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Chapter 5

Author: The Gardener's Robin
Joseph's POV

Before I could reach it, Stella kicked the box over. "What is this filthy stuff?"

Gatlin shook his head innocently. "I have no idea. Maybe Mr. Hawke picked up some trash somewhere."

Stella looked at me with undisguised contempt. "Joseph, look at yourself. Do you look anything like the husband of the richest woman in Aurelium?"

Right in front of me, she emptied the remaining ashes into a trash can. Then she threw the urn to the floor. It shattered into pieces. The crash rang in my ears.

I dropped to my knees, staring at Stella with hatred as tears streamed down my face. "You say I don't act like your husband? What about you? Have you ever acted like my wife? Like my mom's daughter-in-law?"

Stella had never seen me like this before. Shock and confusion flickered across her face.

I scrambled forward, desperately trying to gather Mom's ashes from the floor. But my tears kept falling, mixing with the ashes until I couldn't gather them properly no matter how hard I tried.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry…"

"Joseph." Realizing something was wrong, Stella stepped toward me and reached for my arm.

"Get away from me!" I shoved her back. "I hate you! Don't touch me! I hate you!"

She stumbled, staring at me in disbelief.

"Stella, are you okay?" Gatlin quickly caught her.

Then he turned on me. "Mr. Hawke, embarrassing yourself in public is bad enough. Now you have the nerve to treat Stella like this? Don't forget, everything you have came from the Budzyn family. Without Stella, you'd never have the life you have now!"

"What life?" Clutching the broken pieces of Mom's urn, I collapsed on the floor and suddenly started laughing.

It was a hollow, desperate laugh.

I didn't want a life where I spent every day walking on eggshells and couldn't even protect my own mother.

"What are you laughing at? You think I'm wrong?" Gatlin snapped. "Fine. Then I'll show you what your life would really look like without the Budzyn family!"

He dragged me into the car, and Stella followed with a helpless sigh.

After a long, bumpy drive, we arrived at a rundown settlement on the outskirts of Aurelium. Filthy vagrants in ragged clothes lay scattered throughout the cramped alleys, staring at us hungrily.

"See them?" Gatlin said. "Without the Budzyn family, that's where you'd be!"

He shoved me out of the car. "You can stay here for three days. Maybe then you'll understand how hard it is to earn a living!"

Stella frowned. "Gatlin, isn't this a little much?"

"What? Feeling sorry for your husband?"

She gave him an indulgent smile before turning to me. "Joseph, I'll send someone to pick you up in three days."

I looked at her for a long moment. "Stella Budzyn, promise me one thing. Leave Martha alone from now on."

She froze briefly, but eventually nodded.

The luxury sedan sped away, leaving a cloud of dust behind it. The vagrants immediately swarmed me and knocked me to the ground. They tore at my clothes, grabbing anything that looked valuable.

Blows rained down on me. My arms were pinned, leaving me unable to move.

Thinking of Mom's death, I finally closed my eyes in despair. But the next second, something warm suddenly splashed across my face.

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  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 10

    Joseph's POVStella immediately scrambled to her feet and grabbed my arm, pleading desperately. "Joseph, I know I was wrong. You're the only man I've ever truly loved. I swear I'll never touch anyone else again. Please just give me one more chance."Disgust churned in my stomach. I was about to tell her exactly what I thought of that promise when Verity beat me to it.She pulled Stella's hand off my arm, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Ms. Budzyn, if I were you, I'd be a little less worried about your marriage right now and a lot more worried about your company."She took out her phone and opened a breaking news alert. The headline filled the screen. "Budzyn Group Under Investigation for Monopolistic Practices and Tax Evasion; Trading Suspended."Stella snatched the phone from her. Her finger flew across the screen as she scrolled through article after article. The further she read, the paler she became."No…" Her voice came out strained. Then, a few seconds later, her he

