Chapter 2

I WOKE UP feeling like my head was being hammered with pain. It felt like I had been beaten up, and my whole body was sore. The muscles ached terribly. Once again, I found myself crying over a fate I never thought I'd experience. Why did all of this happen to me?

I slowly got up. The room was spacious and looked beautiful, but to me, it was like hell, and a demon resided here.

"You're awake! Good!" I turned towards the door and froze when I saw a tall man entering.

I momentarily stared at his striking handsomeness. He had thick eyebrows and deep gray eyes. His nose was sharp, and his lips seemed to have lipstick on, even though I knew they didn't. Was he the one who took advantage of me last night?

"Am I that handsome that you are already smitten? Don't worry, I am all yours since you will be my wife starting today!" he declared with a smirk.

I snapped back to reality, and the intense anger I felt returned. In my fury, tears poured out uncontrollably.

"I won't marry you! You got what you wanted, so let me go. You are the worst person I've ever known!" I shouted at him.

His smirk quickly vanished, and he approached me, grabbing my arm. I winced in pain due to the tightness of his grip.

"You haven't seen the full extent of my wickedness, so don't you dare provoke me. Go, take a shower, and someone will come to attend to you. I have to warn you again, don't you dare defy me or there will be consequences!" he warned, releasing my arm, leaving me almost stumbling in my place. My anger was overwhelming, and I was confused about what was happening.

"What is your problem? I told you I have no fault or connection to what you're accusing me of! Why don't you listen?" I struggled to confront him. Why was he making my life miserable when I hadn't done anything wrong to him?

"Not today, Ariya! Not today! Don't test my patience unless you want to face the consequences!" he threatened sharply. I was silenced, frightened by his expression. Then, he turned his back on me, slamming the door of the room, leaving me startled.

I hesitantly walked towards the bathroom. Along with the flow of warm water from the showerhead, my tears gushed like a flood. My chest tightened, and I closed my eyes tightly as I cried.

I lathered my body several times, but it felt like the dirt wasn't washing away. I felt disgusted with myself, as if I were so filthy. I never thought my dignity would be trampled in this way. How could I convince that demon of a man that I had done nothing wrong to him?

I didn't know how long I stayed in the shower, but even after stepping out, my tears wouldn't stop. A uniformed maid was waiting outside. My eyes went down to the bed, where a simple yet elegant wedding gown lay. Fear flooded my chest again. Even though it was difficult, I approached the maid.

"Miss, please help me. They just kidnapped me. I don't want to marry that demon!" I pleaded. The maid's face showed evident surprise. Her lips opened, and she stared at me as if taken aback.

"Oh, Ma'am, I'm sorry. I can't interfere in your affairs. I just brought your food. And if I were you, never anger Sir. Something worse might happen to you," she replied fearfully. I was left in shock and couldn't immediately respond to what she said.

"W-Why? What kind of person is that man?" I nervously asked. I remembered his threat last night that if I refused to marry him, he would send me the heads of my family. I swallowed hard, and a chill ran down my spine at the mere thought.

He avoided eye contact, intensifying the fear coursing through my entire body. Even my teeth seemed to chatter, and my hands and feet began to grow cold.

"Please eat, Ma'am. I'll leave now," she quickly excused himself. My eyes widened.

"Wait. I still have questions, and-" She ignored me and swiftly exited the room. I looked at the food she brought. They looked delicious, but instead of feeling hungry, I felt nauseous. That man was repulsive, and now, I was disgusted with myself too.

I gasped as the door opened again. The demon returned, and this time, he seemed angrier.

"So, you still haven't eaten? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?" he asked irritably. I averted my gaze, tears welling up again due to intense fear. Why did the maid react that way earlier? What kind of person was this man?

"I'm not hungry," I replied coldly. I almost couldn't breathe, but I didn't want to cry again. I refused to appear weak in his eyes.

