Chapter 4 Application Received

Not their bedroom. Of course." Anna thought.

Anna forced a nod, though he wasn't even looking at her. "Okay," she replied.

Donald didn't say another word. He disappeared down the hallway, leaving her standing in the middle of a house that wasn't hers, in a marriage that wasn't real, with a man who didn't care.

She let out a breath, feeling the crushing weight of her decision settle onto her shoulders. She had done this for her family, for their future. But now, standing alone in this hollow mansion, she wondered if she had just traded her freedom for a prison.

Hours Later,

Anna sat in the dimly lit living room, absently tracing patterns on the smooth glass coffee table. She had spent the past few hours unpacking, trying to make her new room feel less like a guest space and more like her own. It hadn't worked.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Donald moving around upstairs. His deep voice carried through the hallway. She wasn't eavesdropping, but she didn't need to. It was obvious he was talking to another woman.

His voice was low, casual. There was a hint of warmth there, the kind he never used when speaking to her.

Anna clenched her fingers around the sleeve of her sweater. She had known, of course. Donald had never hidden the fact that his heart belonged to someone else. He had made it clear that this was a temporary arrangement, that he was doing this for his father's will, nothing more.

A few minutes later, the front door opened, and Donald stepped out, his phone still pressed to his ear. He didn't even glance in her direction as he walked past, his car keys jingling in his hand.

"I'll see you soon," he murmured before ending the call and shutting the door behind him.

Anna sat there in silence, listening to the quiet hum of the house around her.

She had never expected love from Donald. But hearing him say it out loud, enforcing the rules between them so coldly, made the reality of her situation sink in.

And it was only their first night.

The morning after their distant evening together, was eerily quiet. Donald had already left for work. The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air as Anna takes a sip from her cup. She sat at the kitchen table, staring at her laptop screen. Her fingers lingered over the track pad as she scrolled through job listings, her mind clouded with thoughts.

Anna exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead as frustration builds within her. She knows she can't sit around all day in this house, waiting for things to magically change. She needs independence, something that isn't tied to this arrangement she's trapped in with Donald. Her eyes dart across the screen, scanning through job postings-some she knows she's qualified for, others that seem completely out of reach.

Then, almost absentmindedly, her fingers moves. She clicks, types, scrolls.

Her mind is in autopilot as she applies to different companies, moving through the process like a routine. Her thoughts drift to Donald, how he might react if he knew she was looking for a job. Would he even care? Would he be against it? Her heart clenches at the uncertainty.

Without realizing it, she clicks the application button for one more company. Then another. And then-Submit.

Her eyes widen.

"Wait... what?!"

Anna stares at the confirmation message blinking on her screen. Application received. Thank you for applying to Caldwell enterprise.

Her breath catches In her throat. Her fingers tremble slightly as she rereads it.

"No. No, no, no... This can't be happening."

She hadn't meant to apply there. She hadn't even been thinking. It had been pure reflex, muscle memory as she clicked through multiple job listings.

A wave of panic washed over her. She hadn't meant to get involved in Donald's world any more than she already was. But now, there it is, her resume sent off to a company she never planned on considering, especially not while her marriage to Donald still feels so cold and transactional.

While Anna was still panicking on what the outcome of her mistake could be, her phone rang. She glances at the screen. The number isn't familiar.

"Hello?" she answers, her voice uncertain.

"Hello, is this Anna North?" The voice on the other end is professional.

"Yes, this is Anna," she says, still uncertain.

"This is Rachel McCarthy from Caldwell enterprise. I'm calling to inform you that we've received your CV for our marketing internship position. We're impressed with your background, and we'd love to schedule an interview. Would tomorrow work for you? Around 10 a.m.?"

What? Caldwell company? Anna thought to herself.

Uh, yeah, Anna responded unsure.

"Okay then," the woman at the other end responded.

The phone call ends, but Anna doesn't move. She stands there, staring at her phone, still trying to make sense of what just happened. Did I just agree to the interview? She muttered.

Her breath comes in slow, as her thoughts race. She hadn't meant to apply there. She never wanted to be caught in the middle of this web, this mess with Donald and his family's business. But now, this was real.

Anna sits at the dining table, her laptop open in front of her, but she isn't really looking at the screen anymore.

She's too lost in thought.

A cup of untouched coffee sits beside her, now cold. The weight of the day hangs over her-her unexpected job application, the call for an Interview, and the unsettling thought of how Donald might react if he found out.

Her fingers lightly tap against the laptop's edge.

"Should I even go through with this? What if he finds out? What if he disapproves?"

Her heart races at the thought, but she shakes her head. No. This is for me. He doesn't control what I do with my life. We're not even real couple. We're just strangers living together.

Still, the unease lingers.

Just as she exhales a slow, shaky breath, a sharp electronic beep cuts through the silence.

Her body tenses.

The sound of the front door unlocking sends a shock through her, her heart hammering against her chest.

Donald is back.