CHAPTER 8


    I didn''t know what time it was because I hadn''t left the room since what transpired between Luke and I


    earlier on. I was curled up in my bed, with no tears left to cry. My mind drifted into thoughts about my


    father. I hoped he was doing well and recovering well. I missed him so much during these hard times. I


    wonder if he knew what my mother had done. If he knew that I had been sold off like a piece of


    furniture just to save our name and money. My mind drifts off to Rocky. Why hadn''t hee for me?


    Did he hate me? It wouldn''te as a surprise after all, I did betray him.


    I had decided to take a tour round the house— if I was going to escape again, I needed to know every


    possible escape route. Luke''s house was indeed very huge. There was a total of nine rooms and every


    room had a bathroom in it. There was a mini theatre on the second floor and beside it was a chapel


    with the statue of Mary in it. I had prayed there for a while, asking and begging the holy virgin to send


    my love to me.


    Now, I was quite hungry because I hadn''t really had anything good to eat since I''de to the manor.


    I''m downstairs, heading for the kitchen when I hear voices from the study. As I''m about to go closer, the


    door opens and Laureles out alongside Luke. She looks annoyed.


    Luke looks at me, and I stare at both of them. "Natalie, please." He says, stretching his hand towards


    me. I take his hand, looking at Laurel and enjoying the sour look she''s giving me.


    "There''s always a party here, at the manor, every July 29th, it''s a family tradition. The party is in two


    days and Laurel has always nned it alongside the nner, but I was just telling her that since you''re


    here, as my wife and thedy of the house, you get to n the party and make all the decisions." He


    says.


    Although I didn''t like it here, I was d I had something to do to distract me from everything that had


    happened in the past few days. "I''ll see. Although, I''ve never nned a party in such short notice


    before." I say, looking at Luke. He has a small smile on his face. The smile disappears as soon as he


    sees me looking at him.


    "Thank you." He says, turning to leave. Laurel storms off.


    "Wait, Luke." I say. He turns, "I''m hungry." I say, embarrassed.


    "Follow me." He leads me to the kitchen and takes out a sit for me. The cook isn''t around so he


    decides to make me something. I sit watching him quietly. It''s ufortable.


    The food is ready, and it''s a te of pasta sitting right in front of me. "You know how to cook. I hope it


    tastes as good as it looks, and not as horrible as you are." I say, eyeing him slowly.


    "Wait," He says, and I wonder if he had gotten upset with myment, but instead he surprises me by


    taking a taste of the food. I look at him, confused.


    "Just incase you think I might''ve done something to the food or poisoned it." He says, his face void of


    emotions.


    "Thanks." I say.


    ****


    It was midnight and I''m in my room, unable to sleep. I need some fresh air, so I decide to go to the


    balcony downstairs. I arrive, and Laurel is there. It''s awkward.


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    "Why are you here?" She asks. I scrunch my brows in confusion.


    "Excuse me?"


    "You heard me, Natalie. Why are you here? This is my spot. I always stay here every night, so you


    should leave. You aren''t wee here." She says and I''m beyond amazed. She didn''t like me, that


    was obvious, but the feeling was mutual.


    "You know what? Maybe things are going to change, or no— maybe, things have, indeed changed.


    Incase you might''ve forgotten, I''m Lucas''s wife, which makes me your boss, so you better have some


    respect for me." I respond, unsure where my response came from.


    Laurelughs heartily, "Wife? Seriously, did you just say wife? You don''t act like it, do you? You don''t


    love Luke, so don''t im to be what you''re not and, I''m not a maid, boss." She continues, "I''m sure


    Luke doesn''t love you either, you''re probably just some business deal he had to get. He doesn''t joke


    with thepany." She says and I chuckle. I had the perfect reply to make her mad.


    "If he didn''t love me, then why did he have sex with me yesterday?" Her face goes pale, almost


    immediately.


    "He ha-had sex with you?" She asks, shocked.


    I tilt my head to the side and smile, before turning to leave. "Enjoy the fresh air."


    The 29th hade in the blink of an eye and I had tried my best to organize the party to suite Luke''s


    taste.


    "Natalie," I turn to see Laurel''s hard face. There was still tension between us and honestly, I loved how


    threatened she felt by me. It excited me.


    "Luke asked me to call you. He''s in the study." She says, walking off immediately she passes across


    the message.


    I reach the study and knock before entering. "Laurel said you wanted to see me?" I ask.


    He gets up from his chair, and at that point I realized something. Luke was always wearing the color


    grey. Whatever shirt he wore, the color always had to be grey.


    "Yes, thank you foring. I just got off the phone with your mother and— I cut him off before he can


    even finish the sentence. "My mother? Is something wrong with my dad? Is he okay?" I ask, panicked.


    He looks confused, "Yes, he is. Your mother called because she wanted you toe over."


    I scan his demeanor, hoping that he would let me go. This was my opportunity.


    "I told her no." He says inly and I gulp, annoyed.


    "You didn''t have to tell me, especially if your answer was going to be no."


    Luke had offered to get me a m team for my hair and makeup but I had refused, because I would


    feel more ufortable than I already was if he kept throwing favors my way.


    I am getting ready when the door opens. I look through the mirror to see who it is. It''s Luke. There''s


    total silence for a few seconds until I speak.


    "What do you want?" I ask, still looking at him through the mirror.


    "May Ie in?" He asks. "You already opened the door, didn''t you? Might as well enter." He enters, a


    box in his hand.


    "What is it?" I ask. He opens the box and it''s a ring. A very expensive, shiny, beautiful blue ring. I look


    at him, my face emotionless and his, hopeful.


    "I realized that I didn''t get to give you this because of the way things happened so fa—


    "You mean how you coerced me into marrying you?"


