Chapter 3 A New Reality

Dinner was cold. The last thing on Selena's mind was food.

She had made dinner that evening, hoping to turn to food for succour but struggled to get anything past her throat.

She sat in her bed, staring at the contract which sat on the table right across from her.

The only other person who would have stopped her from proceeding with that contract was her mother. And she was gone.

Her phone rang. Mark. Her heart raced, then skipped a beat. What was she going to say to him?

Mark was her best friend. The only one who understood her and protected her, right from childhood. They shared an unbreakable bond.

He had been out of town for a medical outreach and had been really busy.

She stared at her phone screen. Indecisive. She wasn't ready to tell him anything. Not now. How could she?

Hearing his voice alone would have been enough to stop her from making a decision that could change the trajectory of her life forever-and that decision had already been made.

She was going to marry Joseph McCarthy.

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"My assistant will take you shopping for your wedding dress," Joseph spoke to Selena dismissively without looking up from his laptop.

She had taken the signed document to him, letting him know she had agreed to the terms of the contract.

"The wedding will take place at the private city courthouse at 10. am tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Selena asked with surprise, lacing her expression. "Isn't that too soon"?

"Time and tide wait for no one. The earlier we get this over and done with, the better for both of us."

He then picked up his phone and called his assistant-and in a matter of minutes, she showed up in his office.

"Phina. You'll go with the young lady here to the boutique and make sure everything goes smoothly." Joseph said, glancing at Selena.

"Alright, Sir."

"You're not coming along?" Selena finally spoke, after quietly watching him bark orders.

Joseph looked at her like she was crazy. His eyes, ice cold.

"What do you think this is? A fairytale wedding in the Maldives with a happy ever after lurking around somewhere?"

Joseph's assistant stood-expressionless. Minding her business and waiting for instructions.

"Oh, we agree on something at least. This is definitely more of a funeral for me than a marriage." Selena responded. Struggling to blink back tears.

Then she stormed out, feeling humiliated.

Selena looked around the boutique. It was full of exquisitely luxury gowns designed only for people of status. Even the simplest ones still screamed class.

She didn't fit in there. If only it were the wedding she wanted with someone she really loved.

"Miss Selena Jones?"

A middle-aged woman with short brown pixie cut hair and a small stature approached her.

"Yes?" Selena responded as she turned from the gowns she was admiring towards the woman who now had her attention.

"Great. Mr Joseph has covered the costs of your wedding gown. Please come with me-so you could try it on."

Selena felt belittled. He didn't even let her choose her own gown even if it was a contract marriage.

"After you, please" Selena responded.

The boutique attendant took out an immaculate white sleeveless mermaid gown from a collection of other gowns and held it out to Selena, so she could have a good look at it.

"This is one of our best sellers, simple but elegant. Go ahead. Try it on."

The woman said with a smile.

The gown was elegant, classy but not loud. It was perfect.

Selena stood in front of the dressing mirror, her right hand tracing her neck bones while her eyes struggled to hold back tears.

This was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of her life. But it was the opposite. She couldn't smile.

All she wanted to do was get out of the gown and out of there.

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The wedding took place the next day. It was at a private courthouse. No family. No friends. Just Selena, Joseph, and the judge.

Joseph hardly even looked at her. When it was over, they both slid rings decorated with real diamonds into each other's fingers. Then signatures.

She was now Selena McCarthy. Her new last name stung for some weird reason.

The drive home from the courthouse was filled with silence. Selena kept staring out the window.

Where was her father in all these-the one who put her in that situation? It wasn't supposed to hurt that he wasn't present. But it did.

As far as she was concerned, her father was somewhere gambling again.

Selena was grateful for the few movements on the road as she still kept staring out the window. At least it was enough to distract her from the cruel reality of her life at that moment.

They arrived at a gigantic black gate, the McCarthy mansion. The electronic gate opened up for them to drive through.

The McCarthy mansion was massive, high walls, a three-storey building with several wings, windows, and balconies. The colours of the paintings were beautifully combined.

The car stopped right in front of the entrance.

"Welcome to your new home." Joseph finally spoke.

Home. Selena's ears itched at the very mention of the word.

This definitely wasn't going to feel like home to her. No warmth. Just a building that housed her troubles.

They both got out of the car and Selena followed behind, not sure what to expect.

