Chapter 1 A Marriage Without Touch

The light from the crystal chandelier reflected off the white walls of the spacious dining room. However, the beauty of the luxurious interior couldn't cover the cold atmosphere that wrapped around the two people sitting across from each other, their faces void of expression.

Anne stared at the spoonful of soup in her hand, which she hadn't moved. In front of her, the man who had been her husband for three years, Leonard Harlan, was busy scrolling through his phone. There were no conversations and no warm glances exchanged between them. Only the ticking clock and the clinking of tableware from the servant helping Anne at the dining table could be heard.

"You're late again," Anne said softly, almost in a whisper.

Leo looked up briefly, as if just realizing her presence. "There was an additional meeting. I don't know what time I'll be home."

A short answer, without tone, and he went back to looking down, his fingers dancing across the phone screen, his expression flat, not glancing at Anne at all.

Anne took a deep breath. It had been three years since their wedding a marriage not born from love, but from a business contract between two conglomerate families.

From the first day, Leo had been cold. He never touched her, and even asking how she was seemed like a burden to him. Still, Anne stayed. Whether out of a sense of duty, pride, or maybe a sliver of hope that they could one day love each other as husband and wife though it felt like an impossible dream for Anne.

"Leo, I want to ask. Will you be home late again tomorrow, or not come home at all?" she asked carefully.

The man set his spoon down with a calm movement, though clearly annoyed and with a face that showed he disliked the question. "I don't know. Depends on my work. Stop asking such things."

Anne gave a small nod. Her eyes lowered, hiding the hurt she didn't show. She had grown used to such responses. Used to the blank stares, the cold voice, and the bed that had become just a decorative piece between them.

Anne gripped the hem of her dress tightly, inhaling deeply. She wanted to scream, to release the pain in her chest, but her mouth was sealed by the reality that her heart still hoped.

"Do you really hate me, Leo?" she murmured softly, her eyes weary.

Leo paused his scrolling briefly. But he didn't look at her, clearly disturbed by Anne's words. "Don't start again, Anne. I'm tired of discussing it, and it's not worth talking about."

"I'm tired too, Leo, but I'm still here with you," Anne said quietly, her voice trembling.

Leo glanced at her briefly and fell silent, his expression blank as he looked at Anne. "What do you want now? Don't dream too high, because you'll never reach it especially if you're hoping for our marriage to ever be happy. Remember, we married without love. No matter how long, I will never look at you that way, Anne."

Anne was stunned by Leo's words. Her heart ached, even though she had heard unpleasant things before. But she tried to forget, treating them as passing wind. "I know the reason. You don't have to bring it up again, Leo."

Leo just glanced at her again, still more focused on his drink and the phone screen that seemed more interesting than Anne, who only disgusted him. "If you know and are self-aware, don't bring it up again."

Again, Anne only nodded and fell silent at Leo's last words, which belittled her. "I understand, and I'm sorry, Leo."

Leo said nothing, ignoring Anne's words. That night, after a dinner that felt more like a formal ritual, Leo stood up and walked straight into his study without glancing at Anne who stood right behind him, as if she didn't exist in his life.

Anne only watched her husband's back as he walked away, then smiled bitterly.

"Should I keep hoping in this situation? How long can I go on like this? God, what should I do to change Leo's attitude toward me? This hurts so much, but what can I do to change him?" Anne thought sadly.

Behind all the invisible wounds, Anne still played her role as Leonard Harlan's wife. She still woke up early to prepare breakfast, still attended family events, and still smiled in public when she was called "Mrs. Harlan, who is so happily loved by her husband."

In reality, she felt nothing but emptiness when with Leo and continued to endure the marriage in silence.

Anne knew that most women would probably choose to leave, but Anne wasn't most women. She didn't beg for love, but she also didn't give up so easily on being with Leo.

In the quiet bedroom, Anne sat on the edge of the large, cold, unfamiliar bed. She looked into the mirror in front of her, staring at the reflection of herself fragile yet strong.

"Am I too naive? Am I just wasting time on a husband in a marriage built without love?" she whispered.

Anne reached into the drawer for her small diary and wrote a few lines she never showed anyone.

'Today he came home, but still acted like he didn't see me. I want to give up, but I can't leave him. I'm still waiting for him to change with me.'

Meanwhile, Leo sat in his study, staring blankly at the laptop screen. His hand opened a report file, but his mind was elsewhere. Beside the desk, a photo from their wedding day was turned away from him.

His phone chimed. A notification appeared. Leo glanced at it, then stood up and grabbed his coat without saying a word.

Without a goodbye, he left the house and closed the door quietly. The soft click of the front door was loud enough to make Anne open her eyes again, realizing Leo had gone again to where, she didn't know.

Anne didn't cry, but her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Silence once again filled the house, and time kept moving as she waited, hoping for a miracle.

Meanwhile, Leo drove his car calmly, eyes focused on the busy road ahead, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. So boring. She keeps bringing up the marriage. If it weren't for that deal, I would never have married that woman. Such a nuisance."

Unbeknownst to Leo, his cruel words and curses only deepened Anne's pain. She was, after all, his legal wife regardless of what had brought them together.

At home, Anne stood still at her bedroom window, watching Leo leave without saying goodbye. It was something she had experienced again and again. "What should I do now?"