The introduction to the staff was brief, as Xavier decided to introduce only Roselle. He believed that she would learn their names with time.

“Come with me,” he said, standing up. The whole staff bowed as he left the room. Sure, they were itching to gossip, but they wanted to wait till he left the house. Silently, with looks that said, “Talk to you later,” they all fled the scene.

Xavier pushed his room door open and entered. Jessica followed. She noticed that the room was occupied but very neat. Looking at the picture frame on the table, she could tell it was his room.

“We will use this room together,” Xavier said, to which Jessica gasped in shock.

“What? Why? How?” Jessica asked, putting her hands up to her chest.

“I thought you would give me my room?” she asked him.

“My grandfather has eyes watching us, and in no time he will know that we are not together,” he said, and although Jessica knew that he was telling the truth, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

“Don’t worry, I would not do anything to you, and I’m hoping for the same from you,” Xavier said, sounding as if she were going to assault him.

“Don’t worry, I would do no such thing,” she answered.

“I have cleared out some parts of the wardrobe and the cabinets so you can keep your things in there,” Xavier said.

“Speaking of my things, I need to go get them,” she said. She needed clothes to change into and to wear.

“If you don’t mind, you could use this to get yourself some new clothes,” he said, pulling out his wallet and removing an unlimited debit card.

Jessica had only seen such cards when she helped at the pay point of the restaurant where she worked. She contemplated taking it.

“Take it and use it as yours. We still have to discuss the terms of our marriage, but I’ll let you get settled in first.” She collected it and looked at it. He moved to the door.

“You can ask any driver to take you anywhere you want to go. I’m off to work,” Xavier said without giving her a chance to speak.

She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the card in her hands. She guessed he could get a few things. She could clear out her old place and lease it out. She was glad she had bought the place when she had the opportunity. A few extra bucks toward her credit card debt wouldn’t be a bad idea.

She was glad she went with flat shoes instead of heels. She went back downstairs and met Roselle on her way up.

“Young lady, I was on my way to meet you. Would you like anything to eat or drink?” the woman asked.

“I’m Jessica, please call me Jessica,” she answered, feeling weird being called “young lady.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that,” Roselle said, sounding adamant.

“I would like to go get my things. I will make dinner for myself when I come back, so I just need someone to show me where everything goes.”

Her request threw Roselle aback. It was still her first day; she would agree with her.

“Xavier said one of the drivers can take me,” Jessica said, and Roselle nodded.

“Let me tell him to prepare the car,” Roselle said, bowing before leaving. The driver drove her to her house. She picked up her already packed suitcase. She had suggested that she and Burke move there after marriage, since her place was bigger, but Burke had suggested they put the place up for rent for extra cash. The extra cash was going to her alone now.

She went to her real estate agent to list her house for rent. Her agent had celebrated with her after she moved out. Jessica had skipped over the details, but told her that she had gotten married and decided to leave the place.

Her phone vibrated in her bag again, and she picked it up and put it to her ear.

“Hello, Jessica,” Burke’s voice rang through the phone. His voice still sent shivers down her spine.

“Hello, Burke,” she replied, feeling the tears coming back again. The driver was going back to the house. She had decided to go rest and then get whatever she needed the following day. She was exhausted.

“Why does it say you got married to Xavier Delgado?” Burke asked.

Jessica was disappointed by his question. She thought he was calling to beg her back, but it dawned on her that the reason he called was that he had heard she had gotten married.

“How do you know?” Jessica asked him angrily.

“Your name and picture are plastered all over the internet and news,” Burke answered.

“Since you moved on with my friend Emma, I decided to move on and get married to him,” Jessica said.

She felt her blood boiling. Why was she even wasting her time answering his questions?

“And my question is, how did you meet him?” Burke asked.

“How is that any of your business, you playboy?” Jessica answered, allowing her annoyance to get the best of her.

“I just wanted to know,” he answered, his voice low.

“You cheated on me and dumped me, so don’t you ever call me again,” Jessica said angrily before cutting off the call and blocking the number.

She hated herself for still having leftover feelings for that man. She had seen the signs ever since she introduced Emma to Burke. They had been getting together, but her need for companionship made her ignore the signs.

She hated herself for settling for less. She was married to a stranger, and she had had only the bare minimum interaction with him, but he had treated her better than she had been treated in the seven years she had spent with Burke.

The drive to the mansion ended, and one of the boys who ran errands helped her with her bags.

She entered the room and took a warm shower before coming downstairs to make herself dinner. She wanted to call Xavier to ask if he would like to have dinner with her, but she discovered that she didn’t have his number.

She decided to make it only for herself. After a light dinner and the cook fussing over her every movement in the kitchen, she went back to the room. She wanted to wait up for Xavier, but the bed called her, and she fell asleep before she could say “A.”