Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

TWO WEEKS of silence. That’s what every people inside the Vitali mansion experienced.

Since the day Chiara went home with swelled eyes, everyone became quiet even if they don’t know the reason why. The maids and guards, even those who are close to Chiara, didn’t dare to say a word or asked about what’s happening. All they can do is watch the closed bedroom door and wish that their Signora will come out.

Out of all people inside the mansion, only two people can enter Chiara’s gloomy room: Fara and Ezio.

Fara delivered foods for her Signora everyday. On the first day, Chiara wouldn’t even eat the food given to her.

“Signora, you can’t starve yourself,” Fara said before sitting beside her and scooping a spoonful of chicken soup. “You have to eat, signora. Even just a little.”

But Chiara’s mind is on somewhere else. Her mind is busy commemorating the times were she and Simone are still together. Those happy times for the both of them.

In her mind, she is contented and happy.

“Signora,” Fara’s eyes are starting to form tears. It’s already dinner time, yet Chiara hasn’t eaten even a little yet.

She touched Chiara’s left cheek and tried to make her look at her direction. This seems to be effective, for Chiara’s eyes moved and focused on Fara, making her leave her imaginary world.

Fara place the spoon near Chiara’s mouth, and she let out a sigh of relief when Chiara opened her mouth to eat.

“You have to eat more, signora,” Fara said while a smile. “You haven’t eaten anything since morning. I’m sure that you’re famished.”

It took a couple of minutes before Chiara was able to finish the soup. When Fara was sure that her signora is now ready to sleep, she left the room and went back to work.

Chiara’s situation became better after days. She ate on time, but they can’t still talk to her, and every morning when Fara will give her breakfast, she can notice Chiara’s swelling eyes from tears.

It’s almost two weeks since that day, and for those days, Ezio will sneak in on his wife’s room.

“Cara,” Ezio spoke while gently caressing her cheek. He stared at her face while the cold wind from the terrace blew on them.

Her face looks so peaceful, but Ezio knew that deep inside, his cara is hurting. She has a deep wound that will take years to heal.

Even if he tried to think that Simone is the cause of it, he knew himself that it’s not the truth. Chiara wouldn’t be in this state if she and Simone didn’t separate.

If he didn’t broke the two apart.

“What do you see in him that you still love him after those years?” he asked the sleeping lady. “I tried to be like him. I tried to imitate him. Why can’t you just love me back?”

It’s true. On the first year of their marriage, he tried to copy everything about Simone. From the way he dress himself, to the way he talks. He even bought a whole new wardrobe that is the exact style of that man. Perfume that smells like Simone. He studies his body language, his emotions, and incorporated them to himself.

He is willing to look like Simone in Chiara’s eyes, if that’s what will make her love him.

But he failed. Chiara wouldn’t even lay her eyes on him. She wouldn’t even smell him or sit near him. She wouldn’t talk to him or watch him from a far.

He’s basically a ghost to her.

“You’ve already shed a lot of tears because of him,” Ezio spoke while wiping the dried tears beside her eyes.

He lay down beside her, just like what he is doing every night since their marriage. His arms enveloped her body gently as if she was a fragile one.

“I promise that I will never hurt you. I promise that you won’t be needing to shed a single tear for me. I’ll make you happy everyday,” he whispered in her ear. “Just love me back, cara. Just love me back.”

Of course, Chiara couldn’t answer. In her sleeping state, she was in a happy memory with her ex-boyfriend. Ezio’s whispers fell on deaf ears. It’s only Simone’s voice that she could hear.

Ezio couldn’t help but rethink if his decisions in life, especially from the moment he forced Chiara to marry him.

“You were a ball of sunshine before I came,” he spoke, remembering the first day he saw his wife. “But look at you now.”

His fingers traced her lips that were always on a frown since they’re together. “I never saw you smile while living with me.”

“You’re life was peaceful before I came,” his mind wandered on all the attempts of his enemies to hurt his wife. “But I dragged you into this hellish life. You’re always in danger because of me.”

Ezio closed his eyes and made his decision. A decision that he never thought he will make in his life. A decision that will surely break him into pieces. A decision that will cut the happiness in his life.

“You’re unhappy with me. You’re miserable with me. You’re always hurting with me,” a lone tear fell from his eyes. “If you can’t really love me, maybe it will be better to let you go.”

His lips touched her forehead before hugging her and closing his eyes, praying that his cara will be fine by tomorrow.

And God answered his every day prayer. One morning while Ezio was getting ready for work, the door of his beloved’s room opened.

“Cara,” Ezio spoke under his breath when he saw Chiara step out of her room for the first time.

His beloved slowly turned her head towards him, and he closed the steps between them. He was about to ask her about her well-being when she spoke.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a burden for the past weeks,” she said while looking at him with dead eyes.

Ezio softened his look at her. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s fine,” he responded. “Do you feel better now?”

She nodded and waited for him to ask about the reason of why she became like that. But Ezio didn’t speak anything about the matter, he just asked on how she feels and what she needs. And it confuses her.

“Do you want to eat anything? I’ll ask the cook to prepare it,” Ezio asked her while they were going down the stairs.

Chiara’s steps where slow, perhaps because of spending most of her days sitting and laying on her bed that he feet couldn’t adjust immediately. It looks like she is going to fall in any minute, but Ezio is right beside her. He’s making sure of her safety and very patiently waited for her in every step.

“Anything will be fine. I just want to eat something,” she replied.

