Home / Shackled by My Wife's House Rules / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Shackled by My Wife's House Rules: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Joseph's POVThe front doors were completely blocked by the bodyguards. My knees nearly gave out beneath me as I fumbled for my phone and called the hospital, my hands shaking so badly that I almost dropped it."Please, just start treating my mother. I'll be there as soon as I can.""But—"I didn't even catch the rest. A hand struck the phone from my grasp. It hit the floor hard enough to shatter, the screen splintering beneath my feet. I snatched it up and pressed the power button again and again, but nothing happened."No shouting in this house. These are the Budzyn family rules."I stared helplessly at the dead phone in my hands. Panic burned behind my eyes, and before I could stop myself, they began to sting with tears.Gatlin Hewton's expression soured. "What's with the miserable expression? Got a problem with the rules I set?"He rolled his eyes and turned toward the door with an exaggerated huff. "Whatever. If your husband can't stand having me around, I'll just leave."

Chapter 2

Joseph's POVStella's expression turned cold, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. "Joseph, are you serious? You think threatening me with divorce is going to work? Where was all this backbone when your father begged the Budzyn family to take you in?"It felt as though an invisible hand had closed around my throat, cutting off my breath. Memories from the past flashed through my mind. Dad used to be the Budzyn family's chauffeur. Ten years ago, Stella's grandfather, Thomas Budzyn, was targeted in a shooting, and Dad took a bullet for him.At the hospital, Thomas asked him what he wanted in return.Barely able to breathe, Dad whispered, "Please… just give my son a place in the Budzyn family."Stella and I had grown up together. When she learned that Dad was dead, she threw her arms around me and cried. "Joseph, don't worry. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life. As long as I'm here, no one gets to hurt you."But promises never seemed to last. Stella was the one hurting

Chapter 3

Joseph's POVThe news hit me like a bolt of lightning. My entire body went numb, a cold sweat breaking out across my back.I couldn't believe Stella had gone so far just to indulge Gatlin's little game of playing master of the house. She had even cut off the money for Mom's medical care.Seeing my expression, Mom tugged weakly at my sleeve. "Joseph… Don't go begging her again because of me…"I shook my head desperately, barely able to speak through my tears. "Mom, you're the only family I have left. I promise I'm going to get you through this."My vision blurred with tears, so I didn't see Mom's eyes redden with heartache, nor did I see the lingering look she gave me as I hurried away.By the time I rushed back home, Stella was coaxing Gatlin into eating breakfast. The entire table was covered with food. There was everything from coffee and pastries to caviar and filet mignon on the table.The stark contrast made my blood boil. Thinking of how frail Mom had looked in that hospit

Chapter 4

Joseph's POVThe toe of a leather shoe lifted my chin, and bills slapped across my face until my cheek was swollen."Well, look who it is. Ms. Budzyn's husband. How'd you end up like this?""What a loser. Can't even keep his own wife's attention. Guess dressing up a nobody doesn't make him belong in high society.""You should see Ms. Budzyn's new favorite. I heard she bought out an entire auction for him last week. A billion dollars, and she didn't even blink."Every word cut deep. So in Stella's eyes, Mom's life was worth that little.Numbly, I knelt before one wealthy guest after another, but no matter how hard I worked, I couldn't come close to raising 200 thousand dollars.My vision gradually darkened. I was on the verge of passing out when a familiar pair of leather shoes stopped in front of me."Well, well, well. Still working yourself to death for that mother of yours?" Gatlin crouched down and patted my cheek. "You've been trying so hard. I think you've earned a little

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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