Chapter 7: Amelia

After a grueling day at the office, all I wanted was to soak in a hot bath and enjoy a peaceful night alone. But as I approached the front door of my in-laws' house, I knew that wasn't going to happen. Living with my in-laws was like being trapped in a beast's cage.

My heart sank when I saw my mother-in-law waiting for me with a cruel smile on her face. Before I could even say hello, she grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly inside. I tried to resist, but I knew she would pretend to have a heart attack and my husband, Ethan, would slap me again.

She dragged me to my room and started talking in a sarcastic tone. "I'm so glad you're home, Luna. I've been waiting for you all afternoon." It was clear that she hated me, so there was no way she would wait all afternoon just to talk to me. There must be something evil she wanted to do.

I tried to pull away from her, but she tightened her grip on my arms and pushed me onto the bed. She towered over me, her eyes blazing with anger. "You know, ever since you've been in our house, I feel happier and happier." Her words didn't match her expression at all.

"Mrs. Conrad, what do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I mean, my life is usually monotonous," she continued. "But ever since you came to this house, I've had you as an object to throw my anger at."

A cold knot of fear formed in my stomach. I had only been married to Ethan for one week, and our marriage was a contract marriage. I had agreed to be his wife for three months in exchange for a large sum of money, plus this mother-in-law who had previously begged for it. Ethan had even cried in front of me out of fear for his mother's safety if I didn't marry him. But what I was faced with after that was an in-law whose nature was equivalent to the devil.

"I've decided to extend your contract," my mother-in-law announced, her voice cold and hard. "You will continue to be Ethan's wife for as long as I see fit."

I was stunned. I had never agreed to this, and I certainly didn't want to be married to Ethan any longer than I had to. But before I could protest, my mother-in-law grabbed my hair and yanked my head back.

"You will do as I say, Luna," she hissed. "You will continue to be my son's wife, and you will continue to suffer at my hands. Do you understand?"

"No, our contract is only for three months," I countered, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

"I don't want to be Ethan's wife for more than that," I added, my heart pounding in my chest.

Having only been Ethan's wife for a few days, my life was already a living hell. Any longer than that, and I'd go crazy in this house.

"No, Luna," my mother-in-law said haughtily, pulling my hair again. "Do you know who the god of this house is? The god is me, and everything happens by my will."

I was in too much pain to speak, so I just nodded my head. My mother-in-law let go of my hair and stood up, smoothing her skirt.

"Good," she said. "I'm glad we can understand each other."

She turned to leave, and I saw that this woman was satisfied with what she had done. But there was still something nagging at my heart. Wasn't the contract supposed to be agreed upon? Why did Ethan's mother not seem to think the contract existed?

I finally found a bit of courage, before she could reach the door, I found my voice.

"Wait," I said, my voice trembling. "Please, let me go. I will pay the fine for breaking the contract, I swear. Let me go."

My mother-in-law turned to me, her eyes narrowed.

"You think this is about money?" she sneered. "It's about power, Luna. This is about me having control over you, and you having no control. And I won't let you go until I'm completely satisfied."

The woman smirked again as if not giving me a chance to negotiate further. I don't know what that was for, she hated me yet she kept me in this house.

Does this mother-in-law of mine really intend to keep me as her punching bag for the rest of my life? Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

With that, she turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. I lay there for a few minutes, trying to process what had just happened. I knew I had to get out of this situation, but I didn't know how.

My mind drifted back to the contract I'd signed while Ethan was crying. Yeah, I didn't have much time to read. Ethan said his mom would kill herself if I didn't marry him soon. And stupidly, I fell for it.

I finally managed to sit up and reach for my contract letter, which was still lying on the bedside table. I read it carefully, looking for a loophole or a way out. However, as I read it, my heart felt tight.

There was a strange sentence in the contract, one that I had overlooked before. It said that the contract could only be canceled if both parties agreed, even after three months had passed. And if I tried to cancel it unilaterally, I would be fined one hundred million dollars.

"Crazy...."

"As long as Ethan doesn't agree to divorce me, then this contract will continue to be valid?" I gasped and swallowed.

This was scary and painful. I was really scared.

I was trapped. I had been deceived by my mother-in-law, and now I was bound by this contract forever. I felt a wave of despair sweep over me, and I buried my face in my hands and started to cry.

But as if the world really wanted to make my life ruined, I suddenly felt another bad premonition. It was as if my in-laws' house was filled with demonic auras. I know I'm exaggerating, but I really felt like I was in the devil's lair in this house.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the front door. I wiped my tears and peeked out of the bedroom door to the outer door, and my heart broke even more when I saw who it was.

She was a beautiful woman, perfectly groomed and classy-looking. In contrast to me, who was just a shabby woman who probably couldn't be compared to her.

"Lunaaa! We have a guest," I heard my mother-in-law shouting, and I rushed out to say hello.

