His Docile Ex-wife Strikes Back

"Ashley!."

A vicious voice resounded in the kitchen. The whole room was filled with a haze of smoke while the air smelled of burnt lunch.

"Ashley….”

She called a second time. Ashley was deeply asleep despite the incoming danger. Tired, was too weak a word to describe how she felt right now. Last night she had to wash the plates and wine glasses that were used to celebrate her mother in-law's birthday.

It was a fun birthday party but Ashley was excluded from the entire fun. She had to serve the food to the entire guest, then started washing until after midnight.

While cooking lunch Ashley had fallen asleep. Not that she did it on purpose. She rested her head on the table waiting for the food to be properly cooked, slowly she drifted off to sleep.

By the third time, Ashley jolted up realizing someone was indeed calling her name and not a dream. She began coughing hard, smoke blurred her vision. Before she could see clearly a hand slapped her hard across the face.

*Slap*

The woman's five fingers left a mark on Ashley's heart shaped face.

"You penurious brat, vagabond, dirty swine."

Lady Wilson's neck protruded veins, her saliva dropping on Ashley's face with the force she used in speaking.

"Do you have the simplest idea how much it cost my son to provide for the family? "

Ashley dared not give an answer to Lady Wilson's question. Or else it would call for another slap. Ashley's fair face had turned red from the slap, her eyes made an unending downpour of tears, wetting her boney cheeks.

"Have you ever had a paying job to put food on the table? All you do is waste my son's money with your terrible cooking skills."

Lady Wilson's heart heaved in and out unceremoniously.

"You mustn't eat in this house until I order you to. Now cook me another lunch. I'm starving."

She ordered before storming off the kitchen.

The smoke had died down. Ashley sob got louder, she couldn't stop herself from crying. Marriage was meant to be a thing of joy for every woman. The perfect husband, mother in-law, beautiful children, a little storm and then happily ever after. Ashley had been patiently waiting for her happily ever after. It seems not to be close by.

For three years, all she had received from her mother in-law Lady Wilson was nothing more than scolding, humiliation and hatred. Every night Ashley goes to bed crying, hoping one day Lady Wilson will change her attitude towards her. Rather it got worse by the day. Even worse now she has moved into the house with them.

The Wilson family were filthy rich so a mistake like this shouldn't be much of a case. Lady Wilson only wanted to humiliate Ashley, reminding her she is a nobody, a girl from the countryside whose family didn't even exist.

Ashley washed the pot thoroughly, another lunch was cooked and served to Lady Wilson immediately.

"My goodness you smell so bad. Did you have a bath today?"

Ashley shook her head ashamedly. She would have taken her beauty if only Lady Wilson hadn't woken her up by 5:00 .a.m. to clean the mess from yesterday's party. Since then she has been occupied with house chores.

"How did my darling son end up with a swine? Being a pauper wasn't enough, you want to poison me with your smell."

Lady Wilson winced in disgust, closing her nose from inhaling the unhealthy Smell. Lady Wilson bowed her in between her hands, shaking her head from side to side in disappointment.

Ashley left her presence immediately. Cold jets of water sprayed on her skin and bone body. Ashley made use of all the lovely scented shampoo on her hair. Her body was well sponged. She came out of the shower smelling differently. At the mirror, Ashley almost let out a shrieking sound at her reflection.

At age twenty-one, she looked thirty or worse. Dark circles were under her eyes, her skin looked so dull and pale. Ashley trailed the veins on her hand.

Ashley became weepy again. This wasn't the type of marriage she had envisioned fit herself. She loved Justin so much. Ashley hadn't married him because of his money. It was pure love, his wealth was an extra gift from God.

"Ashley."

Lady Wilson called out in a soprano pitched voice. There wasn't a time she called her name softly, it was always high pitched especially when she was in trouble.

"Now, don't ever make me call your name twice, is that understood? "

"Yes Lady Wilson."

Said Ashley flatly Bowing her head to the floor. She wore a simple blue gown. It did not depict the wife of who she was. The wife of a billionaire.

"My darling son will have soup for dinner. Make sure you cook it with clean hands."

"Okay."

Ashley used her mother's secret recipe to cook the soup for her husband. He was going to kick his ten fingers by the end of the meal.

Soon Justin returned and began eating dinner. No complaining, no compliment to the chef.

"That little brat burnt my lunch."

Lady Wilson reported. Every night she would report every little mistake Ashley committed to Justin.

"That's not a problem mother, I can always provide more."

"Nonsense, that's nonsense. She must get punished for it. That pauper doesn't bring anything to the table." Lady Wilson yelled out angrily.

"What do you even see in that girl? There are more..."

"Mother please let me eat my dinner in peace."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning she's not like other women she's docile."

' Docile?'

Ashley repeated. She waited to hear more comments from Justin. What followed next was a long silence. End of the discussion, Justine finished his delicious dinner.

'Docile' that's it. For three years, all Justine could was if me was one word. What happened to the word 'love' ? Ashley questioned herself.

'Docile; quiet and easy to control by others. That's it?That's the only reason famous Justine Wilson married me'

Ashley refused to believe Justine could only describe her that way. Late in the night Ashley wore baby pink nightwear, she sat on the dressing stool combing her hair frantically observing Justine through the mirror. His work anyway comes first while Ashley came in lastly.

"Justine."

He slightly looked at her reflection in the mirror for a brief second. His head returned back to the laptop on the bed.

"What is it Ashley?"

He doesn't look interested in her conversation.

"Do you love me Justine?"

His hands stopped typing now looking at Ashley for a long time.

"You're my wife aren't you?"

"It's a simple yes or no question Justine. Just give me an answer."

Justin adjusted pushing his laptop aside to address this issue.

"Do you know how many women who are begging to be in your shoes?"

His voice rose to a high pitch. Ashley didn't expect their conversion to get this heated.

"I'm not quite sure any woman would want to be treated like a slave in her marriage."

She said it out loud. Her lips pinned together in regret. She watched Justin's eye turn black akin to a moonless night.

"I should have said that better. Forgive me."

"You're not forgiven Ashley. Mother was right, you are an ungrateful country side girl."

Emphasize on the word country side.

"What do you mean by being enslaved?"

"Yes Justin, yes. Look at me."

She kicked out of the stool standing in full length right at Justine's eye.

"I can't remember the last time I went to the salon. My hair is so unkempt. Look at my skin fraying from all the housework I do here still your mother is never satisfied. I need her permission to wear the designer clothes and jewelry you bought for me because I don't know the passcode to the damn wardrobe. My entire life is controlled by her."

"Shut up!. Do not speak about my mother."

Justine's eye almost bulged out.

"I have been quiet and tolerant for three years."

Ashley rose up three fingers shedding tears. Ashley was surprised at herself, she was surprised at the momentum at which she spoke.

Justine couldn't believe this either. Tamed Ashley challenged him for the first time in three years. He expected her to go in her knees crawling towards him begging for his forgiveness. Without him she was nothing, she would be worse than a beggar. So he thought.

Ashley kept challenging Justin with a dubious side eye before she finally lets out the bomb.

"Do you love me Justin?"