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Chapter 5

[Ariya’S POV]

The present…

I quickly wiped away the escaping tears from my eyes when suddenly there was a knock on the door. I didn't respond and waited for whoever was there to speak.

"Good evening, Ma'am. May I come in?" a polite inquiry came from outside the door. It seemed to be one of the house helpers as they referred to me as Ma'am. I sighed.

"Please come in," I replied, my tone soft but formal. The door gently opened, revealing a beautiful woman in a uniform. However, it wasn't the typical uniform worn by the housemaids here.

"Ma'am, Sir is calling you downstairs. Dinner is ready," she said politely. Her words were courteous, but I sensed an underlying displeasure. I also noticed a slight raise of her eyebrows when she glanced at me earlier.

"I'm not hungry. Thank you," I declined, about to lie back down when she cleared her throat. When I looked at her, her eyes were now narrowed.

"Ma'am, your husband is asking for you downstairs. It's important that you follow your husband to avoid any problems," she said with a hint of condescension.

My blood was already boiling due to my current situation, and another person like her was about to add fuel to the fire. I stood up and confronted her. I couldn't hide my irritation at her rudeness and nosiness.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" I asked sharply. She raised an eyebrow again and stood tall, seemingly projecting herself like a Miss Universe contestant ready to answer a judge's question.

"I am Colette Daniels, the house manager in this residence. Sir entrusts me with the overall management of the mansion!" she proudly introduced herself. Instead of being impressed, I laughed at her apparent boasting.

"Ah, a house manager. In short, a maid. You're just a maid here, yet you act like you're the boss. Have you forgotten who I am? Or has your demon boss not told you what I am here?" I snapped at her.

Her lips slightly parted, and she didn't immediately respond. I could see the embarrassment on her face, and I noticed her swallowing several times. I wasn't someone who liked to be rude or disrespectful, but her insolence earlier was something I couldn't let slide.

First of all, I didn't want to end up in this hellish place, so she shouldn't add to the hardship I was facing because I would surely confront her.

"You're Sir's wife," she replied, seemingly resentful. From her expression, it seemed like someone had just made her realize her true position, and she now understood how she should treat others. Now, it appeared that the other house helpers here might not be having an easy time with this arrogant house manager.

Well, since their boss is a demon, maybe their house manager has to be a little demon too. But she shouldn't make the mistake of crossing me because I wouldn't tolerate it.

"Right. I am his wife. That means, we have equal rights.” Referring to that asshole who owned this house. “So when I say I'm not hungry, I won't eat. Do you understand? And you have no right to tell me how to behave with my husband," I emphasized my response. She frowned, and it looked like tears were forming in her eyes. It seemed like she was trying to play the victim.

"All your words will reach Sir. I've been working for Sir for a long time, and you're the first one to disrespect me. Be prepared because I'm sure you'll have consequences for your arrogance. As if I don't know why Sir married you!" she retorted, showing that she wouldn't back down. I was momentarily surprised. It seemed this woman was not one to be easily intimidated.

To be honest, Colette seems too young to be a house manager. She might be in her mid-30s at most. But what surprises me is how she acts; you'd think she's the master. Perhaps it's because she has influence over Christopher.

"Go! Report me, I don't care. It's better if you leave and ruin my evening even more!" I dismissed her, turning away.

I heard her exhale sharply. Then she stormed out of the room. My irritation grew because, aside from Christopher, there's another antagonist in my life here – that intrusive house manager!

A few minutes after Colette left, the door to the room opened again. This time, Christopher entered with an angry expression. It seemed like that woman had indeed complained. So what? Was he going to take her side, the nosy house manager, over me, his wife? Wow, he's really embracing his role as a husband, a tiny part of my brain sarcastically remarked. I sighed.

"What did you just do to my employee?" he asked angrily.

"Why? What did she tell you?" I retorted, avoiding a direct answer. His face darkened even more due to my dismissive response.

"I'm asking you nicely, Ariya!" he snapped at me.

