Perfect Facade

01| Married.

~~~~

I laid on the plush, yellow bed, glancing around the room I would be living in with my... Husband. I still couldn't get used to the word or even believe my newest reality, married! I was married and to a man I didn't even know.

I sighed--plopping down the bed. "You can do this Ella. Just stay with him for five years and you will have your freedom." As long as I would be free from Augustus, I was willing to do anything. marrying a man I had never met or ever expected to catch a glimpse of was nothing.

I took of my heavy wedding gown, I took of the earrings adorning my ear and the pins putting my head in place, being quick so I would atleast be asleep before my husband walks into the room. Yellow-blonde strands cascaded down my waist. Five months. I had been living as someone else for five months, just to be able to act as her properly, etiquette teacher were hired, I was took to places and forced to memories people's names and faces.

But I knew it was worth it, it's either I chose my death or marrying a man I didn't know. Now in my pants and bra, I headed to the bathroom for a shower, after placing my folded wedding gown in the walk in closet. The bathroom was beautiful and large, larger than the run down apartment I had been hiding in for months before my foster parents found me.

I would never have done this if the offer had not been so good. I turned on the faucet of the large bathtub and poured in the coconut body wash I found. Everything I would do from now on, every of my thought was to be someone else's.

Chesca, that was her name.

I had the name engraved in my mind already-- no matter where I was before, it didn't matter who I was or had been before this-- I would live as Chesca from now on.

Sighing, I strip off my bra and pant, and soaked into the bathtub, releasing a sigh of relief as the water soothed my body.

Eyes closed, I hummed, a song I always sang for my students whenever they needed to sleep or whenever I wanted them to stop crying. My husband- Lenard was still speaking with a few of his friends so I didn't need to worry about him walking in on me any time soon.

After soaking in the bath for minutes, I stood out, drained the water and headed to the shower for a quick bath.

After bathing, I cleaned myself up, then I put on a yellow bathrobe, not grimacing at the color since it was my best color-- Chesca and j shared that similarities, one of the few, except our looks. I had only seen her once. And, she was the exact replica of me or was I the exact replica of her.

Except the tattered cloth I had on then and my fatigued, pale skin which has been fixed. Same love shaped lips, same yellow-blonde hair, same skin tone, same high but thin eye brows. Our lashes even shared the same fullness. I walked out of the walk in closet with a short mint colored night gown that only reached my thigh-- another difference of ours. I hated anything short.

I was drying my hair by the vanity which had all the make up and hair accessories I could ever think of when the door opened.

My heart beat quickened and I stopped drying my hair as he stepped in. I could see him through the mirror. His crisp black suit already taken off, leaving his rolled up inner black shirt. I released a breathy sigh-- obedience, i reminded myself of my first rule.

As long as I listen, I would be safe. Atleast that always worked for Augustus. "I... um... I" I stopped myself before I stuttered more. Chesca never stutters. The man- I mean Lenard raised a perfect brow and I looked down, hearts racing. Was he angry. I shook my head, his angel blue eyes held no anger to them.

Instead of saying anything to me, he immediately left the room, leaving a trail of his manly cologne in his wake.

I immediately stood up, heart trembling as my hand gripped on the hem of my night gown, the silk gown making no sound.

I angered him. I have angered him! Was he like Augustus too? Would he hit me? I discarded the humming hair dryer and sat on the bed, facing the bathroom to wait for him to come out.

I remember how many times I had stepped on him during our dance in the reception, was he also angry about that?

He might be angered if I fell asleep without his content. I counted the minutes, it took him thirty minutes to come out. A towel wrapped around his waist, water trailed down his abs down to his- I quickly averted my eyes as he looked at me.

Lenard paused, standing and examining me without a word for a while, before he walked into the closet. I immediately held the hem of the night gown tighter. I was right. He was indeed angry.

My lips trembled as I waited for him to return--when he did, he had on a white short with no cloth covering his biceps. I looked up at him, not meeting his probing eyes. He had a brow raised, his angel blue eyes questioning.

Was he not angry?

I frowned but since he said nothing, I couldn't talk either. He had to speak first or give me permission to speak.

Mrs Givera told me that Lenard, he hated Chesca to the bones, and that he had been the one who caused the accident that forced her in a coma-- I knew I was jumping from a hot fire to a volcanic void but I didn't mind at the time-- maybe I should have minded.

