chapter 9 "Morning Mayhem: A Tangled Situation"

Margaret huddled in the half-covered shed, the rain continued to pour relentlessly, drenching her to the bone. Clutching her legs to her chest, she felt the weight of her despair pressing down upon her, her tears mingling with the raindrops that fell from the sky.

Unable to escape or run, Margaret was consumed by a single burning question: why did Steve hate her so much? What was the connection between them that fueled his relentless cruelty?

Despite the darkness that surrounded her, Margaret was determined to uncover the truth, to unravel the tangled web of secrets that bound them together. With each passing moment, her resolve grew stronger, fueled by the fire of her determination to break free from the chains of her oppression.

Meanwhile, in the comfort of his bed, Steve slept peacefully, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of his lips. His revenge had taken another step forward, and he reveled in the knowledge that Margaret was suffering outside in the storm.

But as the midnight hour approached, Steve was roused from his slumber by a nagging sense of unease. Rising from his bed, he made his way to the window and peered outside, his eyes scanning the darkness until they fell upon the figure of Margaret, shivering in the cold rain.

For a moment, Steve felt a flicker of pity stir within him, but it was quickly extinguished by the burning fire of his hatred. With a heavy sigh, he retrieved a blanket and made his way outside, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the night.

Approaching Margaret, he draped the blanket over her trembling form, his touch gentle yet tinged with contempt. As he looked down at her, a cold smile crossed his lips, his heart hardened by the bitterness of his resentment.

"Till yesterday, you had the chance to escape," he whispered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "But now, as we are married, I'll destroy your happiness. You messed with the wrong person, Margaret."

With those words hanging in the air like a curse, Steve turned on his heel and retreated back to the warmth of his bed, leaving Margaret alone in the darkness once more. And as she clutched the blanket to her chest, a shiver of fear ran down her spine, her heart heavy with the weight of the unknown that lay ahead.

But amidst the storm that raged around her, Margaret's resolve remained unbroken, her determination to uncover the truth burning brighter than ever. For she knew that no matter the obstacles that lay in her path, she would stop at nothing to unravel the secrets that bound her to Steve and reclaim the freedom that was rightfully hers.

As the morning light filtered through the curtains, Steve was jolted awake by the sound of knocking on his door. Panic surged through him as he realized it was Ashley at the door. With swift determination, he rushed to the balcony and retrieved Margaret, pulling her into the room with urgency.

Margaret was taken aback by Steve's sudden movements, her protest cut short by his insistent kisses. His touch was rough and demanding, sending a shiver down her spine as he bit her neck and upper chest in a possessive frenzy.

Desperate to avoid Ashley's suspicions, Steve ordered Margaret to reciprocate his advances. But she recoiled, unwilling to comply with his demands. Before she could protest, Steve twisted her hand with a whispered threat, commanding her to obey.

Reluctantly, Margaret took the lipstick Steve handed her and kissed him on his neck, leaving behind a telltale mark. The sound of another knock on the door only heightened the urgency of their situation, as Ashley's voice called out from the other side.

With a sense of dread, Steve instructed Margaret to remove her clothes and cover herself with the blanket, pretending to be asleep on the bed. His tone brooked no argument as he warned her not to create a scene.