Chapter 5 Life as Mrs.walker

The aftermath of the wedding felt surreal to Sophia. As she walked through the grand halls of the Walker estate, now her new home, everything seemed to glisten with wealth and elegance, yet it felt utterly empty. The mansion's cold grandeur mirrored the emotional distance between her and Aaron. She was now Mrs. Walker in name, but it hardly felt like she belonged in this world. Her role, as both wife and business partner in this sham of a marriage, was laid out clearly, and it didn't take long for reality to set in.

Over breakfast, Aaron maintained his usual demeanor-composed and businesslike. He laid out the expectations of their arrangement with all the charm of a corporate briefing. "We'll need to attend charity events together, dinners with clients, and company parties. The public needs to see us as a united front. I'll have my assistant send you the schedule."

Sophia nodded, the words feeling heavy in her chest. She was living someone else's life. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to challenge him, to make him see her as more than just the woman he had entered into a cold agreement with. But she pushed that thought aside. This wasn't a real marriage. There was no room for emotions, she reminded herself.

After breakfast, she found herself wandering the mansion, feeling like a guest in her own home. Every room was a study in opulence, and yet there was something lifeless about it all. Aaron's life seemed like one giant display case, beautiful but distant, and now she was part of the display.

She knew she had to adjust. She had to find her place in this sterile world. But as the days turned into weeks, the loneliness of her position began to creep in. She had agreed to this for Catherine, for her family's sake, but the reality of being a stranger in her own marriage was starting to weigh heavily on her heart.