Clea gave herself entirely-her heart, mind, and love-without reserve. She faded into the background, consumed by her devotion to Miguel. Promising eternal togetherness, she lost fragments of herself along the way. Her love flowed unconditionally into Miguel, but it drained her essence. Hopes of an idyllic love story were shattered. Her yearning for a complete family and the role of a devoted spouse became a cruel mirage. The man she wed, Miguel, metamorphosed into a tyrant of anguish. The price for her sacrifices was exacted in bruises on her skin, wounds to her emotions, and scars on her psyche. Can Clea shatter her chains and abandon the life she now endures beside Miguel?Is it possible for her to find the strength to rebuild and forge her own identity anew?Or will she forever remain trapped, a canvas of suffering painted by Miguel's hand?
Chapter 1
"Love, I'm ticklish!"
I playfully avoided Miguel, who was now laughing at my reaction.
I am happy to be married to this gorgeous guy. He looks like a morning star to me. His eyes are my temptation. His love is my weakness.
"Let me kiss you, baby," he groaned.
I abruptly laughed at his reaction and ran away from him.
"Cleopatra, c'mon. Just one kiss, hon."
He muttered as he slowly approached me.
"You already had your kiss this morning, Miguel." I teasingly laughed and caught his lips that were heading towards me.
My husband is indeed the most gorgeous masterpiece that God ever created. Gorgeous and lickable Miguel, my God! You corrupted my innocent mind.
"You're so stingy; it's just a kiss."
He looked at me with a hint of annoyance and pouted as he sat down on the sofa where I was seated.
"Just one kiss, please." I enjoyed his sulking tone.
I couldn't resist mocking him because he looked so cute. He resembled a baby who didn't get what it wanted and was throwing a tantrum.
I can't thank heaven enough for giving me such an adorable and loving husband. He is my treasure, and I will cherish how adorable and mischievous he is.
"Just one kiss? I can give you much more than that, Miguel." I smirked and winked, hearing a muffled groan escape from him. He quickly stood up and trapped me in his strong arms, but I pushed him away forcefully and ran into the kitchen.
I burst into laughter at his disappointment and frustration. Miguel... You don't know how much self-restraint I'm exerting to keep myself from going crazy for you.
"Caprice Cleopatra Montaverde Velarde, come out and give me your sweet kiss."
He shouted, and I couldn't help but laugh at how clichƩ his words were. What a poet!
I slowly crept out of the kitchen, still laughing, my eyes watering, and stopped him with a tight hug. He groaned and kissed me passionately.
If things were to change tomorrow, I know I would forever be in love with him.
"Wherever you go, I will keep on chasing you because you own me. I am yours, Cleopatra. You belong only to me," he said in the midst of our fervent kisses.
"Even when our vows wither?" I raised an eyebrow, but he held me tightly.
"Even if our vows wither, my heart and everything I own are yours. No matter how many times our promises may fade, I will still love you as much as I do now."
Sweet... I couldn't help but get teary-eyed while hearing his words. They were so promising. Miguel... I am completely and irrevocably drowning in you for eternity.
My husband has a face like a Greek God, perfectly crafted with a well-shaped face, thin and kissable lips, a chiseled jawline, and a pointed nose, accentuated by his mesmerizing blue eyes. Thick eyebrows and his curly, long eyelashes
"Thank you," I said while crying, and he gently planted a kiss on my forehead, then my nose, until it reached my lips.
"Thank you for the unconditional love, Miguel. Thank you for marrying me and loving me, " I whispered wholeheartedly amidst our kisses.
"No. Thank you. I should be the one thanking you, Cleopatra. You gave me a second chance to love even more." He wiped my tears and kissed my hair.
Our future isn't planned. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. Storms are yet to come. We are just starting a new phase of our lives together. We are uncertain about everything, but what I know is that I will love him even if the ocean remains turbulent.
In sickness and in health, in riches and in poverty, my love for him will remain the same.