  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 9

    Joseph's POV"If you hadn't stopped paying for my mom's treatment, she'd still be alive. Stella, after everything you've done, do you really think there's anything left between us?"I looked at her without a trace of hesitation. "Once we're divorced, we can stop making each other miserable. You'll finally be free to be with Gatlin."Ten years of marriage had worn away everything I'd once felt for her.I couldn't deny that the Budzyn family had helped me tremendously when I was younger. But after everything I'd given Stella over the past ten years, I'd repaid that debt many times over.She stared into my eyes as if desperately searching for any lingering affection, some sign that I didn't really mean what I was saying.She found nothing. The eyes that had once followed her with so much love were completely calm now."Joseph, please don't say that." Panic crept into Stella's voice. "You're the only person I've ever loved. You know Gatlin was never anything more than a temporary di

  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 8

    Third-Person POVIt wasn't until the hospital director pulled up the security footage that Stella finally understood what had happened.On the screen, Joyce lay convulsing in her hospital bed. The movements gradually weakened until, eventually, she went completely still.Stella's eyes reddened. "Something this serious happened, and none of you thought to call me?"The doctor stood beside her, visibly uneasy. "Ms. Budzyn, we did call. Several times. You didn't answer, but your secretary eventually picked up. He told us to proceed with the cremation as soon as possible. He said those were your instructions…"Stella froze. She suddenly remembered that night. She had been watching fireworks with Gatlin, and her phone had kept vibrating in her pocket. Gatlin had eventually answered it for her.With fireworks exploding overhead, she hadn't been able to make out what he was saying."Who's calling?" she'd asked."No one. Just a scam call."So Gatlin had been lying to her all along.R

  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 7

    Third-Person POVStella stared at him coldly. "Who gave you permission to throw away all of Joseph's clothes?"Gatlin stuck out his tongue and, as usual, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, leaning in to kiss her. "Didn't you promise me everyone in the Budzyn family would listen to me? I just wanted him to understand how hard you work for your money. What's so wrong with that?"As he spoke, his hands wandered over her, quickly distracting her from her anger.Stella pinched his nose and warned, "You little troublemaker… Don't do it again. Whatever else happens, he's still my husband."The word "husband" stung. Gatlin suppressed his jealousy and forced an understanding smile. "Got it."For the next two days, Stella spent nearly every waking hour with Gatlin. Yet something felt off.The glass of milk that used to appear by her bedside every night was gone. The outfits that used to be coordinated and laid out for her every morning were nowhere to be seen. Even the familiar scen

  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 6

    Joseph's POVI opened my eyes. The man who had been standing over me stared blankly before collapsing to the side, a dark wound on his head.A group of men in black closed in around us, and the vagrants scattered in terror.A pair of elegant heels stopped in front of me. I slowly looked up. The moment I recognized the familiar face, my eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?"…Third-Person POVOn the way back, Stella seemed distracted. "Gatlin, did you take care of the hospital payment I asked you to make?"She might have agreed to play along with Gatlin's little game of running the household, but Joseph's mother, Joyce Greene, was still her mother-in-law. She couldn't simply ignore her.Gatlin looked flustered. "Of course I did. Don't you trust me?"When Stella said nothing, he quickly changed the subject. "Take me out on the yacht tonight. You promised me yesterday."Stella glanced at him, a trace of impatience crossing her face. He was dressed in designer labels

  • Shackled by My Wife's House Rules   Chapter 5

    Joseph's POVBefore I could reach it, Stella kicked the box over. "What is this filthy stuff?"Gatlin shook his head innocently. "I have no idea. Maybe Mr. Hawke picked up some trash somewhere."Stella looked at me with undisguised contempt. "Joseph, look at yourself. Do you look anything like the husband of the richest woman in Aurelium?"Right in front of me, she emptied the remaining ashes into a trash can. Then she threw the urn to the floor. It shattered into pieces. The crash rang in my ears.I dropped to my knees, staring at Stella with hatred as tears streamed down my face. "You say I don't act like your husband? What about you? Have you ever acted like my wife? Like my mom's daughter-in-law?"Stella had never seen me like this before. Shock and confusion flickered across her face.I scrambled forward, desperately trying to gather Mom's ashes from the floor. But my tears kept falling, mixing with the ashes until I couldn't gather them properly no matter how hard I tried.

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