Moving into Dane’s mansion felt like stepping into someone else’s dream.
He gave me the biggest room. The bed was soft, the sheets were silk, the closet full of clothes I never thought I’d wear. There were shoes lined up by color, jewelry that sparkled when the light hit it.
Every morning, someone brought breakfast to my room. Every night, he came home with gifts. But he never took me outside. Not once.
No dinners. No parties. No walks in the city.
One night, I asked quietly, “Can I go with you next time?”
He smiled, leaned in, and kissed me instead of answering.
And just like that, the question was gone.
The staff barely spoke to me. They looked through me like I wasn’t real. Some smiled politely. Most just bowed and left. I tried to pretend it didn’t hurt.
I told myself it was fine. I loved him. He said I was his. That was enough, right?
One night, as he held me, Dane whispered, “I’ll marry you one day.”
I believed him completely.
We spent quiet nights together. He would pull me close, stroke my hair, and say nothing. For the first time in years, I felt safe. Like maybe I finally belonged somewhere.
When he left for Paris, he kissed my forehead and said softly, “Wait for me.”
I did.
Days turned to weeks.
No calls. No messages. But I kept waiting.
Then one morning, while cleaning up the breakfast tray, I heard the maids whispering near the hall.
“I heard Mr. Vale’s fiancée studies in Paris,” one said.
The other gasped. “What about the girl here? Candy? I thought she was the fiancée.”
A quiet laugh followed. “No. She’s just a bed warmer.”
The words hit harder than any slap I’d ever taken. I went back to my room, shut the door, and cried until my eyes burned.
When I woke up the next morning, my body felt heavy. The smell of food made me sick. My head spun every time I stood up.
One of the maids noticed. “You should see a doctor,” she said.
I went alone. My hands shook the whole way.
After the test, the doctor smiled. “Congratulations,” she said softly. “You’re two months pregnant.”
My heart stopped, then started racing. I pressed the paper to my chest, tears spilling down my face. “He’ll be so happy,” I whispered. “I know he will.”
I thanked the doctor and hurried home, holding the report like a treasure.
Maybe now he’d take me out. Maybe now I’d finally belong.
When I reached the mansion, I heard his voice from the living room. My heart jumped. He was back.
I ran toward the sound, smiling so wide it hurt.
Then I heard a laugh.
A woman’s laugh.
I froze. It couldn’t be. I knew that laugh.
I pushed the door open.
Naira was sitting on Dane’s lap, kissing him.
His hands were around her waist.
They both looked up. Dane’s eyes were cold, like he didn’t even recognize me. And Naira? Naira blinked, pretending to be surprised.
“What are you doing here?”
Dane didn’t even stand. “Where have you been?” he asked flatly. Then he turned to the side and added, “Go prepare some drinks and snacks for my visitor.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
My voice came out small and looked at Naira. Really looked at her. “W-why are you here?”
She gave a short, sharp laugh, the kind that felt like a slap. Then she stood, crossing her arms like she owned the place. “You’re really asking me that?”
She lifted her left hand and shoved it in my face. A diamond ring sparkled under the light. “I’m Dane Vale’s fiancée. See this?”
My whole body went cold. The room tilted.
No, it couldn’t be real.
I turned to Dane. My lips trembled. “T-tell me she’s lying.”
He didn’t look at me. Didn’t even flinch. Just stood there, jaw tight, eyes somewhere else.
The silence was worse than anything he could’ve said.
Naira stepped closer, her perfume filling my lungs like poison. “Babe,” she said to him sweetly, “why is that Langford slave in your house?” She pointed at me like I was dirt. “Don’t you remember what I told you? She’s the reason MY mom and dad are dead. Jason and Calen Langford hate her for killing them. They locked her up for years. And now you bring her here? You’re hurting me, Dane. You’re really hurting me.”
My throat closed. I couldn’t even breathe right.
Every word felt like a blade scraping against my ribs.
I waited. Just one word from him. Just something.
But Dane only sighed. His voice was flat. Empty. “Naira, listen. I only brought her here to be my bed warmer. Nothing else. Just someone to warm my bed at night.”
My knees went weak. My fingers shook.
The words didn’t sound real.
Bed warmer?
So that’s all I was...
The maid was right.
The man I thought saved me, the one who promised me safety, a future, was just another monster.
“Oh, okay. You’re a man.“ Naira tilted her head, pretending to understand. “You have needs. Fine.”
She walked over to him and pulled him by the collar. And right there, in front of me, she kissed him. Long and deep.
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away.
When she finally let him go, she turned back to me. Her eyes burned with hate.
“You bitch,” she hissed, and before I could step back, her hand cracked across my face.
SLAP!
