Chapter 4

Scarlett’s POV

It had barely been two weeks since the arranged marriage with Ethan, and when he told me the other day that marriage was going to be hell for me, he wasn’t joking. Every day since the wedding has been from one hooker to the other, he doesn’t even respect the fact that he doesn’t stay alone anymore. He brings these girls home and doesn’t even try to be quiet; they would be so loud to the extent that I could hear everything that goes on in his room. The thought alone has me feeling nauseous.

I found myself sitting in the confines of our dimly lit living room once again, another night to feel disrespected by my dear husband, Mr Ethan. I waited for him because I just wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t know if he was home or not. It’s not love; that’s just how I am, and I’ll do it for literally anyone.

As Ethan stumbled through the doorway, his eyes unfocused. In his arms, yet another woman clung to him, their laughter mingling with the present anger in my heart. His gaze swept over me as if looking through an empty space before moving on to the woman who had captivated his attention.

The familiar sting of rejection and insignificance washed over me. I think it was high time I confronted him regarding his actions because I can’t keep tolerating this madness. "Ethan," my voice unwavering

“We had an agreement to at least respect each other in this marriage, and what you’ve been doing for days now obviously isn’t respectful to our home.”

Ethan's laughter filled the room with a heartless symphony that tore at the fraying threads of my self-worth. He stepped closer, reeking of alcohol, I wondered how many bottles he had.

"Our home? It’s my home, Scarlett. You, my dear, are only here because your incompetent father sold you to me because he needed the money, and this is my house. I'll do whatever I damn well please; if you don’t like it, you’re free to leave."

“This isn’t fair, and you know it, Ethan, because if the roles were reversed you definitely wouldn’t tolerate it,” I said, still trying to keep my calm in all of this.

“Well, I won’t tolerate it because it’s my home. If you want to live how I’m living, you might as well go to your own house and stop bothering me,” he replied

“Can we go now, baby?” The petite blonde he brought home was beginning to get impatient; she probably just wanted to get over with what she was being paid to do…cheap whore.

“I’m sorry for all this drama, angel. Let’s take that fine ass upstairs,” he taps her butt, making her jump a bit and giggle as I watch in disgust.

I took a step toward him, my voice trembling. "This marriage is a burden to me as much as it is to you, Ethan. But you’re a public figure from a powerful family, the least you could do is have a little self-respect."

But Ethan's eyes remained cold and distant, his focus stolen away by the allure of the other woman. His voice dripped with dismissiveness as he retorted, "You are yearning for attention Scarlett. Accept your fate and play your part. There is no room for you in my world." His little eye candy giggled and wrapped her hands around his elbow. She rolled her eyes and went on to kiss Ethan while looking me in the eye. They disappeared up the stairs, hand in hand, giggling and chuckling a lot.

As soon as I got to my room, I squeezed my phone tightly in my trembling hand. I desperately needed someone to talk to. I dialed Vera's number, hoping that she would pick up.

After it rang a few times, Vera's warm voice greeted me on the other end. "Hey, baby girl. How are you?"

My voice quivered. "Vera, it's barely been two weeks since the wedding, and I can't bear it any longer. I might just end up killing this man if I stay here any longer."

Vera listened attentively, her silence offering support. I took a moment to steady my voice before continuing. "He’s enjoying hurting me, and I don’t even know why I’m letting myself get hurt. I knew this was how things were going to be from the start.”

Vera's voice radiated empathy. "I'm truly sorry, Scarlett. No one should have to endure such a person. If you need me to come over and teach Mr handsome a lesson, I promise I will." Her playful tone made me laugh a bit.

"Stop complimenting him.” We both laughed.

Vera's voice carried reassurance. "You are stronger than you realize, Scarr. And you are not alone; I am here for you every step of the way. And if you still need me to teach him a lesson, I will"

A sense of gratitude swelled within me. "Thank you, Vera, I love you."

“Of course you do,” she said, giggling.

“How about your parents? have you had any means of communication with them since the wedding?” Vera asked, her voice laced with concern.

“No, and I’m not ready to. Dad has called me several times, but I’m not ready to talk to him.”

“I think you should talk to them, you can’t hold a grudge forever or else you’ll die as a short old lady,” she said, making me chuckle.

*knock knock*

I heard a rapid loud knock on my room door, who could it be?

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Vee, bye”

“Alright bye”

The person kept knocking impatiently even before the call ended. If it’s Ethan that’s at my door trying to annoy me, I swear I’ll punch him. I walked over and opened it, but no one was there. I angrily turned back and was about to close it when a terrifying shout pierced the air.

“O my God, please help!!!”