That Problematic Ring 💍

3| Freya

It is an apartment.

My new home is a spacious, ornate and impressively expensive apartment.

The walls are painted with soothing colors, windows are floor-length, flicker sunlight whole day. It has a separate swimming pool area, decorated with greenery and fully grown trees.

And then comes the terrace which is of lounge size and fully furnished. It shows the sea of high-rise buildings and skyline of the city at night.

I wonder who's choice is this or who's idea was that to get us this beautiful apartment. I at least got something good in the swamp of misfortunes. Though I'm isolated with shame and guilt.

I unlock my phone and read Benjamin's last text for the millionth time, the text I received after my so-called wedding ceremony.

"Happy Marriage. Hope you will live well."

This explicates that he has planned to forget about me and move on. My stubborn heart still doesn't want to accept this.

Throwing away the phone, I rise from my bed. It's twelve o'clock in the noon.

I have kept myself locked in the apartment since a week. It's been a week to my wedding ceremony. It's been a week I have been living here and seen Rafe. I have no idea of his whereabouts or where he is roaming around nor I tried finding out.

"Mrs. Eastmond, I'm going for daily grocery. Do you have any requests?" Matteo asks as I step out of my bedroom. He's the chief of the apartment's domestic staff.

"Matteo, I told you to call me with my first name and no I don't have any request. You may go."

He nods, "Okay, Freya." He leaves. I turn towards the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Mrs. Eastmond. From Howard to Eastmond.

I have a different sir-name now. I feel down in the dumps at the realization.

The house chefs have already cooked a breakfast for me like everyday. I self-serve some slices of bread, boiled egg and steamy coffee cup and settle down on a dinning table.

I have been practically living alone in this house other than the servants who come and go, do their chores. Matteo lives here as a full-time employee in his own quarter and supervises the workers.

For the whole past week, I didn't step a foot outside the apartment or talk to anyone. I have swamped myself with despairing thoughts and woes. My mind is so overwhelmed with past days' events that I'm unable to pull myself together and think of what I should do now with my life.

Since childhood my life never went on like I wanted. It's always like how Mom and Dad wanted. I thought this time I would fight back and live the kind of life I wanted by marrying the man I loved. But once again they became successful in forcing their decision on me and destroying my plans.

The price for being an heir to the Howard is anguishing and I bear it every time by murdering my wishes.

There are questions that are keep running through my head like what now? How will I live on? Will I have to now live as Rafe's wife for the world? What should I be doing?

I'm unable to find answers. These questions doesn't let me sleep at night. I haven't be able to properly sleep since the wedding night. The moment I close my eyes, everything replays in my head; Ben's hurtful words, that nightmarish wedding ceremony, Rafe's helpless face, Mom and Dad's negligence and so on.

I leave the food uneaten, unable to swallow down anything. God, my head would explode. I need to do something to distract myself, to run away from the memories which are eating me alive. I should do something before I go crazy, before my guilt and regrets would literally kill me.