Her body burned with unrelenting heat, her skin aflame with longing. The figure before her was the only one who could extinguish the fire within. His touch was a cold balm, electrifying and foreign, yet maddeningly familiar.

“Can I touch you?” his voice rasped, sending a ripple of tension through her. She nodded, her breath hitching as his fingers traced her skin, igniting every nerve. When he entered her, her muscles clenched in protest, her body resisting even as her mind begged for more. The pain was a sharp undercurrent to the rising tide of pleasure, and she thought fleetingly, How does anyone enjoy this?

“Maya, are you ignoring me when I’m talking to you?”

The sharp snap of fingers dragged Maya Jones back to reality, her daydream shattered. Blinking rapidly, she found herself staring into the furious eyes of her mothers in-law, Mrs. Smith.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Maya stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I didn’t hear you. ”

Mrs. Smith’s lips thinned into a displeased line. “You never listen, do you? Two years, Maya. Two years you’ve been married to Danny, and still, no grandchild. Do you think this family can wait forever?”

Maya lowered her gaze, the shame heavy in her chest. She wanted to disappear, to dig a hole deep enough to escape the relentless judgment. How could she possibly explain? Danny hadn’t touched her once in their two years of marriage until three days ago. Even then, it had been an awkward, drunken encounter, one she hadn’t had time to process.

“Maya Jones, I am talking to you!” Mrs. Smith’s voice rose sharply, making Maya flinch.

“I understand, Mother,” she replied softly. “I’ll work on it. ”

Mrs. Smith scoffed, her tone biting. “You better. If you can’t even give me a grandchild, what use are you to this family? The Smiths won’t keep a chicken that can’t lay eggs. "

With a derisive sniff, Mrs. Smith stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Maya sat frozen, her hands trembling. Her resolve hardened. *I’ll prove her wrong. I’ll get pregnant, and I’ll shut her up for good.

That evening, Maya sat in their bedroom, carefully folding laundry to distract herself. Danny walked in, his expression unreadable.

“Maya, we need to talk,” he said, his tone unnervingly calm.

“Is this about your mother?” Maya asked, bracing herself. “Because I already told her we’re working on it—”

“It’s not about that,” Danny interrupted, his voice cold. “I want a divorce. ”

The word hit her like a physical blow. “What?”

“I want a divorce,” he repeated, each syllable laced with finality.

Maya stared at him, her mind reeling. “Why? We’ve been married for two years. We’ve been … okay, haven’t we?”

Danny’s eyes blazed with fury. “Okay? Do you call cheating on me okay, Maya?”

Maya’s breath caught in her throat. “Cheating? I would never cheat on you, Danny. I love you. You know that. ”

He laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with contempt. “Stop lying. You cheated on me three days ago. I just want to know who it was and why. ”

Maya froze. Her heart raced as the memory of that night surged forward the heat, the hands, the passion. But it had been Danny. Hadn’t it?

“It was you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I was with you that night. "

Danny’s expression twisted in anger. “Don’t play games with me. I was on a business trip last week. I wasn’t even in the country. So, tell me, Maya, who did you sleep with?”

The room spun around her as realization dawned. It hadn’t been Danny. She didn’t even know who it was.

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely audible.

Danny’s face darkened with disgust. “You don’t know? We’ve been married for two years, Maya. Two years! I never touched you because I thought you weren’t ready. I gave you time, respect, patience. And this is how you repay me?”

“Danny, please......” Maya reached for him, but he recoiled.

“Don’t touch me with your dirty hands,” he snapped. “Sign the divorce papers and get out of my house. ”

The storm outside mirrored the chaos inside Maya’s heart. Rain lashed against her skin as she dragged her suitcase aimlessly through the streets. She didn’t care where she went. Her heart was shattered, her spirit broken.

Hours later, she found herself at her parents’ home. Her mother opened the door, her expression softening at the sight of her drenched daughter.

“Come in,” Mrs. Jones said gently, handing Maya a steaming cup of ginger and lemon tea. “Drink this. It’ll warm you up. ”

Maya sipped the tea in silence, the warmth doing little to thaw the chill inside her.

“Are you and Danny completely finished?” her mother asked after a while.

Maya’s grip on the cup tightened. “Please, Mom. I don’t want to talk about him. ”

Mrs. Jones sighed. “It’s good that you’re divorced. He wasn’t right for you anyway. ”

Maya’s head snapped up, tears filling her eyes. “The man I loved has thrown me away, and you think it’s good? Can’t you show me some compassion?”

Her mother’s expression hardened. “What’s done is done, Maya. There’s no point crying over spilled milk. Besides, your father has already arranged another marriage for you. ”

Maya’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

“The marriage is set in three weeks,” Mrs. Jones continued matter of factly. “The groom is a wealthy man from the Wilson family. He’s paraplegic, but.....”

“No!” Maya shouted, standing abruptly. “I won’t do it.”

Mrs. Jones glared at her. “Don’t raise your voice at me. You don’t have a choice in this. This marriage was arranged for your younger sister Marjorie, but she’s too young to handle a man like him. You’re the logical choice. ”

Maya’s voice shook with anger. “Why me? Why not Freda? She’s older and single!”

Freda is self-centered and would never agree,” Mrs. Jones replied. “Besides, this family needs you to make this sacrifice. If you don’t marry into the Wilson family, we’ll be ruined. You don’t want to see your father and me suffer, do you?”

Maya’s hands shook, her cup rattling against its saucer. “What about me, Mom? Don’t you care if I suffer?”

Mrs. Jones placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, her gaze softening. “Maya, you’re stronger than your sisters. You’re sensible, hardworking, and capable. I know you’ll survive in the Wilson family. Your sisters wouldn’t last a day. Do this for us, Maya. For your family. ”

Tears spilled down Maya’s cheeks as her mother kissed her forehead and left the room. Alone in the dark, Maya’s heart ached with betrayal.

Maya sat on her bed, staring at the rain pelting the window. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind: “You’re stronger. You’ll survive. ” But she didn’t feel strong. She felt lost, powerless, and utterly alone.

Yet, as the storm raged on, a small ember of defiance sparked within her. If this was her fate, she would face it on her terms.

Little did she know, her life was about to become even more complicated and dangerous than she could ever imagine.