Chapter 5

NATALIE:

I fall asleep waiting for my husband to return home after he leaves the house with my sister. When I awake, I hear loud banging on the door.

As I rush to unlock the door, Franklin is back and accusing me of drugging him. I think he is joking, but he is serious. He carries me in his arms and takes me to our bedroom on the top floor.

Franklin does not let go of me as he unlocks the room door and drops me on the bed.

Before I can protest, he mounts me and starts kissing my lips, even before my mind can register what he is doing.

Franklin has not kissed me since we got married. He does not want to acknowledge me as his wife. He only eats my food and complains that he does not like fast food, saying it is not cooked well and the ingredients are mismanaged. Therefore, Franklin returns home and eats my meal or orders me to bring his lunch to his office.

"Franklin, stop!" I moan, trying to push him away as I breathe heavily.

I am supposed to be excited that my husband is making love to me, but I know that Franklin is not in his right frame of mind. I sense maybe Amelia has drugged him, and now he is home and accusing me wrongly.

Franklin strips off my green nightgown in a flash, and he continues kissing my lips.

I should have left him when I had the opportunity. Franklin's parents do not like me. His mother calls me a prostitute and says I am not fit to be her daughter-in-law.

Franklin's two younger siblings do not like me. They disapprove of my presence at their gatherings.

The only person who is kind to me is Franklin's best friend, Michael Austin. Michael is the only one who smiles and eats my food happily whenever he comes to visit Franklin on weekends.

However, Franklin has warned his friend to stop teasing me and says that I do not know how to cook.

Each time, I try to improve my cooking skills to win Franklin's heart so that he will love me and appreciate me as his wife. But he does not.

Franklin is mean to me. He reminds me that he is the one who brings the money to purchase the food, and he does not owe me any gratitude for cooking the ingredients he gives me money to buy.

I keep enduring Franklin because I do not want to leave my marriage or be called a prostitute—the same name tagged to my biological mother. I see her once after I marry Franklin. My mother comes to my house, asking me for money. She says that my husband is rich, and it is only right that I take care of her.

I cannot believe my mother says that to me. I try explaining to her that Franklin does not give me money for anything.

Mom advises me to report Franklin to the human rights authority. She says that my husband is rich and he has to take care of me and give me money to take care of my family.

However, I inform my mother that Franklin and I are not in love, and our marriage is a scam to cover up our embarrassment.

After I tell my mother how Amelia sets me up, she is not happy and advises me to divorce Franklin.

According to my mother, I am beautiful enough to win any serious bachelor to marry me. But I do not want to leave my husband. Even though he glares at me at the altar, not wanting to say "I do," I happily tell him, "I do."

After our marriage, I fall in love with Franklin and want to spend the rest of my life with him, but he does not trust me. He believes that I am the one who drugged him that night.

However, this night is different. Franklin does not take it easy on me as he gains access into me. He keeps pounding faster and moaning aloud in my ears. "Damn it, Natalie. You're so sweet and tight."

"Mmm." I do not try to stop Franklin. I allow him to pleasure me throughout the night, until he climaxes and gets his release. Franklin then collapses on top of me on the bed.

Pushing him away, my body aches from the level of impact at which he handles me.

Carefully, I slide out of the bed and move to the nightstand to grab my phone. It has been long since Franklin and I did it. I cannot remember that night three years ago because of the drug Amelia gives us. But this night is different, and I remember everything. However, I know that Franklin will not remember.

What is Amelia's goal? She wants my husband to sleep with her. Could she not be patient and maybe wait until Franklin and I divorce before she drugs him?

Amelia drugs my husband and allows me to suffer the impact of her actions.

I have always suffered the consequences of Amelia's actions, and I know that this will not be anything different.

As I unlock my phone screen, I see the time is midnight.

Franklin gets back home by 10 p.m. and makes love to me till midnight. I want to message Amelia, but I am enraged, so I call her instead.

"Hello, Amelia, what did you do to my husband?" My anger is evident as I yell over the phone.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Natalie? You shameless prostitute and bastard! What did you do to Frankie?" Amelia yells back.

"Hmm, do not pretend like you did not know. Franklin goes out with you, and now he returns home acting under the influence of whatever you have given him. Do not think that Franklin will not find out about this. I will have you arrested tomorrow, bìtch!" I shout, and Amelia laughs.

"If there is anyone who should be arrested, it is you who drugged Franklin and not me. You know what you fed him before I come to your house. So stop asking me nonsense!" Amelia ends the phone call, and my brows furrow.

I know Franklin will accuse me of drugging him once he awakes, and I fear what his anger will lead to.

Franklin does not beat me up, but he slaps me just because I refuse to allow Amelia to eat my food.

Franklin shows his angry side to me for the first time, and this has never happened before.

I blink my tears away and go into the bathroom to wash myself. Although I love the way Franklin is hot in bed, if only he does it with a clear mind and not under the influence of whatever Amelia gives him.

Exhausted, I walk out of the bathroom, go into the closet, and grab a new nightdress.

After wearing the white nightdress, I move over to the bed to sleep. This bedroom is my own because Franklin does not give me any specific room in his house.

Two years ago, Franklin buys this new house and tells his parents he is moving out. His father says that he must take me along. When we arrive here, Franklin says this bedroom is his own, and I am only temporarily using it until he asks me to leave his house.

We share the closet, but Franklin has not mistakenly slept with me.

He sometimes uses the other rooms that are furnished if he wants to avoid me, but most times, I lie to him that I am scared of sleeping alone just to climb into the same bed as him. But he hasn't slept with me.

As I lie on the bed, I sleep. The next morning, I awake and Franklin is still sleeping on the bed.

Touching his chest, I want to know if he is alright. However, his head is hot and likewise his body.

"What did Amelia give to my husband?" I wonder, knowing that if anything goes wrong with Franklin, I will be in serious trouble. But I cannot leave him at this point.

Going to the bathroom, I bring a half bucket of water and a handtowel to wipe Franklin's forehead and chest. I take care of him, but he is not waking up.

Afraid, I lay my head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. He is still breathing, but his breathing is not stable.

"My God!" I rush out of our room to call the family doctor and to know if I should take Franklin to the hospital.