Chapter 3

"Bella, you will not eat with us here. Go back to the kitchen, and before you go anywhere near anything else, clean up the bowl of food you just spilled all over the ground," my mother-in-law said, pointing her finger down at the mess.

"Mum, please, my back is killing me, I can barely stand, I just got shoved out of my chair," I mumbled, holding my lower stomach and gasping for breath.

"I don't care if it hurts, get up and clean this ground spotless right now, Also, you aren't going to eat any of this fresh food you just made, because in this house, we don't waste food, so for the next three days, you will eat only that over-salted batch you made earlier,Hear me? Now get out of my sight and go get rag to clean this."

"Luke, tell her, it hurts, please, help me," I cried out, turning desperately toward my husband at the end of the table.

"Stop being so dramatic, Bella, just do what mum says and quit whining," Luke muttered, not even looking up from his phone screen as he shoveled a forkful of chicken into his mouth.

"You heard my son, stop crying like a baby and start scrubbing that floor before I lose my temper completely," my mother-in-law snapped.

I forced myself up from the hard floor, my entire lower back aching as I grabbed a damp rag from the sink, kneeling down on the cold tiles, trembling as I wiped up every single piece of spilled rice and sauce, my tears dripping onto the floor while they continued eating and laughing right behind me.

"Are you done yet? Or are you going to take all night pretending you are disabled?" my mother-in-law yelled.

"I am done, mum," I mumbled, dragging my feet back into the dark kitchen to find the bowl of over-salted food I had been forced to leave on the counter hours ago,

I picked up the bowl, staring down at the already cold food.

"Why are you still standing in the kitchen like a ghost? Clear the rest of the dining dishes right now," my mother-in-law yelled from the living room a few minutes later.

"Yes, mum, I am coming," I answered, setting the bowl down and walking back out to gather the plates they had used, washing them until my fingers were completely numb in the freezing water.

Later that night, the bedroom lights were completely turned off when I walked over to the mattress and reached out a hand to touch Luke's shoulder in the dark.

"Stay away from me, I'm tired," Luke snapped, swatting my hand away violently.

"Did I do anything wrong? Why don't you want to sleep near me anymore, Luke?"

"You nag too much, if this keeps up every single night, I swear I will pack my bags and not come back at all."

"How can you say that? I am carrying your child, Luke, why are you treating me like a complete stranger, you weren't like this before?"

"Because am exhausted , Every time I walk through that front door, all you do is complain and smother me with your insecurities."

While we were talking, a loud ringtone echoed from the nightstand.

"Who is calling you this late on a weekend?" I asked, sitting up.

"It's just my friends, they are asking me to come grab a drink with them downtown," Luke said, already sitting up and reaching for his car keys.

"It's really been long since we went out together with your friends, let me quickly change into something nice and we can go together," I said, standing up from the mattress eagerly.

"No, you won't be coming with me."

"Why not? I want to get some fresh air, please, Luke, I have been stuck in this house all day."

"Can't you look at yourself in the mirror? You are fat and ugly right now, people will laugh at me if I walk into a club with you looking like that, so you better stay home where you belong."

"How could you say such a thing about me? I am your wife, You know it's because of all the fertility meds I had to take that got me this heavy, plus I am pregnant with your baby, Why are you this mean? You changed, Luke, you changed, Before, you used to say even if I turn into a hedgehog you would still love me, but now because I gained few pounds you don't want people seeing me with you."

"That was then, when you were actually desirable, who knew you would turn into an ugly, fat sack of potatoes? Please get out of my way," Luke yelled, shoving me hard against the mattress as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the bedroom door.

"Luke, please don't leave," I sobbed, clutching the sheets as tears streamed down my face.

"You told me you would always love me... why... why did you change?"