Chapter 5

-NATALIE-

I fell asleep on the couch waiting for my husband to return home. I awoke when I heard the loud banging on the door. I rushed to unlock it, and Franklin was back, accusing me of drugging him.

I thought he was joking, but he was damn serious. He carried me to our bedroom, dropped me on the bed, mounted me, and started kissing my lips before my mind could register what he was doing.

For three years since we got married, Franklin had not kissed me. He did not want to acknowledge me as his wife. He only ate my food because he complained that he did not like eating fast food—they did not cook it well and managed the ingredients. Therefore, he returned home and ate whatever meal I had made for him.

"Franklin, stop!" I tried to stop him as I breathed heavily. I was supposed to be excited that my husband was finally making love to me, but I knew Franklin was not in his right mind. I sensed that Amelia had drugged him, and now he was home, accusing me wrongly.

Franklin removed my green nightgown in a flash and continued kissing my lips. I should have left him when I had the opportunity.

Franklin's parents did not like me. His mother called me a prostitute and said I was not fit to be her daughter-in-law. His two siblings did not talk to me; they disapproved of my presence at their gatherings.

The only person who was kind to me was Franklin's best friend, Michael Austin. Mike was the only one who smiled at me and ate my food happily whenever he came to see Franklin on weekends. But Franklin did not like it and had warned his best friend to stop praising me, saying that I did not know how to cook.

Each time, I tried to improve my cooking skills so that Franklin would love me and appreciate me. But he would not. He would remind me that he brought the money to purchase the foodstuffs and that he did not owe me any gratitude for cooking the ingredients that he had given me money to buy.

Franklin was cold to me, but I kept enduring him because I did not want to leave my marriage or be called a prostitute—the same name that was tagged to my mother.

I had seen her once after I married Franklin. My mother came to my house, asking me for money and telling me that my husband was rich, so it was only right that I took care of her.

I could not believe my mother would say that to me. I tried explaining that Franklin did not give me money for anything. She advised me to report him to human rights, saying that my husband was rich and he had to take care of me and give me money to take care of her. But I let my mother know that Franklin and I were not in love and our marriage was a scam to cover up our embarrassment.

After I told my mother how Amelia had set me up, she was not happy and advised me to leave Franklin. She said I was beautiful enough to win any serious bachelor to marry me. But I did not want to leave my husband. Franklin was my husband, even as he glared at me at the altar, not wanting to say "I do." I happily told him, "I do."

After our marriage, I fell in love with Franklin and wanted to be his wife, but he did not trust me. He believed I was the one who had drugged him that night.

However, this night, Franklin did not take it easy on me. He thrust into me so hard on the bed, moaning, and I did not try to stop him. I allowed him to pleasure me throughout the night until he reached his climax and collapsed on the bed next to me.

My body ached from the impact of how Franklin handled me. I carefully slipped out of the bed. It had been long since Franklin and I had done it.

I could not remember that night three years ago because of the drug Amelia gave us. But this night was different; I remembered everything, and I knew Franklin would not remember.

'What was Amelia's goal? She wanted my husband to sleep with her. Why could she not be patient and wait until Franklin and I divorced before she drugged him?'

Amelia drugged my husband and let me suffer the impact of her actions. I had always suffered the consequences of Amelia's actions, and I knew this would be no different.

As I got out of bed, I picked up my phone from the shelf, managing to stand. I saw the time was midnight. Franklin had gotten home by 10 p.m., and now it was midnight. He had lasted two hours nonstop sleeping with me.

I wanted to message Amelia, but I was enraged, so I called her instead.

"Hello, Amelia, what did you do to my husband?" My anger was evident as I yelled over the phone.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Natalie?! You shameless prostitute and bastard! What did you do to Frankie?" Amelia yelled back.

"Hmm, do not pretend you do not know. Franklin went out with you, and now he came home acting under the influence of whatever you gave him. Do not think Franklin will not find out about this. I will have you arrested tomorrow!" I shouted, and she laughed.

"If there is anyone who should be arrested, it is you who drugged Frankie. You know what you fed him before I came to your house. So stop asking me nonsense!" Amelia ended the call, and my brows furrowed.

I knew Franklin would accuse me of drugging him once he woke up, and I feared what his anger would lead to. Franklin did not beat me, but he had slapped me just because I refused to let Amelia eat my food. Franklin showed his angry side to me for the first time, and that had never happened before.

I blinked my tears away and went into the bathroom to wash myself. Although I loved the way Franklin was hot in bed, I wished he had done it with a clear mind and not under the influence of whatever Amelia had given him.

Exhausted, I walked out of the bathroom, went into the closet, and grabbed a new nightdress. After wearing the white nightdress, I moved over to the bed to sleep. This bedroom was my own because Franklin had not given me any specific room in his house.

Two years ago, after Franklin bought this new house, he told his parents he was moving out. His father said he must take me along. When we arrived, Franklin said this bedroom was his, and I was only temporarily using it until he asked me to leave his house.

We shared the closet, but Franklin had not accidentally slept with me. He sometimes used the other furnished rooms if he wanted to avoid me, but most times, I lied to him that I was scared of sleeping alone, just to climb onto the same bed as him.

I laid on the bed and fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up, and Franklin was still sleeping.

I touched his chest, wanting to know if he was alright. However, his head was hot, and so was his body.

"What did Amelia give to my husband?" I wondered, knowing that if anything went wrong with Franklin, I would be in serious trouble. But I could not leave him at this point.

I went to the bathroom, brought a half bucket of water, and a small towel. I wiped Franklin's forehead and chest. I took care of him, but he did not wake up. Afraid, I laid my head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. He was still breathing, but his breathing was not stable.

"My God!" I rushed out of our room to call the family doctor and to decide if I should take Franklin to the hospital.