"Come." I jumped at the sound of his voice, it wasn't as thick as I expected a man with thick abs like him to have but it was enough to send a shiver down my spine-- he was finally going to punish me. With trembling leg, I slowly walked over to him, but I quickened my sted when he lifted his hand. He picked up the hair dryer I had left, then he pointed it to my direction, I flinched, closing my eyes as I expected the hit, but the hit I expected didn't come. "Dry my hair for me." I snapped my eye open at the tone of his voice.

With shaky hand, I took the dryer from his and, daring to steal a glance at him-- he had his gaze on me, a frown settled in between in brow before he turned back. I turned on the dryer, making sure to not let the heat hurt him as I dried his hair. His dark, black hair was short but thick, so it took a few minutes to dry it. "You really don't remember anything?" I flinched, then I nodded, noticing his burning gaze on me through the mirror.

He said nothing after that. The Givera's had lied to him, both my life and Chesca's depended on how me-- I was walking on eggshells with each passing moments of the marriage but I knew one thing. As long I didn't act out of turn and I was obedient- I would be safe and so would she. After drying his hair-- I stood aside and asked softly. "D- do you n-need me to do anything else?" I questioned.

Lenard didn't reply, instead he stood there, assessing me with kin interest while I shrunk on my feet, praying I disappeared or that he stopped looking at me-- then he stood up and made his way over to him. He tucked my wet hair behind my ear, leaving me shivering. He leaned closer and closer to me-- I knew what was coming, my heart beat increased. Even though I had never done it before, I knew it was inevitable now, so I closed my eyes-- ready to accept whatever he would do.

Kiss I expected never came, instead, he leaned back, held my hand and took me to the chair he was seating. "Seat." My eyes snapped open and I immediately did as he said. Through the mirror, I saw his frown. Was he displeased? Was he going to beat me now? I flinch when he picked the dryer I had left, when he turned it on, my body trembled. But the beating I expected didn't come, instead he dried my hair for me without speaking, the sound of the humming dryer filing the silence instead.

After drying my hair, he left the room-- I headed to the bed and sat on it to wait for him. He did return after a few minutes, a document in his hand which he laid down and opened for me. "I won't beat around the bush. You don't love me, I have come in agreement with that, but I do not trust you. This marriage is only for convinience, because you owe me and both the marriage and the company I took from your parents are the prices you have to pay." I averted my gaze. "This is an agreement between us, you will have no money from me if we get a divorce. I will not force you to into doing anything you don't want to but this, you have to sign this."

He handed me a pen which I took with breathlessly. Without waiting checking the paper, I signed what he needed me to sign while his gaze stayed fixed on me. "Good." He nodded, picked up the document and left the room. I sat on the chair, waiting for him to come back so I would ask if I could sleep-- but that didn't happen because I waited till dawn and he never returned to the room.

When he walked in, it was already dawn, I was used to not sleeping so I didn't mind much. "Did you wait for me all night?" He had a brow raised and I nodded slowly. His brow deepened in a frown. "Why would you do that"

"I-, y-your didn't tell me to sleep yet and you didn't return all night, s-so I thought you didn't w-want me to sleep."

"Why wouldn't I want you to sleep?" I couldn't reply him. "You don't need me to tell you to sleep before you do so. Sleep is an essential part of a human life of course you need to sleep. What the hell are you thinking? I am just your husband on paper, I don't need to tell you how to live your life." Lenard offered me a raised brow, then he walked to the bathroom.

"A-are you getting ready for work?" He didn't stop walking as he replied me.

"No, I am staying home for the next one week." Then he disappeared into the bathroom. I stood up and headed to the kitchen to make him breakfast. I mede him coffee, since I had no idea of he wanted milk or suger, I placed it on the tray, right beside the toast bread. When he walked down, I placed the tray down. He offered a frown.

"Since when did you learn to cook?" I averted my gaze from him instead of replying. Was he displeased. "Well?"

"I-i just, I pick up the skill." I lied, from the corner of my eyes, I noticed that he seemed inconvenienced but he said nothing.

"You don't need to cook for me. It's Ally's job, not yours." Ally was the woman who worked as a nanny in the mansion. I slowly nodded and stood there as he ate. He suddenly stop, thinking he was displeased, I quickly spoke.

"I can make another one if you don't like it."

"Why are you standing there? Where is your breakfast?"

"I-i am not hungry--" I replied. How could I eat on the same table with him? My parents and Augustus never allowed that, nonetheless this wealthy and powerful man.

"Then sit." I quickly did as he said. But he frowned again, as if confused.

My heart drop, have I offended him again?

~P-Lia~

What do you think about this chapter? If you felt each of Gisella's emotions, a vote would be appreciated.

Thank you.

~P-Lia~