Smoke curled from his cigarette as Dashiell studied Thea, still asleep beside him.
A blanket covered her bare body.
His mind was turning over everything that had just happened, because none of it lined up with the ugly rumors he’d heard.
He’d already gotten a report that his wife hadn’t gone anywhere except to campus.
He also knew now that she worked part time at a café.
Wasn’t that strange?
Saphira was supposed to be a woman who lived a glamorous, extravagant life, always spending freely.
She’d been spoiled since childhood, so why would a young woman like that be working part time at some café?
Too many questions were piling up in his mind.
Something was clearly off about the woman he’d just married.
He was starting to feel like the woman with him wasn’t Saphira at all, but if she wasn’t Saphira, then who was she?
His hand trailed slowly along her back.
He had to admit she was beautiful, more beautiful than her photographs even, without all the heavy makeup covering her face.
His hand moved with slow, deliberate intent, tracing down from her back, and the touch was enough to stir Thea awake.
She startled instantly.
Thea grabbed for the blanket, yanking it up to cover herself completely.
She looked at Dashiell with eyes glistening with unshed tears, though she didn’t dare let her sadness show.
“I didn’t expect you to still be a virgin, Saphira. It seems all those ugly rumors about you were nothing but lies.”
Thea said nothing.
She bit down hard on her lip, her fingers gripping the blanket just as tightly.
“No need to look at me like that. We’re husband and wife now, so there’s nothing strange about what happened between us. As my wife, it’s only right that you serve me.”
“But I wasn’t ready for this, and you forced me into it!” Thea turned her face away, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Whatever money she’d end up earning from this could never make up for the innocence she’d just lost.
“No need for tears. The moment you married me, you should have already prepared yourself for this kind of thing.”
“But didn’t you say you never wanted this marriage?” Thea turned back to look at him.
“I thought we’d never end up doing something like this, since you never wanted this marriage in the first place, so why did you come back just to have me?” Part of her wanted to end this insane charade right then and there, but stopping now would only cost her more, since he’d already taken her body and there was no getting her innocence back.
“Saphira, I don’t think you’re a foolish girl.” He took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke right in Thea’s face.
“Do you even know why this marriage happened in the first place?” He looked at her with a mocking expression.
“All I know is that I had to marry you, nothing more. Why else would this marriage happen if not to satisfy what your grandfather and my grandmother wanted?”
“See, you really are clueless. They arranged this marriage so they could have grandchildren.”
“What?” Thea’s eyes went wide with shock at hearing the real reason behind the marriage, and to make it worse, Saphira had never once mentioned any of this to her.
“You really are naive. You should have known exactly what a marriage like this was for.”
“I-I just assumed…” Thea raked a hand through her hair.
She was the fool here, for never having asked Saphira for the full details.
She’d let herself get blinded by the money, treating her role far too lightly.
“No need to look so shocked. Innocence doesn’t suit you at all, it’s not like you. Just give my grandfather and your grandmother what they want, and you’ll have everything you asked for. Isn’t money what you wanted in the first place?”
Thea bit her lip again.
Yes, she did want the money, and that was exactly why she’d been foolish enough not to ask for every detail beforehand.
But she had no intention of bearing this man’s child; that was a role only Saphira was meant to play.
“Let’s make a deal, Saphira.” He stubbed out his cigarette.
It was time to get serious.
“What kind of deal?” Thea looked at him, her expression drained of energy.
She had no enthusiasm left for any of this, especially not for discussing something she never wanted to do in the first place.
“We’re already married, and what’s done is done, so let’s make this arrangement work. I know you want money, and I also know you like to enjoy yourself out there. I’ll admit I doubted your claim about being a virgin, but you proved me wrong, so at least I haven’t lost out entirely.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“At the very least, I didn’t marry some woman who’s slept with half the city.”
“Don’t say things like that!” Anger flared in her; she couldn’t stand hearing him talk about her best friend that way.
“Am I wrong? I’ve heard everything, that you’re not exactly a decent woman. You go through partners like they’re nothing, yet somehow you were still a virgin, and you love throwing wild parties with your friends. You’re always out drinking, and everyone knows exactly what you get up to, but my foolish grandfather refused to believe any of it, that you were nothing but a cheap woman, and instead forced me to marry you!” There was nothing in his words Thea could deny, since it was all true of Saphira, though she knew her friend wasn’t some cheap woman either.
“F-fine, that’s exactly what I am, so what does that make you?!”
“Hm. I didn’t expect you to actually admit to all of it.”
“Just tell me what you want!” This was a disaster; she’d only made her friend’s reputation worse.
“Listen carefully. At least I didn’t end up buying a pig in a poke. As long as you’re my wife, there will be no parties, and no relationships with any other men. I won’t have any child you bear be anyone’s but mine, so behave yourself. If you ever feel restless, come find me, because I’m the one who’ll satisfy you, not some other man!” His words left Thea furious and deeply insulted.
“No need to worry about that. As long as you can satisfy me and make me scream with pleasure, I won’t need to look for anyone else!” A foolish thing to say, she was only digging herself deeper.
“Oh? So you weren’t satisfied with my performance last night?”
“No. Your performance was pathetic, and I wasn’t satisfied at all!” Stupid, stupid.
She cursed herself silently the moment the words left her mouth, realizing she’d just provoked him without meaning to.
“You said it yourself, Saphira. I’ll make sure you’re not going anywhere today.”
“I need to go to campus, don’t get in my way!” Thea shifted, trying to slide off the bed, but Dashiell’s hand moved faster than she could.
He pulled her back with force, dragging her down onto the bed again.
“What are you doing?!” Thea shouted furiously.
“Giving you exactly what you asked for. I already told you, you’re not going anywhere today!”
“What?” Before she could even process what was happening, his mouth was already on hers again.
Thea tried to fight him off.
She begged Dashiell to stop, desperate not to go through this with him again, but he wouldn’t stop, especially not after she’d all but thrown down a challenge of her own.
Besides, he needed to get her pregnant as soon as possible, before she went running off to other men, so that whatever child she carried would be undeniably his own blood.