James Hollywood

Their marriage existed only on paper.

He agreed to it for his own benefit: to keep his position as CEO of the family company and get rid of the constant pressure from relatives. She's here to help her family get out of debt, knowing full well that this union will never be real.

They lived under the same roof, but they were like strangers. He hardly spoke to her, returned home late, spent all his time at work, and even sat at the same table with cold indifference. For him, it was just a temporary formality, part of a deal that could one day be forgotten.

But she didn't know how to treat people indifferently.

She left breakfast for him every morning, even if she knew he wouldn't touch it. She discreetly put documents in his briefcase, which he forgot at home. I waited for him to come back, despite the fact that he never wrote when he would come. She told herself that she was just doing it out of politeness, but every day she realized more and more that her heart had already chosen him a long time ago.

She didn't ask for love. It was enough for her to see at least a faint smile or hear the usual "thank you." But even that wasn't the case.

One evening, she decided to make another attempt. She cautiously approached him while he was working in his office and asked him quietly if he was tired. She just wanted to put a cup of hot coffee next to it.

He looked up sharply.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Don't touch me. And stop pretending like you're my real wife.

She froze before she could take her hand away.

He grinned irritably and, without even thinking, uttered the words that fell exactly into her most painful complexes.:

"Do you think if you're always hanging around, I'll ever look at you?" Look at you. Do you really think that someone could fall in love with someone like that?

There was silence in the room.

She slowly lowered her gaze, clutching the cup of already cooling coffee tighter in her hands.