Aria and Rian, once childhood friends who now can barely tolerate each other, are forced into marriage for the sake of their families.
Their relationship is anything but smooth, as both struggle with the weight of their troubled pasts and refuse to...
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Aria
We arrived at Rian's two-bedroom apartment just moments ago. Before entering, I had hoped to discuss our living arrangements with him to establish clear boundaries and expectations from the outset.
I wanted Rian to understand that while I was committed to making this marriage work, I also needed space. Adjusting to living with someone who clearly dislikes me would take time, and I couldn’t fathom why he would agree to this arrangement when our feelings for each other were so negative.
But that turned out to be pointless, as our families were constantly around us. The chaos began the moment we stepped foot at the church.
We barely had a moment alone.
Once we reached the apartment, I wasn't too eager to explain everything to him, so I immediately set off to explore his new place in search of the second bedroom.
Letting Rian handle my luggage, as any considerate husband would, all I wanted was to find that room and get some rest.
I needed to forget this overwhelming day.
Turning a corner, I spotted a door that I assumed led to the second bedroom. As I reached for the handle, Rian appeared, catching me in the act.
He calmly explained that the room contained his old things and that he valued his privacy. Then, he left me with all my belongings to handle on my own.
He didn’t even show me around the apartment; I had to navigate it by myself.
This wasn’t how I’d imagined a considerate husband would act. But then again, this is Rian, what did I expect?
The apartment was surprisingly spacious, much larger than I expected. I continued to explore, trying to get a sense of the layout.
As I passed another closed door with the lights on and the sound of shuffling, I assumed this must be his room, where I would be sleeping since I had no other options.
I didn’t bother knocking when I saw Rian walking into a bathroom connected to the bedroom, carrying his clothes.
An idea suddenly occurred to me.
I quickly gathered as many pillows as I could find and stacked them on the king-sized bed, creating a makeshift barrier in the middle to keep him at a distance, even if it wasn’t perfect.
I hadn’t noticed Rian had emerged from the shower until he looked at me and muttered, “Why did they choose a freak for me to marry?” before walking away.
