Forced to marry her due to family reasons, Alice Taylor, a woman he had only seen a few years during his childhood, when Robert sees her again, he only knows that despite all her beauty, he hates her. He hates her because she could have refused the marriage just like he did, but she chose to proceed with it, and he had no choice but to marry her, obeying his parents' orders, for the sake of business and better family relationship stability.
It was all a family arrangement, for the sake of the businesses, both parties benefiting, especially the Graham family, which greatly benefited from the union of the two.
The celebration involved both families, the influential and powerful Taylor Family, as well as the majestic and imposing Graham family.
Many important figures attended the wedding, witnessing the union of these two great families that were now becoming one, thereby increasing the influences they already held.
However, even though the wedding was perfect and everything was smiles, hugs, and more smiles, when they were alone, Robert looked at his new wife with contempt. And in that hotel room, where they would spend their first night together before leaving for their honeymoon, Robert directed all the frustration from that arrangement toward his young twenty-year-old wife.
The youngest of the Taylor sisters. Alice.
"Do you think I will love you now just because you managed to get us married?" his words left her astonished and without an answer. Who would have thought that Robert Graham would behave in such a manner? "Is that what you believe?" he spat with anger. "You must be quite foolish to believe such nonsense, Alice. I would never love you, and you forced me into this! We're married because of you!"
Cowering on the bed, still in her white dress clinging to her body, Alice looked at her husband with tear-filled eyes.
They were newlyweds, but everything was changing already. Why was he behaving that way in their first encounter alone? Was this how that man would always behave?
Could anyone have thought that the handsome and polite Robert, the younger of two brothers, who now controlled the Graham businesses, would behave this way towards his wife?
"I didn't force you," she said with a trembling voice. Both of them were strangers. Alice was the youngest of five sisters, all of whom were married to men just as important as Robert Graham. She was the missing piece, and her parents had arranged this union with the Grahams.
The last unmarried Taylor.
But when Alice learned that he didn't want to marry, she begged her parents to cancel the engagement. However, they ignored her pleas, claiming that no one could reject her. Cancelling the engagement at the Grahams' request would make it seem like they were stronger and more important than the Taylor family. For that reason, despite Alice's objections, the marriage had to proceed.
But now, in that room, there were only two people who didn't love each other and probably never would. A husband who looked at his wife with hatred and blamed her for the marriage he didn't want, and a wife who never wanted this marriage and did everything to prevent it.
"Undress," he looked at her on the bed, and at that command, Alice Taylor didn't move. "Undress! You are my wife, and you will obey my orders. You wanted this union, so you will be joined to me."
When Alice got off the bed, she lifted her gaze to her husband for a second and only saw a cold, hateful face.
Robert Graham snorted at the sight of his wife's curves, and that sound of disdain for her figure made Alice cover herself in embarrassment, embarrassed about her weight, the shape of her body, and standing naked in front of him. Warm tears continued to wet her face.
He was displeased with her slightly unflat, protruding abdomen, her wide hips, or her shapely legs. He walked up to her and made her lower her hands so he could observe her more closely under the yellow light on the ceiling, illuminating both of them.
"You don't have to do this," she whispered, wishing he wouldn't look at her that way because it was clear he looked down on her, on her appearance. "You don't have to do anything, we're married, and that's it, Robert. Don't view it as a responsibility. Especially if you despise me so much. We can...do nothing." Her words weren't a suggestion, but a plea.
"Now you're still ordering me around? First, you order us to get married, and now you order us not to have sex." He grabbed her face roughly and lifted it to him; seeing her annoyed him, and the idea that she would order him around infuriated him even more. "What else are you going to order me to do, woman? Don't you realize that now that we're married, I'm your owner?" "Your owner?" Alice found that very barbaric.
"You're better than me, I see it in your eyes," he accused.
"It's not like that! It's not like that!"
"Don't raise your voice at me!"
"Then listen to what I'm saying! I also rejected this marriage; I didn't want to marry you. I love someone else!" That confession was probably the worst idea, Robert's expression showed tremendous displeasure.
That was the worst thing Alice could have said that night. Upon that confession, Robert stepped back, distancing himself from her. Alice hurriedly grabbed her dress and tried to run to the bathroom, but Robert blocked her path. He wouldn't let her pass.
