Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Laura returned to the Tanglewood Oaks neighborhood at nine o’clock, cradling her sleeping daughter Arianna in her arms. The night was quiet, save for the soft crunch of gravel beneath her shoes as she approached the house.
Stepping into the living room, she saw Sofia seated on the couch, holding Blair, a pristine white poodle she adored as if it were her own child. The faint sound of the television played in the background, but Sofia’s sharp gaze was fixed on Laura.
“Sofia, you’re still up?” Laura asked, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Arianna.
Sofia’s expression darkened with annoyance. “Oh, so you finally decided to come home. Had your fill of fun out there, have you?”
“It’s not like that,” Laura said, attempting to keep her tone calm. “The Robinson family had too many relatives over, and I got tied up helping. It was a busy day.” She shifted Arianna’s weight slightly in her arms. “I’ll just take Ari upstairs to bed first.”
“Stop right there.” Sofia’s icy voice cut through the air like a whip.
Laura froze mid–step, then turned to face her mother–in–law. “Sofia, is there something else?”
“There’s a lot,” Sofia said, her tone lated with disapproval. She began listing tasks, each word a pointed barb. “Do you have any idea how much work piled up around here while you weren’t home?
“The house hasn’t been cleaned, the kitchen’s a mess, and Martha’s laundry–along with ours–is still sitting in the washroom, untouched. The flowers outside haven’t been moved to the rack, Blair hasn’t had her bath, and-”
“Sofia, I’m exhausted,” Laura interrupted gently, trying to negotiate. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow morning? I promise I’ll get up early and take care of everything.”
“Absolutely not,” Sofia snapped, stroking Blair’s fur with a deliberate air of authority. “Has no one ever taught you that procrastination is a bad habit? Tomorrow will have its own set of tasks.
“You’ll rest when the work is done. Start by bathing Blair. It needs its rest too. And remember, my clothes are to be hand- washed. I’ll inspect everything when I wake up.”
There was no room for argument in Sofia’s tone, and Laura swallowed her frustration. “Alright,” she murmured, resigned.
Taking Arianna upstairs, Laura carefully tucked her daughter into bed, wiping her small face and body before pulling up the blanket.
Once Arianna was settled, Laura changed into a comfortable set of loungewear and descended the stairs. The night’s chores stretched out before her like a mountain she had no choice but to climb.
She started with the laundry, tossing the sheets into the washing machine before heading to the bathroom with Blair in tow. Bathing the poodle was a meticulous process, from washing and rinsing to blow–drying her pristine coat.
After placing Blair in her cozy pet house, Laura moved on to hand–washing Sofia’s delicate garments, scrubbing each piece with care.
Next came tidying the kitchen, wiping every surface until it gleamed. Then she stepped outside to move the flower pots onto their racks. Finally, she swept the floors, the rhythmic motion of the broom dulling her senses as exhaustion took hold.
When the last task was done, Laura dragged herself upstairs, every muscle in her body aching with fatigue. After a quick shower, she collapsed onto the bed, the clock on her bedside table reading 2 a.m.
Not long after, she heard the sound of the front door creaking open. The unmistakable scent of unfamiliar perfume hit her first, followed by the acrid tang of cigarettes and alcohol as Matteo entered the room.
Laura’s chest tightened. Her nose burned as she fought the urge to cry. ‘How many times has this happened now?‘ she
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Chapter 24
thought bitterly. She had long lost count of the nights her husband came home reeking of another woman’s perfume.
85%
It wasn’t just the scent. The laundry she handled often bore traces of his infidelity–strands of hair that weren’t hers, faint smudges of lipstick, or a stray business card from a random woman tucked into his pockets.
His excuses were always the same, a well–worn script. He claimed it was all part of the game, just harmless flirting at business functions.
He even went as far as to say that he had been more than accommodating and told her not to make a fuss over things that weren’t worth her time.
“You’ve been drinking,” Laura said quietly, her voice barely carrying the weight of her exhaustion.
Matteo unbuttoned his shirt with deliberate carelessness, his lips curving into a faint smirk. “How else am I supposed to seal business deals? No deals, no money to support you, Ari, and this household.”
“You’ve had too much. It’s not good for you and it’ll make you feel sick.” Laura pushed back her weariness, lifting the blanket and swinging her legs off the bed. “I’ll make you a hangover cure.”
Before her feet touched the ground, Matteo’s hand shot out, yanking her back onto the bed with startling force. His grip tightened around her wrists, pinning them above her head.
Her heart raced, unease clawing at her insides. “What are you doing, Matteo?” she asked aloud, her voice trembling.
“What do you think I want?” His tone dripped with condescension as he tossed aside her hands and leaned down, pressing his lips against the side of her neck. “You’re my wife. I’ll do whatever I damn well please.”
“Please, not tonight,” Laura pleaded as she squirmed beneath him, her words edged with desperation. “I’m exhausted. Can we not do this?”
He let out a derisive laugh, the sound cold and sharp. He shook his head as if she’d told a bad joke. “Exhausted? All you do is look after the kid and tidy up the house.
“I work my ass off to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, and you have the audacity to talk to me about being tired?”
