Chapter One: One-Sided Love 

“You are just a good-for-nothing housewife who married my son because of his money. Samuel should have done better than marrying a classless gold digger like you. Hurry up with the lunch, you lazy girl, I'm starving already.” 

Bella felt Elora's words pounding in her head like a hammer as she prepared lunch for the family. Since Bella got married to Samuel, Elora has made her life a living hell, constantly reminding her of how poor and unworthy she was of her son. Bella loved Samuel with all her heart; she wished Samuel could say the same about her, but unfortunately, their love was one-sided. 

Bella had loved Samuel from a distance, hoping to be called his wife someday. Who wouldn't fall in love with Samuel Reynolds? The most eligible bachelor in the city and the CEO of Reynolds Enterprise. A dashing young man with a charming physique and personality.

Luck smiled on Bella when she bumped into Samuel in a restaurant. She had tripped and accidentally fallen into Samuel's arms. Their eyes locked for a moment, and something clicked immediately like a magnet. They got talking and Samuel proposed a contract marriage to her immediately, as if he had expected to see her on that day. He needed to be married to sign a major business deal, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he made good use of it, offering Bella a huge sum of money as compensation.

Bella did not give it a thought before saying yes; that was what she had always wanted. To be married to Samuel, the love of her life. It was as if a genie heard her wishes and decided to fulfil them. Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way she had expected. 

For three years, she had been married to Samuel, and it seemed like she was married to herself. She had tried her best to prove to Samuel and his mother that she genuinely loved him and did not marry him because of his money, all to no avail. She had been a loyal and loving wife, going out of her way to prove herself worthy, but all she got in return was cold treatment from Samuel and his mother. She was treated worse than a maid, and it made her question her decision to marry Samuel in the first place. 

“Bella! How long will it take you to prepare a simple meal, you lazy ass leech?” Elora yelled from the living room. Her mean voice broke into Bella's thoughts, snapping her out of her reverie with a flinch.

“I'm almost done, Elora,” Bella quickly replied as she dished out the food in Elora's favourite silverware and placed it on the tray with a glass of orange juice. She carefully carried the tray to the living room, setting it on the dining table, where Elora was already seated. 

“I hope it's worth the wait,” Elora snapped, her face twisted in disgust as she poked the food with the spoon. 

No matter how much effort Bella put in preparing a sumptuous meal for the family, Elora never missed a chance to castigate her cooking. 

“Yuck, this tastes terrible,” Elora spat out. “You are just as useless as your cooking. You don't know how to cook, you are terrible at doing the house chores and worst of all, you have refused to give me a grandchild. I wonder why my son is still stuck with you. Everything about you sucks!!” she snorted with disdain in her voice as she cast a condescending gaze at Bella. 

Bella swallowed painfully. Elora's words felt like a knife to her heart, each one slicing deeper than the last. “Enough, Elora!! Enough of the insults,” she fired back at her. “The only reason I have endured this cold treatment from you is because I love your son so much, but I have had enough of all this nonsense. I am Samuel's wife, not your maid, and I deserve some respect,” she blurted out, her voice resonating with an unsettling weight of authority.

Elora had a puzzled look on her face, slightly intimidated by the fierce look on Bella's face, but she was not going to fall for it. “How dare you talk to me in that manner?” Elora snapped back at her. She raised her hand to hit Bella, but Bella was fast enough to grab her hand midway and flung it away aggressively.

Eloras stared, baffled at Bella's defence. A sense of unease crept into her, but she tried to keep her face neutral. Bella never had the guts to stand up to her, which made her wonder what had suddenly come over her. “How dare you try to stop me? I can see you have grown wings. Wait until Samuel gets back, I will make sure he deals with you,” she threatened, trying her best not to appear weak.

“I don't care what happens when Samuel gets back, I can defend myself,” Bella pressed on, her voice laced with confidence.

Elora chuckled dryly, “Oh, really, we will see about that.” She took the glass of juice from the tray and poured it over her hair; the juice splashed down her face and messed up her dress.

Bella's eyes widened as she stared at Elora in confusion. “What are you doing, Elora? You just poured a glass of juice all over your body!” she exclaimed. 

“Oh my goodness, Samuel, thank God, you are back,” Elora rushed to Samuel, who had just entered the living room with his suitcase. “Look at what your stupid wife has done to me just because I told her that her food was tasteless,” she said, gesturing at her messy hair and outfit. “She has no respect for me, your mother.” Her voice became shaky as fake tears rolled down her cheeks.

“What! Bella, how could you? Why would you humiliate my mother like that?” Samuel's brows knitted together in annoyance, and his jaw tightened as he questioned her.

Bella sank deeper into confusion; she was lost for words. “It's… It's not what you think, Samuel, your mother is lying, she poured the drink on herself, she just wanted to….”

Before she could finish her statement, she was met with a blinding slap that echoed in the living room, sharp and deafening. She lost her balance immediately and landed on the floor, her hand instinctively massaging her cheek to soothe the burning sensation that emanated from it. 

“How dare you call my mother a liar? Who the hell do you think you are? I have tolerated you all these years, but I won't let you humiliate my mother and call her names,” he said between gritted teeth, barely controlling the rage that made his blood boil.

“Don't worry, Mom, I will make sure to put her in her place,” Samuel said to Elora as he wiped her fake tears and led her to her room to change her clothes. 

As soon as Elora got into her room, Samuel went back to the living room and walked towards Bella, who sat helplessly on the ground. He squatted before her and lifted her jaw harshly, meeting her with an icy glare. 

“Let me remind you, we are only bound by a contract, know your place and don't think so highly of yourself. The next time this incident repeats itself, you will have me to contend with,” he warned her, squeezing her jaw harder before releasing it. 

He rose to his feet and adjusted his shirt. “You have just ruined my mood; your presence disgusts me. I'm going out to have a breath of fresh air,” he said to her as he walked out of the living room.

Bella's heart shattered into a million pieces as she watched Samuel step out of the living room, “This was not what I wished for when I agreed to marry you, Samuel”, she bit down her lower lip as tears streamed down her cheeks.