My 7-Day Marriage
separate lives
(Scene: The sun-drenched balcony of a colonial-style mansion. The air smells like expensive jasmine and fresh rain. AnnaSophia, 19, is draped in a white silk sundress, her blonde hair caught in the breeze. She’s sketching in a leather-bound book.)
...
(Stepping onto the balcony) Still drawing the roses, my princess? You’ve drawn every petal in this garden twice now.
Annasophia (fl)
(Giggling) They change every day, Dad. Just like everything else
...
(Leaning down to kiss her forehead) Not everything. My love for you is the one thing that stays exactly the same. You know that, right?
Annasophia (fl)
I know. Sometimes I feel like I live in a bubble. A beautiful, perfect, glass bubble.
...
That’s because the world outside is gray and loud, Sophia. Your mother… she was too soft for that world. You are just like her. I promised her I’d keep the gray away from you.
Annasophia (fl)
(Her smile falters slightly) Do you think I’ll ever leave? To study in Europe, or maybe just… walk through the city without a driver?
...
(His tone sharpening just a fraction) Why would you want to walk through the dirt when you have a palace? Everything you need is here. Every book, every dream. I provide it all.
Annasophia (fl)
I know. I’m grateful. It’s just… sometimes I wonder what people my age are doing.
...
They are making mistakes, Sophia. They are getting their hearts broken and their spirits crushed. I am sparing you from that. You are nineteen, the peak of your innocence. I want to freeze time right here.
Annasophia (fl)
(Closing her sketchbook) You can’t freeze time, Dad
...
(With a mysterious, heavy smile) You’d be surprised what a man with my resources can do. Now, come inside. The chef made your favorite. No more thinking about the "outside."
Annasophia (fl)
(Internal thought: He looks at me like I’m a porcelain doll. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even real, or if I’m just a part of the furniture he loves the most.)
(Scene: The University Library. It’s cramped, smells of old paper and cheap coffee. Noah, a lanky student with messy hair and oversized hoodies, is tucked into a desk in the "Bio-Science" wing. He is staring—not at his notes, but at a girl sitting three tables away.)
noah
(Internal thought: Okay, Noah. Breathe. You’ve been looking at her for exactly one hundred and twenty seconds. If you hit three minutes, it’s officially a crime.)
noah
But look at the way she tucks her hair behind her ear. It’s so… effortless. She’s like a lead character, and I’m just the guy who cleans the chalkboards
noah
I should say something. "Hi, I’m Noah. I like the way you highlight your textbooks." No. Terrible. "Hi, I’m a shy loser who watches you from the shadows." Even worse
(The girl—the "Crush"—suddenly slams her book shut. She’s noticed. She stands up and walks toward his table. Noah freezes, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.)
...
Is there a reason you’re staring at me like I’m a lab specimen?
noah
(Voice cracking) I—uh—I wasn’t… I mean…
...
(Crossing her arms, looking him up and down with a sneer) You were. It’s weird, Noah. You’re always in this corner, always looking over. It’s pathetic.
noah
(Cheeks burning, a deep red spreading to his ears) I’m sorry. I just… I thought you were struggling with the Biostats chapter. I’m good at math. I thought maybe…
...
You thought I’d want help from you? Look at you. You can barely look me in the eye.
noah
(Looking down at his messy notes, a small, sad smile twitching on his lips) I know. I’m working on it.
...
Work on it somewhere else. You’re ruining my focus with your "puppy dog" energy. It’s gross.
noah
(Whispering) I’m sorry. I’ll move.
(She turns on her heel and walks away. Noah doesn't look angry. He just looks… defeated. He picks up his pen and starts doodling on the corner of his page.)
noah
She spoke to me. Even if she hated me… she saw me. That’s more than most people do
(Scene: Late night. Noah is walking back to his dorm, the cold air hitting his face. He passes a newsstand. A glossy magazine features a blurry photo of a high-society girl—AnnaSophia—at a private gala.)
noah
(Stopping to look at the photo) Some people really do live in a different world.
(He doesn't know her name. He doesn't know she exists in the same city. To him, she’s just a face in a magazine. To her, the library he sits in is a place she’s only seen in movies. They are two zeros on opposite ends of a scale.)
noah
(Sighing) Imagine being that protected. Imagine never having to worry about being "weird" or "creepy" because everyone just loves you by default
(Scene: Her bedroom. She’s looking out the window at the city lights far in the distance.)
Annasophia (fl)
(Whispering) Meriem: Ah! Uh... Rayane... stop... no, don't stop...
(She’s reading a forbidden romance novel she snuck into the house, her finger tracing the lines of dialogue she barely understands.)
Annasophia (fl)
(Reading aloud) Rayane: (Voice low) You’re learning fast for a medical student.
