The echoes of his departing footsteps still vibrated through the quiet mansion, leaving behind a cold void that always seemed to expand after Stevan left. Joy, alone in the vast bedroom, pressed a hand to her chest, trying to still the tremor that ran through her. It had been two years, two years of this — of being his 'unwanted wife', a title etched not just on her heart, but in the very silence of these lonely rooms.

She walked to the window, gazing out at the manicured gardens, so perfect, so devoid of life. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Just like her marriage. She was a trophy, a means to an end for two powerful families, and Stevan, her husband, never let her forget it. His words, sharp and cruel, echoed in her mind, 'You take away my freedom for everything! You destroyed my dreams for me!'

Joy closed her eyes, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. How much longer could she endure this? How much longer could she hope for a love that would never come? She had accepted this life, for him, for their families, but why couldn't he accept her?

"You'll be fine, Joy... you'll be fine," she whispered to herself, a hollow comfort in the empty room. But even as she spoke the words, a fragile part of her questioned: Will I really be fine? Or will I live this life forever? Being unwanted?

Her phone buzzed, a jarring sound in the silence. It was Aly, her best friend, back from Europe. A fleeting moment of genuine happiness pierced through the gloom. Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something new. Something different. Something for her.