Even just a few seconds late, I had seen the angry look from my mother-in-law.

"Luna, meet Amelia. She's the secretary of a major corporation," my mother-in-law introduced her with a smirk.

"A successful career woman, beautiful and attractive," she whispered in my ear, her words dripping with venom. "She's not like you, Luna. You're like a diamond in the rough, still covered in dog poop. You know what I mean, right?"

I felt humiliated, but I didn't dare to argue with her. Instead, I bowed my head and kissed Amelia's hand as my mother-in-law instructed me to.

"Good to see you again, Luna," Amelia said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I heard you're still married to Ethan. How... strange."

My mother-in-law laughed, and it seemed like she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She made a digging motion with her hand, as if she was burying me deeper into the ground.

"Amelia, Luna is a gold digger. She married my son for his money," my mother-in-law said, making my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"Haha, it's okay, Luna. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Amelia said, her tone condescending. "Smart people make their fortune with their brains, while stupid people make their fortune with their bodies."

I stood there, my face burning with shame and anger. I couldn't fight back, but I vowed to myself that I would make Ethan's family pay for this humiliation.

My mother-in-law continued to list all my shortcomings, both real and imagined. She even claimed that Ethan was disgusted by my pubic hair. I had no idea where she got that idea from.

Finally, my mother-in-law seemed to run out of steam. She sat down on the couch next to Amelia, and the two of them started chatting about Amelia's work. I sat quietly, only speaking when I was spoken to.

As they talked, Amelia pulled out a cardboard box from her bag and handed it to my mother-in-law. "I brought Ethan a little present," she said, her voice sweet.

My mother-in-law opened the box and gasped. Inside were a dozen designer clothes, all in Ethan's size. "Oh, Amelia, you shouldn't have," she said, her voice full of admiration.

But then she turned to me, her expression cold. "Luna, you see this? This is what a real woman gives her husband. Not some cheap trinket from a discount store."

"And you never give anything, do you?" she continued. "Is the only thing you can give Ethan is your body?"

I felt a sudden surge of anger, but I bit my tongue to keep from making things worse. My mother-in-law let out a snort, seemingly at a loss for more insults to hurl my way.

Just then, Amelia cleared her throat. "You know, Luna, I'm thirsty," she said, her voice feigning nonchalance.

My mother-in-law's eyes narrowed as she turned to me. "Luna, get Amelia a drink," she demanded, her tone icy. It was as if she already saw me as nothing more than a maid in this house.

I hesitated for a moment before nodding and heading to the kitchen. My mother-in-law's gaze bore into me as I walked away, like a tiger ready to pounce if I dared to disobey.

I filled a glass with water and returned to the living room, trying to keep my anger in check. But as I handed the glass to Amelia, I caught a glimpse of the cruel smirk on her face. Before I could react, she "accidentally" spilled the water all over me.

"Oops, I was careless," she said, her voice dripping with fake apologies.

My mother-in-law laughed before turning to me. "You see, Luna?" she said. "This is what happens when you're careless. You need to learn to be more careful if you want to live in this house."

I stood there, soaked and humiliated, too stunned to say anything. I could only bow my head as Amelia and my mother-in-law continued their conversation.

It was clear that these two people would never see me as one of their own. To them, I was nothing more than a punching bag, someone to bully and belittle.

I was still standing there, drenched and defeated, when I heard the front door open. Ethan walked in, looking exhausted. He didn't even glance my way.

Amelia immediately jumped up and ran to him, feigning concern. "Ethan, you look exhausted," she said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Can I get you something?"

Ethan shook his head and muttered something about being fine. He didn't even look at me as he walked past me and headed upstairs to his room.

I felt a surge of anger and resentment. How could he ignore me like that? Did he not care about me at all? Where was the Ethan who had cried and begged me to marry him? Had it all been an act?

**

It was the crack of dawn, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, casting a warm glow throughout the house. I was in the middle of a peaceful slumber when I was abruptly jolted awake by the sound of my mother-in-law calling my name.

I groaned, already sensing that trouble was brewing once again this morning.

"Luna, wake up! It's time to cook breakfast for everyone," my mother-in-law called out from the kitchen.

Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed and slipped on my slippers before making my way to the kitchen. My mother-in-law was already there, busily preparing the ingredients.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted her, trying to sound cheerful despite my growing annoyance.

"Good morning, Luna. Did you sleep well?" she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

How could I possibly sleep well in a house filled with people who constantly bullied me? But of course, I couldn't say that out loud.

"Yes, thank you," I replied, forcing a smile.

I started gathering the ingredients for the breakfast I had planned, but just as I was about to light the stove, I realized that the gas hose was missing. I searched high and low, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Mrs. Conrad, have you seen the gas hose?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

"What do you mean, you can't find it?" she snapped, glaring at me. "How are you going to cook breakfast without it?"

