During their entire honeymoon, Robert tried to find out the name of the man his wife loved, but there was no way to make her talk. No matter how much he insisted, she wouldn't say anything and refused to talk about it.
Upon their return, their first and only stop was Alice Taylor's new home, the one her husband had assigned to her. For her, living in a house away from the city wasn't a problem, but when Robert stated that she couldn't leave unless he ordered her to, Alice vehemently refused. She wouldn't stay locked up just because he said so.
"You're my wife! And if you thought this marriage would be a fairy tale just because you decided it, you're wrong, Alice Taylor! Your nightmare begins here. You wanted me as your husband, now you have me. Let's see how you handle all of this."
She called her parents to complain about her husband's behavior, considering it an abuse on his part and that she shouldn't have to endure it. However, there was no support from her parents. It wasn't as she had thought; nothing was as she expected it to be.
"It's your husband now, Alice," her mother said. "You're a grown woman. You need to learn to deal with the problems that come up in your marriage. Everything is a process and it won't all be rosy, but you're an adult. Remember, you're a couple now, and he's older than you. Just follow his advice, let him lead you. Listen to Robert, he's your husband now and you're his wife." Those were her parents' words, distancing themselves from the situation.
They made it clear that these were marital problems and there was no room for outsiders; it was something between the two of them, and her parents didn't see it as something so serious. They believed their daughter was just exaggerating a little.
In that huge house, there were three staff members, who were to be her only companions, and they had strict orders from Robert not to have any interaction with her.
"Robert... can we do this differently, please?"
"What other way? Do you think there's another way? You chose to marry me! Now you deal with the consequences! You're not the powerful Alice Taylor anymore. Now you're Alice, Robert Graham's wife. Can't you see? I'm the one in control now, and we do things my way. From now on, you'll live in my shadow. Get used to it or suffer along the way." The authoritarian husband made his position clear. She had to submit to him, or she would have a hard time. Robert had no intention of backing down.
"You don't even give us a chance to get along!" she shouted as he left. "You don't even try to make things right, Robert!"
With sadness, Alice saw that Robert still rejected her and blamed her for the marriage neither of them wanted. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to live that way.
He left her in that house and just walked away, not saying anything more.
The weeks passed very slowly. Alice sank into that loneliness, surrounded by cold, whitish walls that weren't friendly at all. As the weeks went by, she realized she was pregnant. She informed her husband, but it didn't seem important to him.
Nausea, morning sickness - everything was new and sudden for the young woman and her inexperienced body that was trying to adapt to these upcoming changes. Alice was always attended to at home throughout her pregnancy; she never went to the hospital for a regular check-up. The doctor came to the house and performed the necessary examinations because Robert wouldn't allow it any other way, and Alice's words seemed to hold no value to anyone.
There she was, abandoned, with no one seeming to hear her.
When she couldn't even see her own feet due to the size of her belly, her only company was her baby. The employees avoided talking to her during those months of isolation, and she only went out to the garden to walk, see the flowers, breathe fresh air, and walk a little.
As Alice no longer remembered the sound of her own voice or how to start a conversation, she began to talk to her belly, to her baby. She would touch her belly with her hands while applying a thin layer of cream, talking and singing to her unborn child. She told the baby about her childhood, about the wonderful times at university with Jared, the most beautiful moments of her life, the man she still loved despite months of not seeing him, even though she was married and pregnant by her husband.
Just a few weeks before her due date, and after all that time of being abandoned by her husband, he unexpectedly arrived at the house one early morning, catching everyone by surprise.
He opened the door to her room, and when he turned on the lights, he saw the woman lying there, starting to wake up.
"Robert?" Who else could it be? She couldn't fathom what he was doing there. She hadn't heard from him in months.
But Robert couldn't take his eyes off her swollen belly. It was the first time he had seen her in months, and he hadn't realized her pregnancy was so advanced, that Alice looked like that.
"Alice, but... you're huge." He sat on the bed and tried to touch her, but she wouldn't let him.
"I just want to touch your belly." He climbed onto the bed, and when he saw her large breasts showing through the transparent fabric, his mouth dropped open. He looked at her bare legs, and desire surged within him, causing his erection to grow quickly.
How could he desire a pregnant woman he hadn't seen in months?
"And I don't want you to. Don't touch my belly." Alice saw desire in her husband's eyes. She tried to grab the sheets to cover herself, but Robert didn't allow it.
"Do you think you can abandon us here and then come as if nothing happened?," she reproached him. She wouldn't let him lay a finger on her.