Her voice cracked with frustration and utter exhaustion as she countered, “Every chore in this house falls on me, Matteo. I just finished everything and barely got into bed.”
“Don’t make me laugh,” he sneered, cutting her off. “Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry? That’s hardly what I’d call hard work, Laura. Quit whining and cut the act.”
“If it’s so easy, then I’ll go back to work,” she said, her voice firm despite the ache in her soul.
The idea was one she’d considered countless times. When they married, she’d been reluctant to leave her job, but Matteo had insisted she quit to focus on their family.
For four years, she’d poured herself into the role of homemaker, only to have her efforts dismissed as insignificant.
Matteo’s laugh was icy, a dagger disguised as a smile. “Yeah, right. Keep dreaming. Your job is to take care of my parents and cater to me. That’s it.”
He punctuated his words by leaning in closer, his lips brushing her skin again. But this time, the scent of another woman’s perfume hit her like a slap, tormenting her soul.
The familiar sting of betrayal rose in her throat, and her lashes trembled as she blinked back tears. She took a sharp breath and whispered, her voice shaking with raw emotion, “Matteo, if you’ve been with another woman, don’t touch me. It’s gross.”
The air between them grew heavy, her words igniting his temper. His hand shot to her chin, gripping it tightly as he glared
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down at her, his eyes blazing with anger. “Did you just call me gross?”
“You’ve got some nerve,” he hissed, his hold tightening. “What, are you still not over your ex? You’d rather sleep with him, huh? You whore.”
The words sliced through her, dredging up old wounds she’d thought had healed. Her voice faltered as she responded,
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“You knew I had a boyfriend before we got together. You told me it didn’t matter, that you didn’t care about my past as long as I chose you.”
Those words, once so sweet and convincing, now felt like daggers in her chest. ‘Men’s promises are nothing but lies, she thought bitterly, her heart heavy with regret.
Laura had been in a steady relationship when she first met Matteo, a strikingly confident client of her company.
Matteo, captivated by her graceful beauty and gentle demeanor, fell hard for her at first sight. He pursued her relentlessly, showering her with extravagant gifts and even going so far as to visit her home uninvited.
His boldness and generosity quickly won over her father, Jimmy, who joined forces with Peyton to pressure Laura into breaking up with her boyfriend.
Matteo’s persistence eventually broke through Laura’s reservations. Despite her initial hesitation, his unwavering devotion moved her. After six months of dating, and under her father’s encouragement, she agreed to marry him.
Once married, Matteo’s mother, Sofia, pushed Laura to quit her job and focus on starting a family. A year later, Laura gave birth to their daughter, Arianna. But Sofia was far from satisfied–she began pressing Laura to have more children.
Later, when Laura became pregnant again, a tragic fall led to a miscarriage, and she never became pregnant after that. Sofia’s displeasure turned into outright hostility. She began to openly criticize Laura, blaming her for everything and nitpicking her every move.
Whenever conflict arose between Sofia and Laura, Matteo consistently sided with his mother. The once–loving bond between Laura and Matteo began to fray under Sofia’s interference.
For four long years, Laura’s life revolved entirely around Matteo, Arianna, and Matteo’s mother and grandmother.
She had no personal time, no meaningful social connections, and no outlet to be herself. The vibrant, confident woman she once was had faded into a weary, unrecognizable shadow of her former self.
The spark in Matteo’s eyes when he looked at her had long disappeared, replaced with disdain. And on occasion, he would even say things like how foolish he had been to ever fall for her in the first place.
“I was a fool,” Matteo said with a bitter chuckle. “Laura, as long as we’re not divorced, you’re still my wife, and you will fulfill your duties as one. You’d better behave yourself, or don’t blame me if things get physical.”
Laura was too drained to resist. Physically, she was no match for Matteo, and her spirit was already battered beyond recognition. She endured in silence as he took what he wanted from her, treating her as little more than an object for his satisfaction.
Yet Matteo, dissatisfied with her lack of reaction, grew even more frustrated and bored. His grip on her was less about passion and more about control, his goal to torture her and force some kind of response–be it a cry, a protest, anything.
But Laura bit down hard on her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction. Her stubborn silence only stoked Matteo’s fury.
Finally, he pushed himself off her in frustration and glared at her, muttering angrily, “It’s like having sex with a mannequin. Are you even a woman?”
Laura remained motionless, lying lifelessly on the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.
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Chapter 24
“Did you hear me? Or have you gone deaf now?” Matteo snapped, his voice rising.
Her silence was like gasoline poured onto a roaring fire. Matteo’s already simmering anger boiled over, and in a fit of rage, he yanked her up from the bed and tossed her onto the cold, hard floor.
Laura let out a muffled gasp of pain, the shock of impact making her body tremble.
“Well, at least you’re not mute,” Matteo sneered, a cruel smirk playing on his lips as he stalked off toward the bathroom.
The Matteo who had once adored her, who had treated her with tenderness and care during their courtship four years ago,
was gone.
In his place was a man she could barely recognize, someone who lashed out at her with words and fists the moment things didn’t go his way.
Alone in the room, Laura could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. Tears spilled from her eyes, soaking her pillow as her muffled sobs echoed the despair she carried deep in her heart.
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