Wife On Paper, Love Unexpected

"This can't be happening," Rania whispered to herself, her eyes fixed on the video sent by an unknown number just minutes ago.

She walked swiftly into a downtown nightclub, pushing through the crowd that was absorbed in the booming karaoke music.

Rania clutched her phone tightly, trying to brush away the worst-case scenarios running through her head, hoping that the video wasn't real.

But all her hope shattered when she spotted her fiancé making out with her best friend on a sofa.

Her world came to a halt. Her heart pounded uncontrollably, and her body grew weak as she stood there, witnessing the two people she trusted most tangled up in each other in the corner of the room, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

Rania clenched her fists tightly. She had been standing there like a fool for minutes, watching their shameful display.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped away her tears harshly, trying to hold herself together.

"Damian..." Rania's voice rose, unleashing the storm of emotions within her.

Damian froze, eyes wide in shock upon seeing Rania standing there, watching them in the middle of their lustful embrace.

Camila quickly adjusted her clothes and stood up from Damian's lap, struggling to explain the obvious-because Rania had seen everything.

"Rania, I can explain-" Camila said with a guilty look on her face.

"Shut your mouth!" Rania snapped, pointing at Camila furiously.

Camila fell silent, lowering her head in shame. She knew she was truly in the wrong-she had betrayed her best friend.

She couldn't take it anymore. She and Damian had loved each other for a long time, and they had been secretly seeing each other behind Rania's back.

Instead of apologizing, Damian chuckled coldly, mocking Rania with his eyes. He didn't care.

"You should've known, Rania. I never really loved you from the start," he said flatly.

Rania froze, stunned to hear those words directly from Damian's mouth. It hurt. Deeply. But instead of breaking down, she laughed at the both of them.

"All this time, I was just an obstacle to you two, wasn't I?" she said bitterly. "Well, starting today, we're done, Damian."

She pulled off her engagement ring and threw it at them.

"Congratulations. I hope you have a baby soon," Rania said coldly.

She turned and walked out of the room. Let another woman have him. A man like Damian wasn't husband material.

"I'll make you regret this, Damian," she whispered with vengeance.

Back inside, Camila started to chase after Rania, but Damian grabbed her hand.

"I don't want Rania to hate me, Damian. She needs to hear us out. You can't just stand there doing nothing!" Camila said in a panic.

"There's no need. She ended our engagement, which means she's ready to live without me. Let's just focus on our relationship now, Camila," Damian said.

"No one can stop us from being together anymore. You've always been too kind to her, even if it hurt you," he added firmly.

Camila was touched. She hugged Damian tightly, a sly smile playing on her lips. She had won him over from her own best friend.

"Thank you, Damian, for choosing me," she said.

***

Rania sat alone at a bus stop, her face pale, eyes swollen. She didn't care about the cold wind biting at her skin. She just sat there, numb.

Five years she had been with Damian, and he betrayed her with her own best friend. Neither of them had a heart.

"He didn't even feel guilty..." she whispered.

"He chose his mistress over me."

Suddenly, a black sedan pulled up in front of her. A man in dark sunglasses stepped out and approached her.

Rania turned her face away, uninterested. Her heart was in pieces-she didn't want anyone near her.

"Get in," the man said curtly.

"I'm not going anywhere," Rania snapped.

"Then you'll just sit here all night crying over your fate until morning," he replied.

Rania scoffed, glaring at him. "Not your business."

"Crying over a cheating man is the dumbest thing you could do. You could be plotting revenge instead."

"Who the hell are you? Stay out of my life," Rania said coldly.

"Kenzo Adithya."

Rania's expression changed. That name often appeared on TV and in newspapers. Who didn't know him? A young billionaire and heir to Adithya Corp-one of the most powerful men in the country.

"So why do you care about me?" Rania asked, trying to control her tone to appear composed.

"Damian is my rival. He stole one of my projects, and I want revenge."

Rania shook her head and laughed bitterly. "So you just want to use me as a weapon for revenge. No thanks."

