Lure her to consummate our marriage and bear a child for me.
If all goes well, she'll be back to her house before the next summer ends, divorce papers filed and chaos removed from my life.
Initially, I thought my father had chosen well, that I had chosen well, that I made the right choice picking Elaine over her cousin Ivy.
Now I know better.
Elaine is sweet poison on a silver platter.
A temptation I can't for the life of me afford to indulge.
And yet, as her footsteps disappear upstairs, one thought lingers longer than I like.
This marriage won't be quiet.
And it won't be simple, far from it
And for the first time since today began, I'm not entirely sure who's going to break first.
She makes it halfway up the stairs before stopping.
Like the adrenaline finally ran out and she remembered she has no idea where she's going.
She turns slowly, one hand resting on the railing, dress dragging behind her. "Which room."
