CHAPTER SEVEN

Breakfast goes by in a blur. The chairwoman is chirpy and excited, talking about our honeymoon and living arrangements. Unfortunately, neither Brandon nor I are interested in talking about our future together. After breakfast, the chairwoman tells us that she has to be at an orphanage for a charity event. At first, I'm bothered that I'd have to spend the day alone with Brandon but he leaves the house almost immediately after his mom.

Alone with barely anything to do, I start to wander around the house. God, this house is so big, I feel like I can get lost inside it. In the kitchen, three maids are scurrying around, preparing what I suspect is lunch for the family. They are startled when they see me in the kitchen, but I smile nicely and ask for their names. Because I can tell that they're uncomfortable and distracted by my presence, I do not spend too much time there but go to find the butler, Miguel.

Although he is initially unwilling to converse with me like an equal, he soon lets down his guard and tells me a little about himself. He is French and comes from a line of high ranking butlers. His pride makes me laugh and he shows me how to curtsy before leaving me to attend to more pressing matters. By noon, I have met all the servants. I know all of their names. I know how many children Kathryn, the housekeeper has, and I know that the gardener's wife suffers from arthritis.

Brandon doesn't get back until almost midnight. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep as he heads first into the bathroom, and then into bed with me. He stays at a far corner of the giant bed and before long, I can hear his snores. With a sigh on my lips, I place a pillow over my ears and try to get some sleep. God knows I've always hated snorers.

By the end of the week, I truly believe that I am well on my way to going crazy. Brandon and I should be on our honeymoon, but with his disappearance every day after breakfast, we barely have the time to speak and talk less about planning a trip together. I have made the acquaintance of all the servants in the Martinez empire, counted every room in the house (there are eighteen of them), and eaten more than I ever have in my whole life, and I have never been more miserable.

When Brandon makes to go out again after breakfast, I pick up my already packed bag and follow him out the door. If he's going to go out every day, the least he can do is take me along.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asks as he notices me behind him.

"Following you"

"Because...?"

"Because if I spend one more day alone in this house, I'm going to lose my mind."

Brandon runs a hand through his hair and turns to face me fully. "Listen, Natalie, I have work and you can't come with me. Do what you want. Do some shopping, watch TikTok... do anything, just... You can't come with me."

"First of all, I'm not a shopper. Secondly, I don't have a TikTok account. What I need is to get out of this house." I respond with a defiant glare.

"Well then, go to Giancarlo. Look, I had a life before this marriage. I'm not going to put it on hold for you."

"I'm not asking you to do that. But I can't go to Giancarlo until you introduce me formally as the new boss. Also, what happens to our 'perfect love story' cover if we both delve into work less than a week after the wedding?"

He runs a hand through his hair again. "Look, you can't come with me, okay? I don't like to have people latching onto me."

I open my mouth to say something but close it again. This man's ego is unbelievable! Latching onto him? Really? I don't even want to be around him! I just need out of this house. "You know what? You go on. I don't care. I don't know what I was thinking in the first place. A whole day with you? No easier way to lose my mind." I turn on my heels and storm inside the house. He can go away for a whole year for all I care.

As soon as I'm back into the room that Brandon and I share, I take out my phone and call Hailey. She answers on the fourth ring.

"Hello, Nat. Can I call you back? I'm in the middle of work and Mariah is spewing fire."

"Hailey, if I spend one more day holed up in this house, I'm going to go mad."

"Got it. Coming."

"What are you going to tell Mariah?"

"That my new boss calls." With that, I burst into laughter and she hangs up before I can say anything else. Yep, friends will always come through for you.

Hailey and I spend the day together catching up and doing all sorts of girly stuff. A full day at a spa that we can't afford is all the therapy I need. As expected, the bill makes our eyes pop and we both start laughing.

"You're covering 70%," Hailey says amidst all the laughter.

"What? Why?"

"You're the one who needed a day out, and you're the one who's refusing to spend your rich husband's money. Also, you're my boss now, so you're the richer one."

"Still not fair, but I can't argue. Thank you for coming out with me. Mariah could fire you, you know."

"Oh, no worries. You could fire her right back and hire me to take on her position."

"I thought you hated being in charge," I responded laughingly as we sorted the bills and headed out of the spa. Hailey wiggles her brows and shrugs in response to my comment.

"Hey, I thought you said Brandon wasn't that bad." She asks solemnly.

I shrug "I don't know. Looks like I was wrong. The man is an egotistical asshole. I mean, I knew when I first met him, but I thought he and I had reached a middle ground before the wedding."

Hailey gives me a look of pity before wrapping her arms around me. "Good thing you have me to bitch about him with. You know what, let's catch one movie together before you go home."

Hailey and I walk towards the cinema with our arms tucked into each other's. There's a Michael B Jordan movie showing this week, and what kind of girls would we be if the thought of a shirtless MJ doesn't have us grinning from ear to ear? At the ticket booth, I fiddle in my bag for my credit card while Hailey secures a spot in line for us. Before I can get my card out, someone slams into me from behind, causing the contents of my bag to spill out and onto the floor.

"My God! Watch where you're going."

"I'm so sorry," he says while helping me pick up my stuff from the floor. I take them from him and return them to my bag. As we both rise, his face takes on a look of mild surprise as recognition sets in. "Natalie?"

"Oh my God! Robin!" I shout happily and throw my arms around him. "Oh my God, Robin! It's so good to see you! What's it been, like four years?"

"Five, actually. It's been five years." He looks flustered as he looks me up and down. "You look well

"I am well." Overjoyed, I throw my arms around him again. Robin and I spent our childhoods together on Cranes Island. We were inseparable as children, and even as teenagers, we spent all our free time together. When I left for Seattle, Robin was the only person I left a letter for. "God! I've missed you, Rob!"

"Hello, dear wife." Lightning fast, I take my arms off Robin's neck and turn towards the direction of the voice that I recognize as Brandon's. The look on his face is blank but I catch a glimpse of the ticking of the muscles in his jaw. The man is livid!