THE CEO'S FAKE WIFE (English)

CHAPTER 1

“I do not love you. You do know that, don’t you?”

Nessa's hands trembled and she almost paused mid-bite upon hearing those words from Viz Hezron, her husband. The man was seated at the head of the table, and she was positioned at the second chair to his right. The first chair directly to his right was empty.

It was empty because he didn’t want her sitting next to him, even at the dining table. He despised and hated her.

She lifted her face and intently observed her husband. His jet-black hair was cleanly trimmed and tapered on the sides and back, with the top neatly combed back and left longer than the sides. His lips were naturally red; lips that could smile kindly at others but not to her. The bridge of his nose was tall, and the lower part which was the alar walls on either side of the tip curved thinly and delicately. He had a perfect nose.

Her eyes moved to Viz's, and her chest tightened when she saw his gaze was fixed on her. There was a cold glint in his eyes. The sharpness pierced through her even though he wore glasses. His eyes were as cold as a shard of ice, sharp and piercing. His cold gaze could slice her in half, and she deserved it. She deserved such coldness, such cruelty because she was a fraud; A fake wife. She had pretended to Viz.

Viz Hezron was a warm person. He was kind. And he was good to others except for one person; her.

Her husband was not a bad person. He was not cruel. He was kind. But she had committed a grave sin against him.

“Don’t look at me like that, Nessa,” he reprimanded her in a hard voice.

She bowed her head. Of course. What right did she have to stare at her husband’s face? Even that was forbidden for a fraud like her. She pressed her lips firmly together to somehow ease the sharpness that seemed to pierce her chest. Her heart ached so badly to the extent that sometimes she wished she didn’t have one, so she wouldn’t have to endure the pain of loving someone who was so firm on hating her forever.

If only she had never loved her husband.

"Viz…"

“You didn’t answer my question, Nessa.”

She looked at Viz, confusion evident in her expression. “H...ha?”

One corner of his red lips curled up in scorn. “Did you not hear what I said? Fine, I’ll say it again. I do not love you. The question is, do you know that? You are aware I do not have any affection for you, are you not?”

Her chest tightened, causing her to bow her head. She clenched her teeth and slowly nodded. “I...I know.”

“Good. I just want to make sure that you aren’t hoping for some stupid emotion to sprout between us. That ‘emotion’ will never have a place in my heart.”

She nodded again, even though her eyes remained fixed on the food in front of her that she had barely touched.

Viz stood up and left the dining room without a word. She quietly watched the broad back of her husband. His shoulders were broad, as if they could protect anyone from harm. His back was wide, tapering to a thin waist, creating the sexy ‘V’ shape of his torso. Even though he always wore formal office attire, the beautiful shape of Viz's body was undeniable. So it was no surprise that many women admired him despite the fact that he was already married.

And she was that wife…

To others, she seemed lucky. But that wasn’t true. Because the truth was Viz didn’t love her.

She sighed and glanced around the dining room. She was overwhelmed by the maddening silence that filled the room. The long table was laden with an array of delicious food. There were twelve chairs, all empty except for the one she was sitting on. The ceiling was high, with a grand chandelier in the center. The floor was made of solid and shiny wood that her shoes rested upon.

Everything around her screamed luxury. Her life was beautiful. But she was not happy. The peace of mind she longed for was elusive.

She looked at her trembling hands, and her gaze lingered on her ring finger. The diamond on the ring Viz placed on her finger on their wedding day sparkled. The image of his sweet smile back then, meant only for her, was still clear in her memory. That smile was now withheld from her. The sparkle in his eyes back then had now turned into a sharpness of hatred.

He hated her.

Because she was not the woman he wanted to truly marry.

He had been searching for a woman back then. That woman was the one he wanted to marry. And she had pretended to be that woman.

Nessa Gayla grew up in an orphanage named, 'Hospicio Custodio.' She didn't know who her parents were. The social worker who had been working there for a long time told her that she was just left outside the orphanage. That's probably why she grew up longing for care and attention from others because she felt that there was a part of her life that was missing. It might not be true for everyone, but for her, that deep longing was unquenchable.

It was in that place she met Neza Gerudes. Their names sounded almost alike. She was twelve years old when she arrived at the orphanage. Her father was said to have abused her. In fact, her bruises and wounds were still fresh on her first day at the orphanage. They were the same age, so she took the initiative to get close to her.

Neza was kind. When her mother was still alive, she guided her and she kept in touch with her grandmother in America. The elderly woman was entrusted with managing the properties in America for a very wealthy family. But her mother and grandmother did not speak to each other. The two had a falling out because the grandmother disapproved of her daughter's choice of partner. However, Neza's mother did not forbid her from communicating with her grandmother.

According to Neza's story, her father was abusive, especially when drunk; unfortunately, this happened every day. Her father never worked and relied solely on his wife. When Neza's mother passed away, her father started beating her. The last beating almost killed the then twelve-year-old child. A concerned neighbor took her to Hospicio Custodio.

That's where their fates began to intertwine. She never imagined that even after many years, she would still struggle to untangle the knot of their lives.

****

Viz's jaw clenched when he saw the figure of his wife lying on the bed. She was on her side, facing away from him. Only half of her smooth thigh was covered by the blanket, perhaps she had kicked it down. He stood in the doorway, quietly staring at his wife on the bed.

Lying on her side, he could see the generous swell of her hips and the down curve of her waist. Her skin was a soft beige in color, and she had a natural glow that’s radiating from within.

He remembered their first night together. He was her first. And it happened on their wedding night. He still clearly remembered how much he longed for and was aroused by her body. She was soft and fragrant, and the shape of his wife's body was beautiful.

He told her he loved her.

But that’s the last time she would be hearing it from him because, after that night, he discovered the secret of Nessa Gayla.

Viz clenched his fists.

He approached his sleeping wife and observed her closely. Her sleep was peaceful, and the sight of that peace ignited anger within him. What right did she have to such peaceful sleep after deceiving him with such a big lie?

Gritting his teeth, he harshly pulled the blanket off her. She woke up because of what he did, her eyes widening as she looked up at him. She was about to get up, but he quickly pinned her down, causing her to gasp sharply as she locked eyes with him.

“Viz…”

“Don’t say my name," he hissed. "I hate hearing it from you,” he said in a hard voice.

She closed her lips and turned her face to the side to avoid looking at him.

“That’s better. I do not want to look into your eyes too. I hate you.”

A soft moan of hurt escaped her lips. But she quickly stifled that sound and trapped it behind her throat.

“Don’t you dare cry, my wife. You are the reason why we are both trapped in this miserable life.”

Nessa nodded. “S...sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Hah!” A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “If you’re sorry, then spread your legs wide for me and satisfy me.”

Biting her underlip, she spread her legs for him.

A disdainful laugh escaped his lips. “Even though I treat you with so much hostility, you still cling to me. It’s because you love being f*cked by me, isn’t it?”

She didn’t respond. She just kept her lips sealed. He saw the pain etched on her beautiful face, but he didn’t care.

“You don’t want to answer? Fine. I just need you to keep your legs wide open for me, that’s all.” He unbuckled his belt and undid his pants.

“Do what you want with my body,” she said.

His jaw tightened. “Sure, I'll do exactly that. Your body is mine.”