Chapter 4 Four

Carl POV

The sight of my bride-to-be was a shock to me. The woman standing at the altar was my naive and outdated-looking secretary, Miloslava.

This day couldn't get any worse, It was as if the universe had conspired against me, delivering the most unexpected twist to an already unwanted script.

When she got to the altar, I could clearly see the color of her gown and skin, and for a brief moment, I was happy to be regaining my sight.

But that happiness was short-lived when I realized it was Miloslava standing before me.

She was the only colorful person I could see, and I still didn't understand why.

There is something about her that made me hire her. Her name was the same as my late mother.

That had seemed like a good sign, but not anymore.

I couldn't see her face clearly; it was blurry like everyone else's due to my face blindness.

She wasn't wearing her glasses either, but I felt her gaze on me.

I'm sure she's happy about all this, that's why she came to work for me. This was all planned out.

The ceremony continued with the priest talking, but my mind drifted off.

The priest smiled. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride."

It was then time to kiss the bride, the last thing I wanted to do. I just had to get it over with.

I leaned closer to her, trying to avoid any real contact. As soon as our lips met, I moved back.

Surprisingly, Miloslava was quick to retreat, and she didn't even make an attempt to open her mouth.

Did that mean she didn't want to kiss me, or was she just pretending? I would deal with her later.

We left the church as we headed for the mansion, sitting in the car in silence. My mind raced with thoughts. She dared not talk to me.

I noticed my chauffeur stealing glances at us from the front mirror until we arrived.

The mansion was filled with guests I hadn't seen at the church. There were lots of them. We got out of the car like happy couples, taking pictures with friends, family, and well-wishers.

At the first chance, I escaped this nightmare and headed inside but then I remembered I needed to have a word with Miloslava.

Our honeymoon was planned by my father, but I wasn't ready for any of that nonsense, so I canceled it.

I didn't have time to be soaring away while I had work to do at the office.

"Your room is over there." I pointed to a door at the extreme end.

"Go to bed early. Work resumes tomorrow as my secretary, I don't need you to do any wife duties, no falling in love just do your job".I told Mia.

"Huh, what? Tomorrow? No honeymoon?" she asked, incredulous.

I ignored her questions and left the room, my mind still racing. This was a nightmare, and I needed to find a way to wake up from it.

**********************

The wedding day was weeks behind us, and I had hoped that distancing myself from Mia would make things easier. But this whole situation was a disaster.

After all, I was now married to my secretary, a woman I barely knew, a woman I didn't trust.

Today was no different. She looked as if she hadn't slept much, her shoulders stiff as she carried a stack of documents toward her desk. I glanced over, pretending to be engrossed in a report.

As I looked up again, I saw Hans at Mia's desk. The sight made my blood boil, though I couldn't quite explain why.

He always hangs around Mia ever since after wedding, they seem to always talk about what i have no idea of.

I walked over, pretending I had something urgent to say.

"Hans," I called out. "Do you ever get tired of hanging around my secretary? Or do you have too much free time?"

Hans grinned, barely bothered by my tone. "Relax, Carl. I'm just getting to know my sister-in-law. You should try it sometime."

My jaw tightened. I didn't like the way he said 'sister-in-law'-as if it was some kind of game.

"You're spending an awful lot of time with her," I remarked, my voice dripping with suspicion. "Maybe you should focus on your own job."

Hans chuckled, glancing at Mia. "Maybe I should. But I can't help it. She's... familiar."

Mia's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly looked down, pretending to sort through some files.

"What do you mean, familiar?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Hans shrugged, his smile never fading. "I don't know. I just feel like I've met her before."

Mia's hands trembled, but she kept her head down, refusing to meet either of our gazes.

"You're imagining things," I said firmly, stepping between them. "Now leave her alone."

Hans raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to be so possessive, Carl. I'll back off... for now."

Mia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her hands frozen over the keyboard. She didn't say a word, but I could feel the tension radiating from her.

I turned to Mia. "Mia, come to my office. Now."

She hesitated for a moment, glancing between us, then stood up.

As she followed me into the office, I could sense her frustration, but she kept it hidden beneath that calm exterior.

Once inside, she closed the door.

"Mia," I started, my voice low. "What exactly is going on between you and Hans?"She blinked, clearly startled by the question.

"Nothing." Her voice was even, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes nervousness? Guilt?"

Nothing?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that he's just being friendly? You expect me to believe that?"

She looked away, biting her lip. "It's none of your business."I let out a humorless laugh.

"None of my business? You're my wife, even if only in name. I don't want any scandals or distractions, especially with him."

Mia's eyes snapped back to mine, anger flashing in them. "I didn't ask for any of this, Carl. You think I want Hans's attention? Or this marriage? You think this is easy for me?"

Her words hit me harder than I expected. There was real pain in her voice, and for a moment, I felt something other than anger.

"Then why don't you stop encouraging him?" I shot back, trying to regain control of the conversation.

"Carl, I'm not encouraging him," she insisted. "Hans and I are just.......