Chapter 6

WILLOW

"You think I can't find someone better than you?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with defiance. "Someone who actually values me for who I am, rather than treating me like a disposable object? I refuse to believe that, Lucas! You’ll see!”

He leaned in, his eyes narrowing with a mix of arrogance and superiority. "You're delusional if you think anyone would want you, Willow," he sneered. "You don't fit in with my family because you don't even try. You've always been an outsider, and it's your own fault."

I clenched my fists, my voice trembling with a blend of anger and hurt. "Don't you dare blame me for your family's disdain," I shot back, my words biting through the air. My rage is starting to get back, especially knowing his mother killed me.

"Your mother, Harper, has never accepted me! Tiffany and Brittany have always treated me with contempt. Ethan treats me like a servant. How can I fit in when they've made it clear they don't want me?"

Lucas shook his head, dismissing my words with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You just don't understand, Willow," he sighed. "You don't know how to mingle with people like us, with money, with status. You're too stuck in your own little world."

A surge of anger coursed through me, fueling my words with an unyielding determination. "Your wealth and status don't define me, Lucas," I declared, my voice rising. "I may not have been born into privilege, but I refuse to be treated as less than just because of that. I deserve respect and love, regardless of the zeros in a bank account."

His eyes flashed with anger, his voice laced with a venomous edge. "You're the problem, Willow," he spat, his words hitting me like a slap. "You've always been the problem. If you would just conform, if you would just do what's expected of you, everything would be fine."

I took a step forward, my voice a seething whisper. "I will not conform to a life of suffocation and emptiness," I declared, my voice unwavering. "I refuse to be a puppet in your charade! I will no longer sacrifice my happiness for the sake of your family's approval."

Lucas's face twisted with rage, and he grabbed my arm with a bruising grip. "You will treat my family with respect, Willow," he growled, his voice filled with menace. “And you have no fucking choice!”

I wrenched my arm free, my eyes blazing with defiance. "Respect is earned, Lucas, and your family has done nothing to earn mine!” I shot back, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“Shut up! Just shut up!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. The room seemed to shrink as Lucas hurled his hurtful words at me. Each word felt like a knife, cutting deeper into my already battered heart. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let him see me break.

"You're so annoying, Willow! I can't stand the sound of your voice!" he said with a venomous glare. "Other men find peace in their homes, but all I find here is chaos because of you!”

I clenched my fists, trying to steady my trembling voice. "Maybe if you treated me with some respect and kindness, there wouldn't be so much chaos," I retorted, the pain in my chest threatening to suffocate me. "You act like I'm the source of all our problems, but you never take responsibility for your own actions!”

Lucas scoffed, rolling his eyes in a gesture of exasperation. "You're always playing the victim, Willow," he spat. "It's never your fault, is it? Well, newsflash, you're not the only one suffering here."

His words stung, but I refused to let him see how deeply they cut. "I never said I was the only one suffering," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But you can't deny that you treat me like I'm beneath you. You don't care about my feelings or what I want."

"Oh, spare me the melodrama," he sneered, turning away from me. "You act like you're some kind of saint, but all you do is make my life miserable. I can't even go out and have a good time without you ruining it with your jealousy and nagging."

My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt a surge of anger rising within me. "Oh, so it's my fault that you can't be faithful?" I shot back, the words leaving my lips before I could stop them. "You're the one going out with other women, Lucas, not me."

He turned back to me, his face contorted with rage. "Don't you dare put this on me," he growled. "Maybe if you were more exciting, more like those other women, I wouldn't have to look elsewhere for some fun."

The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, and I wiped them away angrily. "I will not change who I am just to please you, Lucas," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "I deserve love and respect, and if you can't give me that, then you don’t deserve me?”

Lucas laughed bitterly, his eyes cold and distant. "You think anyone else would want you?" he taunted. "You're just a plain, boring woman with nothing to offer!”

The pain of his words was almost unbearable, but I refused to let him see me break. "I may not be perfect, Lucas, but I know my worth," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "And I won't stay with someone who doesn't see it too."

With that, he went upstairs, leaving me standing there, shattered but determined. As I heard him getting ready in our master's bedroom, I knew he was going to the bar with another woman. 

Minutes later, I watched as Lucas emerged from our bedroom, his appearance transformed into that of a man who had no obligations, no ties to a marriage. His clothes were meticulously chosen, his scent intoxicating. It was as if he had shed the burden of being a husband, leaving behind only the remnants of a man seeking pleasure without consequences. His smirk, filled with arrogance and disdain, sent a shiver down my spine.

