Chapter six.

If someone had told May that another woman would take her place in her own home, she would have laughed. But here she was, reluctantly massaging another woman's shoulders because her husband instructed her to.

Maryam was already sound asleep so she didn't get to see her mother's shame.

"Press down harder or don't you have hands? You massage like your hands are weak." Bella complained, trying to provoke May.

May stopped, frowning, she said. "I'm not doing it again. I'm tired."

Bella turned to look at May's retreating figure. "Come here and complete the massage or I'll make you regret it," Bella called back. May ignored her, leaving the room and advancing to the living room instead.

She plopped down in her armchair, dreaming of rest. She'd been busy in one way or another since after she got back from the market. She had prepared the native soup using the procedures Google gave her, but the soup didn't turn out well. It was so salty that she had to dump it all.

After that, she cleaned the house and washed the curtains using hypo-detergent. The curtains were too dirty, so it required more scrubbing than she first believed. Her fingers were bruised near the end, but the woman hadn't minded. Her hardship was to make an impression on her husband.

Maybe he was going to change once he saw all her efforts. But all her hopes were dashed when Edric came home that evening with Bella, who was moaning about how her shoulders ached and her neck stung. Edric, the ever-charming husband, had a solution. His wife could be an impromptu masseuse. He demanded the service, threatening her that if she failed, he would "show her the lesson of a lifetime."

May sighed. He could do his worst. All she cared about was getting some rest. He could go to hell with his mistress.

"May," came the roaring voice of her husband, interrupting her thoughts and startling her. He sent her a death glare. Unnerved, she jumped out of her sitting position.

"You sure have guts to disobey me."

She tried to steady her racing heart by placing a hand on her chest. "Edric, I am tired."

He raised his hand as a sign to stop. "Save that excuse, and carry your skimpy legs to that room, kneel, and apologize to Bella."

As much as she tried to keep her mouth shut, it refused. It decided to hang open out of shock. "What for?"

"For making her cry."

She raised a brow at him. "She cried because I stopped massaging her? That's incredible."

"The only thing incredible here is that you have the incentive to stop doing what I asked you to do!" He shouted, anger evident in his voice.

May's anger was rising now, she shouted back with so much force that the veins in her neck started to bulge. "You sent your wife to massage your mistress' neck for God's sake, Edric! Who does that?"

He slammed his hand on the wall behind him. "Me!"

May shivered with the way he said it. She hasn't seen this side of Edric before. "So, you value your mistress more than your wife?" She choked, her voice was quiet now but still audible for Edric to hear.

"Wife?" he laughed. "Look at who's calling herself my wife." His eyes roamed over her body, from her head to her toe, mocking her. She stared at him in disbelief.

"What do I have to gain from a wretched woman like you?" Her heart sank with each word that left his mouth. She could feel grief rising in her throat but she clenched her teeth, pushing back the tears and mentally telling herself that she was stronger than that.

She was strong enough to keep her mouth shut even if he could see the truth. There was no way it wouldn't hurt her, right?

"Bella's father is a wealthy man just like your father, isn't he?" he didn't wait for her reply, it would be useless considering she couldn't speak. "The difference is, you were disowned six years ago which makes you useless and makes her useful. At least through her, I could get something from her dad."

Things began to click in May's head now. Her head was spinning and her legs were wavering, she wanted to fall on her knees and cry her eyes out.

"You said you loved me!" Though it was true, it came out more like a question, her voice was shaky through her hiccups. The memories of all the times he had professed his love for her rushed in. She remembered how he moaned her name the night so long ago, telling her countless times that he loved her.

They were all lies. Lies just to trick her into bed. He lied because of her father's wealth; because he wanted something from her dad. If only he had known that one night was going to produce Maryam and ruin all his plans.

"I did. But that's in the past. My love for you died when your dad disowned you. I knew he wouldn't fulfill his promise once he found out I was responsible for the pregnancy," he gritted his teeth. "And he didn't."

May understood what he meant. When her ex-father had employed the new gatekeeper, he had taken pity on them because of how poor they were. He'd even promised to send Edric to school in Chicago. But when he found out that Edric had been hitting on his beautiful daughter in secret and had got her pregnant in the process, how could he fulfill his promise? He was so enraged that he couldn't even think straight.

May leaned on the wall to support her spinning head. Her legs were like paper. She hadn't eaten since morning and it wasn't even good.

She looked down. She didn't want him to see the hurt in her eyes. "Edric, you caused it." She was breathless, but he heard. He had the nerve to let out a low chuckle.

"Why is that, Miss governor's daughter?" he mocked with a smirk curling upon his lips.

The knot in her stomach tightened and she groaned, pressing her side but still managing to talk. "If my father had promised you- a mere gatekeeper's son- a scholarship to study abroad, that means I, as his biological daughter, had a better chance to study in one of the best colleges abroad. But you ruined it. You ruined it with your own hands." Now it was her turn to laugh, though it was a painful one.

"You must have forgotten that you caused it. If you hadn't deceived me to bed, I would have been in California, living a better life." A tear threatened to fall but she wiped it away, hoping he didn't see. "I was disowned because of you. I had to move in with your impoverished family. Edric, I suffered with you so you could get a job, so you could rent this little apartment and we could live happily ever after, together! I gave you everything a wife should! I know that I'm not perfect, but I'm trying to deal with my flaws for you... and this is how you repay me? You ingrate!" She looked up at him now, hatred flooded her eyes, her teeth clenched.

"You will always remain a mere gatekeeper's son. One who had no future before my dad took your family in and tried to help you-" she would have said more but the heavy slap cut her off. She found herself touching her burning cheek.

Edric grabbed her hair and pushed her to the floor, her head almost hitting the sitting room wooden table.

His black eyes grew sinister. His forehead was dripping with sweat and his hand molded into a ball. He couldn't take her insults any longer.

For him, she had no right to talk back at him. He was the man of the house. He was the head while she was the tail, and, like a dog, he could easily bite his tail.

He glared at her, who was still rubbing her cheeks. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up. May feared the worst.

"This is what we're gonna do. You're going to go back inside that room and apologize to Bella, do you understand?"

"Over my dead body," she spat.

"Your last warning May-"

"Never!"

And with that, he pushed her with all the force he could muster. All May saw was her face banging on the wooden table, and then, total darkness.