"Yes, of course I can. I show up after all these months, and this is how you receive me? You should be happy that I'm at least coming to visit you. Take off that robe and let me see the changes in your body. Your breasts are beautiful. Let your husband see them and put a smile on your face. Show a little more happiness."
"Happiness?" She laughed mockingly. "Do I have to be happy to see you? And don't think that undressing will happen. I'm tired. Let me rest."
"It's supposed to make you happy to see the father of your child, your husband! Of course, it's supposed to make you happy! Let me see your body for once!" If she refused him, he got angry. He didn't take her refusal well; he didn't like it when she tried to direct him or tell him what to do. He despised her responses or any attempt to contradict him.
He hated seeing Alice act like the great Alice Taylor. He detested the idea that she considered herself superior to him.
"Well, it doesn't make me happy! Not at all! I don't like seeing you after the way you've treated me since we met. Besides, I'm not fond of you either. Go away! Even loneliness is better than your company! And I won't let you touch me."
"I'm your husband!"
Alice got out of the bed to escape from him, but Robert was much faster. He held her carefully, making sure not to bump her belly, and started pulling at her pajamas until she was naked. The first thing his hands touched were Alice's striking and enormous breasts.
They had truly grown a lot. Her weight had increased considerably, and those breasts were no exception. Their size left Robert's mouth watering, along with other more perverse thoughts that entered his mind.
"Let me go! I don't want you to touch me! Don't touch me, Robert! I don't want this! You have no right!"
He turned her away from him, and his hand took control of her vagina.
"Alice," he said in her ear, his voice had become deep with desire, and touching her was making him hotter and hotter. "It's been months since I touched you. Are you going to say you don't want it?" His hand moved over her chest, his fingers stimulating her while he kissed her neck. Alice squeezed her eyes shut tightly, wishing nothing more than for him to leave, to stop touching her, as she had never desired him before and that wasn't about to change now.
Robert took that hand to his mouth and moistened his fingers before returning them to her vagina. She squirmed uncomfortably, but he didn't let go.
After touching her for a while, he led her to the bed and pulled out his member. He spread her legs and admired her naked body, her breasts, her flushed face, and those wide hips.
Alice closed her eyes and focused on one thing only - picturing Jared's face in her mind, recalling memories with him as Robert satisfied himself with her body.
Even though Alice had never experienced an orgasm, Robert seemed to enjoy himself a lot when he took her body, despite saying he despised her or didn't like her curves or her weight.
He took a deep breath and then held her face while she lay on the bed, placing a finger in her mouth, moistening it before running it over her lips. He didn't like her expression and how still she remained whenever he took her, like lifeless, without warmth, without spirit.
"Well, there are women who were delighted to see me every time I entered their rooms or their beds. It doesn't matter if you're not happy. I came out of courtesy, not because I really wanted to see you. I'll be here again when my child is born." He let go of her face and threw the sheet over her naked body. He didn't want to look at her anymore. He was satisfied, if desire rejected her again. "On the outside, you look appealing, but in the end, you're insipid, lacking grace or sensuality, and what's worse, you're cold. Your body is like a block of ice that can't warm me up, even with all that flesh. Alice, you're not a good woman." After those harsh words to his wife, he left.
That's how their encounter unfolded after months of not seeing each other, but Alice felt relief that he was gone. She genuinely preferred to be alone than in the company of her husband, Robert Graham. She despised his ownership of her body and felt dirty every time he took her in that way.
She suffered initially because he abandoned her there, but then she only appreciated his absence. She was now relieved and didn't feel bad about being the abandoned wife; she was grateful for it.
That night, after that argument and after he had taken her without any care, despite her advanced pregnancy, Alice couldn't sleep anymore. Due to the agitation from their heated exchange or the forceful use of her body by Robert, she felt distressed, along with being extremely tired. Her belly was restless, and her back ached horribly.
She started pacing back and forth, unable to ease the pain. The hours kept passing, and morning arrived. When Alice couldn't bear the pain any longer, she asked one of the employees to call the doctor. She wasn't feeling well and feared for her baby's health. Everything in her belly seemed very strange; she didn't want anything bad to happen to her baby.
When the doctor arrived and examined her, he knew it wasn't yet time for the baby to be born, but something wasn't right.
Something was wrong.
He kept her under observation, and then the alarm sounded when Alice Taylor suddenly developed a high fever. She had to be rushed to the hospital.
Robert Graham was informed that his wife was admitted to the central hospital, but he didn't care much. His sisters came to see Alice and her condition, only to be surprised that she was undergoing a premature cesarean section when a normal delivery had been anticipated from the beginning.
