A Stranger In Her Own House

“What is the meaning of this? Why is this wicked witch still in my house?” Caroline, Caleb’s mother exclaimed as she entered the house, her face twisted with fury.

Both Ashley and Caleb turned towards the door, seeing the group who had just entered, with Vanessa at the center, seated in a wheelchair, her face pale and fragile, as though the slightest touch might break her.

The moment Ashley saw Vanessa, she rushed towards her without thinking, grasping her hand firmly, her eyes brimming with tears, “Mrs Bennett, please tell Caleb the truth. Tell him I didn’t stab you. I didn’t push you down the stairs. You did that to yourself. Please—“

But before Ashley could finish, Vanessa let out a sharp, piercing shriek, her eyes widening with terror as if she had just seen something horrifying. She dragged her fingers through her hair roughly, her body trembling uncontrollably.

“I-it’s her… don’t let her touch me!” Vanessa cried, shrinking back into the wheelchair.

Ashley froze.

Before she could even process what was happening, a pair of rough hands shoved her hard and she lost her balance, crashing onto the floor.

“You wretch!” Caroline advanced towards Ashely and slapped her hard across the face. “How dare you continue to bully my daughter-in-law? Haven’t you done enough already?” She yelled into Ashely’s face, her voice dripping with venom.

Ashley clutched her burning cheek, her vision blurring with tears as one question echoed endlessly in her mind. What had she done to deserve this. Why were they all so cruel to her?

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Caleb rush past her towards Vanessa, pulling her into his arms in a comforting embrace, stroking her hair softly. “My love… are you okay? Did she frighten you? I’m so sorry!” he whispered, his voice low and soothing, unlike when he was shouting or yelling at her.

Ashley clutched her chest firmly at the sight, his actions cutting through her pain like a knife. This was it. The final nail to the coffin of her marriage, driven in by the very man she once believed she would spend her forever with.

Her hand traveled to her stomach, rubbing slow, soothing circles as her tears spilled over. Now she realized how foolish she had been to have expected anything from him. There was never going to be a future for them from the start. To him, she was simply just the woman who had come in between him and his childhood sweetheart. No matter how hard she tried or stayed in this marriage, she was only ever going to be an outsider to him and the rest of his family.

Drawing in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Ashley’s gaze met with the old, calculating gaze of the matriarch, Eleanor. She held her stare, her heart racing, desperately hoping to find a flicker of trust in them, after all, she had been there when patriarch Gerald, had insisted on this marriage. But it was clear with the old man gone, the old woman held no faith in her granddaughter-in-law anymore.

Turning her face away, the old woman made her lack of faith in Ashley known, making the tears she was so desperately trying to hold back, to spill over.

Beatrice, Caleb’s younger sister, stared at her with contempt before turning to face her brother, “big brother, I told you from the start that this useless bitch was no good. You should’ve thrown her away the moment she stepped into this house. But no, you kept her. And now look at what she’s done to Vanessa. You need to get rid of her and throw her in prison where she belongs!” she sneered, turning to Vanessa and offering her a reassuring smile.

Ashley sat there on the ground, feeling the sting of Beatrice words cut through her like a knife. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, Instead, she sat there like an outcast, unwanted in her own husband’s home… in the house she had once tried so hard to belong to.

“Are you sure about this son?” Victor’s calm voice broke through the tension as his eyes fell on the divorce papers lying on the ground. He was Caleb’s father, a business man with years of experience in the family business. “Are you sure you really want to end this marriage?”

He had known Ashley since the day she entered the Montclair family manor.

Not once had she caused trouble.

Not once had she raised her voice.

She endured everything, remaining a devoted housewife, even when his family treated her worse than a servant.

Which was why… something about all of this didn’t sit right with him. The incident with Vanessa felt too extreme and convenient. Still, he said nothing more.

In the end, whatever decision his son chose to make, Victor could only hope, that he wouldn’t come to regret it.