Jessie's POV
"You should warn your boyfriend," Oliver says as he starts the car engine.
"I don't have a boyfriend!"
"Grey is his name, right?" His eyes remain fixed on the road.
I shrug, crossing my arms over my chest and turning to look outside.
"When were you planning to tell me our marriage is just a rebound?"
Agitated, I whip my head toward him. "Yeah, let's act like a few days ago we even knew we'd be married." My voice is more defensive than I intended.
I see his hands tighten around the steering wheel. "You're still in love with him," he says.
"No!" The answer comes quick and sharp.
Oliver shakes his head. "It wasn't a question, just an observation."
"Can we drop this already? I broke up with him, and I'm married to you now."
"Until when?" He turns briefly to look at me, just long enough to find whatever it is he's searching for.
"Why was he at La Cooper?" I ask, trying to stay calm.
"You should ask him when you see him again," he says, his tone loud enough to signal that he's done with this conversation.
"Why would I be seeing him again?" I snap, frustrated that he's not listening. I already told him we broke up.
"You're not over him, and he's not over you," Oliver replies.
"He lied. He likes another girl. We're done. Completely," I insist.
Oliver chuckles, the sound low and almost cruel. "Oh, how gullible can you be."
I take his words as an insult and decide not to engage.
"Where are we going?" I ask, changing the topic.
He picks up his phone, briefly checking it and momentarily losing focus on the road.
"You and Cara are going house hunting," he states.
"Is she moving?" I ask.
"No. You are," he answers.
I whip my head around. "What does that mean?"
Oliver's voice is calm, almost detached. "I'm keeping my word. Our marriage is a sham, Jessie, and we'll live in different houses."
I stare at him, anger rising inside me. Is this a joke?
"I thought... I thought we were starting to get along," I say, my words coming out with more desperation than I intended.
"Damn it, Jessie, don't make this hard," he curses under his breath.
I look away, staring out the window as the scenery blurs past. "Why did you marry me, then?" I finally ask, my voice smaller than I'd like.
"What do you hope to get out of this?" he counters, frustration creeping into his voice.
I don't have an answer. I'm not sure of anything anymore. "I don't know," I whisper.
The rest of the ride is thick with silence.
When we arrive at Nickle Manor, Cara is already waiting for us, her smile wide. I watch as she and Oliver embrace, feeling like an outsider. Cara is even more striking up close than she was at the wedding or in the papers.
"Jessie, right?" she calls out, breaking my train of thought.
I nod awkwardly. "Yeah. Nice to see you again."
"Are you ready?" Cara asks, her voice almost robotic.
I glance at Oliver, who remains silent, watching me. I have no idea what he's thinking.
"Yeah," I mutter, forcing a smile. I don't have the energy for this, but I don't have a choice either.
"Great!" Cara says, calling out for someone. "Theo!"
A few moments later, a man I vaguely recognize from the wedding walks over. He's in his mid-to-late twenties, tall, with sharp eyes that briefly land on mine before he turns toward the parking lot. Cara follows him, and I stand there, unsure whether to follow her or wait for Oliver to explain more.
"My assistant will email you the details of how this arrangement will work," Oliver says, already heading inside the manor without looking back.
I stand there, feeling abandoned and confused. I turn to find Cara waiting, her patience wearing thin. I force myself to catch up with them.
"So, what kind of house are you looking for?" Cara asks, her voice bright with excitement.
I shrug, feeling disconnected. "Doesn't matter."
Maybe the definition of house hunting has changed because Cara shows me one house and says Oliver already paid for it.
"Do you like the décor?" Cara asks.
"I..." I stutter. My thoughts have been reeling since Oliver told me about the house-hunting plan.
"I promised my brother I'd stay out of your business, but he should know me better by now," Cara says instead. "Why weren't you introduced during the engagement, only to show up and fool us at the wedding?"
I open my mouth to answer, but no words come out. I think I have a response, but I know it won't be good enough.
"I'm not close with my family," I offer, half-truthfully.
Cara takes a few steps, looking around the house while Theo stands in the corner, absorbed in his phone. "Figured," she sighs.
"Oliver doesn't like me," I say.
"Why would he, if you agreed to manipulate him? He hates lies," Cara states.
"Will he forgive me?" I ask.
Cara shakes her head. "No. If I were you, I'd annul the marriage. Save yourself some tears. He's a man of his word; he isn't going to come around."
Could she be right? And if I do annul it, what about my parents and what they hold over me and him?