"I don't know, I've looked everywhere," I replied, my gut telling me that this was no accident.

"Useless girl!" she spat, shaking her head in disgust. "Go and search again, and this time, make sure you find it!"

I quickly wiped away my tears and resumed my search, but the gas hose was nowhere to be found. I snorted in frustration, earning a glare from my mother-in-law.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom.

I shook my head quickly, not wanting to provoke her any further.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my husband, Ethan, sitting on the couch, looking upset. He was trying to read the newspaper, but the commotion in the kitchen was clearly bothering him.

I didn't bother greeting him; we didn't even sleep in the same room. I was just a contract wife, after all.

Ethan glanced up from his newspaper, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment.

"Luna, what's all the noise about?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

"I can't find the gas hose, so I can't turn on the stove," I replied, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Can't you do anything right?" he sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

"Ethan, I swear I looked everywhere," I protested, but he just waved me off.

He stood up and strode into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy. I followed behind him, feeling like a naughty child about to be scolded.

Ethan headed straight for the stove and, to my surprise, the gas hose was already there, as if it had never been missing in the first place.

"Luna, you really are hopeless," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I pity the man who will marry you someday," he added, his words stinging like a slap in the face.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back my tears as I started cooking breakfast. Ethan stood over me, watching me like a hawk.

"Hurry up, Luna! I'm starving!" he barked impatiently.

"I'm the CEO of this company! Time is money, and I don't want to waste my money waiting for you to finish cooking," he added, his tone condescending.

I quickly finished cooking and started serving the food, feeling like a maid in my own home. Just as I was about to sit down and eat, Ethan suddenly changed his expression.

"Ethan, what's wrong?" I asked Ethan but Ethan's face was red and his neck veins were tense.

"What are you making, human food or pig slop?" he spat, hurling the plate that barely missed my head.

I gasped, taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"You call this cooking?" he sneered, his eyes blazing with anger. "It's inedible!"

"Not even a pig would touch this," Ethan scolded me in a menacing tone.

Tears began to well up in my eyes as I stared at the ruined food. My mother-in-law and father-in-law also looked at me with disgust, their plates still full of uneaten food.

As if adding fuel to the fire, my mother-in-law chimed in, "A wife who can't cook is worthless."

"Luna, you're a useless wife," Ethan added, his voice dripping with contempt.

"I hope no man marries you after this. Anyone who does is in for a world of suffering," Ethan said cruelly.

I felt like I was going to faint under the weight of their words. I had always tried my best to be a good wife and daughter-in-law, but nothing I did seemed to be good enough.

And to make matters worse, Amelia was just sitting there, sobbing as if she was enjoying the show.

But then, something unexpected happened. Amelia actually defended me.

"Ethan, Luna's not wrong. Maybe there's something wrong with the food," she said, trying to sound sympathetic.

"It's possible that in the rush, Luna put the wrong rice in," she suggested.

"Didn't you, Luna?" Amelia asked me, and I nodded slowly.

Ethan glared at her for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, but this better not happen again," he warned, turning back to his newspaper.

Amelia turned to me with a smile, but I could see the hatred in her eyes. "Come on, Luna, let's go to the kitchen and clean up," she said, her voice sounding sweet.

"I'll help you," Amelia offered, and a chill ran down my spine.

"What other evil plan does she have in store for me?" I thought to myself, not wanting to go with her. But my mother-in-law insisted, and I reluctantly followed Amelia into the kitchen.

As soon as we were alone, Amelia's true nature emerged. Just as I expected, there was no way Amelia would do anything nice to me.

"You're really pathetic as a wife," she sneered, her eyes narrowed. "You can't even cook a simple meal without messing it up."

I felt the tears start to fall again as I tried to defend myself. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong," I whispered.

"You're just useless trash," Amelia spat, her voice full of venom. "Ethan deserves better than you."

I felt like I would break under the weight of her words. I was always trying to be a good wife, but nothing I did seemed to be good enough.

Suddenly, Amelia grabbed the plate of food Ethan had thrown at me that she had picked up earlier and thrust it in my face. "Eat it," she commanded, her voice cold and cruel.

I shook my head, but Amelia was getting angrier.

"You eat this with your mouth, or I'll stuff it up your pussy," Amelia threatened, making me tremble.

I knew that Amelia would mean it. She was evil and never messed around with her evil plans.

I took a bite of the food, feeling tears running down my face as I swallowed it. It tasted bitter, as if there was a spice that wasn't quite right. Amelia giggled and smiled near me.

"Good Luna... Good!!!" she taunted.

"That's what you get for daring to tease Ethan with that pussy of yours," Amelia continued, her words cutting deep.

"Do you think your pussy can still save you now?" she sneered.

"Let's see, did Ethan ever touch your pussy again after you first had sex?"

"No Luna! Ethan is bored with your pussy," Amelia continued, her words like a knife twisting in my heart.