Alice was lying on the bed, and her baby was not with her. She had just woken up, feeling very strange after the cesarean section. She remembered falling asleep but never remembered seeing her child. Several hours had passed since the cesarean, and she knew nothing about him."It's a boy," said her older sister, Sofia, just realizing that her sister was there with her. "You gave birth to a boy," she said again with a smile."I want to see him, I need to see him," Alice raised her hand, motioning for her sister to come closer. Her sister took a seat by her side and held her hand, preparing to tell her the next thing."Alice, the baby wasn't born healthy, and for now, he can't be with you. He's premature and has other problems he was born with. To be honest, and I hope you can be strong, he has a slim chance of survival. He's very weak and..." She started crying upon learning her son's condition, not letting her sister tell her everything about the little creature.Alice's sorrow was ov
"They won't stop calling you, aren't you going to answer?" the redhead beside him asked. She looked at Graham sensually and with desire.How long had they been lovers? When did they start seeing each other in this way? When did they both get entangled in this tale of infidelity?She was his assistant, who had no remorse about getting involved with him, even knowing he was married because, yes, she knew. Everyone knew about the dazzling wedding between Robert Graham and Alice Taylor. There was no one who didn't know about that important wedding.Robert didn't care about that either. His wife was something he didn't care about. As long as she didn't leave that house where he left her, everything would be fine for him. He had her subdued, afraid to rebel against him. That's all Robert wanted, to keep Alice under his control, to make her understand that she was nothing more than him, that she couldn't escape his side, and he wouldn't let her be with that man she claimed to love."I know w
When Jared Sinclair received the news that Alice Taylor had given birth, he dropped everything he was doing and, upon learning which hospital she was admitted to, headed straight there without hesitation. He knew her sisters, and they were the first people he saw when he arrived at the hospital."Sofia," he greeted with a kiss and a hug. Besides Alice, Sofia was the other Taylor he had confidence in, the one he was closer to. "Long time no see, everyone's here," he observed the Taylor family, who remained silent, saddened by the loss of Alice's baby. "What is it? A girl or a boy?" he asked in a low voice, not knowing what was happening, somewhat excited because it would be Alice's child, and even though it wasn't his, it made him happy. Her happiness also brought him joy.He looked around the waiting room, trying to spot Robert, assuming he would be with Alice and their new baby since he didn't see him there.He knew he might feel jealous seeing Robert so happy with his family, with h
"I love you, Alice Taylor. And I have since the first moment I saw you. You are and always will be the woman I'm in love with, even though it can never be."Alice heard every word that came from her beloved Jared's lips. She squeezed her eyes shut, as well as her hands against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart and absorb this confession, which felt like a balm for her wounds.What should she do? Should she open her eyes, tell him she heard everything, and confess the love she felt for him from the moment she first saw him? Should she reveal that her love was reciprocated?She didn't know what to do, but she began by opening her eyes.Seeing that she was awake, Jared's pale face turned even paler, and his cheeks flushed red. He quickly stood up, embarrassed because she had probably heard that confession he had poured from the depths of his heart."I-I..." Alice had never seen him so nervous, and he was usually quite serious. This brought a fleeting smile to Alice's lips."You
It was a very strange situation. He had little contact with that pregnancy and was not particularly enthusiastic about having a child with Alice. However, he never thought about the death of that child, especially now that he knew it was necessary for an heir to be born from the union of both families to maintain their connection.He always looked down on both of them and left them locked in that house, unaware that he might need them. His father had reached an agreement with the Taylors."Why didn't he tell me something like this?" He would have paid a little more attention to Alice or her pregnancy. Could it have been his fault? Did it have something to do with the way he treated his wife the night before? Could it be possible?"No, it can't be my fault. She must have done something wrong to lose our child. If there's anyone to blame, it must be her, she was the one who was pregnant. It can't be my fault," he told himself to avoid carrying that burden. He walked to the hospital wher
For Alice, having Robert around for such a long time was very strange. He didn't move a second from that room, and he couldn't either. He had to show the Taylors that he wasn't present because he didn't want to be, not because he couldn't be. The only way to do that was by staying with Alice until his family eased off after Robert's apology in front of everyone, even though it was hard for him, as he didn't like feeling inferior, especially to Alice Taylor.They were discharged from the hospital, but he was still there. He behaved like a concerned husband. What happened to his plans of traveling? Didn't he say he had more important things to do and was very busy? Why wasn't he leaving now?But he couldn't just disappear with his lover. It was a family moment, and he couldn't afford to run away, not when the Taylors had their eyes on him. One more mistake, and the consequences could be fatal. He couldn't risk Sofia Taylor staying against him."Doctor, how long after the cesarean can my