I woke up to loud thuds downstairs. It was already past one o'clock, and I was sure it was Miguel again, making a ruckus. I didn't know how to approach him anymore, fearing for my life.
He has changed.
I realized that this beautiful dream that happened in the past was just that-a dream, a blissful memory I had with him before he turned into a monster I never expected him to become.
Those memories give me a glimmer of hope that everything can be restored to the way it was in the past.
It's not new to me anymore-the nightly commotion downstairs. Broken things and numerous bruises have become part of my daily life. Sometimes, others look at me as if I'm crazy, wondering why I stay in this house if it's like living in hell. I taste hell, trapped in my own home, becoming his punching bag every day.
I never thought this day would come because I was blinded by all his promises, but now they are just distant memories, shattered and fragmented.
"It hurts, Miguel. What are you doing? I'm in pain!"
I begged, but he didn't listen. He was furious, not even acknowledging my tears and pleas.
"Shut the fuck up! Give it back to me, Clea."
He slapped me again, and my vision became blurry from the tears. The pain throbbed in my cheek.
"I can't. Our money is running out, Miguel, and you're just wasting it on gambling!"
He grabbed me by the hair, and I struggled to free myself, but I didn't have the strength to remove his firm grip. All I could do was cry and beg him to stop.
I pleaded, but he didn't hear me. He was too consumed by anger to hear my cries.
"It hurts, Miguel. Please... I'm begging you..."
He pushed me, and I crashed into the wall, causing everything on the floor to shatter violently.
I didn't know how terrible it was to be a battered wife until I became one. My life resembled the movies I had watched. I felt so useless, trapped in this house, becoming his punching bag every day.
I never imagined that this would happen. I was fed with his promises, but now they are just distant memories, shattered and broken.
"Please, Miguel, I'm begging you." I cried uncontrollably.
Maybe it's because of the pain, but I stepped on broken glass, feeling my heart shatter as well.
Before, I adored his eyes, but now they seemed like burning ice that I could never break through. They were like an ocean full of terrifying sea creatures.
"Shut up!" He yanked my hair again, and I tried to remove his tight grip, but I had no strength left. All I could do was cry and beg him to stop.
I pleaded, but he didn't listen. He was too blinded by anger.
"It hurts, Miguel. What are you doing? I'm in pain!"
I begged, but he didn't dodge. I pushed him forcefully, causing him to crash into the wall, breaking everything in his path.
I didn't know how terrible it was to become a battered wife until I became one. My life has become like those movies I watched. I feel so useless being stuck in this house and becoming his punching bag every day.
I never thought that this day would come because I was being fed by all his promises, but now they have become memories, blurred and broken.
"Please, Miguel, I'm begging you." I cried, tears blurring my vision.
I saw Miguel snoring beside me as I woke up. For a moment, I was confused about whose calloused hands were wrapped around my belly. I slowly opened my eyes, only to be greeted by the sight of a handsome monster. His eyes were still closed, and I gently touched his intricately beautiful face.
I didn't realize that even though I'm already shattered, I still see myself drowning in the demon that is Miguel. The monster beside me calms the erratic beat of my heart.
Even if I'm already broken, I still love him, just like before. I am indeed a masochist, still longing for the warmth the monster provides.
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogulāher success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husbandās entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "Iām out of your league."
After spending a night with a strange man on the day before her wedding, Arianna left the country to start her life afresh. The 22-year-old Arianna Jason lived her life pleasing those she loved the most, without knowing that she was simply a prey being nurtured for the day of her ruin. Her life has tasted the butter pill of betrayal. She wants to give back to the world what she's got but how can she change her good, innocent personality to fit into a cruel society and world? Can her sweet nature be contaminated, or will she make it through, paddling on the right path?
āYou need a bride, I need a groom. Why donāt we get married?ā Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. āShe keeps asking for a divorce, but I donāt want that! What should I do?ā