CHAPTER 3

Despite the luxurious surroundings, Laura began to feel confined in the mansion, like a bird in a gilded cage. 

the effort it took to maintain a facade of happiness and contentment was slowly draining 

Perhaps it was time to reassess her situation and make some changes.

One evening, Laura was alone in the room, glancing through some pictures she had taken with her family. 

Daniel came out of the restroom, grabbed his nightwear, and Laura spoke up with a loud voice as he was about to leave the room. 

"Daniel, we need to talk!" she said firmly.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and asked, "About what?"

Laura stood up and came closer to him, determined to make her point.

"About our marriage. You can't keep treating me like I'm some kind of object. You're always so cold and mean to me, and I can't take it anymore."

Daniel ignored her and tried to walk away, but Laura held onto his hand.

 "Look, Daniel, you can't just walk away from this. I deserve to be treated with respect, and I won't settle for anything less."

He glared at her, his temper rising. "You better watch your mouth," he said, pointing his finger in her face.

Laura didn't back down. "I won't be silenced by you anymore," she said, her voice rising.

 "I'm not going to be your punching bag, Daniel. You can't control me."

This only made Daniel angrier, and he raised his voice.

 "You're lucky to have me, Laura. You should be grateful for everything I've given you."

Laura didn't hesitate. "Grateful? I'd rather be alone than be in this miserable marriage with you."

Daniel lost his temper and slapped her across the face. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Laura was left alone, holding her cheek and crying. But she knew that she had finally stood up for herself, and that was worth everything.

Laura was determined to spend the weekend with her parents, as she hadn't seen them since her wedding. 

When she told Daniel about her plans, he refused to let her go. But Laura was resolute and decided to go anyway.

 As soon as Daniel left, she grabbed her car keys and drove to her parents' house without a second thought.

Upon arrival, her family greeted her warmly and they all hugged each other with love. Mr. Markson inquired if Daniel knew about her visit. 

Laura confidently replied that she had informed Daniel about her plans and that she was entitled to spend time with her family. 

Her father nodded approvingly and said, "I'm proud of you, Laura. It's important to stand up for yourself and do what makes you happy."

Laura wanted to have a private conversation with her mother. She felt she needed to confide in her about the difficult situation she was experiencing with her billionaire husband. 

With tears already streaming down her face, she called her mother into the room.

"Laura, what's wrong?" her mother asked with concern.

Laura tried to compose herself, but the tears kept coming. "Mom, I'm in so much pain. I can't take it anymore," she said, her voice trembling.

Claudia was confused and didn't know what was causing her daughter so much distress.

"Darling, what's going on? I don't understand a word you just said," asked Laura's mother, noticing her daughter's distress.

Laura wiped her face and moved closer to her mother, taking her hands. 

"It's Daniel Edward. He's the reason for my sadness. 

He's holding me captive in my own home and he doesn't give me any attention or show any concern for me," she explained, looking directly at her mom with pain and agony reflecting in her eyes. 

"Mom, I can't stay in this marriage anymore. He's causing me so much pain," Laura said, finally confessing the truth about her struggling marriage.

Claudia was overwhelmed with pity for her helpless daughter. She didn't know what to do at the moment, so she hugged her tightly and said, "I'm so sorry, darling. This is all my fault. I have failed you as a mother."

Tears rolled down Claudia's cheeks, and her eyes turned red from crying.

"Mom, you need to see how Daniel treats me. I feel like a nobody whenever he's around me. He's so arrogant and cold."

Claudia placed a comforting hand on Laura's shoulder and rubbed it gently.

"Laura, my child," she said, "I know you feel like you have to do this for our family, but you're stronger than this. Don't let him treat you this way anymore."

Laura looked up at her mom, wiping away her tears and smiling wryly. "I agree, Mom. No one deserves to be treated like this, and I won't let him maltreat me any longer."

They both exchanged smiles, and Laura experienced a sense of belonging. She wished to spend the weekend in the company of her family, surrounded by love and happiness that had been missing for a while.

After returning home, Daniel searched for Laura but couldn't locate her. He called out to his maid, "Anna!"

Anna rushed out of the kitchen where she was preparing dinner for her boss.

"Where is my wife? Did she go somewhere?" asked Daniel.

Anna replied, "Yes sir, she left in a hurry, but I have no idea where she went."

Daniel let out a deep sigh and said, "I understand. You can get back to whatever you were doing." 

His anger was boiling inside him as he stormed into the room, grabbed his phone, and dialed Laura's number. 

However, she didn't answer his call, and this only made him more furious. 

Daniel promised himself that he would put her in her place when she finally returned.

The weekend was over and it was time for Laura to return to her husband's house. Her parents gave her comforting advice and wished her a happy home. 

As she arrived at the house, she honked her car horn repeatedly, but the security didn't respond. She got out of the car and knocked on the gate.

The security man, Hassan, eventually walked up to her from inside the compound.

"Welcome, ma," Hassan said.

Laura glared at him and asked, "I've been honking for a while, didn't you hear it?"

"The boss gave an order not to let you in until he returns home, I'm so sorry, ma," Hassan explained nervously.

Laura didn't say anything. She simply got back into her car and waited for Daniel's return.

After almost two hours, Daniel Edward pulled up to the gate. Laura remained in her car, watching his reaction. 

Daniel honked and Hassan, the security guard, quickly opened the gate. Laura drove in first, and Daniel followed. 

Once they were both inside the house, he slammed the door shut and confronted her.

"Where did you go without my approval?" he demanded.

Laura turned to face him, looking angry. "I spent the weekend with my family," she replied, her voice tense.

Daniel approached her gently and looked deep into her eyes.

He held her neck, almost choking her.

