MasukSarah sat on the edge of her bed, her phone clutched tightly in both hands. The morning had passed in a blur after breakfast. She had gone through the motions—returning to her room, changing into a simple blouse and skirt, telling Hanosa she was going out to shop as Ronan had suggested. The maid had nodded with a small, knowing smile, as if the sudden generosity were perfectly normal.But Sarah knew better.The five thousand dollars sat in her account like a seed waiting to be planted. Not for a spa. Not for a dress. Ronan expected her to spend it on frivolous things, on the shallow indulgences of a kept wife. He wanted to see evidence of her obedience, a new handbag or a pair of shoes that would prove she had done exactly as he said.He would not understand what she truly needed.Sarah opened her phone and navigated to the bank app. Her thumb hovered over the screen. Five thousand dollars. It was more money than she had received at once in years. Her monthly allowance had been five
Ronan shrugged, as if the amount were nothing. "Take it. Go out today. Buy yourself something nice. A dress, perhaps, or whatever women like. Visit a spa. Just... enjoy yourself."Sarah stared at the screen, then back at him. Her mind raced, trying to understand. For the entirety of their marriage, Ronan had given her a monthly allowance of five hundred dollars. Barely enough for her basic needs, let alone luxury. Every expense had to be justified. Every purchase scrutinized. She had learned to stretch those dollars like precious silk, saving every thread she could for her secret plan, the business she was building one careful step at a time.And now he was giving her ten times that amount. Casually. Without condition."Why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Ronan tilted his head, his expression softening into something that might have passed for tenderness. "Do I need a reason to be generous to my wife?"Sarah's grip tightened around her phone. Your wife. The words echoed
Sarah sat across from Ronan at the long dining table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The white tablecloth stretched between them like a neutral zone, a fragile ceasefire after the battlefield of last night. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting warm light across the polished silverware and porcelain plates, but Sarah felt none of its warmth.Ronan lifted his coffee cup, taking a slow sip. His movements were measured, calm, as if the events of the previous evening had been nothing more than a minor disagreement. He placed the cup back onto its saucer with a soft clink."You look pale," he said, his voice carrying a note of concern that sounded almost genuine. "Did you sleep well?"Sarah blinked. Did you sleep well? The question felt like a slap from another direction entirely. She had spent the night on the cold bathroom floor, her back against the tiles, listening to the water run until her fingers pruned and her tears dried. But he already knew that. Or perhaps he
Sarah finally released her grip. Slowly, her fingers let go one by one from Ronan's wrist, as if releasing a burden she had carried alone for so long. She stepped back half a step, her breath still trembling, but her eyes now looked straight at her husband."Why don't you just kill me now?" Sarah said quietly, her voice flat but piercing. "Do I need to go to the kitchen first and get a knife so you can finish it? It would be easier, right? Instead of having to keep holding back your anger like this."Ronan was still glaring, his face red with blazing anger. The veins in his neck stood out, his hands clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white. He opened his mouth, but the words did not immediately come out. There was something in Sarah's gaze that made him fall silent for a moment, not fear anymore, but deep exhaustion, exhaustion that had already gone beyond its limit.Sarah continued, her voice still low, but every word felt like a stab. "When you cheated and slept with your gi
Sarah stared at the two men in front of her, her breath still uneven. That second felt frozen. Ronan, his face flushed with restrained anger, suddenly smiled. A cold smile, full of mockery."Do not teach another man's wife to leave in front of her husband, Mr. Alex," Ronan said slowly, but loud enough to be heard by the guests who had begun to approach. "What you are doing is an extremely disrespectful act. How could you dare invite someone's wife to leave while her husband is still standing right beside her? Who do you think you are?"Alex opened his mouth to respond, but Ronan stepped forward first. His hand grabbed Alex's collar roughly, pulling him closer until their faces were only a few centimeters apart. "Do you want to try that again?" Ronan hissed, his voice low but threatening. "I can make you regret it tonight."The atmosphere instantly became tense. Several guests stopped talking, their eyes fixed on the three of them. Whispers began to spread. "That is Ronan Vexler, right
“I see it now,” Alex continued, his voice trembling as he held back his anger. “With my own eyes. You are abusing your wife.” Ronan was startled. Instinctively, his hand released the pinch at once, as if burned. Sarah pulled her arm back to her chest, her fingers trembling as she rubbed the aching spot. “Were you following me?” Ronan snapped, his face flushing red. “How dare you stalk us!” His voice rose, loud enough to make several guests in the distance turn their heads, though they were still too far away to fully understand the situation. “That’s illegal,” Ronan added quickly, trying to regain control. “You followed us! We’re husband and wife. This is a private matter!” Alex stepped forward one pace. “You’re forgetting one thing, Ronan,” he said coldly. “This is a public banquet. I wasn’t following anyone. I simply saw a woman being hurt right in front of my eyes.” He glanced briefly at Sarah, then looked back at Ronan. “You’re extremely rough with your wife. Something is cl
Sarah nodded without arguing when Madam Vexler told her to put Sienna to bed first.“Put her to sleep, then come back to the dining table. I still want to talk,” the old woman said in a tone that left no room for refusal.“Yes,” Sarah replied briefly.She took Sienna to the small bedroom at the end
Madam Vexler spoke again, her voice calm but filled with a carefully hidden threat. “So, this is what I want to talk to you about,” she said slowly. “If you do not want to be thrown out of this house and end up as a homeless woman out there, then simply obey your husband.” Sarah remained sitting
Sarah lifted her head, her eyes meeting the man who had just bumped into her table. "It is okay," she muttered while wiping the spilled coffee with a paper napkin. Her heart was still a mess after her visit to the Langford family house, but the man gave her a warm smile that made her feel a littl
That morning, sunlight slipped through the gaps of the thick curtains in the Langford residence.Sarah stood in front of the large oak door, her hand hovering hesitantly over the brass knocker.It had been six years since she last set foot here.Six years since her family threw her out for marrying







