“You’re not leaving. We’re not separating. I am not fine with divorcing you, Rosella. You’ll stay here,” he said calmly, but his voice was brewing with storm.
I rolled my eyes and let them fall to his messy desk. I pushed the lacy thong that belonged to Sasha across to him.
“Why would you want the three of us to suffer, Darius? You can have the world for the two of you. You just have to free me-”
“You know Sasha’s pregnant. I’m doing all of this for her and the baby! After that, she’s nothing to me. You’ll remain my wife. Why can’t you understand that?” His voice cracked. with frustration.
He rubbed his head, trying to calm down, then walked to the sofa and leaned back, likely to control his anger.
I’d heard of situations like this, but those couples still respected each other. With us, it was different. She was sleeping with him, acting like his wife. What was I supposed to do? Endure it?
“I can no longer endure the torture here,” I said.
“You know what’s torture?” He raised his voice. “That’s marrying a woman who couldn’t bear my child! Finding another woman who can because my wife is a useless-”
I slapped him. We froze for a moment, but I couldn’t stop the tears that kept falling. My chest was burning with anger.
“Useless?” I muttered, shaking.
I saw his throat tighten as he swallowed hard, his eyes softening slightly.
“I’m useless, so you made me live through this hell, Darius, when you promised me heaven?” I shouted. “I. Am. Divorcing. You! I can’t stand living with you and your mistress anymore!*
I turned and stormed out of his room, but then I heard the loud crash of things breaking on his desk. His footsteps followed, and the sound of paper tearing froze me.
“You promised yourself to me, Rosella. To love me and stay with me forever. Why divorce now?” His voice was broken, but it only made me angrier.
“You’re asking me why I want a divorce, Darius?!” I screamed. “You brought your mistress into our home! You let her walk these halls like she owns them, carrying the child I couldn’t give you! You made me her maid, made me give her my blood while I was sick! You stripped me of everything, my pride, my voice, my worth! I just want to be free! Go ahead, marry her. Just set me free!”
But Darius did not flinch. His eyes were cold and sharp, filled with something darker than hate. He pointed at me and said, “No. You’re not leaving me, Rosella. You will stay. You will raise Sasha’s child. You will stand by my side, no matter what.”
I shook my head, my chest rising and falling. “And if I refuse? What then? I filed the divorce,
2/3 15.15
Darius. You can’t undo that.‘
His silence was chilling. Slowly, he gave a cruel smile. “Then I have no other choice.”
He whistled sharply. The door opened, and his men filed in, no words spoken. My chest. tightened with shock and confusion.
“Lock my wife up,” he ordered, as if this was perfectly normal. “Make sure she doesn’t escape.”
“What?!” I staggered back, stunned. “You would resort to this, Darius? Are you trying to make this worse?”
He grinned at me. Sasha was standing beside him, equally stunned. None of us expected this.
Ves. If that means I can keep you beside me and stop you from divorcing me…” He
gnaled to the men who grabbed me by my arms. “Lock her
קט!
now.”
“Let me go! Desmond!” I shouted at the one man I trusted. He looked at me with guilt. “Desmond, please! Help me!”
They dragged me to a small, dark room in the mansion’s narrow wing, the place for those who crossed Darius or me.
I whispered to myself in the dark, “If I escape, you will never touch me again…”
He truly locked me away, leaving just enough food and water to survive. He didn’t even visit during the first week. I had to adjust to the dim light.
I
I spent days crying, with no one to call, not even my only friend who could help. I was suffocating when I heard the door creak open.
I looked up, terrified. Was it Daríus?
“Please, help me…” I whispered, but my hope faded when I saw Desmond.
“Luna…” he murmured, motioning for me to stay quiet.
I followed him. “Help me…” I mouthed.
He didn’t answer but pulled a key from his pocket and stepped closer. My heart surged with hope.
“I’ll help you escape, but you can’t get caught. Your plane ticket is in this bag.” He handed me a small pouch.
I grabbed it instantly, clutching the key, nodding urgently. I rushed to the door, glancing back at him.
“Thank you, Desmond. I’ll never forget this…” I said, my heart breaking.
I grabbed a maid’s uniform, shoved the pouch inside the trash bag and didn’t care how I looked or if I stink. The guards didn’t notice as I passed. My heart raced when I reached. the g
gate and saw the taxi waiting.
“Are you Desmond’s-”
“Yes! Drive fast. We need to leave now!” I ordered. “Move!”
1422 Sun 1 Jur
The car sped off before anyone noticed. I looked back at the mansion, once a heaven to me but now is the hell I escaped. I will never come back. Never.
14:22 Sun, 1 Juner G
Darius‘ POV
