation or questions.

Rule 2: Maintain a perfect public image. You will present yourself as the perfect wife in public—smile and obey—no matter what happens behind closed doors.

Rule 3: Don’t question my business. You're not to ask about or interfere in any of my dealings in any way.

Rule 4: Be available at all times. You will be ready for me at all times—social events, business functions, or anything else I require.

Rule 5: Don’t expect affection or empathy. I don’t give emotions. You will not receive any comfort, sympathy, or love from me. You’ll only get what’s beneficial to me."

"Do you understand me, Valentina?" he asked, looking at me with no emotion.

"What are these rules even for? I’m not a child," I said, crossing my arms.

He glared at me and grabbed my face. "You know, Valentina, you have a pretty face but a small brain. If you don’t follow my rules, your father will suffer," he shouted and shoved me to the floor.

I recoiled from what he did. I didn’t really know him yet, but he was different. Even if I didn’t like his rules, I had to follow them—for Dad. I didn’t know exactly what Roman meant, but it didn’t feel right at all.

That night, we had dinner in heavy silence. Roman's presence demanded attention—even the maids moved with quiet precision. Then, disaster struck. A maid tripped and spilled juice on the table.

"WHAT THE HECK!" Roman exploded, his face darkening.

The maid trembled, her eyes filling with tears. "I-I'm s-sorry, sir..."

I stepped in, trying to calm the situation. "Hey, it's okay. Accidents happen."

Roman’s gaze snapped to me, his eyes burning with fury. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, VALENTINA? DID I TELL YOU TO SPEAK?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the room.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. "N-No, but it’s just one spill, right? Not a big deal..." I tried to reason.

Roman's anger escalated. He stood up, his movements fast and threatening. "HOW DARE YOU!" he shouted, marching toward me.

He grabbed my hair and I winced in pain. "Hey, stop! You're hurting me!" I begged, trying to pull his fingers away.

But Roman wouldn’t stop. He dragged me to the room, his grip like iron. "THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU INTERFERE IN MY BUSINESS," he snarled, each word cutting deeper than the last.

The room filled with my cries of pain as Roman unleashed his fury. I begged him to stop, but he seemed completely consumed by rage. My body hurt with every blow—I felt like each hit was stripping me of life.

Roman’s grip tightened on my wrist, his fingers digging into my skin. "NEXT TIME, VALENTINA, TRY TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS," he growled, voice low and dangerous. "This is my house. My rules."

I winced in pain, tears forming in my eyes. "Roman, that’s enough! Let go!" I pleaded, struggling to break free.

His expression turned darker, eyes blazing with fury. "YOU THINK YOU CAN QUESTION ME IN MY OWN HOME?" he bellowed.

I trembled, my voice shaking. "R-Roman, please..."

His face twisted in rage. "YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE YOU STARTED MEDDLING," he spat.

He suddenly grabbed my face, fingers digging painfully into my cheeks. I widened my eyes in terror as he leaned in, his breath hot on my skin.

"Next time... NEXT TIME, YOU LISTEN," he snarled.

And with that, he shoved me to the ground. I hit the floor hard, pain radiating through my body. Roman turned and walked away, leaving me there in a crumpled heap.

I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. Slowly, I got up, my eyes catching the mirror on the wall. The reflection that stared back at me was almost unrecognizable—my face bruised and swollen, eyes red from crying.

I stepped back, my gaze lowering as I whispered,
"Why... why does it have to be like this?"

I looked down at my body, taking in the bruises and marks left by Roman’s rage. A wave of loneliness washed over me, and I felt like I was drowning in despair.

I let the tears fall. I couldn't hold them back anymore. The pain and fear were too much. I didn’t know how to make sense of it all.

Chapter 1: Flashbacks

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