The Contract Bride of Westwood

Rose's POV 

The diamond on Rose's finger shimmered like victory, and she couldn't stop admiring it.

Her wedding ring.

Her dream come true.

Not Melanie's.

The lavish ballroom buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and polite congratulations. Rose stood at the center of it all, radiant in her designer gown, surrounded by people who smiled at her like she was finally worth something.

And yet, none of it felt quite enough.

Her eyes drifted across the room and found Adrian — her husband. His tie was loosened, his glass half-full. He smiled at someone's joke, but there was no joy behind it.

Still, he was hers now. And that was all that mattered.

She took a slow sip of champagne, savoring the taste of triumph. Melanie had disappeared like a coward — just as Rose knew she would. No public confrontation. No screaming or drama. Just… gone.

Coward.

Or maybe Melanie had finally realized she'd lost.

The thought made Rose grin to herself.

She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't lived in Melanie's shadow. Even though they weren't that far apart in age, it had always been about Melanie. Despite her awkwardness and quiet demeanor, people just liked her. Teachers, neighbors — even strangers. It was infuriating.

It wasn't that Melanie was perfect. Not at all. She was soft. Timid. Naive. But people mistook that for sweetness — the way she listened when others spoke, the way she smiled like she understood them. It made everyone feel seen. Special.

Even Adrian.

Especially Adrian.

At first, Rose hadn't cared much about him. He was good-looking. Ambitious. But what made her want him wasn't who he was — it was the way he looked at Melanie like she was something rare.

And that? Rose couldn't stand.

So she did what she always did — twisted things. Carefully. Over time. She planted doubts in Adrian's mind, made herself look like the better choice. Stronger. Smarter. Sharper. She let him believe Melanie didn't support his dreams, didn't understand his goals. That she was holding him back.

And Adrian? He listened.

Men always did when their egos were stroked just right.

Convincing him to leave Melanie had been easier than expected. Getting him to marry her? Even easier. He'd said it was the smart choice — their families aligned, their ambitions matched. Love wasn't essential. Compatibility was.

Rose pretended that didn't sting.

She pretended she didn't hear the unspoken truth in his voice.

She had won him — but not his heart.

Still, she smiled through it all, because appearances mattered. And tonight, she was the picture of perfection.

"Rose, darling," her mother cooed, approaching with flushed cheeks and too much wine in her smile. "You've done well. Adrian is such a catch."

Rose smiled tightly. "Yes. He is."

"You two are going to make a powerful couple. Unlike Melanie…" Her mother's lips curled with distaste. "Such a pity. She always made things so complicated."

Rose said nothing. She didn't like the way her mother spoke about Melanie — with confusion, disappointment, like she couldn't comprehend why Melanie had crumbled so easily.

But Rose understood perfectly.

Melanie had always relied too much on feelings. Too fragile. Too soft. That's why Rose had pitied her — and hated her.

Because no matter how badly Melanie fell apart, people sympathized with her. They excused her flaws. They tried to save her.

But Rose?

Rose had to work twice as hard for half the praise.

She had to manipulate, scheme, compete.

And even now, after stealing the spotlight, she still felt like she was reaching for something just out of grasp.

Well, not anymore.

Now, she was Mrs. Rose Kingsley.

And the world would finally see her.

Later, in the quiet of the bridal suite, Rose stepped out of her heels and crossed the plush carpet. The silence welcomed her — a breath of stillness after all the fake smiles.

She sat before the vanity mirror, removing her earrings one by one. The wedding dress clung tightly around her ribs, and her cheeks ached from the weight of performance.

And yet…

She stared at her reflection and whispered, "She won."

Even as the words left her mouth, something shifted.

Because Melanie hadn't begged.

She hadn't screamed.

She hadn't even shown up after the wedding.

She had just… disappeared.

Like she was planning something.

The thought made Rose frown. Melanie might have been naive, but she wasn't stupid. And if there was one thing Rose feared — it was Melanie's silence.

Still, she brushed the feeling off and leaned back in her chair.

"She's not coming back," she muttered. "She's done."

But her chest felt tight. Uneasy. She couldn't shake the image of Melanie's stunned expression when she'd found out. That raw, frozen pain. That look on her face.

That hadn't been part of the plan.

Rose had paid someone to send her the venue details on purpose. She wanted Melanie to show up. To cause a scene. To be filmed and mocked. Ashamed, embarrassed, and humiliated.

She wanted her destroyed.

Instead, she vanished.

And worse — Rose remembered something Adrian had once said:

"She sees the best in people… even when they don't deserve it."

She hated that memory. Hated the way he'd said it. Soft. Affectionate.

But he was hers now.

And Melanie? Gone.

So why did it feel like the game wasn't over?

Why did it feel like Melanie still had one more card to play?

Rose lay back on the bed in her wedding dress, her perfectly curled hair fanning out over the pillow. Her chest rose and fell with a tightness she couldn't name.

Her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it.

Unknown Number.

She frowned. Then dismissed it.

Probably spam.

She closed her eyes, but sleep didn't come. The silence grew louder — every creak of the floor, every tick of the clock.

She shifted uncomfortably.

In the back of her mind, something whispered:

What if she's not broken?

What if she's just getting started?