who?

"WHO TOUCH YOU"

As he stared at her, demanding an answer, his voice reverberated through the room. "Who touch you?" he bellowed, closing in on her slowly. Leaning in, he whispered into her ear, "Who?" he repeated, his tone filled with menace. Diana was overwhelmed, unsure of how to respond. She felt paralyzed, like a trapped animal, her mind urging her to flee, but her body refusing to cooperate. The fear coursing through her was primal and suffocating, contorting her face with anguish.

Diana knew she had to say "nobody," but her body betrayed her. The words wouldn't escape her lips. And even if she managed to speak, what could she say? She couldn't comprehend why it incited such anger in him, and she had never disclosed to him that her own family had inflicted those scars. Sold to him through marriage, she was aware that her husband and his relatives despised her because of her father. If this truth came to light, she would be left with no one, and her grandmother's safety would be jeopardized if she failed to silence him.

Caught in this web of uncertainty, Diana was suddenly engulfed by the owner of the warm breath that had been tickling her neck. His large hands began to roam her body, and she had no idea what Ezra intended to do. She understood the need to offer a clever response, but all that escaped her was a choked sound, accompanied by tears streaming down her cheeks and soaking her neck.

....

-------- 7 days ego --------

"Diana, my child, you are so lucky to be able to bring honor to this family," her father proclaimed. He was a selfish, rude, and self-centered man, only concerned with his own interests.

"You're doing a good job for this family, sister," her sister Lily chimed in. She was a greedy, spoiled brat who always got her way.

"You should be grateful for being useful to this family," her stepmother added with a tone filled with rudeness, anger, jealousy, and greed. She embodied the archetype of the wicked stepmother from fairy tales.

The repulsive words that used to torment Diana now sounded like a twisted melody. The beloved Diana, trapped in this oppressive existence, yearned to escape from these soul-draining individuals. It would be another nightmare, but at least there would be an end to it all. As someone who had already stopped breathing, what she was about to do seemed less terrible. All she had to do was sleep with the rumored monster of a man she was married to and poison him. She no longer felt any connection to her own body, so she believed she wouldn't feel anything. It was a morbid thought that consumed her.

"What's on your mind, big sis? You're unusually quiet. Something bothering you?" Luke, her brother, asked.

"Yeah, sis, you don't look happy. You're married to a warrior, you should be thrilled," chimed in her brother Sam.

They were nothing more than two useless, spoiled twin brothers who couldn't accomplish anything without their mother's assistance.

"I'm happy," Diana replied, but happiness was an abstract concept to her. She had never truly experienced it and couldn't fathom its meaning. It was merely a word used in books, devoid of personal significance.

"Maid whispers."

- "She's definitely a witch."

- "How sad."

- "I know, right?"

The repulsive, hate-filled dinner she was forced to partake in felt like her final consolation meal. Spending her last moments with her hateful family, who found amusement in her suffering, exemplified the extent of Diana's misfortune. The food she chewed tasted and smelled like rotten fruit, mirroring the toxicity of her soul-sucking family. It was utterly repugnant.

Diana had married a monster, yet she had never laid eyes on him. She had heard rumors about him, painting him as a notorious beast. He was said to be cruel, jealous, proud, arrogant, and mad, with a sword swifter than his spoken words. And he was known to take any woman he desired. Diana had no say in the matter.

But what would have changed if she hadn't married him? If she had refused, her father would have sold her off as someone's mistress or as the second wife to some fat duke. It would have only added more pain to her already tormented soul. Her body and spirit had endured enough, so she chose to embrace the concept of freedom she had always read about in books. Today, she would break free. She would step out of this nightmarish house into a life without a beginning. She would achieve this by killing the man she had just married. If she didn't, her father would kill her grandmother. There was only one solution, and she was relieved her father hadn't given her any time to contemplate it further.

Suddenly, Diana felt her stepmother's gaze upon her.

"If you're playing with your food, it means you've finished your meal. Linda, please take Diana to her room and prepare her for tonight," her stepmother commanded.

There was no one in that family who truly cared for Diana. Still, she couldn't comprehend why her father had kept her in this mansion and granted her the privileges that came with it. He clearly despised her; he could have easily dumped her in her grandmother's village.

But the person who detested this situation the most was her stepmother, Meg. She couldn't fathom what her husband was attempting to achieve by keeping Diana under his roof.

Diana rose from the table and walked towards her room, accompanied by the servants. She could hear them whispering behind her, although it was more like a loud murmur.

She had grown accustomed to being looked down upon by everyone; it had become her new normal, and she paid no mind to it.

"Maid whispers."

- "I heard her mother was a witch."

- "Yes, I heard that too."

- "She looks like a witch to me."

- "It's a shame she married that monster."

- "Yes, she's quite beautiful. How sad, haha."

They entered the room, and Diana was adorned with luxurious clothing and fragrant perfumes. But Diana felt nothing more than a lifeless bride. She was like a doll being manipulated by the maids. She didn't move or speak; her body was merely a vessel in their hands.

Diana's straight blonde hair cascaded beautifully over her white dress. Her lips appearedfull and vibrant with the application of red lipstick on her fair-skinned face. Diana appeared beautiful and elegant. But for whom?

....

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