Chapter 3:A House Of Hate

**Naomi’s POV**

The morning light spilled into my room, harsh and cold, cutting through the small space like it wanted to remind me of reality. I woke with a sore back and tired eyes. My body ached from crying last night, and my stomach felt heavy with worry. My baby stirred inside me, small and innocent, completely unaware of the storm surrounding us.  

I pressed my hands over my belly and whispered, “I’ll protect you. I promise.”  

The house felt alive in a way that made my chest tighten. The servants were moving around, whispering and sneering, the air thick with disdain. I didn’t want to see anyone. I just wanted to hide in my room, close the door, and pretend this place wasn’t real.  

But reality had a way of forcing itself on me.  

The door creaked, and I looked up. Lucas stood there, tall, cold, his eyes sharp. He leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, watching me.  

“You know the contract is finally going to end,” he said, his voice calm, but with that cold edge I had learned to fear. “When are you leaving?”  

My mind spun. My stomach dropped. My heart raced.  

“What do you mean… leaving?” I whispered, my voice shaking.  

“You know,” he said, taking a step into the room. “The year is over. Today, your time as my wife ends. You’ll be free to go.”  

I felt like someone had slammed a door into my chest. My thoughts ran wild. What would happen to me? To my baby? Where would I go? Who would help me?  

I opened my mouth, but no words came. I didn’t know what to say. I was frozen, trapped between fear and anger.  

Lucas watched me, as if studying a strange insect. His eyes were calm, unreadable. No hint of care, no worry, nothing. Just the man who had married me for money, never love.  

I felt tears sting my eyes, but I wiped them away. I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak. Not when my child depended on me.  

“I… I don’t know where to go,” I said quietly, almost to myself. “What will happen to my baby?”  

He didn’t answer. He just gave me a small, sharp nod and left the room. I guess he didn't hear what I said about the baby.

The sound of the door closing felt like a hammer. Alone. Again. Just like every day in this house.  

By the time I went down for breakfast, the house was alive with noise. The smell of cooking food mixed with tension in the air, like a storm about to break. Evelyn Lucas sat at the head of the table, her face cold as marble. Charlotte sat nearby, smirking, clearly enjoying the fact that I had no place in this home.  

I tried to walk past them, but their eyes burned into me. Evelyn’s sharp gaze cut through me.  

“Naomi,” she said, her voice sharp as glass. “Sit. Breakfast is ready. Not that you deserve it, of course.”  

Charlotte snickered. “Hope you’re hungry, useless girl. You’ll need all your strength to last the rest of your days here.”  

I didn’t say anything. I forced myself to sit, gripping the edge of the chair. My hands were clammy, and my stomach churned with anger and grief. Every word they said was like a knife, twisting deep inside me.  

Lucas sat across the table, newspaper in hand. He saw everything, I could tell. The way Charlotte laughed at my dress. The way Evelyn rolled her eyes when I reached for the bread. He saw it all. And yet… nothing. Not a single word of protection. Not a single glance of concern.  

I felt invisible. Worthless. And it hurt more than I could describe.  

---

I picked at my food quietly. The bacon tasted dry. The eggs were cold. The toast was burnt. I didn’t care. Nothing tasted like anything anymore.  

My mind wandered to my baby. Small, innocent, completely helpless. And yet, I had no one to protect us. No family. No friends. Only this house, full of people who hated me, and Lucas — the man who had married me but never loved me.  

Charlotte leaned over suddenly, her face inches from mine. “What are you staring at? Planning how to run away again?”  

I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit her. But I didn’t. I swallowed my anger. My baby needed me to stay strong. I clenched my fists under the table, feeling my nails dig into my palms. Pain reminded me that I was alive. That I could fight. Somehow.  

---

Later that morning, the doorbell rang. Everyone in the house stiffened. The air changed, electric with anticipation.  

Valentina.  

The woman Lucas loved more than life itself.  

The entire house shifted instantly. Evelyn and Charlotte straightened their backs, faces softening into fake smiles. Servants scurried. Everything and everyone changed the moment she arrived.  

I watched silently from the stairs, feeling invisible as always. My heart twisted with anger and sorrow. How dare she? How dare the world hand her everything while I, the wife carrying Lucas’ child, had nothing?  

Valentina stepped inside, elegant and radiant. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lucas, and she smiled, a smile that made the air itself feel warm.  

“My love,” she said softly, her voice sweet and commanding. Then her gaze shifted. “What is this woman still doing here?”  

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt. Everyone froze. Even Evelyn and Charlotte’s smiles faltered.  

I felt my stomach drop. My face burned. I wanted to disappear, to vanish into the walls. My baby stirred inside me, tiny and innocent, and I hugged my belly protectively.  

Lucas didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at Valentina, calm as always, unreadable. “She’s still… here,” he said quietly, as if stating a fact, nothing more.  

Valentina’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Well… she shouldn’t be,” she said, her voice sharp now. “I don’t want her here.”  

I swallowed hard. My heart pounded. My hands were shaking. I wanted to speak. I wanted to defend myself. But what could I say? What could I do? I was nothing here. Nothing.  

Evelyn stepped forward, curtsying slightly to Valentina. “Of course, my dear. She will leave soon.”  

Charlotte laughed quietly, as if the world itself was mocking me.  

I felt tears prick my eyes. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw something. But I couldn’t. Not in front of them. Not when my baby could feel my stress. I bit my lip so hard it bled a little.  

---

I ran to the kitchen after the breakfast scene, needing air, needing space, needing to feel alive. I poured a glass of water and drank it quickly, trying to calm the storm inside me. My mind raced with questions.  

What would happen to me now? What would happen to my baby? Lucas doesn’t love me. He doesn’t care. Valentina is here. My baby… my baby doesn’t even have a father.  

I sank onto the kitchen floor, pressing my back against the cabinet. My arms wrapped around my belly. I whispered softly, “I’ll protect you. I don’t care what happens. I’ll protect you, no matter what.”  

I didn’t know how. I didn’t know where I would go. But I knew one thing: I would survive. 

---

Later in the day, Valentina wandered into the house again. She was treated like a queen. Everyone bowed to her wishes, smiled at her every word. She walked past me, eyes cold and piercing.  

I pressed my lips together to keep from saying anything. I wanted to scream, to cry, to make them feel my pain, but I knew it would do nothing. I was powerless.  

The baby inside me kicked, tiny and insistent. My heart clenched. I looked down and whispered, “Don’t worry. I will protect you. We will survive this.”  

And for the first time that day, I felt a spark of determination. No matter what anyone in this house did. No matter how much Lucas ignored me. No matter how much Valentina hated me. I would survive. For my baby. For myself.  

I wiped my tears, stood up, and faced the living room. They could treat me like a shadow. They could hate me. But I would not let them break me.  

I had a baby to protect. And that was more than enough reason to fight.