I sat in Julian's office, my eyes fixed on the floor as he lectured me on my behavior.
"You need to start taking this marriage seriously, Alexandra," he said, his voice cold and detached. "You can't just go around ignoring me and doing whatever you want."
I felt a surge of anger at his words, but I bit my tongue. I knew that arguing with Julian would only make things worse.
"I'm sorry," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
Julian's eyes narrowed. "Sorry isn't enough," he said. "I need to see some real effort from you. Starting now."
I nodded, feeling a sense of unease. What did Julian have planned for me?
"I want you to start attending more social events with me," he said. "And I want you to start dressing more... appropriately."
I felt a surge of resentment at his words, but I knew that I had no choice. I was trapped in this marriage, and I had to do whatever Julian said.
"Okay," I said finally, my voice tight with anger.
Julian's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Good," he said. "I'll send over some dresses for you to wear. And I expect you to be on your best behavior at all times."
I nodded, feeling like a prisoner in my own life. I knew that I had to find a way to escape this marriage, but for now, I was trapped.
As I left Julian's office, I couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. Was I doomed to spend the rest of my life with this cold, cruel man?
I pushed the thoughts aside and made my way back to my room. I knew that I had to focus on finding a way out of this marriage, no matter what it took.
As I entered my room, I was greeted by the sight of a rack of dresses, all of them designer labels and expensive-looking. I felt a surge of resentment at the sight of them. Did Julian really think that he could buy me off with fancy clothes and jewelry?
I walked over to the rack and began to browse through the dresses. They were all beautiful, but I couldn't help but feel like I was being forced into a role that I didn't want to play.
As I stood there, feeling like a pawn in Julian's game, I heard a knock at the door. It was one of the maids, come to help me get ready for the evening's events.
I nodded, feeling a sense of resignation. I knew that I had to play along, at least for now. But I was determined to find a way out of this marriage, no matter what it took.
The maid helped me into one of the dresses, a beautiful red gown that made me look like a million bucks. I felt like a completely different person as I looked at myself in the mirror.
But as I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Julian standing in the doorway, a look of approval on his face.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low and husky.
I felt a surge of anger at his words, but I pushed it aside. I knew that I had to play along, at least for now.
"Thank you," I said, my voice cool.
Julian's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned and walked away, leaving me to follow him.
I took a deep breath and followed Julian out of the room, feeling like I was walking into a nightmare.