Married To The Villain
Chapter 35: The Depths Of Madness

Chapter 35: The Depths Of Madness

Chapter 35: The Depths of Madness

"Why did I become her...?"

Lirian questioned herself out loud with the last energy she had left.

The iron latch of the door groaned, and Lirian’s head looked up.

Gabriel stepped inside, looking at her trembling body, her skin looked pale and her lips painted in colour blue.

"Pathetic," he frowned as biting as the frost that still clung to the air.

He let the door swing shut behind him.

Lirian didn’t dare move.

Her body was too weak, her joints too stiff from the bitter chill.

"You look like a drowned rat," Gabriel spoke again, crossing the room in long strides.

He loomed over her, his shadow swallowed her like a stormcloud.

"Tell me, wife, how does it feel to be so utterly powerless?"

"Go to hell," Lirian croaked, trembling but still fierce.

Gabriel’s lips curled into a smile.

"Oh, sweetheart, you think this is hell? This is merely a lesson. And judging by your state, I’d say it’s a lesson well-learned."

He reached out, his fingers grasped her chin with bruising force, tilting her face upward.

His touch was as cold as himself. She flinched, but she refused to look away.

"You’re a monster," she hissed at him shakily.

"A monster? No, my dear. I’m a man who’s tired of being defied by a woman who doesn’t know her place."

He released her roughly, and she slumped back against the headboard, her breaths were shallow and uneven.

The chain rattled against the bedpost as she tried to sit upright.

Gabriel’s eyes fell on the restraint, and he smirked.

"It suits you," he said, gesturing to the manacle around her wrist.

"A fitting accessory for someone who clearly needs to be kept in line."

Lirian’s teeth chattered as she fought to keep her voice steady.

"You think this makes you strong? Bullying someone who can’t fight back?"

Gabriel’s eyes darkened, his smile faded into a snarl.

He stepped closer, suffocating her with his presence.

"You think I care about your little moral lectures? You humiliated me in front of everyone, Lirian. Do you know what that felt like? To have my wife—my wife—make a mockery of me?"

"You humiliate yourself," she replied back, raising her voice despite her shaking frame.

"With every cruel word, every act of violence, you show the world exactly what kind of man you are."

Gabriel’s hand shot out, striking the headboard inches from her face.

The force of the blow sent a crack through the wood, and Lirian flinched despite herself.

"You don’t get to speak to me like that," he growled. "Not after what you’ve done."

"And what have I done, Gabriel?" she demanded, breaking under the strain of her emotions.

"Tried to stand up for myself? Refused to cower like some obedient little doll?"

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might strike her.

Instead, he stepped back, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Hahahahah!" His laugh was bitter, almost hysterical.

"You think you’re brave, don’t you?" he said, pacing the room like a caged animal.

"You think defying me makes you strong. But all it does is prove how foolish you are."

He stopped suddenly, turning to face her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.

"I could destroy you," he whispered. "Do you understand that? I could ruin you in ways you can’t even imagine. And no one would stop me. No one would dare."

Lirian swallowed hard, her throat dry and raw.

"Then do it," she said. "If that’s what it takes to prove your strength, then go ahead. Hurt me. Break me. Show the world just how weak you really are."

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she thought she saw something in his expression...hesitation, perhaps, or doubt.

But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the cold mask he always wore.

"You think this is about strength?" he was threatening. "No, my dear. This is about control. Something you clearly lack."

He gestured to the open window, where the wind still howled and snowflakes drifted in.

"You spent the night in the cold because you refused to listen. You’re chained to that bed because you thought you could defy me. Every choice you’ve made has led you here. And yet, you still refuse to accept the consequences."

"You’re insane..."

"Insane? Perhaps. But at least I’m not naive enough to think that defiance will get me anywhere in this world. You could learn a thing or two from me, Lirian. If you weren’t so damn stubborn."

He moved closer again, oppressing her with his energy.

Gabriel leaned down, his face seemed just inches away from hers.

"You’ll stay here until I decide you’ve learned your lesson," he growled. "And if you try to defy me again, I’ll make sure the next punishment is even harsher."

Lirian’s chest heaved with suppressed sobs, but she refused to let him see her cry.

She stared up at him.

"You can chain me, freeze me, starve me," she said. "But you will never break me."

Gabriel’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, she thought he might lash out again.

But instead, he straightened and turned away, his shoulders looked tense from behind.

"We’ll see," he said coldly and final.

He strode to the door and paused, his hand on the handle.

He didn’t look back as he spoke again.

"Enjoy the solitude, wife," Gabriel mocked. "It suits you."

With that, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Lirian sat in the silence that followed, her body trembling with cold and rage.

She pulled at the chain again, but it held fast.

The metal bit into her skin, leaving angry red marks, but she didn’t care.

"I will survive this," she whispered to herself. "No matter what it takes, I will survive."

She closed her eyes for a minute, and the weakness sent her to sleep...

She was back to the world where she met the smaller version of herself again.

"Please, Lirian...save my husband..."