“The cook prepared salami and eggs. There are also crossaint and other breads you may like,” Ezio said while they were walking towards the kitchen. “You like strawberry jam, right? I can prepare the sandwich for you.”

When Chiara sat on the dining table, the maids and cooks prepared her meal. Ezio sat beside her and picked up a toast before opening the bottle of jam.

“I appreciate this, Ezio,” Chiara spoke while looking at him. “But I can manage now. Besides, you have to go to your office, right? It’s already nine in the morning.”

Ezio shook his head while putting the jam on the toast. “The office can wait,” he spoke, but suddenly remembered his decision before that made his mood go down. “Just, let me do this for you.”

Ezio gave his all to give the best treatment for his wife. He’s cherishing every moment, because he knew that this might be the last time that she will right beside him.

He knew that he can’t keep her forever. He can’t force her to live with him and pretend that they are a happy couple. Three years is already enough to know that their relationship won’t improve. Those years are already a proof that Chiara’s heart is not meant to be his.

Despite feeling down, Ezio tried to lift up his mood and smiled at his beloved. He watched her eat with all of her heart, like it is a beautiful movie playing in front on him.

After some minutes, Chiara finally finished eating. Ezio requested for a walk around their neighborhood, because he knew that Chiara really wanted to go outside. Fortunately, she accepted.

Both of them our quiet during their walk. They were walking side-by-side, yet Ezio is following wherever Chiara will go.

At last, they stopped on a mini-park inside their neighborhood. Chiara sat on a bench and watched the children playing under the heat of the sun.

“Mom and Dad used to bring me in parks like this when I was little,” she suddenly spoke, catching Ezio off guard.

It is not because Chiara talked to him, but because since they got married, Chiara never shared any memories of her with her parents. She never told him anything personal.

“I love parks, especially those that are near to a body of water,” she added, reminiscing a memory in her head.

“Gargano,” Ezio spoke which made Chiara turn her head towards him.

“Huh?” she asked when she heard that familiar place.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Ezio looked at her. “Parco Nazionale de Gargano.”

“Yeah, I know that place,” she answered and looked away to watch the running children. “We went there before.”

“I know,” Ezio shrugged. “You even went horse riding with you Dad, right?”

That made Chiara’s eyebrows furrowed. She looked at him. “How did you know that?”

“I was also there. I saw you,” he answered and smiled softly, as if he remembered something: a happy memory. “You were around 10-12 years old back then. I heard you asking your dad to trek but he wouldn’t let you.”

Her mouth gaped because everything he said is true. “You already knew about me back then?”

Ezio didn’t answer, but his smile is enough for Chiara to know that she is right.

No one dared to speak after that. They just spent the next minutes watching other people, or feeling the warmth of the weather.

For Chiara, she was doing that to clear her mind. But for Ezio, he was gathering all of the strength he has in order not to falter after what he will do.

Their silence was cut when Ezio spoke.

“Cara,” he called her. Chiara hummed before turning her head to him.

Even if hesitating, Ezio reached out of Chiara’s hand and touched it. “I’m sorry.”

Chiara frowned when she heard that. “Why? Why are you apologizing?”

“I’m sorry for making you miserable,” he spoke, making Chiara stunned. She couldn’t talk. She doesn’t know why Ezio is suddenly talking about those things.

“I know that you were never happy to be with me in the first place, I just forced you after all,” he added and took a deep breath.

“Before, I thought that maybe after we got married, you will learn to love me and we’ll live happily ever after,” he started to confessing. Chiara couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she chose to listen.

“In my imagination, we’ll get married, have kids, and live with each other until our hairs turned grey. I have lots of plan for us, but I wasn’t able to do anything of them.”

His hand gripped hers tightly, but not to the point that it was uncomfortable. “I know that you still love him, and maybe, you will never love anyone after him.”

“But he’s married now. We can’t be together anymore,” she replied. She was thinking that saying that will hurt her again, but it did nothing. She felt nothing. Maybe she was numb after all the pain, or she doesn’t have any feelings for him anymore.

“I know,” Ezio spoke. “I saw how heartbroken you are. I know that it’s because of me. If I haven’t broke you apart in the first place, you wouldn’t experience that heartbreak.”

He looked intently at her eyes. His other hand caressed her face. He stared at her, like he was memorizing his face because he won’t be able to see her again.

“I’d rather have you away from me but happy, than be with me but miserable. I don’t want to be the cause of your heartache, cara.”

Ezio is trying so hard not to break in front of his light. He was stopping his tears from falling. He had to look strong.

“Cara, I know you wanted to be free from me,” his fingers her undereye. “I’m giving you a chance now.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

He smiled sadly at her. “You can request for divorce if you want. I won’t bother you anymore. I won’t ask you about your parents’ debt. That way, you will be free from me.”

Chiara couldn’t believe what she heard that she wasn’t able to respond immediately. She also couldn’t explain her emotions. A part of her is celebrating because she will be free from this forced marriage, but a small part of her is hurting for unknown reason.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, not knowing what to say.

Ezio nodded. “I’ve thought about it for a long time. I’m sure about it. I just gave one last request before we part ways.”

“What is it?”

“Can we have our first and last date before the divorce? I want us to have a good memory together. Just one date,” he requested with pleading eyes.

Chiara didn’t hesitate and gave it to him. “Of course. I’ll grant it.”

Ezio couldn’t help but hug her. It may be a small thing for others, but for him, it is the only chance he has to build a memory worth remembering with his beloved. It is his only chance to make her smile. His only chance to show her how much he loves her.

Because there won’t next time.