"Ah! The latest couple finally arrives." Selena followed the voice. Upstairs on the balcony. It was a young man in his late twenties,averagely handsome, almost as tall as Joseph.

Standing beside him was a woman in her early fifties. Pretty, dark short pixie hair, unmistakably wealthy. She was dressed in wealth. She had the mean girl look and eyes that could kill just with a stare.

She was staring down at Selena like fresh meat about to be devoured by lions. Her expression was cold and unwelcoming.

"Let's go in, the staff will bring in your luggage."

Selena followed Joseph like a lost puppy.

Brian and his mother were already downstairs when they came in.

Joseph's expression became darker as soon as he saw them.

"These are my stepbrother and stepmother. Brian and Sarah.

"Nice to meet you two". Selena greeted awkwardly.

Sarah approached Selena and scanned her from head to toe.

"This one looks like she has no name, no status. What pit did you bring her from?"

She directed the question at Joseph while she scanned Selena in a derogatory manner.

"Don't get too comfortable, girl. You really should watch your back around here. You might just disappear. Poof!" She demonstrated sarcastically as she released her five fingers in the air.

"Careful". Joseph responded to her. His tone was cold and with a warning.

"Joseph, Joseph! Looking at you, though, and how you carry yourself like you own the universe, one would think you'd have better taste," Sarah said sarcastically, rolled her eyes, took one last cold look at Selena, and walked out on them.

Brian, who had been watching the drama, finally spoke, approaching Selena.

"I'll disagree with my mom on this one bro. You do have some taste. She's pretty. Body of a goddess, I'm quite impressed" He said with a smirk on his face.

"She just needs a little, you know....touch up"

He laughed sarcastically, scanned Selena from head to toe, and licked his lips seductively.

Joseph advanced towards him, attempting to punch him in the face but he restrained himself. His right hand clenched in a fist.

Then he turned to Selena who had been watching the drama.

"I'll show you to your room, Selena. Come with me."

Joseph shot Brian a deadly look before taking Selena to her room upstairs.

"This is your room."

Joseph opened the door to a well-furnished room with luxury paintings and decorations that fit perfectly.

Selena looked around in admiration but that didn't change the fact that she was in what felt like a prison.

"My room?"

"It can be changed if you don't like it."

"The room is fine. I just thought we'd be sleeping together"

"You're forgetting this is a contract and not a marriage. We'll only be in the same room when we eventually agree to fulfill the......obligation. For now, you have your own space and privacy."

Obligation. He was referring to the child. Selena felt like an object in that moment.

She swallowed hard. "Noted"

"A help has been assigned to you. Alexandra. Whatever you need-she'll be at your beck and call. She's the only one you should trust."

Selena nodded. "Thank you"

Joseph turned and left.

Selena struggled to sleep that night. She had a gigantic bed all to herself. Her own bed back at home wasn't even half the size of this one.

She couldn't shake off the attitude of Joseph's family towards her. Not that she was surprised anyway. She was a stranger.

But she couldn't help but feel like Joseph was the one who had a lot to deal with, living with people who seemed not to like him. They were supposed to be family, right?

Her phone buzzed on the lamp stand beside the bed. The screen lit up. It was a message from Mark.

"Hey, Sel. Been trying to reach you. Are you okay? Please respond as soon as you get this."

Selena's fingers hovered over the alphabet on her phone screen. Struggling with the right words to reply. Just as she was pondering on what to type, there was a knock on her door.

"Miss Selena?". It was a young woman's voice.

She walked cautiously towards the door, slowly opening it to let Alexandra in. Her new help.

"Good evening, you are....?"

"Alexandra. I was assigned to you, to help you with anything you might need." Alexandra finished, smiling politely.

"Oh. Joseph mentioned you earlier. Nice to meet you." Selena stretched out her hand for a handshake.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Selena". Alexandra returned the gesture.

"I don't think I'd be needing anything for now though. But thank you". Selena said nervously.

"Alright, Miss Selena. Welcome to the McCarthy family. I hope to be at your service, satisfactorily. I'll let myself out."

Alexandra said heading towards the door.

"Thank you, Alexandra."

Selena shut the door behind her and leaned on it for a few seconds as if she found some kind of support from an inanimate object.

She sighed, slowly got into her new bed, hoping to drift into a world that could blank her realities for the night.