"Really? Why? Did I not do enough to keep you from being hungry? Do you want us to repeat it? It'll be more enjoyable this time since you won't be hurt as much," he taunted, making me step back. I quickly turned away, fearing he might follow through with his words.

My entire body still ached, and I could feel the swelling and what seemed like wounds inside my intimate area. It couldn't happen again. I didn't want anything more to happen between us.

"If you don't want to repeat that, eat. Someone downstairs will take care of you. The wedding is at one," he said grumpily, sitting on the sofa. Then he gestured for me to sit and eat. I swallowed again. I could hardly move from where I stood. The anxiety I felt now was beyond words.

Nevertheless, I sat in front of the food. My hands trembled as I picked up the toast. My chest felt heavy due to the successive stinging sensations, but I resisted crying. I was scared of what he might do to me if he got angry.

"Eat properly, Ariya," he warned, and I gasped. I almost dropped what I was holding.

"Why do you know me? How do you know my name?" I bravely asked, despite struggling to breathe from fear.

"Don't pretend you don't know why," he replied gruffly, giving me an intense stare. He leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms.

"I'm asking because I don't know," I insisted boldly. Yet, he laughed deviously again. I was confused by his actions. It seemed like everything I said was worthless, and he just laughed it off.

"Just eat. I might not be able to control myself if you don't. You still look so pleasing today," he grinned. My intense fear returned, and I couldn't bring myself to look at him again. I continued eating even though it went against my will.

"Do my parents know what's happening to me now?" I asked after a while. I hadn't gone home yesterday, so I was sure they were worried by now. And Kevin. He would surely wonder why he couldn't contact me.

"Yes. They already knew," he answered casually, but to me, it felt like an explosion.

"What do you mean? What was their reaction?" I asked in confusion. This time, he looked directly at my face.

"I turned off your phone after sending them that text. I only told them that you're with me and that we're getting married today," he casually replied. I was stunned, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"You sent a message using my cellphone? No! Look, whoever you are-"

"Christopher," he interrupted.

“What?” I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"My name is Christopher Campbell. You should at least know the full name of your future husband, right?" he responded with a mocking tone.

"Look, Christopher. I am supposed to marry my fiance, Kevin, that's why I can't marry you. Please, just let me go. I have nothing to do with the accusations you're throwing at me!" I pleaded again. But I quickly bit my lower lip as his gaze turned sharp once more.

"I don't care. As I said, I've already paid you to marry me. If I have to repeat myself, you'll regret it!" he threatened angrily.

I had no choice but to remain silent. Fear once again paralyzed me, wondering what he would do if his anger escalated.

THE TIME FOR the wedding arrived, and my tears wouldn't stop flowing. Fear, anger, and hopelessness overwhelmed me. It was just the two of us and the judge officiating the ceremony.

"You're so evil!" I gritted my teeth at him.

"At least, I don't scam people for money like you. The only good thing about this situation is that at least you're a virgin. My money was still worth it, right?" he insultingly remarked. My anger flared up again, but I restrained myself from responding. No matter how much I explained, he wouldn't believe me. And I didn't know how to convince him that I was innocent.

The entire wedding ceremony concluded with a heavy heart. I wanted to confront him for what he did to me. I wanted to hurt him for the pain he inflicted. But I swallowed it all.

I endured the pain in my chest and cried bitterly while signing that cursed marriage contract. My tears flowed because I lost not only my dignity but also my freedom. Now, I had to forget the man I loved and live with a demon.

When we returned to his room, I sat at the edge of the bed, grieving over the misfortune I endured. I stared into nothingness, savoring the bitterness of the fate I never expected. I felt like I was cursed to have this tragic fate.

I am Ariya Stewart. I just graduated from college with a degree in interior design. I had many dreams, one of which was to become Mrs. Kevin Houghton. I was engaged to him, but now, I am nothing but a devil's wife. I was forced into this, and now I have to face the consequences in the future.