"I can give you anything you want, Rania. A new name, status, protection-you'll get the perfect chance to strike back at them."

Rania fell silent, weighing his offer. She couldn't bear to see Damian and Camila living happily while she suffered. She had to act.

Damian wasn't someone she could easily destroy. He was a CEO of a powerful company-no wonder a cheap woman like Camila clung to him with dirty tricks.

Kenzo grinned, watching Rania's conflicted face. She'd be a fool to say no.

He retrieved something from his car and handed her a contract.

"Marry me, Rania. Just for two years. Then we'll part ways peacefully, and you'll be free," Kenzo said.

Rania stared, frozen. She reluctantly took the paper and read it. Just two years of marriage.

"This is insane. Are you trying to trap me?" she asked, voice rising, accusing him.

What kind of billionaire randomly offered marriage just for revenge?

"I'm not going to waste time talking. If you don't agree soon, I'll have to use other methods," Kenzo said.

"And your life will be hell," he added.

Rania finally took the pen from her bag and signed the contract.

"I agree to marry you, Mr. Kenzo Adithya," she said.

"Good choice, Rania. Welcome to your new life-starting now," Kenzo said with a sly smile.

A few days after that painful night, Rania was finally going to marry Kenzo.

She stood in front of the mirror, already dressed in a beautiful and elegant gown.

The woman tried to forget everything that had happened in her life-the betrayal of her beloved fiancé.

Since that night, Rania had decided never to contact Damian again, no matter the reason.

She truly wanted to be free from that despicable man. Her tears had dried, and there would be no more sorrow in her future.

Outside the room, guests had already gathered. The wedding was private, attended only by a few close family members.

The decorations were simple-no lavish floral arrangements, no romantic music.

Once, Rania had dreamed of a princess-like wedding, but that hope was shattered. She had to bury that dream.

The door opened. Kenzo stood there in a black suit and silver tie. His expression was flat, his gaze sharp. There was no warm greeting like a typical groom.

"Are you ready?" Kenzo asked.

Rania nodded slowly, though deep down, she still couldn't believe she was about to marry a stranger who had never been part of her life plans.

"Are we really getting married?" Rania asked.

"What do you think?" Kenzo replied curtly.

"This all feels so unreal, Kenzo," she said.

Kenzo took her hand and led her out of the room. They quickly descended the stairs.

The guests had been waiting for the couple.

Kenzo and Rania stood before the priest. The ceremony was held in silence, with only the priest and two legal witnesses present.

"I, Kenzo Adithya, take Rania Anastasya to be my wife..." he recited without hesitation.

Rania repeated the vows, though her chest felt tight and painful. In the end, she was surrendering herself to marry someone she didn't love.

This was her decision, and she had to follow through until their agreement ended.

When the ceremony concluded, Kenzo turned to her. "From today on, you are my wife, Rania. I will give you everything-wealth, status, and protection. Except for one thing..."

Rania raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked softly.

Kenzo leaned closer and whispered, "Never expect love from me."

Rania froze. She knew better than to ever fall for Kenzo, no matter the circumstance.

"Dear Mr. Kenzo, this marriage is just a two-year revenge pact. Neither of us will fall in love in such a short time," Rania replied.

Kenzo smirked. "Good. Because I never planned to love you either."

After the wedding, Rania asked Kenzo for permission to retrieve her belongings from her house.

Kenzo said nothing and allowed her to do as she wished.

Rania drove to her home. The place was quiet and still. It had once been her dream house with Damian. They had promised to live there together after marriage-but that dream had become nothing.

She opened the door and immediately began packing her things.

The house belonged to both her and Damian. They had saved money together to buy it.

Rania sighed. Even though she was married now, the beautiful memories with Damian were still hard to forget.

She pulled all her clothes from the closet and packed them into a large suitcase. The rest she left behind-it was impossible to take everything with her.

"Where are you going?"

Rania gasped and turned around at the voice.

Her eyes widened when she saw Damian standing there, his face expressionless and intimidating.