Annasophia (fl)
Meriem: Mmm... ah... please... it hurts... ah... hnn...
(She closes the book, her heart racing. She doesn't know what "hurt" feels like. She doesn't know what "please" feels like in that context. Everything in her life is soft. Everything is padded.)
Annasophia (fl)
I want to feel something. Anything. Even if it’s a mistake. Even if it’s the "gray" world Dad is so afraid of
(Scene: Back in the library, the next morning. Noah is back in his spot. He sees the girl from yesterday. He doesn't stare this time. He keeps his head down.)
noah
Stay in your lane, Noah. You’re the shy boy. You’re the one who smiles when he’s insulted because you don't know how to fight back.
noah
One day, I’ll be someone. One day, I’ll be the one holding the power. And then, nobody will call me pathetic again
noah
(He looks at his reflection in the dark screen of his laptop. He looks soft. Gentle. Innocent. He has no idea that in just a few short years, life is going to strip that innocence away, turning his shyness into a cold, hard anger that will break the very "princess" he just saw in that magazine.)
Annasophia (fl)
(From her balcony, miles away) I wonder when my real life starts.
noah
(From his desk) I wonder when this life ends.
.
(Scene: The university rooftop at dusk. It’s quiet, away from the judgmental eyes of the library. Noah is sitting on a concrete ledge, staring at the horizon.)
jade
(Walking up behind him, the metal door clanging shut) You look like you’re contemplating jumping, or you’re just really bored.
noah
(Startled, nearly dropping his bag) Neither. Just… thinking.
jade
(Leaning against the ledge next to him, lighting a cigarette) Thinking is dangerous in a place like this. It makes you realize how much time we’re wasting for a piece of paper. I’m Jade
noah
I’m Noah. I’ve seen you in the Art History lecture. You sit in the very back and sleep.
jade
(Smirking) And you sit in the front and take notes like your life depends on it. You’re the "Good Boy," aren't you?
noah
I don't know. I just don't want to fail. My parents… they expect a lot.
jade
Parents always do. Especially when they’re paying the bills. You look like you need a drink, Noah. Or a friend who isn't a textbook.
noah
(Looking at her, really seeing her for the first time—the chipped black nail polish, the combat boots, the defiant look in her eyes) I don't really have many friends here. People think I’m… well, "creepy" is the word I heard today
jade
(Laughing loudly) Creepy? Because you’re quiet? In this world, Noah, if you don't scream, people think you’re a ghost. You aren't creepy. You’re just untapped
jade
You have this fire in you. I see it when you think no one is looking. You want to be the one in charge, don't you? You want to be the one people are afraid to insult.
noah
(A chill goes down his spine) Maybe.
jade
(Offering him a hand) Come on. Forget the books for one night. There’s a party at the warehouse district. No "Princesses" allowed. Just people like us
noah
(Taking her hand, feeling a strange surge of confidence) People like us?
jade
The ones who don't fit into the glass boxes.
(Scene: Her bedroom. She’s sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair. Her father enters, looking pleased with himself.)
...
I have a surprise for you, Sophia. I’ve arranged a gala. The entire city will be there to see you.
Annasophia (fl)
Another one, Dad? I just want to stay in and read.
...
You’ve read enough. It’s time you start meeting people of your caliber. Specifically, the son of the Sterling family. He’s a bit older, but he’s…
Annasophia (fl)
(Interrupting) I don’t want to meet a "caliber," Dad. I want to meet a person.
...
You will meet who I tell you to meet. It’s for your future. Everything I do is to keep you at the top.
(Scene: Two hours later. A loud, basement club. The music is thumping, the air is thick with smoke. Noah is standing by the wall, but Jade pulls him toward the center.)
jade
Stop hiding, Noah! Look at them! Nobody cares who you were five minutes ago!
noah
(Watching the crowd, feeling the adrenaline) It’s… it’s a lot.
jade
(Grabbing a cup and handing it to him) Drink. It’ll stop the "Good Boy" from overthinking.
noah
(He drinks. It burns, but it feels like a spark catching in his chest.) Jade… why are you being nice to me?
jade
Because I like projects. And I think you’re going to be someone very dangerous one day, Noah. I want to be there when it happens.
(Noah looks at Jade. She’s messy, she’s loud, and she makes him feel like he’s finally awake. He thinks about the girl in the library who called him a weirdo. He thinks about the "Princesses" in the magazines. They would never look at him like this.)
noah
: (Leaning closer to Jade, his voice gaining a new edge) What if I don't want to be a project?
jade
(Grinning, her eyes flashing) Then be the architect. Take what you want
(Internal thought: Take what I want. It’s a simple thought, but it takes root in his mind. He doesn't know it yet, but this is the moment the "Shy Boy" starts to die. Jade is teaching him that kindness is a weakness and that power is the only thing that protects you.)
noah
Tell me more. Tell me how to be like you.
jade
(Leaning her head on his shoulder, her voice a whisper in his ear) First, you have to stop caring if you break things. People, hearts, rules… they’re all just things, Noah.
noah
(Nodding slowly, his gaze turning cold) I think I can do that.
