er My

s Point

icipated the

ld myself it was all just a professional arrangement. A contract, nothing more. But the distinction

ork and my feelings. I had to, in the past.

lm I didn't comprehend. A world of opulence, influence, and unspoken protocol

like I was caught in a current, and I couldn't decid

opportunity for Matthew to showcase his business acumen. An oppor

ything but st

h a plunging neckline, clinging to every contour, yet it felt constricting in ways it shouldn't have. The dress

going throug

A woman who donned a costume and prete

ss, but the door swung open before

h, yet there was an undercurrent-s

He was clad in a sharp black tuxedo, looking as if he were meant to be on a catwa

plied, forcing a smile t

e swept over me for a moment, then hi

e said, though his

perfected the art of emotional restraint. But tonight, something was off. Perhaps it w

hem. "You don't have to do this, you know," I m

this. This entire si

of something-something beyond the usual detachment. But it vanished as qui

d, his voice barely above a whisper

unmistakable. No chance to b

hin me. "I just can't grasp why you're doing this," I admitted,

replaced by the familiar, impenetrable facade. "It's not about yo

omach, and I averted my e

I supposed to do? Pre

e were both silent for a beat, the words I wanted

aining its usual authority. "Let's g

He turned, heading for the door, and I fell in st

n some. The lights, the laughter, the quiet conv

urface-level success, much like Matthew. I was playing the part of his wife, right there with t

tion with unfamiliar men. His stance was assured, his words precise and de

s just a transaction. Yet, the longer I was with him, the more difficu

erywhere I turned, there were signals of my alienation. The opulence,

felt trapped

oked up to see him beside me. His gaze was as inscrutable

I asked, my voic

mask. "Nothing," he finally said. "I just thought you should u

to keep it from showing. "I'm not attached," I said,

e tugging at his mouth. "Good." He pivoted

settling in my chest. What was I e

way to