"What are you doing here?" Rania asked coldly.

The love once in her eyes had turned to hatred.

"Have you forgotten? This house doesn't just belong to you," Damian said. "We bought it together."

"Fine. I'm no longer the owner of this house. I'm giving it to you-as long as you don't disturb my life again."

Damian laughed mockingly. How dare she act so arrogant?

"I don't want this house anymore," Damian said. "Keep it."

"Whatever. I won't live here again," Rania said.

She began dragging her suitcase toward the door, but Damian grabbed her arm roughly, halting her steps.

"Wait!"

"What now, Damian?" Rania looked up with an icy stare.

"Leaving this house means you'll be nothing but a homeless woman out there."

Rania yanked her arm away from his grip.

"I'd rather be homeless than set foot in this house after your betrayal."

"You're being childish, Rania," Damian sneered. "I just feel sorry for you. You're going to be broke now."

"I don't need your pity!" Rania snapped. "As for the office, I'll be submitting my resignation soon."

"If only you had pretended not to see me with Camila that day, your life wouldn't be this hard. You could've enjoyed my wealth and lived comfortably in this house."

Rania scoffed. Damian was shameless-still trying to justify his infidelity.

"I'd never agree to be the wife of a man like you," she said, pointing at him. Her anger had been simmering since he arrived.

Damian was speechless. He couldn't argue with her words-they were true.

Rania stared straight into his eyes. "I've married a man far richer, more powerful, and capable of giving me everything."

Damian's face tensed. "What... what do you mean? Married? To who?"

"Whoever it is, it's none of your business. The point is, I'm finally free from you," Rania said, with a faint smile.

Damian shook his head in disbelief.

"You must be lying, Rania. Who would marry you?"

They had just broken up a few days ago. Rania had always been faithful and never involved with another man.

"Did you betray me, Rania?"

Rania stopped at the doorway, holding two large suitcases and a bag. Her gaze toward Damian was full of contempt.

"A man who sees my worth-and won't throw me away," she said.

Damian clenched his fists. He wouldn't let her go so easily. He rushed after her and blocked her from entering her car.

He slammed the car door shut.

"Who is he, Rania?!"

Rania was startled by Damian's aggression. They were no longer together, yet he still seemed obsessed with her new husband.

"Darling..."

Both Damian and Rania froze. A man with a commanding presence suddenly appeared beside them.

"Meet Kenzo Adithya-my husband," Rania said proudly.

Rania clung affectionately to Kenzo's arm, flaunting their intimacy as husband and wife.

"What the hell is this?" Damian asked in disbelief. He hadn't expected Rania to turn her back on him and marry a foreign man.

"You cheap woman," he spat.

"Watch your mouth!" Kenzo pointed directly at Damian's face.

"You discarded Rania, cheated on her behind her back, and threw her away like trash. So don't you dare regret what you've done," Kenzo said coldly.

"Rania, we need to talk. In private," Damian said.

Before Damian could touch her, Kenzo's kick sent him sprawling to the ground.

Kenzo grabbed the collar of Damian's shirt roughly and landed blow after blow to his face.

Rania gasped, not standing idly by. She quickly pulled Kenzo's hand away.

"Stop it, Kenzo," she said. "Don't be like this. Calm down."

"I just don't like it when my wife is touched by another man," Kenzo replied.

"I understand, but don't use violence. It scares me," Rania said gently.

Kenzo nodded and gently touched her head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly.

Their act was so convincing that it made Damian burn with jealousy and pain.

"I can't believe you married a man like this, Rania," Damian said, touching his bruised lip.

"Just look up my husband's name, and you'll find his full profile," Rania replied calmly.

"Damian."

A woman hurried over and froze at the scene-Damian, bruised and beaten, and Rania wrapped in another man's arms.

"What happened, Damian?" Camila asked. "Who hit you?"

"No need to worry, Camila," Damian said. "I'm fine."

Camila turned her gaze to Rania, who stood there, proud and unbothered.

