Chapter 2

"Whatever you're thinking was a mistake, Hector," she whimpered, holding his hand and hoping he'd let go off her hair, "I had given the cashier the card and she had made the mistake. She promised it'd be refunded—" the words only earned her a splitting-lips slap from Hector as they tumbled out of her mouth.

"Ah!"

Her lips bursted.

"You are nothing but a fucking liar!" he hollered at her.

Dipping his hand roughly into his pocket he brought out some freshly baked notes. Anyone could tell from the scent on them.

"Explain this," he screamed angrily at her face as he shook the notes in his hands. "Explain what an exact $90 dollars was doing in the room and wasn't mine. Explain how you haven't stolen it from me?"

Amelia's cry suddenly subsided. She had truly kept the money on the nightstand until Hector arrives and she explains what had happened. She just never thought it'd turn out this way.

"I...I," she stammered.

Hector would literally kill her at that spot if she ever said what had happened after the incidence —how a kind, generous man, whose face she can't quite recall was able to help her with that token.

"Just $90 Ma'am?" she recalled the man asking her after the scene at the store, "are you sure $90 would suffice? Why not a hundred?"

"No. Just $90 only, please, " she remembered holding her head as she trembled, the man handing over the money to her and her snatching it away in a hurry.

But then again, Hector's guttural remarks dragged her back to reality. "Oh, so you've suddenly gone mute, huh ? I'll show you."

"What are you doing, Hector?" fear evident on her face as his hand suddenly clamped tight on her arms.

"What I should have done a long time ago to those filthy, theiving hands of yours! You need to learn the hard way."

Amelia tried to break free but his hold was too strong for her match. Hector dragged Amelia towards the burning flame by the oven and this time, he was clutching hard on her wrist.

"Hector no, please. I'm begging you. I swear I didn't touch your —"

Amelia was overpowered by her husband and in no time, the smell of burning flesh began to fill the kitchen.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Somebody helllllllppppp meeeeee," she cried aloud.

Still, her plea only fell on deaf ears as Hector intensified his grip on her burning palm over the flame.

When he was satisfied, he let go her hand and that only made her slump to the ground, screaming and wailing in excruciating pain as she held her wrist with her other hand.

"Try that shit with me again and it's your finger I'll be chopping off!" Hector spat before storming out of the kitchen not minding her helplessness.

He returned with some papers in his hands that Amelia had kept waiting for him on the nightstand. He flinged the papers at her on the ground.

"You want a fucking divorce?" his tone was laced with venom, " then know you will be leaving this house dead before you leave divorced. You signed up to this marriage Amelia and you had better live up to it!"

Her scream intensified.

Hector scoffed.

"You really think anyone would actually want a low-life like you in anyway, Amelia?" he shook his head in utter disdain. "You should be thankful I have been able to allow you into this rich family that even in your wildest dreams you could never have afforded to be a part of. You're nothing but a gold-digger, Amelia, clinging to the scraps of my wealth and status. Without me, you'd be nothing. You're a washed-up, used-up woman, and no one else would ever want you." His voice dripped with venom as he sneered at her, his eyes raking over her with contempt. "You'd be lucky if anyone else even looked at you twice."

~~

Soon, sunrise replaced the night and Amelia opened the door of her children's room, a smile tugging up her lips at them. For Amelia, her children are all that matter and bring her joy under Hector's roof. In their smile, she finds solace and happiness she couldn't have with Hector.

"Morning, my two beautiful sunshines," she spread her arms wide as she crouched down to receive them.

"Morning mummy," they chorused.

Amelia's worries vanished as both her twins scurried down from their bed to embrace their mother with a squeal.

"And how did your night go, sweeties?" asked Amelia. "I do hope you both slept well?"

Aria's curious mind queried upon seeing their mother's bandaged palm. "Mummy, what happened to you hand?"

As usual, Amelia pretended to her question.

"Ah! What to say? Mummy's been a little careless in the kitchen lately," she lied.

"He hurt you again, didn't he?" Aria retorted. "I heard the screams. He's been doing it again, isn't he, mother?"

Angel gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. "Is it true, mummy?"

Amelia could tell from Aria's mad and crimson face that she was really mad for her. But she knew better than to involve her poor kids in the unfortunate situation.

"Sweeties," Amelia smiled at them, "You both know I can be quite careless with things in the kitchen. Believe me when I say this was an accident, okay?" She rose to her feet," the bus will soon be here in few minutes. Now, hurry, let's get you both ready for school, okay?"

The twin sisters nodded and Amelia ushered them to the shower, helping them with their bath in the littlest way possible, feeding them breakfast and packaging their lunch boxes. After she was done, she took them to the school bus and waved them good bye as it moved.

Anyone would think Hector was kind enough to be a good father by enrolling both their children in a school at least, but that was rather at Amelia's expense.

Hector had vowed to never spend a dime on the kids except Amelia contribute fifty percent to their children's upbringing. But as his twenty six year old wife with no job and a restricted access to one, she made a comprise to be her husband's maid—to work for him— and he sponsors their children's education in return.

Amelia was just sixteen when she escaped an abusive foster home to live on the street. She never knew whom her real parents were or what they looked like. One day, she met with a random woman in a coffee shop after being ridiculed by the manager for trying to get a job in the shop in tattered clothes. The woman felt pity for her and introduced her to a job offer at the Ashfords—to work as their maid. There, she would be granted shelter and a monthly salary.

At the Ashfords, Amelia met Hector and felt something so strong they gave her butterflies. He was her first and only. Naive and drunk in love like a helpless teenager, she agreed to date Hector after so much plead from him but on the night before she turned eighteen, she realized she was pregnant with their children.

Before the birth of the kids, Hector never admitted to being responsible for Amelia's pregnancy, but all thanks to his late wise father, Mr. Ashford White. A paternity test was conducted and the truth was revealed.

Hector and his mother had tried to deny it, claiming she had been sleeping around with other men too. To avoid scandal, Mr. Ashford demanded he not only approve of the pregnancy following the test results but also marry her as his lawfully wedded wife.

And that only infuriated Hector the more.

After Mr. Ashford's death just two years later, Hector's wings began to fly. He took possession of Amelia's account, draining every money till the last penny and leaving her with nothing but him to depend on for everything except her breath. His true colors were as vibrant as the morning sun and that only blinded the thought of love in Amelia's heart. The thought she believed he had always had for her.

And now, she will be filing for a divorce to be free from his grasp.

But that would only be over Hector's dead body!