Chapter 1

Janelle's POV

“Seeing you naked is the most disgusting thing I’ve had to endure. If I could undo one thing in my life, it would be you.”

I stood in the middle of the bathroom, one hand still reaching for my towel, unable to move as the words sank in and stole whatever strength I had left in my body.

“Kenn…” My voice came out smaller than I intended. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Doing what?” he asked calmly.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to step closer, even though every instinct told me not to.

“Why do you keep hurting me? I’m trying my best here, Kennedy.”

For a brief moment, he said nothing.

Then he exhaled slowly, like I was something he had grown tired of explaining himself to.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

My hand had already reached for him without me realizing.

“I’m trying to get my husband to make love to me,” I said quickly, my voice shaking. “I just want you to touch me… it’s been so long.”

His eyes dropped to my hand on his arm and he jerked away like I burned him.

“Don’t call me that.”

I blinked, pain tightening in my chest. “Call you what?”

“Your husband.”

He stepped back, expression completely unreadable now.

“You’re not deserving of me, Janelle. You were a decision I made when I wasn’t thinking clearly, and somehow you’ve mistaken that for something permanent.”

My chest tightened painfully. “It’s not my fault I’m fat, Kennedy.”

His gaze sharpened instantly.

“Then, whose fault is it?”

Before I could respond, the bedroom door opened.

I gasped and quickly grabbed my robe, pulling it tightly around myself as I stepped back, trying to gather whatever dignity was left.

Kennedy’s mother walked in first, followed by his siblings, Fiona and Leonard strolling in like they owned the place, eyes immediately landing on the scene.

“I heard voices,” his mother said, scanning the room with sharp eyes. “What’s going on here? Are you okay, son?”

Kennedy let out a bitter laugh, gesturing at me with clear revulsion.

“How can I be okay when I’m sharing a room with the fattest woman in the world?”

He shook his head, voice dripping with contempt.

“Can you believe she tried to seduce me this morning? Now my entire day is ruined before it even starts.”

His siblings burst into loud laughter, clutching their stomachs like it was the funniest joke they’d ever heard.

“But for real, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Leonard sneered, looking me up and down.

“You weigh 280 pounds! Like the size of this full house. And you expect my brother to still be attracted to you? Look at you, trying to force yourself on him when you look like that.”

Fiona, his sister jumped in, lips twisted in mockery.

“Seriously, Janelle. Have some self-respect. No wonder Kennedy can’t even get it up for you anymore. Who wants to fuck a walking whale?”

I clutched the robe tighter around my body, cheeks flaming and tears stinging my eyes.

My voice came out small and shaky.

“You… you barged in without knocking. This is my privacy and…”

Kennedy’s head snapped toward me, eyes blazing with anger.

“Are you mad?” he barked. “Are you trying to teach my family how to act in my own house? They can do whatever they want. You have no right to speak about privacy. If you don’t like how things are done here, then leave.”

He turned to his family, ignoring me completely.

“I’m going to the gym. I need to clear my head”

With that, he stormed out, leaving me standing there half naked in my robe when his family continued laughing and whispering cruel jokes about my body.

And the worst part, even through the shame, my body still ached for him.

Months of sexual starvation had left me throbbing and wet at the smallest memory of how he used to love me before his first love returned and turned him into this monster.

I wished things would go back to how they were in the beginning.

The first few months of our marriage, Kennedy had been the best husband any woman could ask for.

He was attentive, gentle in ways I had never experienced before, and for a while, I truly believed I had been given a second chance at life.

But everything changed after the miscarriage.

The doctors later diagnosed me with secondary infertility, and from that moment, something in him shifted.

He began to blame me for everything that followed, the hormonal imbalance, the sudden cystic acne that scarred my skin, and the unexplained weight gain that changed my body almost overnight.

It didn’t matter how many times I tried to explain that I couldn’t control it; he had already made up his mind.

I fought to fix it anyway.

I went weeks without eating properly, surviving on water and whatever weight-loss teas I could find.

I pushed myself in gyms until my vision blurred, sometimes fainting before I even made it home.

But nothing changed.

My mother-in-law’s sharp voice snapped me out of my reverie.

“Listen, you ugly fat woman, if you’re done moping around like a lost cow, get into the kitchen and make me breakfast and freshly squeezed orange juice make it quick”

Fiona smirked. “And scrub the bathrooms again. I saw dust on the tiles yesterday”

Leonard added lazily, “While you’re at it, wash my gym clothes from yesterday. Hand wash, no machine”

I nodded numbly and moved to the kitchen and by the time I had finished all the chores, it was already noon.

Kennedy still hadn’t returned, and despite everything, I found myself checking my phone more than once.

I wiped my hands and went to the sitting room where his family lounged, watching television.

“I’m done with all the chores,” I said quietly.

His mother looked me up and down, nose wrinkling.

“Why are you sweating like a cow? Look at you, dripping everywhere.”

Fiona laughed. “We’re helping you lose weight, Janelle. You should be thanking us instead of complaining.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned toward the stairs, my legs aching.

I had just reached the top when the doorbell rang.

“Janelle! Get the door!” his mother shouted from below.

I hurried back down, heart pounding, and opened it.

Kennedy stood there.

Beside him was a woman I had never seen before with many luggages at her feet.

“Who is she?” I asked before I could stop myself. “Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing someone here?”

Kennedy stepped inside first, guiding her gently like she belonged there.

Then he looked at me.

“You’re the one who doesn’t belong here, Janelle,” he said evenly.

Then added, without hesitation.

This is Brenda, my fiancée.”

“Your what?”

“And she’s carrying my child.”