#Chapter 173: The Dangers Of Her Influence

“I keep my commitments, Annabelle,” Caleb says. “You have nothing to worry about, and these tears are unnecessary.” I don’t wait around to hear anymore. My heart is already breaking. Turning on my heel, I dash back into the palace, not slowing until I reach my bedroom. I want to be alone as I start to fall apart. No one but me should know of this shame, this humiliation. How can I continue to think to Caleb as mine when he has thoroughly given himself to another? “If that’s true,” Annabelle sniffs dramatically, “then you should be more involved in the decorating. A marriage is a process, and you are skipping all of the parts.” Caleb has no idea how this woman thinks their marriage would be anything like that between two people in love. While Annabelle is fine enough, Caleb has never made any secret that this marriage is entirely political. Why would Annabelle think he cares about any of this? Why should he need to pretend like he does? He’s marrying her. She will be Lun