"Who is it? Who do you love?" Alice couldn't reveal that it was Robert's best friend, Jared Sinclair. But it was an unspoken, unexpressed love, something Alice had never told Jared, as they had only been college mates, and she had been in love with him since. She was instantly smitten, as Jared was very special.
"You don't know him," she lied. "Let me go to the bathroom, please."
"Tell me who it is, Alice Taylor. Who the hell do you love? Say it!"
"You don't know him! You don't know who he is!" she exclaimed in frustration.
He took her arms and shook her, causing the dress to slip from her hands, leaving Alice naked in front of him once again.
"Go to the bed," he pushed her towards it, and now Robert started undressing. With fear, Alice looked at her approaching husband. She had mentally prepared herself for this, the idea of being married to a man she barely knew and giving herself to him, without love, without either of them loving each other. But she didn't expect Robert Graham to be angry with her, and even less did she expect that, despite the contempt he showed, he would want to possess her on their wedding night.
No amount of previous preparation was sufficient for that moment. Alice was terrified; she didn't want to be with him, and she knew, from the way her husband was acting, that he would be rough with her during their first time.
"Robert...please," she said through sobs. Robert was by her side, and he was getting rid of her underwear. "We're not obligated to do this."
Naked, he began to touch her, Alice's body did not stop trembling, full of fear. He laid her on the bed and placed himself on top of her, he began to caress her hair, kissed her neck and shoulders, but never kissed or brushed her lips, he tried not to meet her face or even look at her. He spread her legs apart, after moistening his member he began to penetrate her, without taking any care, even though he realized that she was a virgin, even though he noticed that this was Alice Taylor's first time.
That was the worst night for Alice Taylor, where she only appeased the pain, the contempt and even the disgust she was beginning to feel towards that man with the image of her beloved in her mind, keeping him always present to be able to bear it.
There she realized that neither of them could love each other and that without even knowing her, he already hated her, believing that she was the reason for that forced marriage.
When she opened her eyes, Robert Graham was no longer in the room. Light streamed in through the window, and the sun cast rays onto her face, making her cover her face due to the brightness that assaulted her. It had been a terrible night for her, a horrifying first time, and a man very rough and inconsiderate with her and her body.When she stood up, her legs, abdomen, and vagina ached. She looked at the bloodstains on the sheets and hurriedly ran to the bathroom. She stepped into the shower and washed her body with tears, erasing any trace of Robert Graham, although not for long. Her hips and back hurt too; he hadn't shown a single hint of kindness, just claiming her, stealing her virginity with that roughness, that force and brutality he used to deflower her. Thus, the marriage was consummated, making use of their wedding night.When she emerged from the shower, she looked at her body in the mirror. There was a small bruise on her right side and several small marks on her neck. The
During their entire honeymoon, Robert tried to find out the name of the man his wife loved, but there was no way to make her talk. No matter how much he insisted, she wouldn't say anything and refused to talk about it.Upon their return, their first and only stop was Alice Taylor's new home, the one her husband had assigned to her. For her, living in a house away from the city wasn't a problem, but when Robert stated that she couldn't leave unless he ordered her to, Alice vehemently refused. She wouldn't stay locked up just because he said so."You're my wife! And if you thought this marriage would be a fairy tale just because you decided it, you're wrong, Alice Taylor! Your nightmare begins here. You wanted me as your husband, now you have me. Let's see how you handle all of this."She called her parents to complain about her husband's behavior, considering it an abuse on his part and that she shouldn't have to endure it. However, there was no support from her parents. It wasn't as s
Alice was lying on the bed, and her baby was not with her. She had just woken up, feeling very strange after the cesarean section. She remembered falling asleep but never remembered seeing her child. Several hours had passed since the cesarean, and she knew nothing about him."It's a boy," said her older sister, Sofia, just realizing that her sister was there with her. "You gave birth to a boy," she said again with a smile."I want to see him, I need to see him," Alice raised her hand, motioning for her sister to come closer. Her sister took a seat by her side and held her hand, preparing to tell her the next thing."Alice, the baby wasn't born healthy, and for now, he can't be with you. He's premature and has other problems he was born with. To be honest, and I hope you can be strong, he has a slim chance of survival. He's very weak and..." She started crying upon learning her son's condition, not letting her sister tell her everything about the little creature.Alice's sorrow was ov
