LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN

"You have to fix me. Bring my confidence back."

Aurelia froze where she stood, while Gian closed the distance between them in just a few quick steps. The sudden proximity made her spin around instinctively.

"I-I'm not that kind of woman," she stammered, inching away as her hands flew up to guard her chest.

"I know," Gian shot back immediately. "You're my wife, Aurelia."

He said it right beside her left ear, making her flinch and shiver at the same time. His voice was too close-low, steady-and it slid under her skin like a blade. His breath brushed her neck, stirring a strange, unnameable sensation inside her.

Aurelia faced him again. She wanted to get angry, to push him away and reject all of this. But her tongue refused to move. Her body locked up under emotions she couldn't sort out. Gian didn't even touch her, yet the weight of his stare made it hard to breathe.

The next morning, Aurelia's scream tore through the quiet room the moment she opened her eyes and found a tall, broad-shouldered man lying beside her. She jolted backward so fast she nearly fell off the bed, her heart racing wildly. The messy strands of her long black hair stuck to her cheek, her face still pale from shock.

"Wh–what is this?!" she cried.

Gian blinked awake, startled but far from bothered. He simply sat up at the edge of the bed, brushing a hand through his tousled hair. His lean build was outlined under a thin T-shirt and loose lounge pants, making his presence impossible to ignore.

"Relax," he said flatly. "I didn't do anything."

"Wh–Why were you sleeping here?!"

"Because I'm your husband. And we share a room. Besides, I already paid for your tuition. Don't forget that."

Aurelia opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She bit her lower lip hard. Silence. Resignation. Anger simmered underneath her skin, tangled with guilt. She knew this mess started because she begged him in the first place.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But before she could get up, Gian's voice stopped her cold.

"The doctor said there's nothing wrong with my health. So... I just need practice."

Aurelia frowned, confused. "Practice? Practice what?"

Gian turned to her. His sharp eyes locked onto hers-commanding, unblinking, almost stripping her bare. A faint smirk tugged at the mouth that rarely ever smiled.

"Do I really have to spell it out?"

Aurelia froze. Heat rushed to her face instantly. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. She backed away from the side of the bed, instinctively seeking distance.

"Gian... I don't understand. If this is some kind of joke, then please... stop."

"You said you'd do anything," Gian replied as he stood. His height dwarfed her completely. The difference between them wasn't just visible-it was palpable. She felt swallowed whole by his shadow.

Aurelia lowered her gaze. Part of her wanted to run away. But another part... knew she couldn't. Not this time.

Gian walked toward the door. Before his hand reached the knob, he said-without looking back:

"You'll still go to college. I've taken care of it. But your promise... isn't paid off yet."

Aurelia stared at his back, her chest tightening. She wanted to yell, to scream that she wasn't a puppet. But Gian was already gone-leaving questions swirling in her head like a storm she couldn't escape.

The day crawled painfully slow. Every step felt heavy, every corner of the house seemed to watch her. She cleaned the living room, folded clothes, even forced herself back into the kitchen to practice cooking. But everything tasted like dust. The spark she usually had was gone. An old childhood wound stirred-being compared to her sister all over again.

She remembered how her mother used to say, "Devina's smarter than you. Devina's more mature. Learn from your sister."

And now, even in this house, Devina's shadow lingered. She felt like a replacement. Someone chosen out of necessity, not desire. Maybe Gian, in his silence, felt the same-that she wasn't the wife he was supposed to have.

As dusk settled, Aurelia sat alone in the living room, watching the soft orange glow slip through the curtains. A strange ache spread across her chest-loneliness, confusion, hurt.

"Am I doing everything wrong?" she whispered, voice trembling. "If I agree to Gian's request... does that make me no different from selling myself?"

Night fell. And still, she didn't return to the room. She kept herself busy with enrollment paperwork, pretending she had a reason to stay out here. Hoping Gian-who might be waiting-would eventually get tired and fall asleep.

By the time the clock struck midnight, she finally shut her laptop and gathered her things. She tiptoed toward the bedroom.

A soft breath escaped her lips when she saw Gian already asleep. She slipped into the bathroom to wash up, then returned wearing a simple cream-colored pajama set. Her hair fell freely down her back, her warm brown skin glowing under the dim bedside lamp.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she turned toward Gian. His face was calm, his breathing steady. But then his lips moved-barely-and the faint murmur that escaped them made her blood go cold.

"De...vina..."

Aurelia froze.

Her body turned to stone.

And for a moment, the world simply... stopped.