Morgana FosterI ran down the hallway with my heart pounding and breath failing. If she found me, I was done. I crouched under the table, covering my body with the curtain, trying not to make a sound."Gotcha!" The little blonde head ran towards me, stumbling in my direction. Clear blue eyes, as bright as Ryan's, stared at me with a toothless and radiant smile."Oh, Alanis," I responded, patting the little one's head. "You found me, huh?"Alanis laughed, a childlike and joyful laughter that filled the air. She pointed to the makeshift hiding spot under the table."I found you, Auntie, but you're terrible at this!" she exclaimed, eyes still filled with amusement.I rolled my eyes affectionately, knowing my attempt at hiding was futile. "You're too clever, Alanis. Can't escape you, it seems."The little one stood up and sat beside me, playing with her fingers while looking at me. "You're sad, Morgana. Why?"I smiled, trying to mask my emotions in front of her innocence. "Not sad, sweethe
MORGANA FOSTERA girl walked out of the room, and there was no smile on her face. That meant there was still a small chance of salvation for me and my father. That I could leave there married and "happy."What a tasteless joke!With two jobs and accumulating college tuition, and my father undergoing chemotherapy, I was exhausted. Not only were the college expenses piling up, but the hospital bill was also increasing, and my father's health had deteriorated significantly in recent months. That's why, and only because of that, I decided to show up for this sham marriage interview.Yes, this is at least stupid. Who still needs such a thing in the 21st century?He could be too shy to find a wife. He could be a busy executive who didn't want to bother with finding a real wife. Or simply, he could be an ugly man. A million thoughts crossed my mind as I waited for my name to be called, praying that the other girl didn't come off better than I would now.The simple idea of a sham marriage to s
THREE YEARS LATER MORGANA FOSTER On that morning, everything seemed quiet as I arrived at the mansion. After two years, I returned, feeling a shiver run down my spine as I gazed at that enormous door. I took a few deep breaths before turning the handle, pondering if this was truly a good decision. I had inherited this house from Grandpa Burke when I married his grandson in that crazy contract, but I never wanted to stay here. Living on campus during college and maintaining minimal contact with my paper husband never sparked the desire to dwell within these white walls. I only wore my wedding ring at family gatherings and events where I had to accompany him, keeping up appearances of a happy and stable couple. I never considered the possibility of living with him, and he never approached me about it. We even tried to make the fake marriage seem real in the first year to appease the family, which led to me staying in the city apartment during the initial months. That didn't work out
RYAN BURKE It was late afternoon and the sky had very few clouds outside. I left the company just before 16:00. Morgana would be arriving between today and tomorrow at "our house", she had been avoiding me for a few months. I hadn't sought her out during that time necessarily because I liked her, but I needed to keep up the sham she and my grandfather had put me through. I never wanted this crap marriage, but I had a bit of empathy for the situation when she explained her father's state of health. I was fooled from the start. So we came to a consensus, I wouldn't get in the way of her life and she wouldn't get in the way of mine. We would be in this marriage agreement for as long as her father needed medical treatment and I would maintain my relationship with Elena. Marriage to Morgana was always nominal. Frankly, I never really looked at her, my attentions always belonged to the blue-eyed blonde who dominated me. As her father died a few months ago, I decided to wait for a period
MORGANA FOSTER A thin ache throbbed in my chest. Hearing the word 'divorce' coming from his mouth hurt much more than reading it in the document. I felt my eyes welling up, looking down, blinking a few times to dispel the tears before they fell right there. Why had I fallen in love with him when he treated me with no tenderness? There was no love or affection, just a play of smiles during visits and important gatherings. I wouldn't appear sad about it; I had promised myself that he wouldn't see me crying because of him. Not after all the nights he spent away with "sweet Elena." After an eye roll, I cleared my throat and responded: “I know it will be all right.” I sighed and glanced to the side; I needed to be strong. “Tomorrow, I will sign it. Excuse me, I have to pack my things.” Then I stood up from the couch with a bitter and disdainful smile, marching toward the kitchen. Ryan raised an intrigued eyebrow, and I could feel his gaze following me all the way. I knew he didn't expec
MORGANA FOSTER In the car, the journey to the Burke mansion was silent. Ryan didn't try to start a conversation, and I wouldn't insist on bothering him. Silence would reign throughout the way. As he drove, I looked at the street, reminiscing about how all of this started and how I ended up here. "Who would have thought that little Morgana Melissa Foster would be married at twenty-three to such a handsome and powerful guy like Ryan Burke." I glanced sideways at the man driving the black Rolls-Royce. Perfectly sculpted in his black suit. I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at my own life. In the first year of marriage to Ryan, I was sure I could win his heart if I were truthful and showed him that I was willing to do anything for us. So I cooked my best dishes and sweets, took care of him when he was sick, did everything possible. But it didn't help much since he spent most of his time on business trips and the majority of his free time with Elena. No matter how kind and caring I
RYAN BURKE "Why the hell is everyone now looking at and praising Morgana?" I thought, feeling that twinge of jealousy burn in my mind. In recent years, I had been negligent. I didn't visit her, nor did I bother to find out how she was doing. Not even on the day of her father's funeral. Elena had a problem that day and was in the hospital, and I was with her. So I accompanied her, but made sure I left Morgana well-supported with all the resources possible. "Enough with the compliments for my wife, Stefan," I said, squeezing his shoulder forcefully and maintaining a smile. "You're making her embarrassed." She kept her eyes down and the smile shy, while all attention was directed at her. This behavior was unusual, even for her. "Are you getting jealous, cousin?" "Where's my beloved granddaughter?" My grandfather called; I heard Mr. Burke's voice as he entered the room. Morgana's eyes sparkled like crystal when she spotted the elderly man entering the room. My grandfather, Mr. Julia
MORGANA FOSTERWithin minutes of answering a call, Ryan was gone with a lame apology to his family, leaving a heavy atmosphere behind. I tried my best to ignore whatever he came to do to me.He hadn't given me a single explanation, but I knew he had left to find Elena. My heart ached, and I had to keep the smile awkward.At the end of the night, James guided me back to the house from the mansion. He was a handsome man, too handsome to work as a simple driver. Always polite and kind. Treating me much better than my husband. I sighed heavily at the realization of that fact.The way back was silent. James wasn't much of a talker and neither was I, which limited our interactions. Arriving home, I walked up the stairs with heels in hand and went straight to the bedroom. I took a hot shower, getting rid of the thought.“What is he doing and who is he with now?” I got out of the shower, putting on a white satin nightgown with lace and comfortable panties. Like most likely, Ryan would spend th