"Let this be the last time you get on my nerves, you don't know what I might do to you if you provoke me again!"

Laura was almost suffocating with his hands tight around her neck.

He abruptly let go of her neck as she began coughing.

Daniel stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Laura was in a state of shock and struggled to regain her breath.

With a determined look in her eyes, she vowed that the day of reckoning would come for him, and when it did, she wouldn't hold back.

Laura swiftly retrieved her phone from her bag and dialed Bryan's number. Despite the continuous ringing, she persisted until he finally picked up.

"Bryan, come over to the house," Laura demanded with a firm voice.

Without hesitation, Bryan agreed to her request and promptly ended the call, making his way over to Daniel's house.

As soon as Bryan arrived, he found Laura sitting miserably on the floor. Without wasting any time, he rushed to her and demanded to know what had happened. "What's going on, Laura? Why are you looking like this?" he asked sternly.

Laura answered, "Daniel did this. He doesn't want me to be happy and has chosen to make my life miserable."

Bryan felt a surge of anger and frustration at Daniel's actions but kept his composure. 

Meanwhile, Daniel Edward was lounging in his room, completely indifferent to Laura's suffering.

Bryan asked Laura where Daniel was, and she mentioned that he was in his room.

With unshakable determination, Bryan promised to confront Daniel about his actions.

"Laura, enough is enough. Pull yourself together. 

I understand that this is difficult for you, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that this never happens again," Bryan said assertively.

Laura nodded in agreement and said, "Thank you, Bryan. I knew I could count on you."

"I need to go now. It's getting late, but rest assured, I will handle this. Trust me," Bryan said with conviction as he left.

Bryan texted Daniel assertively while on his way home, "Let's meet up ASAP, I have some important matters to discuss with you."

Bryan messaged Daniel that he was on his way home and asked to meet up. Daniel replied that he would call him when he was free. 

They agreed to meet the next day at Daniel's company. 

On Bryan's arrival, Daniel asked him to come into his stunning office which was fit for a billionaire.

Without hesitation, Bryan confronted Daniel about how he treated Laura. He reminded him that it wasn't part of their deal to lay his hands on her.

Daniel was furious at Bryan's confrontation and raised his voice, pointing his finger at him.

In response, Bryan stood up and faced Daniel, saying "I know my place, and it's not beneath you. 

I'm not afraid to speak my mind and Laura deserves better, and so do I. If you can't handle that, then maybe we shouldn't be doing business together."

"Oh, please spare me the preaching, Bryan. You are no different than me. Stop with the pretense," said Daniel.

Bryan was upset by Daniel's response, but he managed to control his anger and remained silent.

He understood that he had to play along and didn't want to ruin his chances of getting what he wanted.

"I won't let you ruin this for me, Bryan, you are replaceable just like anyone else." Daniel lamented.

Bryan clenched his fist, and the tension in Daniel's deluxe office hung thick.

 However, Bryan stood firm, his gaze fixed on Daniel Edward. "You have to keep your end of the bargain, don't go back on your words if not you will regret it!" Daniel replied.

As the standoff continued, a knock on the door interrupted their intensity. 

Laura, who had gone to the mall to get some groceries, decided to stop by the company to see Daniel.

They both turned and Laura was standing at the door.

She stared at them suspiciously as she overheard their argument.

"Bryan, come with me," she demanded." Her voice was steady.

He nodded, shooting one last glare at Daniel. He followed Laura, closing the door behind him.

Leaving Daniel fuming, he Pounded his hands on the desk in anger, "Shit!" He shouted in a low tone.

Laura, standing outside the company's building with Bryan, couldn't figure out what Daniel and Bryan were arguing about.

she asked Bryan "What were you and Daniel fighting about?"

He gave a fake smile and replied, "Fighting? Of course not. I just came over to confront him about the way he treats you, Laura."

Laura wasn't satisfied with his answer and her suspicion toward Bryan developed.

The story unfolded into high-stakes drama, entangled with loyalty and betrayal.

Laura knew Bryan didn't give her an honest response, she could Sense something fishy.

2:45 pm

Laura found herself nestled In the comfortable embrace of their luxurious sitting room.

It was just like every other day. Battling with boredom, she was restless all through.

She wanted to engage herself with something to spice up her day. She picked up her phone to dial a number.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, interrupting the moment.

She reached out for the door in curiosity.

As she swung it open, there, was a young, tall, and undeniably guy standing at the door.

Laura was momentarily captivated, she couldn't help but stare at him.

Breaking the silence, he introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Harold"

Laura with a little smile, maintaining an air of calm responded, "I'm Laura".

Harold had come to visit Daniel, his eyes lingering on Laura. "Is Daniel home please?"

Laura shook her head followed by a gentle denial. "No, he left for the office this morning."

Harold continued the conversation with a smooth smile. "He's my best friend, I just got back to the country and wanted to give him a surprise visit."

Laura chuckled and responded, her eyes fixed on him. "That's pretty cool."

With a twinkle in his eyes, he admitted, "I wanted it to be a surprise visit but I think I would have to give him a call."

He smiled and departed, leaving Laura in awe of the moment.

Laura's day turned out differently, a newfound happiness awoke.

She couldn't suppress the joy that bubbled within her. The day felt like a dream for Laura.

Her home once filled with loneliness and sadness, now hummed with echoes of Harold's visit.

Laura wished the feeling would last forever. As the day progressed, Laura wished Harold would visit again.

She was unable to contain the smile that danced upon her lips. She was overwhelmed with 

The evening sun dipped down below the horizon, Little did she know that the joy she felt was merely an opening to a larger narrative.

"Could this be a coincidence? Am I really in love? " She asked herself, thinking aloud.