(Scene: Back at the mansion. She’s looking at a photo of her mother.)
Annasophia (fl)
Mom… did you ever feel like you were waiting for something to happen? Like you were waiting for someone to come and break the glass?
(She has no idea that miles away, the boy who used to smile shyly in the library is currently learning how to be the person who will eventually shatter her world.)
noah
(At the club, looking at his reflection in a dark mirror) Watch out world. I'm coming.
.
(Scene: Six months later. The university courtyard. It’s no longer the place where Noah hides; it’s the place he owns. He’s leaning against a brick wall, wearing a leather jacket, his hair messy in a way that looks intentional, not neglected. Jade is draped over him, her arms around his neck.)
jade
(Whispering against his lips) You look bored, Noah. Is the "A" student getting tired of being the king of the campus?
noah
(Smirking, his hand gripping her waist firmly) I’m just thinking about how much time I wasted being "nice." Being bad is much more efficient
jade
(Giggling) You’re a quick learner.
(Without caring who is watching, Noah pulls her in for a deep, open kiss. He doesn't care about the professors passing by or the shocked gasps of the freshman girls. He wants the world to see he’s not the invisible boy anymore.)
(Scene: A few meters away, a group of Noah’s former study partners—Marcus and Leo—are watching with expressions of pure grief and disgust.)
...
Look at him. It’s like a different person. I remember when he used to stutter just saying "hello" to a girl. Now look at him… he’s a dog on her leash.
...
It’s worse than that. I heard from the guys in the dorm that he gave it all up. He lost his virginity to her after that party last month. He’s completely gone.
...
To her? To Jade? Man, the whole campus knows her reputation. She’s been through half the football team. He was so "pure," and he threw it away on a girl who doesn't even know what loyalty is
...
Tell him what? He won't listen
...
About the rumor. People are saying she was pregnant last year. That she’s just using Noah because he’s got a "clean" name and a wealthy family background. He’s being played.
(Scene: Noah is walking away from the courtyard when Marcus and Leo corner him behind the gym.)
...
(Eyes narrowing) You guys look like you’re about to hold an intervention. Move. I’m late.
...
Noah, wait. We’re your friends. Or we were. We can’t just watch you throw your life away for Jade.
noah
(Laughing coldly) My life? My life was a joke before her. I was a "weirdo," remember? Now, nobody dares to call me that.
...
Because they’re afraid of you, not because they respect you! Noah, listen to me. Jade… she’s a slut. Everyone knows it. You were her "virgin project." You were the only one left who didn't know her history
noah
(Taking a step forward, his voice low and dangerous) Watch your mouth, Leo
...
He’s right, man! There are medical records. People saw her at the clinic last year. She was pregnant, Noah. She’s not the "soulmate" you think she is. She’s a broken girl looking for someone to fix her mess.
noah
(Grabbing Marcus by the collar, slamming him against the brick wall) You’re lying. You’re just jealous because you’re still sitting in that library rotting while I’m actually living.
...
(Choking) Ask her! Ask her why she left the city for three months last summer!
noah
(His knuckles turning white) If I hear her name come out of your mouth again, I’ll make sure you can’t use that mouth for a month.
(Noah shoves him back and walks away, his heart thumping. For a second, a flicker of the old, insecure Noah returns. Was she pregnant? Did she lie?)
(Scene: Jade’s messy apartment. Noah walks in and finds her lounging on the couch, looking at a magazine.)
noah
(Staring at her, his voice tight) Why did you leave for three months last summer, Jade?
jade
(Not looking up, her voice calm) I told you. My aunt was sick in the countryside. Why?
noah
People are talking. They’re saying… things about a pregnancy.
jade
(Finally looking up, her eyes filling with fake tears, her voice trembling) And you believe them? After everything I’ve given you? After I was the only one who saw you when you were nothing?
noah
(The guilt hitting him instantly) No. No, I don't believe them. I just…
jade
(Standing up, walking over to him and placing her hands on his chest) They’re trying to take you away from me, Noah. They hate that you’re happy. They hate that you’re mine.
noah
(Closing his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers) I’m sorry. I shouldn't have listened.
jade
(Smirking where he can't see it) It’s okay. Just don't let them in again. We’re the only ones who matter
noah
She’s right. My "friends" are just losers who want to drag me back down to zero. I’ll never go back. I’ll protect her. I’ll give her everything
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