MARRYING A RUTHLESS MAN

CrystalMy head is throbbing from all the crying last night. It's unreal—everything about this, my life, this marriage—is unreal. I woke up hoping it was all just a dream, but instead, I woke up to a harsh reality. I feel lost, like I don't know what to do or where to go. I’m stuck here, drowning in my sorrows. I can’t even breathe.My dream was always to marry an amazing man who loved me for who I am—someone I loved, someone who would make me happy. But here I am, in the worst situation imaginable, with a man who absolutely hates my guts.I wipe away the tears starting to form in my eyes. I stand up from the floor and scan the room. It’s a little smaller than Draven’s room. Draven! Just the thought of him makes my body shiver. I’ve met many awful men, but none like him. He’s a monster in clean clothes.I undress and head to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I make my way downstairs.Upon reaching the living room, I see Draven seated at the table with a huge coffee cup in one hand an

Draven I leaned back in my chair and scrolled through the messages my mom left in my inbox. It’s been almost a month, and she’s still pressing me about taking Crystal on a honeymoon. I’ve stopped wishing she’d mess things up and end the contract. No, scratch that. New plan: I’ll drag her through the mud until she begs for mercy.Draven Leingstone is my name—making people’s lives hell is my game. She thought marrying me would make her life a bed of roses. That’s what all these low-class, gold-digging whores think. But I’ve got a plan—and starting today, she’s going to cry.I laugh to myself. She pretends to be innocent, but I know girls like her. Soft voice, sweet act—but deep down, they’re wolves in sheep’s clothing.I work hard for my money, and I won’t let her take advantage of that. I’ll break her so badly, she won’t recover. But should I really let her live off my money? Hell no. Draven Leingstone doesn’t get played. She’ll regret the day she was born. She’ll regret signing that d

CrystalWe all have big dreams—dreams we hope will come true, dreams that can change our lives forever. But we also have nightmares, and those can change our lives too.Right now, I’m living in my nightmare. Every day I wake up wondering, what’s next for me? Ever since I stood at the altar and said yes, my life has spiraled into chaos. And it’s something I have to live with.I tie my hair into a neat bun, grab my purse, and head downstairs. I have so much to do today. Honestly, I wish I could just fast-forward five years into the future because I absolutely hate this chapter of my life. I double-check to make sure my bank card is safely in my bag before entering the kitchen.“Good morning, Sofie,” I say as I take a seat.“Good morning,” she replies warmly, pouring a cup of mint tea for me.Just as I take a sip, Draven walks in.“Sofie, make me some coffee,” he says in a demanding tone.“You could at least say please,” I mutter.“Speak when spoken to, woman.”After I finish my tea, I st

I was awakened by a sharp knock on my door. Before I could even say come in, Draven barged in. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black sweatpants, looking like a bird that had lost its feathers. Actually, he looked worse than that—but I couldn't think of what, exactly. Or maybe I was just overreacting. "Out of bed, woman." I raised my eyebrows at him but got up anyway. "You have no right to barge in like this—" "When you start paying the bills, you can talk. Now, as of today, you’ll be doing all the chores in the house—except cooking for me." "Me?" "No. Me. I've decided to give Sofie a little break." He stepped closer. "Since you’re my wife, you’ll fulfill those duties. And that’s an order." After he walked out, I ran to the bathroom and freshened up. Then I threw on a skirt and T-shirt. When I got downstairs, the kitchen was a total mess. Dirty dishes were everywhere—even on the floor. To make things worse, a note was left on the counter by Draven: Time to do your rightful job as the

Crystal“Wake up, Crystal! ” I nearly jumped out of my skin—I’d been fast asleep. I immediately opened my eyes, and there he was, sitting on my bed with a huge smile plastered across his face. “What the—” He quickly placed his hand over my lips to shut me up. “You looked so peaceful while sleeping, dear.” “Get out! ” I said, kicking him off my bed. “Draven isn’t here, so leave.” “I know that. How are you doing? ” “Not good—now that you’re here.” “Do you have any extra food? I’m starving.” “What do I look like to you? ” “Why do you hate me? ” “Because you make me sick.” “Well, you’re clearly not sick right now,” he said, winking. “Can’t you leave? I already told you—Draven isn’t here.” “I think I’ll stay until he gets back.” “If you don’t go, I’ll have you kicked out. I’m not afraid to do that! ” He let out a laugh, then licked his lips. “Baby, this is my best friend’s house. He’d rather kick you out.” Just as I took a step toward him, there was a knock at the door. I rushed to open it,