"Rania, I'm sorry for what happened that night," Camila said with regret. "I never meant to steal Damian from you."

Rania rolled her eyes, tired of hearing Camila defend herself.

"You can have Damian. I don't care anymore. I'm already married," Rania stated.

"My husband is Kenzo Adithya-a young, wealthy billionaire. Smart and, of course... faithful," she added proudly.

How could Rania marry someone else? She had always been so loyal to Damian, never once cheating in their five years together.

Camila was shocked. And wait-did she say billionaire? Why would a man like that marry Rania? There had to be a reason. Maybe it was all a fake marriage, a business deal perhaps. That's what Camila assumed.

"If you're really married to him, then I'm happy for you, Rania. I hope you've found your happiness," Camila said with a forced smile.

Rania moved on from Damian so quickly-it made Camila wonder how.

"Spare me the fake kindness. I already know how rotten both of you are," Rania snapped. "Thankfully, I'm free from Damian and have a husband who's worth far more."

Damian's eyes were filled with fury. He couldn't accept how easily Rania had let him go.

"Babe, let's go home," Kenzo said. "You've got all your stuff, right?"

Rania gave a faint smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm sick of being here anyway. Especially with those two around."

"Come home with me. My driver will take your car," Kenzo offered.

"Alright, whatever my husband says," Rania agreed.

Kenzo packed all her belongings into the car, and then they got in and drove away.

Damian and Camila watched the car disappear into the distance.

"Damian, how could Rania do all this?" Camila asked. "Is Kenzo really a young billionaire?"

Damian clenched his fists, eyes filled with vengeance. He still couldn't accept this bitter truth.

"I don't know. But I've heard Kenzo's name in the news," Damian muttered.

"Come on, let's go inside. I need to treat your wounds," Camila said. "We can find out who Kenzo is later."

Camila helped him inside and sat him on the couch, then grabbed the first aid kit to clean his wounds.

"Damian, do you regret everything?" Camila asked.

He looked at her and shook his head. "No. Now I know Rania was never a good woman. She must've been messing around behind my back all along."

"But isn't it the same as what we did?" Camila asked. "We also had an affair."

"It's different, Camila. Rania is just a cheap woman who sold her dignity," Damian replied coldly.

"You really hate her, don't you?" Camila said, pleased by his words.

"No regrets. You're everything to me, Camila," Damian said.

Camila smiled, proud to hear it from him. Even if Rania's husband was richer, she had won Damian over.

Surely, Rania would never be able to forget Damian, even with a husband now.

"We'll be married soon, Camila. In a few days," Damian said.

Camila froze for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Her dream of becoming Mrs. Damian was finally coming true.

Rania was out of the picture-now, she would be Damian's lawful wife.

"I regret wasting years being with Rania," Damian added.

***

"Why didn't you slap her?" Kenzo asked once they arrived at the mansion.

Rania's things were being moved into her room by the housemaids.

Rania stopped walking, folded her arms, and stared at Kenzo. "I'm not someone who resorts to violence like you."

Kenzo had expected her to put Camila in her place, but apparently, Rania was still too kind.

"Such a weak woman," Kenzo scoffed.

Rania was offended. "I'm not weak, Kenzo. Watch your words."

"If you hadn't married me, you'd still be crying in your room, sulking and getting stepped on by those two. How pathetic."

"Such harsh words from the great Mr. Kenzo," Rania said sharply. "I'll prove to you that I'm better than both of them."

Kenzo nodded, though he doubted her. She seemed like someone without firm resolve.

"Fine. Starting tomorrow, you'll begin training here-how to become the lady of the Adithya family," Kenzo said.

"Why should I? The agreement didn't give you the right to control my life," Rania protested.

"True. But training you to be the wife of a billionaire is a necessity. I won't have a wife who behaves like you do now."

"What's wrong with the way I behave?" Rania challenged.

"You're unrefined, uneducated, and act like someone without class," Kenzo stated.

"I thought you were the quiet type, turns out you're quite the talker," Rania muttered. She had been deceived.