"You know what, if you're just going to believe your arrogant and nosy house manager, don't bother asking me. Explaining is just a waste of my effort!" I shouted back at him.

But I was surprised as he suddenly crossed the space between us, swiftly grabbed my arm, and yanked it. I winced in pain, and my protest escaped involuntarily.

"I'm talking to you nicely, Ariya. I am trying my best not to hurt you, but I think it is what you want. I just called you for dinner. Do you really need to embarrass and shout at Colette?" he asked with frustration.

I was slightly surprised and involuntarily let out a laugh when he suddenly released my arm. It surprised him even more.

"Embarrass and shout at her? Wow, your employee is such a great actress. Maybe she can be an author too, huh? Excellent at making up stories!" I retorted, withdrawing my arm from his grip. He let go, scowling at me.

"What are you talking about?" he asked seriously.

"Well, all she said was that I should always obey you and do what you want because I'm your wife. Who gave her the right to say that, huh?" I bravely confronted. I've been mistreated, hurt, and violated by Christopher, and now even his maid is going to treat me poorly? No way!

"She just speaks harshly sometimes. But Colette is a nice person. You don't have to make her feel like she's a servant and—"

"I had to do that because she disrespected me first. Remember, Christopher, I didn't want to be your wife. But because of your threats and to protect my family from this misfortune, I agreed to what you wanted. But that doesn't mean anyone in this house has the right to mistreat me!" I angrily cut him off. I've been bullied, hurt, and degraded enough by Christopher. I won't let anyone else add to my misery in this place.

He fell silent and didn't say anything. He just stared at me, but the anger on his face didn't disappear. Well, I don't care if he's angry. What matters is that I express my true feelings.

"Have dinner with me, and we will talk about our situation here," he said in a soft voice after a while. My eyebrow raised slightly because I couldn't believe the gentleness in his voice. It seemed out of place because of his rough treatment towards me since we met.

"Tell me first what the hell you're accusing me of, and how I ended up in this situation!" I challenged him. But then, his face turned sour again, and the demonic look returned.

I suddenly felt nervous and swallowed again. I couldn't endure his seemingly piercing gaze, so I looked away while waiting for his response.

"Never, ever mention that matter again. I might not be able to control myself and end up hurting you. That was the worst moment of my life. So if you want to fix our relationship, never ever remind me of that terrible thing again!"

His voice thundered with anger, making me flinch again. My heart raced, and I admit I felt scared. I didn't want him to hurt me again. So, even though I really wanted to insist on knowing what I wanted to find out, I put the brakes on for now.

For now, I needed to sense and understand the true nature of this man to figure out the root of everything that's happening to me. Also, how I ended up in this situation, forcibly married to him.

"Still, I deserve to explain my side. This is all unfair to me, and I need—"

"I said shut the fuck up! Or maybe you needed to starve, so you'll just have to eat? I know a way to exhaust you and make you feel hungry," he said meaningfully, his gaze roaming over my body with desire.

I shivered because I immediately understood what he meant. I couldn't speak, just shook my head repeatedly.

"No! I don't want that to happen again. Please!" I suddenly pleaded. But he laughed, making me even more nervous.

"It's impossible for that not to happen again. I'm your husband, so it's your responsibility to me as your husband. Besides, I paid you for it. So, you will spread your legs wide whenever I want to," he insultingly declared.

I didn't know what came over me, but my anger suddenly slipped away, and with all my strength, I slapped him. Now, I'm crying again because I couldn't accept the insult he said to me.

"I'm not a paid woman! Whatever nonsense you've been—"

But I couldn't continue what I was about to say because he forcefully grabbed me and gave me a deep, passionate kiss. I was momentarily surprised, and as soon as I could, I quickly wriggled out of his grip.

However, I screamed when he bit my lip. The first wound there hadn't even healed yet, and now there's another one.

"Ah! Let me go! You demon, release me!" I struggled with all my might, but his lips pressed harder against mine. Our teeth clashed, and I was running out of breath.

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