Chapter 5 Five

• Carl POV
• The sight of my bride-to-be was a shock to me. The woman standing at the altar was my naive and outdated-looking secretary, Miloslava.
• This day couldn't get any worse, It was as if the universe had conspired against me, delivering the most unexpected twist to an already unwanted script.
• When she got to the altar, I could clearly see the color of her gown and skin, and for a brief moment, I was happy to be regaining my sight.
• But that happiness was short-lived when I realized it was Miloslava standing before me.
• She was the only colorful person I could see, and I still didn't understand why.
• There is something about her that made me hire her. Her name was the same as my late mother.
• That had seemed like a good sign, but not anymore.
• I couldn't see her face clearly; it was blurry like everyone else's due to my face blindness.
• She wasn't wearing her glasses either, but I felt her gaze on me.
• I'm sure she's happy about all this, that's why she came to work for me. This was all planned out.
• The ceremony continued with the priest talking, but my mind drifted off.
• The priest smiled. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
• You may kiss the bride.”
• It was then time to kiss the bride, the last thing I wanted to do. I just had to get it over with.
• I leaned closer to her, trying to avoid any real contact. As soon as our lips met, I moved back.
• Surprisingly, Miloslava was quick to retreat, and she didn't even make an attempt to open her mouth.
• Did that mean she didn't want to kiss me, or was she just pretending? I would deal with her later.
• We left the church as we headed for the mansion, sitting in the car in silence. My mind raced with thoughts. She dared not talk to me.
• I noticed my chauffeur stealing glances at us from the front mirror until we arrived.
• The mansion was filled with guests I hadn't seen at the church. There were lots of them. We got out of the car like happy couples, taking pictures with friends, family, and well-wishers.
• At the first chance, I escaped this nightmare and headed inside but then I remembered I needed to have a word with Miloslava.
• Our honeymoon was planned by my father, but I wasn't ready for any of that nonsense, so I canceled it.
• I didn't have time to be soaring away while I had work to do at the office.
• "Your room is over there.” I pointed to a door at the extreme end.
• “Go to bed early. Work resumes tomorrow as my secretary, I don't need you to do any wife duties, no falling in love just do your job”.I told Mia.
• "Huh, what? Tomorrow? No honeymoon?" she asked, incredulous.
• I ignored her questions and left the room, my mind still racing. This was a nightmare, and I needed to find a way to wake up from it.
• **********************
• The wedding day was weeks behind us, and I had hoped that distancing myself from Mia would make things easier. But this whole situation was a disaster.
• After all, I was now married to my secretary, a woman I barely knew, a woman I didn’t trust.
• Today was no different. She looked as if she hadn’t slept much, her shoulders stiff as she carried a stack of documents toward her desk. I glanced over, pretending to be engrossed in a report.
• As I looked up again, I saw Hans at Mia’s desk. The sight made my blood boil, though I couldn’t quite explain why.
• He always hangs around Mia ever since after wedding, they seem to always talk about what i have no idea of.
• I walked over, pretending I had something urgent to say.
• “Hans,” I called out. “Do you ever get tired of hanging around my secretary? Or do you have too much free time?”
• Hans grinned, barely bothered by my tone. “Relax, Carl. I’m just getting to know my sister-in-law. You should try it sometime.”
• My jaw tightened. I didn’t like the way he said 'sister-in-law'—as if it was some kind of game.
• “You’re spending an awful lot of time with her,” I remarked, my voice dripping with suspicion. “Maybe you should focus on your own job.”
• Hans chuckled, glancing at Mia. “Maybe I should. But I can’t help it. She’s… familiar.”
• Mia’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly looked down, pretending to sort through some files.
• “What do you mean, familiar?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
• Hans shrugged, his smile never fading. “I don’t know. I just feel like I’ve met her before.”
• Mia’s hands trembled, but she kept her head down, refusing to meet either of our gazes.
• “You’re imagining things,” I said firmly, stepping between them. “Now leave her alone.”
• Hans raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. No need to be so possessive, Carl. I’ll back off… for now.”
• Mia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her hands frozen over the keyboard. She didn’t say a word, but I could feel the tension radiating from her.
• I turned to Mia. “Mia, come to my office. Now.”
• She hesitated for a moment, glancing between us, then stood up.
• As she followed me into the office, I could sense her frustration, but she kept it hidden beneath that calm exterior.
• Once inside, she closed the door.
• “Mia,” I started, my voice low. “What exactly is going on between you and Hans?”She blinked, clearly startled by the question.
• “Nothing.” Her voice was even, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes nervousness? Guilt?“
• Nothing?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me that he’s just being friendly? You expect me to believe that?”
• She looked away, biting her lip. “It’s none of your business.”I let out a humorless laugh.
• “None of my business? You’re my wife, even if only in name. I don’t want any scandals or distractions, especially with him.”
• Mia’s eyes snapped back to mine, anger flashing in them. “I didn’t ask for any of this, Carl. You think I want Hans’s attention? Or this marriage? You think this is easy for me?”
• Her words hit me harder than I expected. There was real pain in her voice, and for a moment, I felt something other than anger.
• “Then why don’t you stop encouraging him?” I shot back, tryi
• ng to regain control of the conversation.
• “Carl, I’m not encouraging him,” she insisted. “Hans and I are just…….