CHAPTER 53: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

Alexia POV:

Okay, so let me just say this right off the bat—I did not plan on getting into a fight with Aiden’s stupid step-siblings, much less on my very first day on campus. And for the record, they aren’t even his real siblings; they’re step-siblings. But apparently, that didn’t stop them from inheriting the "brat gene." Honestly, I didn’t even know they were his step-siblings at first. And if I had? Well, let’s just say I probably would’ve handled things a bit differently. Maybe.

The day started with me insisting to Aiden that I could manage on my own. I didn’t need his company or his larger-than-life presence to shadow me. It wasn’t because I thought he’d embarrass me or anything—okay, maybe a little—but mostly because I didn’t want to attract attention. You know, blend in and all that. Big mistake.

I ended up regretting my decision pretty quickly because, surprise surprise, I got lost. The campus was massive, like a mini city, with buildings that all looked like they were auditioning for a spot in some historic architecture magazine. I wandered around aimlessly for a while, pretending I knew exactly where I was going, until I admitted defeat and decided to ask for directions.

But before I got that far, I stumbled into the wrong room. And when I say wrong, I mean oh-my-God-I’m-scarred-for-life wrong.

I opened the door to what I thought was a study hall or maybe an office. Instead, I found myself face-to-face with a girl practically eating a guy’s face off. She had her obviously fake boobs pressed against his chest, and the guy looked like he was enjoying it a little too much.

They both froze, mid-makeout, when they noticed me.

"Uh... sorry!" I squeaked, slamming the door shut so fast I nearly broke my wrist.

The girl yelled something behind the door—probably a colorful insult—but I was already speed-walking down the hallway, pretending I hadn’t just walked into a real-life soap opera.

Eventually, I managed to find a friendly-looking janitor who pointed me in the right direction. Bless his soul. I made it to my lecture hall, only to discover that I’d walked in halfway through the class.

Everyone turned to stare at me as I awkwardly slid into a seat at the back. Great. Just the kind of attention I was trying to avoid.

The professor glared at me as I shuffled to a seat in the back. Just when I thought I was safe, he paused mid-lecture, pointed directly at me, and said, "I don’t like people coming late to my class, Mrs. Timberlake."

Mrs. Timberlake.

The room went so silent you could’ve heard a pin drop. Heads whipped around to stare at me, and the whispers started immediately. My face burned as I ducked my head, silently cursing Aiden for saddling me with his last name and the attention that came with it.

After class, as I was about to leave, someone tripped me. I stumbled but managed not to fall, only to turn and find her.

The girl from earlier. The makeout queen.

"Oh, so the little voyeur is also a gold digger," she sneered, folding her arms. "Aiden couldn’t possibly have married you."

I straightened up, my pulse pounding. She didn’t know who she was messing with. "First of all," I said, stepping closer, "I feel so sorry for the guy you were trying to suffocate earlier. And second, if you’re going to insult me, at least make sure your plastic chest doesn’t distract from your words."

The room erupted in chuckles, and Eloise’s face turned as red as her lipstick. "How dare you!" she snapped, lunging at me.

And that’s when things escalated.

She grabbed for my hair, and I didn’t back down. Instead, I grabbed her hair too—or what I thought was her hair—only to end up with an extension in my hand.

"Oh, wow," I said, holding it up for everyone to see. "Fake boobs and fake hair? Anything else I should know about?"

The laughter turned into outright howls. Eloise, now fuming and humiliated, screamed, "Sebastian!"

Enter Sebastian, her twin and a male version of her drama. He stormed over, looking ready to defend his sister’s honor or whatever. He managed to pull us apart, glaring daggers at me.

"You just made a huge mistake," he growled. "I’m going to make your life hell."

I dusted myself off, shrugged, and said, "Get in line."

As he dragged his crying sister out of the room, I noticed some students giving me thumbs up. One girl even came over, clapping me on the back like I’d just won a gold medal.

"You’re my hero!" she declared, throwing an arm around me. "Finally, someone put that self-appointed queen bee in her place. Oh, by the way, I’m Lucy!"

Lucy talked a mile a minute, alternating between praising me and worrying about Sebastian’s threat. Apparently, he had a reputation for being a bit... extra.

Great. Just great. As if being stuck in this ridiculous, unfair marriage wasn’t enough, now I had to deal with Aiden’s hellish step-twins. Seriously, what kind of cosmic joke was this?

It’s bad enough that I’m married to a guy who thinks the world revolves around him. But throw in Eloise the Drama Queen and Sebastian the Devil Incarnate? My life was officially a dumpster fire.

By the time I left the building, I was starting to wonder how I was going to get home. I didn’t have a phone and I didn’t exactly feel like asking anyone for help.

Then, as if on cue, a sleek black car pulled up in front of me. The driver stepped out and said, "Mrs. Timberlake, Mr. Timberlake sent me to fetch you."

For a moment, I just stood there, processing. Of course Aiden had sent someone. Typical.

But as I climbed into the car, I couldn’t help but feel a little less annoyed at him. Sure, he’d forgotten to warn me about his obnoxious siblings, but this gesture? It almost made up for it. Almost.

I sat in the back of the car Aiden had oh-so-generously sent to pick me up, stewing. My scalp still stung from Eloise’s fake nails, and my pride was bruised from having to fend off not one but two of Aiden’s over-the-top step-siblings.

By the time I got home, I was still annoyed. Aiden was in his study, looking ridiculously calm, as if his siblings hadn’t just tried to ruin my day. I wanted to storm in there and yell at him, but what good would it do? He’d probably just smirk and say something infuriating.

Instead, I headed to the kitchen, where I found a tub of ice cream calling my name. Comfort food. That was my answer to everything. Well, that and plotting revenge on Eloise and Sebastian.

As I ate, I couldn’t help but replay the day in my head. Eloise’s taunt about me being a "gold digger" still echoed in my ears. Like, really? I didn’t ask for this marriage, okay? If anyone was gold-digging, it was Aiden, digging my peace of mind straight into the ground.

And Sebastian? Don’t even get me started. The way he vowed to make my life hell, you’d think I’d stolen his inheritance or something. All I’d done was yank an extension and make a very valid comment about Eloise’s plastic existence. Not my fault if the truth stings.

By the time Aiden finally emerged from his study, I was halfway through the ice cream and not in the mood for his nonsense.

"So," he said, leaning casually against the counter, "how was your first day?"

"Oh, you mean my first day as Mrs. Timberlake in hell?" I shot back, glaring at him.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "That bad, huh?"

"Gee, you think?" I snapped. "Maybe you should’ve warned me about your evil siblings."

"Your siblings are the worst," I declared, dropping my bag onto the counter.

He didn’t even look up. "Step-siblings," he corrected.

"Whatever," I snapped. "They’re insufferable. And they’re going to be a problem."

He finally glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. "You seemed to handle yourself just fine."

"That’s not the point!"

He smirked. "Actually, it kind of is. I knew you could handle them. That’s why I didn’t bother warning you." And there it was. The smirk. The stupid, infuriating smirk that made me want to throw my spoon at his head.

I glared at him, but he just looked infuriatingly smug, like he’d planned the whole thing. And honestly? He probably had.

Later, as I lay on the couch (yes, the couch, because Aiden had strict rules about me invading his bed), I couldn’t help but replay the day in my head.

Sure, it had been a disaster in some ways—getting lost, interrupting that awkward makeout session, dealing with Eloise and Sebastian—but in other ways, it felt like a small victory.

I’d survived my first day at Fedha University.

And if Eloise and Sebastian thought they could intimidate me, they had another thing coming.

This Mrs. Timberlake wasn’t going down without a fight.