Chapter 2

"What are you doing, Magnus? I'm not in the mood," Vivienne begged amidst tears as he loosened the belt of her bathrobe.

Magnus ignored her desperate pleas, his wicked smile never faltering as he undid the belt with ease. Finally, the robe fell open, exposing her trembling body to the cold night air.

"You are my wife," Magnus spat, his voice laced with venom. "And it is your compulsory duty to satisfy me sexually."

Vivienne flinched as the words hit her like a slap.

"So, I'm only your wife when you need me to satisfy you?" she yelled, her voice cracking under the weight of her pain. "As much as I want to have you back, Magnus, not like this. Not in this crazy manner!"

"Am I your wife, or just your prey? Am I supposed to shiver in fear while you act like a predator?" Her voice trembled, but Magnus barely registered her words.

Without hesitation, he pried her legs open, his grip cold and unrelenting.

At that moment, Vivienne’s resistance ebbed. Begging him clearly wouldn’t help. She realized, with heartbreaking clarity, that Magnus saw her as nothing more than an object, something he could use whenever he wanted.

Her mind spiraled into darker thoughts. He was right about one thing: she had become entirely dependent on him, a housewife without financial freedom or a shred of dignity left. She was nothing but a broken shell of the woman she used to be, trapped under his roof like a bird with clipped wings.

Magnus leaned closer, his hands roaming her body like she was a possession, and not a person. "Spread your damn legs," he growled. "This is what you were made for. Nothing but a leech and a gold digger."

His words cut her deeper than any physical blow could. She stared blankly at the ceiling, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

The last time Magnus treated her with a modicum of respect was before the charity gala they attended months after their wedding. It was a time when she still believed in happily-ever-afters. But those dreams were shattered the moment Elena walked back into their lives.

Elena.

Even thinking of her name made Vivienne sick with anger and despair. She was the woman Magnus and his mother worshipped. In their eyes, Elena was everything Vivienne could never be—smarter, prettier, and more capable.

Magnus’s voice broke through her thoughts like a jagged knife.

"You're not even tight like before," he sneered, shoving three fingers into her without warning. "Have you been whoring yourself out while I was busy working?"

Vivienne recoiled, tears blinding her vision. "You know I would never do that," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I used to think so too," Magnus shot back coldly, his thrusts becoming more punishing. "Until I realized I never really knew you."

The accusation was so absurd it left her momentarily speechless. Her tears intensified as she lay there, utterly helpless under his weight.

When he finally finished, Magnus rolled off her, his face devoid of any emotion except contempt.

"You're actually useful sometimes," he muttered, pulling his pants back on.

Vivienne remained motionless, her body trembling from the physical and emotional assault. She closed her eyes, praying for the strength to survive another day in this living hell.

A few minutes later, when she opened her eyes, Magnus was gone.

Groaning, she sat up, her body aching in more ways than one. Slowly, she dragged herself to the bathroom, where she leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection. The woman in the mirror was a stranger to her—a shadow of the vibrant, hopeful girl who once dreamed of becoming a doctor.

Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, a silent prayer leaving her lips. Please, let the baby be okay.

Yes, she was pregnant. She had taken the test just a few days ago after weeks of morning sickness and dizziness.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave. She couldn’t let her child grow up in this toxic environment. She couldn’t allow Magnus to have any influence on their child. He didn’t care about her, and he certainly wouldn’t care about the baby.

Vivienne made a decision right then and there. She would leave.

It wouldn’t be easy, but staying was no longer an option. Even if it meant working as a maid or cleaning toilets to survive, she would do whatever it took to give her baby a better life.

She turned on the shower, scrubbing her skin with a ferocity that matched the turmoil in her heart. But no amount of water could wash away the shame and pain Magnus had inflicted on her.

As the water cascaded down her body, Vivienne thought of Alice, her former best friend who had warned her against marrying Magnus. Alice had seen the red flags that Vivienne had been too blinded by love to notice.

You’ll regret this decision one day, Alice had said.

Vivienne hated how right Alice had been.

The sound of the front door slamming shut brought her back to the present. She wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the bathroom, her heart racing.

Magnus was gone for now, but his shadow lingered, suffocating her with its oppressive presence.

For the first time in years, Vivienne allowed herself to feel something she thought she had lost entirely—hope.

Hope for a future where she could raise her child without fear. Hope for a life free from Magnus’s cruelty.

But as she stared out the bedroom window into the cold, dark night, a chilling thought crept into her mind.

Would Magnus ever truly let her go?