"Jared! Can't you hear me?" Immersed in his thoughts, he completely ignored the voice of his assistant calling him several times, his boss seemingly oblivious. Angry, she called once more, daring to shout at him because he seemed lost in something else, unable to hear her voice. "Jared!"He couldn't stop thinking about Alice, how she was, how she must be coping after the loss of her child. He pondered the strange relationship she had with her husband, as if it lacked love, as if... they felt nothing for each other, just as Sofia Taylor had said.It also bothered him greatly that she heard his confession. A part of him felt relieved that she didn't say anything because that wasn't the right time or place, but on the other hand, he wanted her to have some opinion, since she heard what he said when he thought she was asleep, when he confessed, thinking she couldn't hear him.He also wished that at least she would say something, because he didn't even know if those words offended her, con
Jared wasn't just Robert's best friend; he was also like his right-hand man for everything, one of his most relied-upon employees. This was especially true now that Robert had a mistress and was neglecting many of his responsibilities. He entrusted Jared with a lot of confidence and a significant workload, even beyond what his role required.Personally, Jared was a good friend. They had known each other for many years. However, in a professional setting, Robert saw him only as another employee. That's why Jared hanging up the call the way he did felt like an insult to Robert, a challenge to his authority as his boss. Friendship didn't hold much weight in such situations."Are you leaving already?" Dayana's voice still carried the energy of their recent activities. "Have you thought about what I told you, Rob?" Dayana wanted to stop being just his assistant and secure a better position in the company. She was very clear about this. Being his lover meant more than just that; there were
After that celebration, Robert and Alice had a couple of hours alone, before the inauguration event of their company.Robert touched his wife's finger, sliding down the ring that was there, looking so good in his hand."My wife..." the word tasted like honey in her mouth, but her lips tasted more like honey, painted in a soft tone and addressing her husband's."My love," he joined his lips with Graham's and began a dance that would undoubtedly lead to other things.Behind them the bed was waiting for them.The man's hands searched desperately behind the dress, without finding the zipper, he bit Alice's lower lip in a plea for her to help him get rid of that dress before he went crazy.Her laughter betrayed her, making mischief to have fun with Robert, despite seeing him desperate."Ah... did you find it funny?" I can enter in a different way. I'll show you." He ran through Alice's waist with his hands, fell kneeling in front of her and in a quick movement he lifted the skirt of the dr
"Why again?" Ethan was at his feet, without taking his eyes off his aunt, from all the sisters she was the most similar to Alice, especially after she had lost weight, a thin Alice looked a lot like Sam. "If they already divorced once, why get married?""The first time I walked to the altar was to please Dad. And believe me, I didn't have the slightest desire to marry, neither to Robert, nor to anyone, more than anything because I was in love with Jared. A wedding with him was a sacrifice, in its entirety. Much less did I see myself capable of loving him, I knew that he didn't want home either, we didn't know each other, there was no link between the two. And it seemed that it would be impossible to have had it."What now?""Haven't you seen her?" She looks at him and sighs," Loren replied. "She is very much in love. It's normal, Robert is a sweetheart, Sam."Is it the same Robert as...?" He looked at Sofia, then at Alice. "Why do I ask if I already know?""Yes, it's Robert Graham him
That trip turned out to be a very bad idea.I was hoping that Mary would see him there and like the surprise, but it was the opposite.He was affected by his words.It was there for her, not because Mark was also present. Mary Jane said that it was important to her and he wanted to show her that it could also be important to him.The gesture was not well received."Why does this come from you, Jeremy?" I expected it more from his daughter, never from Jeremy, because he was the one who would lose the most. "Has anything happened with Mary Jane?" How is the situation there? - Mr. Taylor didn't seem to know that Mary was in the country. - Tell me. You can trust me."I fell in love with someone else," Jeremy said, sitting in front of Mr. Taylor. "And that person doesn't want to be my lover. I think... if our divorce doesn't intervene with anything, that option could be considered. What do you tell me?"Divorce?" Do you think it's convenient for you or your family? They still have a huge d
