Chapter 1.1: Karma Is A Bitch

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GAYLE

I am married to one of the top billionaires in New Jersey—Liam Collins. I married Liam not because I love him but for the sake of merging our parents’ businesses. We are arranged to marry each other! I’ve known Liam for so long because we enter the same University. We graduated from the same course. But the thing is, we don’t share the same feelings.

Liam is deeply in love with his girlfriend, Laura. While I’m in love with my best friend, Cole. However, our relationship with our partners collapsed when our parents announced our engagement in a bachelor’s magazine.

Liam can’t do anything about it. So, do I. In the business industry, elites bound their children for arranging a marriage for the sake of their fucking business—it’s all about their businesses. They don’t even consider our feelings.

I can’t defy my father nor my mother, Liam too can’t as he was the only heir. They owned many hotel chains in the USA. While we hold a large architectural firm in the USA.

I hate my parents for choosing their businesses over me—their daughter. Am I worth a billion dollars? Arranging me to someone else is like selling me for a price. And I know that’s what Liam felt the first time.

However, my main problem is not that!

Liam and I tried to work things out but I just can’t find the love that I need. My heart doesn’t hyperventilate when I am with him. I don’t feel any romantic feelings for him. And then one day, I did the worst thing. I had an affair with my best friend. I know I was wrong because I am a married woman but I am just a human being that sought true love. I can’t just work things with Liam. I can’t just fake my feelings for him.

“Gayle!”

Hearing my name, alarmed my system. I rushed towards the door and locked it. I won’t let Liam take a hold of me this time. My body still hurts because of what he did last night. I still have cuts on my left cheek and the right side of my lips.

“Gayle!”

The loud knocks on the door and his voice roared inside the penthouse. I hugged myself as I sat on my bed.

“Gayle!”

I covered my ears with my hands. No, I don’t want to hear his voice. I don’t want to get out of my room even if I don’t eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I glanced at the digital clock on my table. It’s already eight in the evening and I know Liam just got home from his work.

“Gayle, open this goddamn door!” he shouted.

Seems covering my ears is useless because I can still hear his loud mad voice.

He will beat me again. If I open that door, he will beat me again. I throw the spare key for my room when he’s not around. I always do it. No matter how many times he let the key get duplicated, I still find it and throw it away. And now, he knew that I did it again.

I know I have no right to do this because it was my fault in the first place. But I don’t deserve all the beatings. The way how he punches my stomach, slapped my face, dragged me by the hair, and many more, I don’t deserve it.

I asked forgiveness from him. I even kneel in front of him but he just treats me like his toy just because of what I did.

“Do you think I can’t open this one?” he said and I can even picture his devilish smirk.

“Liam,” I whispered. I am already tired. It’s been five months since I did that. And we’re already married for almost a year now. Next month will be the first anniversary of our marriage.

Tears continue to fall from my eyes and my body is shaking in fear.

I choose to stay until he forgives me. This is my choice in the first place. But Liam is being too much on me. Beating me almost every day. One wrong move and if he sees it, he will beat me again.

I can’t tell those things to my parents because they knew that Liam couldn’t do such things. Liam was known as a sweet and loyal boyfriend to his former partner. Yes, he is, but that was before when I didn’t cheat on him.

I saw how determined he was to make our marriage work, but it is me, who is the one who causes things to fall apart between us. Especially the elements of TRUST and LOYALTY… that could be the center of marriage.

I lay in my bed and pulled the comforter up to my chest. I wiped the tears that fell from my cheeks as I closes them. I was about to face the side when I heard a loud thud and his angry groans.

“You stupid whore, I’m gonna kill you!” he barked. I got up and slide on the corner of my bed as I lean on the headboard.

“L-Liam.” I stutter in fear.

Liam’s burning eyes pierced into mine. “Why do you keep on doing the things that I hate, Gayle? Why?!” he shouted. Anger and pain lingered in his voice.

“Liam… please, don’t—Ahh!” I screamed when he pulled the comforter and grabbed my feet. He pulls me near him. He gritted his teeth.

“You always defy me,” he uttered and slapped me hard on the face. My head turned to the side. I looked down as I saw blood drips on the white sheets. I run my tongue to the side of my lips. I know, the cut on my lips, opened.

“Who gave you the permission to enter my room?” he asked but I remained my gaze on the droplets of blood that fell on the sheet.

My tears fall on my cheeks again, the salty taste of my tears suddenly filled my mouth.

“I am talking to you!”

Shaking in fear, I looked up to meet his eyes. However, when I locked my gaze on him, he grabbed me on my throat—choking me as he lifted me. “You always love to disobey, and you knew what you get from doing it!” he said. He pushes me and I fell back on the bed.

I thought he was about to slap me again but he forced my back to face his as he let my stomach lean on the edge of the bed, leaving my feet on the ground.

“Liam, please. Not today, I can’t—”

“Shut up!” Liam shouted when I beg.

He lifted the hem of my white dress and pulls down my panty. “Liam…” I muttered again but it does not affect him. I heard the shuffling of his pants. I know he’ll gonna do it again.

And I was right, he plunged his shaft into the small hole between my butt which makes me groan in pain!

It seems like the skin of my anus was torn, leaving an excruciating pain. He thrust even deeper. Pushes and pulls swifter.

“L-Liam…” I whispered. I can’t do anything but cry. I can’t stop him. He will do anything he wants. He forced me for sex. And that’s considered rape even if I am his wife. And beating me is domestic violence that is punishable by law.

However, I can’t report him to the police—he doesn’t let me use my phone even the telephone. And how can I win to Liam? I made him like this. I need to face the consequences until he forgives me.

As I’ve read an article, we can still settle the things between us after what I did, if only he forgives me. I am not perfect. We all commit mistakes.

I didn’t utter any more words and just sobbed until he withdrew his shaft. I could feel the dripping of his warm juices down to my legs.

I didn’t move until he grabbed me by the hair, which makes me groan out loud as he pulled me to face him.

“I told you not to lock your door, right? And you even dared to find the key inside my room and threw it away, again?” His grip tightened which makes me hold his hand and let out a shrill cry.

“P-Please, Liam… I’m already t-tired,” I mumbled between my sobs.

“Tired?! I don’t want to see you get tired, Gayle!”

“P-Please, forgive me—”

“Forgive?” he gritted his teeth, “I did my best to make this marriage work because I respect your parents and my parents, but what did you do? You cheated on me when I’m already falling to you!” he exclaimed! “If only I knew that this will happened, I should’ve eloped with Laura!” he added. He pushes me and I fell on the bed.

“L-Liam…” I tried to reach his hand. “If you can’t forgive me… just let me go—”

“Let you go?!” he scoffed. “You don’t know how painful it was, seeing the woman that I learned to love, having sex with her best friend—and the fact that I saw you with my own eyes! You,” he pointed at me, “on his top, torn my heart into pieces,” he said and left the room.