Chapter 7

Her dad had stayed single for over twenty years after her mom passed, all for her sake. He gave up so much just to raise her right. Now, he was lying in a hospital bed, again because of her. Compared to that, giving up her right to choose her own marriage? Honestly, it felt like nothing. So, Celestia said yes. There wasn't even a basic wedding. The moment they finished registering their marriage that afternoon, she moved straight into Jareth's villa by Serene Lake. Somehow, the gossip sites caught wind of it. The second they stepped out of the marriage registration office, there were a ton of reporters waiting outside. Celestia had to push her way through the crowd for fifteen whole minutes before she finally made it into the car. And the entire time? Jareth just sat there in the back seat, acting all chill, watching her with a smirk like he found it all amusing. Night fell, and the Carrington estate was dead silent. After dropping her off, Jareth just bailed without a word. The staff at the villa looked at each other, clearly confused, while Celestia quietly ate dinner alone and then went upstairs. After showering, she slipped into her pajamas and stepped out onto the balcony, tilting her head to gaze at the night sky. The moon was half-hidden behind thick clouds, and the stars were nowhere to be seen. Not even the faintest breeze stirred the air-it felt as lifeless as her mood. She was really married now. That thought hit her again. Married to a guy she couldn't stand-a total playboy. Worse, he used to be engaged to her closest friend. The whole thing still felt completely unreal. Celestia couldn't figure Jareth out. Why marry her? He'd been with Sophia for a whole year, then dropped that bomb on what was supposed to be their wedding day and chose her instead. When Ethan asked him what he planned to do, he'd immediately said he'd take responsibility. Like it was no big deal? He made it seem like he didn't care about Sophia or the marriage at all. But then, why go through with any of it in the first place? Thoughts tumbled through her head like tangled threads, no matter how she tried, she couldn't make sense of anything. Out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind blew past, making her shiver in her thin pajamas. She hugged herself tightly, suddenly snapped back to reality. Looking up, she saw the clouds pressing heavy and dark above, like a storm was about to break. She turned to go back inside-only to freeze. With a loud bang, the bedroom door swung open, stopping her in her tracks. Where Celestia stood, she had a clear view into the room, but the people inside couldn't see her. From that angle, she could see everything. And what she saw made her eyes go wide. Under the warm, dim lighting, a man and a woman were locked in a heated kiss, their clothes falling away bit by bit as they tumbled onto the massive waterbed in each other's arms. The man-of course-was Jareth. The woman? Her back was turned, so Celestia couldn't see her face. The whole thing happened so fast, she didn't even have time to react. Should she storm in? Or walk away? Celestia just stood there, face pale, staring straight at the bed. In the end, she stayed where she was-no way was she going to interrupt whatever the hell that was. Even though Jareth's flings technically had nothing to do with her, doing that with another woman in their bedroom today... there's no way Celestia didn't feel something. At some point, the wind outside had started howling, sharp and cold against the windows, but inside the bedroom, the heat was practically suffocating. Once the rush had settled down, the woman finally opened her eyes to look at Jareth. "Jareth, did you seriously marry that woman?" she asked, jealousy practically dripping from her voice. Jareth gave her a lazy smirk. "Yeah, I did." Straightforward. No denial. She didn't even try to hide her disappointment. "So... that means we're done now?" "What do you think?" he said with a grin, making the woman giggle and squirm. "You're so bad, Jareth!" she said in a sulky voice, leaning in for a kiss. But he turned his head away like always. Knowing he didn't like being kissed didn't make it any less awkward, but she didn't take it personally. "Good thing I had that drug ready that night," she added coyly. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten Celestia so easily. So... how are you gonna thank me, huh?" Jareth paused, just for a beat. Then he looked up again, his face full of that familiar devil-may-care charm. "Aren't I showing you my thanks right now, sweetheart?" "You're terrible..." she whined. Outside, the wind howled even louder. But out on the balcony, Celestia stood frozen, like someone had pulled her soul right out of her body. She stared blankly at the tangled figures on the bed, and finally, she saw the woman's face clearly. It was her. The same woman who'd brought her drinks at Sophia's engagement party, the same woman who'd walked her back to her room that night. Celestia never expected... she'd team up with Jareth to take her down. That night, she didn't pass out from drinking too much-she was drugged. She'd been set up. The truth hit Celestia so hard, her mind just went blank. Her whole body felt hollow, like someone had gutted her from the inside. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed like a broken puppet onto the floor. Why? Why would he do this? She stared at Jareth's back, completely stunned, heart boiling with humiliation and rage. He let her get branded as the mistress, tossed her into this sham of a marriage, and for what? What did he even gain from doing this to her? A deafening clap of thunder exploded across the sky. The wind suddenly picked up even more, and within seconds, the sky opened up, dumping buckets of rain. The storm was merciless. The rain slammed against her thin body like icy needles, but Celestia didn't feel a thing. No matter how cold it got outside, nothing compared to the chill inside her. She couldn't take her eyes off the two who were still wrapped up in each other on the bed. She didn't even know how long she'd been sitting there, getting drenched by wind and rain, until her chest tightened painfully and her body finally gave out. She toppled backward in a haze as total darkness swept over her and pulled her under. The next day, it was one of the house staff who found Celestia passed out on the balcony.