The word ‘husband’ scared me now

Rebecca Pov

I never imagined that a day would come when I would choose freedom over the man I once loved with every piece of my heart. I used to dream of forever with him, believing love would always feel warm and safe, but somewhere along the way, forever with him became the scariest thing I could imagine.

The word “husband” scared me now. Every time Luke called my name, my chest tightened like I was standing at the edge of a rocky cliff, one wrong step away from falling.

“Rebecca!”

His voice came again from outside the room. Louder this time.

I quickly wiped my face and stood up from the bed.

This room used to be a guest room before my life fell apart. The crazy part was that this mansion once belonged to my father.

Back then, I truly believed I had married the perfect man.

My parents tried to warn me about Luke, but I was too deeply in love to listen.

He was the son of my father’s butler, but I didn’t care. I loved him so much that I even sent him money while he was in school because I wanted him to have a better life.

Then my parents died.

And the man I married changed completely.

The door suddenly slammed open, making me flinch.

Luke walked inside wearing a black shirt and dark trousers like he had just returned from work. Any woman looking at him would think he was handsome, successful, and perfect.

Only I knew the monster hiding behind that face.

“How many times do I need to call you before you answer me?” he snapped. “Useless woman.”

I lowered my eyes immediately.

Living with Luke had taught me one thing.

The quieter I stayed, the less he hurt me.

He stared at me for a moment before speaking again.

“You’re crying about the past again, aren’t you?”

My throat tightened painfully.

I tried hard not to cry, but tears still gathered in my eyes anyway. Luke noticed immediately, and the small smile on his lips made my stomach twist.

He enjoyed seeing me suffer.

Before he could speak again, a woman’s voice came from the hallway.

“Baby, why are you taking so long with the maid? I’m waiting.”

My fingers curled tightly into my palms.

Maid.

That was what every woman Luke brought home called me.

“Coming,” Luke answered softly.

That gentle voice used to belong to me once.

A few seconds later, the woman walked confidently into the room.

She wore one of Luke’s shirts that barely covered her thighs. The moment she saw me, her smile faded.

“Oh, so this is the maid?” she asked while looking me over. “She’s prettier than I expected.”

Luke wrapped an arm around her waist carelessly.

“She’s nothing important.”

The woman laughed and leaned against him.

“Then send her away for a few days. I want us to have the house to ourselves.”

I stood there silently while another woman talked about throwing me out of my own home.

I was still his legal wife.

The last time I told one of his girlfriends the truth, Luke slapped me so hard that I couldn’t leave my room for two days.

Luke smirked.

“And who’s going to cook for us?” he asked her. “Who’ll do the laundry?”

She pouted before grabbing his face and kissing him right in front of me.

Years ago, Luke used to kiss me like that when I secretly visited him at school.

Now, watching them only made me feel tired.

Not jealous.

Not heartbroken.

Just empty.

“Go upstairs and wait for me,” Luke told her after they pulled apart.

She gave me one last rude look before leaving the room.

The door closed softly behind her.

I looked at Luke.

“Why are you still doing this to me?” I asked quietly.

He slowly turned toward me.

“You already took everything from me,” I continued. “My father’s company. My house. My life. Why can’t you just divorce me and let me leave?”

His face darkened instantly.

“So you can run away with my money?” he asked coldly. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“I don’t care about your money!” I shouted. “I just want my freedom!”

The slap came so suddenly that my head snapped to the side.

Pain burned across my cheek.

Tears filled my eyes immediately.

“Never raise your voice at me again,” Luke said calmly.

I hated how normal this had become.

For one whole year, I had been trapped inside this mansion like a prisoner. No friends. No job. No freedom.

I couldn’t even leave whenever I wanted.

“I want a divorce. Do you only marry me for money?”

“Yes.”

That single word destroyed the tiny piece of hope I still had left.

Sometimes, I wondered why I didn’t just run away while he was gone.

But I couldn’t.

Luke had something that kept me trapped beside him.

Something that could ruin my life completely.

His phone suddenly rang.

The anger on his face disappeared the moment he checked the caller ID.

“Mr. Collins,” he answered quickly.

I stayed silent while he listened carefully.

“Alright. I understand.”

A short pause followed.

“You’re always at home with your research. You need some assistance.”

Another silence.

Then Luke smiled slightly.

“I’ll send someone over. I know what is best for you, Mr. Collins.”

He ended the call and slowly looked at me.

“You want your freedom?” he asked.

I stared at him carefully.

Luke never gave anything for free.

“Yes,” I answered slowly.

“Then earn it.”

My brows pulled together.

“What do you mean?”

He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked closer.

“Collins created a security software worth millions,” he said. “Big companies are desperate to get those files before the launch.”

His eyes slowly filled with greed.

“I want those files.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“And what does that have to do with me?”

“You’re going to his house as a maid.”

My eyes widened.

“No.”

“You don’t have the right to refuse.”

“You want to humiliate me outside this house too?” Tears rolled down my face again. “My parents never did anything wrong to you or your father.”

Luke suddenly grabbed my jaw tightly.

“Don’t talk about my father.”

Fear spread through me immediately.

“Please,” I whispered weakly. “Just let me go.”

“Collins keeps the file hidden inside his private office,” Luke continued like he didn’t hear me. “Bring it to me, and I’ll give you the divorce.”

“And if I refuse?”

Luke unlocked his phone and shoved it toward me.

The video.

That horrible video.

For one whole year, he had used it to control me.

“If you refuse,” Luke said coldly, “I’ll release the evidence proving you murdered your parents.”

My lips trembled badly.

“You know I didn’t kill them.”

Luke looked straight into my eyes.

“Do I?”