Chapter 3

JADE

We never had a proper wedding ceremony. Roman left the country from the city hall after we had signed the marriage papers due to urgent business.

The only words he spoke to me were. "I will be back," and with that, he disappeared, only sending one-line updates via his secretary.

Being Roman's wife meant the Sterlings couldn't come after me with their usual humiliations and schemes. It no longer felt like the cage I was forced into as soon as I was reunited with the Sterlings.

The quietness of the house was fun for the first few days; however, after that, it felt like a suffocating mess. Mainly because the servants wouldn't allow me to touch anything. They were so on guard around me, like something was going to explode if they let me have my way.

Unlike Naomi, who had grown up with the need to be served, I had an itch that refused to go away. Living with the Saint family meant I had to do my fair share of the chores. The need to be moving, to be doing something, so I didn't feel like a waste.

"The master has instructed us to serve you, madam. " Ana had said one night when I tried to help her with dinner.

"I can serve myself. "I tried to defend myself, but she didn't give in. No matter how I tried, she just dismissed my effort with a polite smile.

That night I began to look into gallery and art illustrator jobs. I knew that Roman's wealth alone was enough to last us all for a lifetime, and the Volkov influence was bigger.

But I knew better than to just rely on his wealth. He might be kind enough now to pay for my mother's hospital bills and provide necessities, but I needed a job to survive in case he decided I was not good enough as a wife for him anymore.

I found one that fit and was ready to go for the interview when I realised that I should have told him. Not because I needed his permission, just so he knew.

"He is your husband after all," I whispered to myself in the mirror.

I had contemplated calling him, but I was not sure of the time difference. So I sent a text, which I read and reread a million times to be sure I sounded right.

I waited all morning for his reply, but it never came. I couldn't tell if he was ignoring me or just busy with work, and I was being paranoid about it.

His reply – which was just an agreement to my intention to search for a job and an offer to help me find suitable places – and the acceptance mail from the gallery came successively.

For the first time in years, I didn't feel like a pretty wall decoration that Victoria had forced me into. I felt alive knowing that I could be useful if I wanted to.

Even though Roman's recommendations were all better places that would be good to have on my portfolio, I knew better than to accept his offer. I just informed him of my win and moved on.

If he had helped me, then it meant I was going to have to owe him more than I should.

I resumed the next day to fill the role of a junior curator at a private art museum. The work was a bit stressful, but after two weeks on the job, I was basically falling into the rhythm of it.

Coming home to a basically empty house made me think of Roman often. We weren't close before he left, but I wondered what it would have been like if we had lived together like normal couples. I would want to send a text to play the role of a dutiful wife.

Every time I opened the chat between us, I was stumped for words. I wanted to be sure he was fine, but I didn't need to reach him to know that. Tabloids and blogs were spreading paparazzi shots of him like some treasure, and he did look fine in them all.

"I guess that is enough to know he is alive and well," I whispered to myself whenever I came across the pictures.

Taking the job made things feel different for me. When I returned to the Sterling house, Victoria had stopped me from working. She was sure that a good marriage was better than the best job out there.

Her words, 'Your contribution to the family would be your marriage and the investment it would bring,' echoed in my mind on a loop like some kind of tape.

My phone rang as I was getting out of work that evening, and as if she knew I had been thinking about her, Victoria called. It was useless to ignore her because she couldn't stop until she got through to me.

"Hello?" My voice was stiff. Hopefully, enough to pass on my displeasure at talking with her.

"I heard you got a job at a private gallery."

I almost asked her how she had gotten to know, but with them, things like this shouldn't shock me anymore.

"I did."

"What a waste," she groaned. "Your primary focus right now should be bearing sons for the Volkov name to solidify your position as the next matriarch. If in a year you can give the Volkov family an heir, I am sure they would double the investment with us."

She was not even trying to hide her intentions from me. I should get pregnant so their family got richer. How selfish of her!

Aside from the fact that I was not just going to jump into bed with Roman. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her that I couldn't produce an heir by myself. Roman had to be present as well.

"Thank you for your kind words. I would keep them in..."

"Don't be foolish, Jade," she cut me off.

I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. More than anything, I wished she would just leave me be.

"Quit that useless, low-class job this Saturday, and begin to take socialite training classes."

"What?"

"I have arranged the same classes that Naomi used to take; all you have to do is show up," she announced.

"I am not going to quit my job."

"Jade, I want to make sure you fit into the society; after all, you grew up poor. You have no idea how things work in high society.

"I don't care about how things work," I shot back at her.

"How else are you going to win the heart of your husband, you foolish girl?" she screamed at me. "I knew it was a mistake allowing you to get married to Roman Volkov. I should have locked you up in a basement."

"If you think you can touch me now, then you might as well come after me," I screamed back.

"You think because you married Roman that you are now untouchable?" I heard the pain in her voice. The pain of not being able to do anything to me.

"I am your mother, and you are going to listen to me or..."

"Argghh!" A scream escaped my mouth, cutting through her words.

I had been so focused on winning the argument against her that I didn't even realise I had stepped into the road, and a motorcycle was coming at me.

I was pulled back in time by a strong pair of arms. One hand on my forearm, and the other around my waist to steady me. I felt my heart ramming against my ribcage as I tried to steady my breathing.

I looked up, and my entire body froze. He was standing there like he had not disappeared on me for a full month.

Roman blinked down at me, his lips slowly opening, his voice raspy as I tried to gather myself.

"Careful, Jade, or you might get hurt."