"You can't stop me, Willow," he taunted, his voice dripping with superiority. "I'm going out, and there's nothing you can do about it."

The temptation to reveal the truth, to expose that his mother killed me and this scenario already happened, clawed at the edges of my mind. But deep down, I knew Lucas would never believe me. He had been blind to his family's cruelty all along, and I doubted he would suddenly see the truth now. So, I swallowed the words, keeping the weight of that knowledge to myself.

My voice quivered with a mix of anger and hurt as I responded, determined to stand my ground. "You're deliberately trying to hurt me, Lucas," I said, my words laced with frustration. "You find pleasure in seeking out other women, flaunting it in my face."

His eyes narrowed, relishing in my pain. "Of course I do," he sneered. "It excites me to see beautiful and desirable women, something you clearly aren't."

The wound he inflicted cut deep, and my fists clenched in a futile attempt to contain the storm of emotions raging within me. How could he be so callous, so dismissive of the love we once shared? I refused to let his words break me.

"Is this what our marriage has come to, Lucas?" I asked, my voice trembling. "A competition to see who can hurt the other the most? I deserve better than this."

His laughter echoed through the room, mocking and devoid of any remorse. "Deserve better? You're delusional, Willow," he spat. "No one else would want you. You're lucky to have me. Always bear that in your little mind,”

Anguish surged through my veins, threatening to consume me, but I refused to let him witness my pain. I took a step back, steeling myself against the onslaught of his verbal assault. I had endured enough.

"I may not be the woman you want me to be, Lucas," I said, my voice steadying with determination. "But I know my worth, and I won't stay in a marriage where I'm treated as a trophy wife, where my feelings are invalidated."

His eyes bore into mine, a mixture of anger and disbelief. "You can't leave me, Willow," he snarled, his voice strained. "You're nothing without me."

A fire ignited within me, burning away the remnants of the woman I once was. "No, Lucas," I said firmly. "I am more than what you see. I am capable of finding happiness and love, even if it's not with you."

The sound of Lucas's mocking laughter lingered in the air, a cruel melody that pierced through my heart. He belittled my words, dismissing them as the futile cries of a woman he deemed unworthy. The pain of his words weighed heavily upon me, threatening to crush my spirit.

As Lucas turned to leave, his parting words dug deeper into my wounds. "Don't bother waiting up for me, Willow," he sneered. "I highly doubt I'll be sleeping here tonight. I don’t want to be with my boring wife, you know?”

His words hung in the air, a reminder of the shattered dreams and broken promises that had become the foundation of our marriage. The realization that he had no intention of staying, that he would willingly seek the company of others, left me feeling utterly abandoned.

Alone in our house, the emptiness enveloped me, suffocating my spirit. Anger surged through my veins, fueling the fire of resentment that burned within. How had I become such an unlucky woman? What had I done to deserve this pain?

In the depths of my despair, a glimmer of hope flickered. I knew what awaited us in the future, the tragic events that would unfold. Could I change the course of our marriage, alter the path that led to this desolation? Was there still a chance to salvage the love we once shared?

The weight of uncertainty settled upon me, and I found myself contemplating the possibilities. If I could navigate the treacherous waters of our relationship, perhaps I could steer us away from the looming darkness. But deep down, doubt gnawed at the edges of my resolve. How could I save a marriage that was built on the crumbling pillars of deceit and indifference?

As the silence of the house enveloped me, I realized the daunting truth: the power to save our marriage rested not solely in my hands. Lucas, too, would need to be willing to confront his demons, to acknowledge the pain he had inflicted upon me and himself.

The weight of our broken relationship settled upon my shoulders, but amidst the pain, a glimmer of liberation began to flicker within me. I had stood up for myself, for my worth, and I was determined to forge my own path, free from the shackles of a loveless marriage. And for the first time, I feel happy. I feel I freely expressed myself earlier, which I wasn’t able to do before my death.

Though my heart ached with the knowledge that our love had faded, replaced by resentment and unspoken words. As I retreated to our master’s bedroom, I couldn't help but wonder if Lucas would ever understand the depth of my pain. Would he ever realize the sacrifice I had made, the pieces of myself I had willingly buried to conform to his family's expectations?

But I knew that dwelling on these questions would only deepen the wounds. It was time to focus on my own healing, to find the strength within me to reclaim my identity and seek the justice I so desperately craved.

I need to prevent my future death and I need to expose Harper and the mysterious woman to Lucas before it’s too late!