    He''s quiet. He continues, "It would appear odd if my wife attended a soirée in our own home without a


    ring on her finger, so I got this for you."


    I sigh, "I don''t want it, Carrington. I don''t want anything from you, but I''ll wear it, just for today. You and I


    share no rtionship. Don''t forget that." I say. I continue, "After the party, I''m taking this off. A ring is a


    symbol of marriage and marriage, is a symbol of love. Something I don''t and will never have for you." I


    say, making sure I look directly into his eyes so he knows just how serious I am.


    His eyes be red almost immediately and I stretch my hand out for him to put it on. The ring is a


    perfect fit.


    *********


    All eyes are on me the moment I arrive downstairs. Lukees, extending his hand to me. I take his


    hand and we both walk to meet a few people.


    "Mr. Durant, Mrs. Durant, my wife, Natalie." He gestures to me. They smile at me, "Hello, nice to meet


    you." I say, trying my best to make my smile look as genuine as possible.


    "So, how did you and Luke meet?" Mrs. Durant asks. There was something about the woman. She


    looked reserved and it was almost as though, she was trying to force the conversation. I could tell


    something wasn''t right with her.


    I smile, "Well, I think that is something Luke would like to tell you himself. Excuse me." I say, irritated. I


    walk to the corner of the room looking at all the guests socialize, give fake smiles and brag about their


    assets. Luckily, a waiter passes and offers me a ss of rosé. I take it and head to the table. I pick a


    strawberry and throw it in and begin to drink it. Alcohol never tasted better.


    "Strawberry in rosé, very ssic." A female voice says to me.


    I turn my head to get a good look at her, she was dressed in ace halter dress. Her hair was dark and


    she had fair skin, just like me. "It''s a habit I picked up from my mother." I say. She giggles, "Hi. I''m


    Kelly, Kelly Andrews." She says, extending her hand for a shake.


    I smile, "Natalie R- Carrington. Natalie Carrington." I say. It was going to take a long while for me to


    finally adjust to that name. As much as I hated the name, I was now a Carrington.


    I had excused myself from the conversation with Kelly, hoping to find someone who would lend me a


    phone. I wanted to ask Kelly, but I just couldn''t because I had a feeling that if anyone found out, I


    wouldn''t be the only one getting in trouble, Kelly would be too, so I couldn''t risk putting her in any hard


    situation.


    I scan the crowd and look for less suspecting faces, someone I could ask for a phone and wouldn''t


    immediately wonder why or tell my husband I had asked for a phone. There''s a young girl speaking to


    Mrs. Durant and I head towards them.


    "Mrs. Durant, hello." I say, smiling radiantly. "Oh, my, hello again."


    "Enjoying the party?" I ask. "Of course. I most definitely am. This is my daughter, Emily. Emily, Natalie,


    Luke''s wife."


    She gives a small smile, but before I''m able to respond, there''s a hand wrapped around my waist. By


    his scent, I can tell it''s Luke. My heart begins to beat fast. Did he know what I wanted to do? Was he


    going to rape me again? I was scared.


    "It''s time for the toast." He says to me and we move to get our champagne.


    "A toast, but not for the usual party of the 29th, but for the newlyweds. A toast to the newly weds!" A


    man who was oddly familiar says.


    "Cheers!" The crowd choruses. I drink my wine, still anxious about Luke.


    "There''s just one thing left," Mrs. Durant''s daughter , Emily echoes. "The couple must share a kiss!"


    She says chuckling.


    I sigh, simultaneously giving a smile. Locking lips with Luke? That was thest thing I wanted. If I could,


    I would give Emily a hot p, but I was raised to have manners, so, I wasn''t going to be pping


    anyone— at least, anyone except Luke.


    "Come on!" Someone shouts.


    Luke looks at me as though he''s asking for permission and I give him a little nod. Holding me by the


    waist and his right hand interlocking with mine, he ces a soft kiss on my lips. He''s about to end the


    kiss when I notice Laurel sending daggers my way. If looks could kill, then the look Laurel was giving


    me would surely kill me. My subconscious whines at me,manding me to show her that I was way


    up above her. I agree, I did refuse and still refuse to take any responsibility in the manor but I was still


    Luke''s wife and that made me thedy of the house. Either way, Laurel had to respect me. I drag


    Luke''s shirt and begin to kiss him. It sickened me to cheat on Rocky, especially with someone who


    vited me. It was something I had to do— something to teach Laurel a lesson.


    There''d been deafening silence in the balcony since Luke joined me there. I was enjoying a nice hot


    cup of coffee before he came in. I was still processing my thoughts about the kiss and I didn''t have


    anything to say if his reason for being here was to talk about it. I turn to leave, but remember


    something.


    "This isn''t mine." I say, taking off the ring. "Here." I say, stretching my hand with the ring in it.


    He looks at me, his face, void of emotion. He massages the corner of his head with his two fingers—


    something I''d noticed he was fond of doing whenever he was tensed. "No, it''s yours. You''re my wife


    and that ring belongs to you. I don''t know if you don''t know, but returning a gift is considered rude,


    Natalie. Don''t you have any manners?" He asks, in a silent tone.


    I scoff. "Don''t you dare try to teach me about manners. Have you forgotten what you did to me?" I scoff


    again, irritated. "Or you''ve forgotten because of your party or that stupid kiss? You know what? I''m not


    even going to argue with you. I''ll give your ring to Laurel. She''d appreciate it." I say, turning round to


    leave. He drags my robe and it falls down. I was naked. I make no attempt to move or hide my body. I


    am embarrassed and filled with rage. I turn to his direction, "Is this how you want to take me again


    without my consent?" I ask, scared.


    He looks stunned, his eyes red. He nods, "No, no, no, Natalie. I didn''t mean to." He looks away. He


    bends to pick my robe and wears it on me without looking at my body.