"Alice!" she ran to her sister, happy to see her, hugged her, squeezing her against her. A somewhat anguished Robert approached the two, surrounding Alice by the waist to separate them, considering that Mary was squeezing her a little."Don't squeeze it too much." He asked. Mary lowered her arms from her sister and greeted Robert, just as happy to see him. How are you, Mary?"Since when have you been so delicate or careful?""Since always," he replied, surrounding Alice's belly. "Now more."I'm pregnant," little Alice told her sister.Mary Jane put her hands to her mouth, unable to stop the surprise that came to her with the news."What a joy!" Now I understood Robert's precautions, although they were still exaggerated. "Another baby. Congratulations to both of you, I see that you don't waste your time.Alice took her sister's hand, taking her to the car, gave her a second hug and a kiss.Robert entered the suitcase and the two of them were talking."How are you?" Did it cost you to c
He entered his son's room, he was asleep, the suitcase was already at the door.He kissed his forehead and went towards the door, giving him one last look."I'll be back in four days," he said, it didn't matter if Andy wasn't listening to her.He left the room, turning off the ceiling light and only leaving the one on the bedside table.At the exit door was Jeremy with his arms crossed.I knew Mary Jane's plans and no matter how much it bothered her, I couldn't stop her from doing anything. She was there by her own decision. And for his son.But, despite the fact that in those months Jeremy had tried some things for them to make the passes, Mary Jane did not forgive him for blackmailing her with her son, and only words passed."Mary, will you really leave?" She made a lump in her throat, afraid that she wouldn't come back, that she wouldn't care about either of them."Four days, Jeremy. It's only four days."But... we can go with you."It's Robert and Alice's opening party. It goes wi
He didn't know that he wanted to leave or that he needed it, until his brother made the mention of leaving that place.Although the word "abandon" was not to Charisse's liking, because it made her nostalgic. Their father had abandoned them, their mother had died, years later they learn that their father had also died and as if they were not many misfortunes, they are left without money. But luckily Jared finished his university studies and was able to get a good job at Graham Group, the rest that happened did not exist in Charisse's mind, because she was in a coma, she did not know the course that Jared's life took or his friendship with Robert.But leaving that place seemed very sad to him, until he was on the plane.If she looked back, it was not only a relief for her to be moving away from all that, it was also a relief for Jared to be able to leave, to do it with his sister.According to his memories, it was the first time he boarded a plane, because the two times he came to do it
"I don't know what you did to make things happen like this. Maybe you didn't do anything and it was due to Alice. I'm here to tell you myself. Thanks to you... Bethany won't pay for what she did to my sister. I don't blame you for what Bethany did, but I thought you would at least like her to pay for the damage done to my sister. I don't even know how I could think that, when it's clear that if you kept the secret it was because you weren't interested in anything that happened to Charisse. And, even after this, you served to make her leave unscathed. I admit that this is not the first time I have been disappointed in you, but I thought you appreciated my sister, Robert. I don't know why I'm still waiting for something from you, when you let me see over and over again what you are."Jared, I didn't do anything so that Bethany wasn't convicted."Your damn name could not be mentioned at the trial! You knew what Bethany did. You were his fucking accomplice!"He wasn't his accomplice!"And
He was facing his father.The man kept wondering how it was that he was wrong in so many things.She was an adult woman, who had wasted her life in multiple ways, but this was one of the worst.There was an attack on someone else's life."Bethany, I've given you everything, I've consented to everything, but never... I could overlook the fact that you try to kill someone else.It was Robert's fault! You know I wanted to leave me, I told you a million times."And I told you not to insist on him, because the poor man put up with you a lot. What does Robert have to do with all this? You ran over her with clear intentions of killing her. I have talked to the lawyer and... we have to try to reach an agreement."I'm sorry, Dad." He looked down. "But Jared is no longer the starved man of before."What do you mean?" Do you think we can't reach an agreement? A good financial compensation, after all she didn't die, did she?"He's the CEO of all Taylor companies, Dad. I think that financial compe
The news had been watered like wildfire between the Taylor sisters.Sofia and Loren tried to call Alice, but she turned off her cell phone so she didn't hear from anyone.Quite stressed that she was after knowing that Robert kept a secret of that magnitude, that he interacted with Bethany even after that, that he knew what she was capable of and let him approach him again, even close to her son.The nerves did not abandon her, while she thought that another more serious thing could have happened against her or her child from Bethany to have felt jealous, if she acted in that impulse driven by jealousy.She kept thinking about bad things and horrible scenarios that were no longer capable of happening, but her thoughts betrayed her and Bethany Walton didn't leave her mind.Are you going to involve Robert? It was one of the questions that Alice asked herself, holding herself so as not to call Jared and keep asking him to please leave Robert out of everything.And it stopped.Because he w