Educated Novels & Stories

I’m trapped in this marriage… Yes, I’m only a wife on paper. Legally bound, but not in the way we live our lives. Six years have passed, yet I’ve lived like a single woman. But I’m not allowed to love the person I truly want. If there’s anything good that came out of this situation, it’s that we gained a comfortable life—and we no longer live in fear of being hurt again by my alcoholic father. And him? Enjoying his lustful life as if nothing happened in the past six years. An educated woman, yet powerless to escape this prison made of paper. “I didn’t ask for that money!! I worked for all of it. Why?! Don’t you remember what you did to me that night?! How you violated me?! How my body was left covered in bruises and marks?! You may have bought me with your money… but that will never change the evil thing you did.” “You only made me your whore once, Ethan!! You feel disgusted with me? Well don’t you worry, my husband—I feel the same way too. I’m still haunted by nightmares of that lustful night… how you tied me up and pinned me to the bed… how you forced yourself on me so hard because you thought I was Sabrina—the one who hurt you!!! The only thing I did was sell myself to you, but I’ve been trying to forget it all and make things right!!” “I am your wife, Ethan!!! Your wife on that damned piece of paper!!! So no matter what your mistress does… she will always remain just a mistress—as long as I choose it to be that way. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

My roommate, Keith Kavanaugh, calls himself the "Holy Son of Frost". On the very first day we meet, he insists that the air conditioner in our dorm room must stay on until October, and the temperature can never go above 50°F. He claims, "A mystic says I'm the Holy Son of Frost, so I have a rare physique. I can only live in cool environments of 50°F at most." He even starts live-streaming, and his "special condition" instantly attracts a huge following. Meanwhile, I'm sitting right in front of the AC vent, so I'm shivering all over from the cold. I quickly turn the temperature up, but he immediately turns it back down and even locks the remote in his cabinet. "We're all educated college students here. Why are you so selfish?" he questions. Faced with his unreasonable accusation, I hold back my anger and try to reason with him. "We're in the north region. The weather here is cool enough in September. There's no need to set the AC this low. But if you insist, I can switch spots with you…" Keith cuts me off impatiently, "Are you crazy? Who sleeps right in front of the AC vent? What if I get sick from it? No one else has a problem. Why are you the only one making a fuss? Let me warn you—I'll melt from the heat. If you make me uncomfortable during my stay, I'll have you kicked out!" I realize there's no reasoning with him, so I plan to contact the dorm counselor to switch rooms. But Keith beats me to it! He goes to her first, records a video, and even posts it online. He accuses me, a local student, of being selfish and bullying him, someone who is from out of town. Just then, a new post suddenly appears on the campus forum. The poster writes, "My roommates are too wasteful. One guy washes his hair every day, and he even uses running water. He even takes a shower after every training session! Meanwhile, I can wash my whole body with just one damp towel. "And the worst part of this is that they want to kick me out after I made an itemized bill to split expenses. These cheapskates are always taking advantage of me. I'm looking for a high-quality dorm to take me in." My eyes light up instantly. He's the one!