"They won't stop calling you, aren't you going to answer?" the redhead beside him asked. She looked at Graham sensually and with desire.How long had they been lovers? When did they start seeing each other in this way? When did they both get entangled in this tale of infidelity?She was his assistant, who had no remorse about getting involved with him, even knowing he was married because, yes, she knew. Everyone knew about the dazzling wedding between Robert Graham and Alice Taylor. There was no one who didn't know about that important wedding.Robert didn't care about that either. His wife was something he didn't care about. As long as she didn't leave that house where he left her, everything would be fine for him. He had her subdued, afraid to rebel against him. That's all Robert wanted, to keep Alice under his control, to make her understand that she was nothing more than him, that she couldn't escape his side, and he wouldn't let her be with that man she claimed to love."I know w
When Jared Sinclair received the news that Alice Taylor had given birth, he dropped everything he was doing and, upon learning which hospital she was admitted to, headed straight there without hesitation. He knew her sisters, and they were the first people he saw when he arrived at the hospital."Sofia," he greeted with a kiss and a hug. Besides Alice, Sofia was the other Taylor he had confidence in, the one he was closer to. "Long time no see, everyone's here," he observed the Taylor family, who remained silent, saddened by the loss of Alice's baby. "What is it? A girl or a boy?" he asked in a low voice, not knowing what was happening, somewhat excited because it would be Alice's child, and even though it wasn't his, it made him happy. Her happiness also brought him joy.He looked around the waiting room, trying to spot Robert, assuming he would be with Alice and their new baby since he didn't see him there.He knew he might feel jealous seeing Robert so happy with his family, with h
"I love you, Alice Taylor. And I have since the first moment I saw you. You are and always will be the woman I'm in love with, even though it can never be."Alice heard every word that came from her beloved Jared's lips. She squeezed her eyes shut, as well as her hands against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart and absorb this confession, which felt like a balm for her wounds.What should she do? Should she open her eyes, tell him she heard everything, and confess the love she felt for him from the moment she first saw him? Should she reveal that her love was reciprocated?She didn't know what to do, but she began by opening her eyes.Seeing that she was awake, Jared's pale face turned even paler, and his cheeks flushed red. He quickly stood up, embarrassed because she had probably heard that confession he had poured from the depths of his heart."I-I..." Alice had never seen him so nervous, and he was usually quite serious. This brought a fleeting smile to Alice's lips."You
It was a very strange situation. He had little contact with that pregnancy and was not particularly enthusiastic about having a child with Alice. However, he never thought about the death of that child, especially now that he knew it was necessary for an heir to be born from the union of both families to maintain their connection.He always looked down on both of them and left them locked in that house, unaware that he might need them. His father had reached an agreement with the Taylors."Why didn't he tell me something like this?" He would have paid a little more attention to Alice or her pregnancy. Could it have been his fault? Did it have something to do with the way he treated his wife the night before? Could it be possible?"No, it can't be my fault. She must have done something wrong to lose our child. If there's anyone to blame, it must be her, she was the one who was pregnant. It can't be my fault," he told himself to avoid carrying that burden. He walked to the hospital wher
For Alice, having Robert around for such a long time was very strange. He didn't move a second from that room, and he couldn't either. He had to show the Taylors that he wasn't present because he didn't want to be, not because he couldn't be. The only way to do that was by staying with Alice until his family eased off after Robert's apology in front of everyone, even though it was hard for him, as he didn't like feeling inferior, especially to Alice Taylor.They were discharged from the hospital, but he was still there. He behaved like a concerned husband. What happened to his plans of traveling? Didn't he say he had more important things to do and was very busy? Why wasn't he leaving now?But he couldn't just disappear with his lover. It was a family moment, and he couldn't afford to run away, not when the Taylors had their eyes on him. One more mistake, and the consequences could be fatal. He couldn't risk Sofia Taylor staying against him."Doctor, how long after the cesarean can my