Mathilda’s POVI can’t describe how I feel right now—standing here in a white dress I didn’t even choose. My heart is a storm of emotions, happiness and sorrow tangled together as I face this wedding.When I look at myself in the mirror, the reflection reminds me of her—Paula. Every time I see this gown, I’m brought back to the day she forced me to pick it and claimed the one that was truly mine.And since Fredric arrived, he hasn’t said a word or even looked at me. He’s been glued to his phone, expressionless. Some of the guests glance my way with sneers—Fredric’s cousins, probably, enjoying every second of mocking me for this fake marriage.“Mathilda, your wedding’s about to start. How do you feel?”My father’s voice is soft as he brushes his hand against my cheek. The gentleness of his touch only makes my heart even more chaotic.Then the music starts to play—the melody that signals the procession—and my father immediately takes my arm. My heart pounds as Fredric begins walking dow

PRESENT TIME – September 10, 2017Fredric’s POVIt’s been a month since my wedding to Mathilda, and honestly, I feel tortured. I don’t even know how to describe it. Waking up next to her face every morning feels like a nightmare — yet, strangely, sometimes I actually pity her.Her life has completely changed. She doesn’t work anymore, she endures every cruel word that comes out of my mouth, and she’s still grieving her father’s death.Hell is probably where I’m headed.Another strange thing? Mathilda’s become my cover whenever I visit Paula. She’s the only reason I can stay out late without Grandma scolding me. I tell Grandma that Mathilda and I are going to clubs or having fun as newlyweds — a ridiculous excuse, but it works. For some reason, my grandmother doesn’t get angry at all. She actually approves of everything I do with Mathilda.And here we are again — pulling into Paula’s apartment garage. I can’t wait to get out of the car and breathe air that doesn’t smell like Mathilda’s

Fredric’s POV“I have good news and bad news, baby. Grandma just gave me honeymoon tickets to Bora Bora! We could use this as our chance to get away — just the two of us. Unfortunately, it looks like the pregnancy drama is unfolding faster than expected. Mathilda fainted, and Grandma panicked and took her straight to the OB-GYN. I tried to stop it.”I sent the text to Paula while glancing at Mathilda, still fast asleep after being unconscious for nearly two hours.Never in my life did I imagine I’d be trapped in this room with her. I should’ve gone to the office. But because of Grandma’s “honeymoon surprise,” she’d already reassigned my workload to someone else for the next ten days.The smell of Mathilda’s body was unbearable — strong, heavy, and oddly sour. I didn’t understand it. I’d told her before to buy perfume, and the monthly allowance I gave her was more than enough. It’s like she doesn’t care what people think of her at all.A knock on the door cut through my thoughts. I sto

Mathilda’s POVI’m still trapped in confusion. Maybe I sound insane—after all, I’ve been caught in this twisted drama long before the wedding ever happened. But what Paula has done this time goes beyond anything I imagined. Her control over every step we take… it’s terrifying.How could she manipulate a pregnancy like this? Paula might just be the most frightening woman I’ve ever met. Terrifying not because she’s loud or cruel, but because her mind is unpredictable—sharp, cunning, and capable of disguising evil so perfectly behind charm.A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I held my breath, waiting to hear who it was.“Mathilda, my dear granddaughter, are you awake?”Ah, of course. Mrs. Rosa.I rose from the bed and opened the door. “Hello, Mrs. Rosa. Please, come in.”Her warm smile and gentle presence always make me feel small and undeserving. Sometimes I wish I could hide—anything to avoid meeting her kind eyes. Eyes that look at me with such love and faith… If she o

Fredric’s POV“Goodbye, baby. Let me know once everything’s set for tomorrow.”I kissed Paula’s lips, reluctant to move, reluctant to leave. But what could I do? If I didn’t go home, my grandmother would lose her mind. And honestly, what excuse could I even come up with now? She knew perfectly well I wasn’t the type to sit around chatting with business associates for hours on end.It was already three in the afternoon — I’d been gone for eight hours. On top of that, my uncle had taken over my workload. A heavy, uneasy feeling crept into my chest. Something bad was bound to happen.“Hey, what’s with you spacing out like that? What are you thinking about?” Paula cupped my face.“Nothing. I just… want more time with you,” I admitted. “But since we’re leaving for vacation tomorrow, I should probably behave. Once my grandmother gives me the schedule, I’ll call you — Ray will come pick you up and take you there.”I planned to convince my grandmother to let me use my private jet. I didn’t wa