Stuck in The Marriage Pact
Chapter 47: Tell husband about the in-laws’ cruelty

Chapter 47: Tell husband about the in-laws’ cruelty

At 9:00 PM, he had just returned to the penthouse after working all day, not even coming back for lunch.

"I hope she’s feeling better and will greet me when I arrive," he said as he casually walked into the room, carrying his cane over his shoulder.

When he entered the room, he saw Isabella sitting at the vanity, brushing her long hair. She looked so elegant in a red nightgown with open sleeves. He smiled, closed the door, and approached his wife.

"Are you still not feeling well that you couldn’t greet your husband?" he asked as he placed his cane near the sofa, walking over to stand behind her, looking at their reflection in the mirror. "Weren’t you with Estella today? I thought that would make you feel better... Not always thinking about your problems, our problems..." He gently stroked her hair.

"You must have talked a lot about the dress... And I’m curious how it turned out," he continued, bending down to kiss her head.

"No outcome," Isabella responded flatly.

Hunter frowned. "Why? Didn’t she like your design?"

"That’s not the issue."

"Then what is?"

Isabella stayed silent, staring at her reflection and Hunter’s, who looked increasingly curious.

"Hey... You’re acting strange... What’s going on?" Hunter asked.

Isabella stood up, walking away from the vanity and standing face-to-face with Hunter, looking at his slightly weary but still handsome face.

"Tell me," Hunter whispered anxiously.

"Did you install CCTV in your office?" Isabella asked.

"No... I don’t have any CCTV in this penthouse except at the front and on the terrace... I don’t want any cameras catching me walking," Hunter answered, frowning. "But why are you asking about that? I don’t think it’s important... Did you lose something and need proof of who took it?" he wondered.

"It’s not about that."

"Then what?"

"Will you believe me if I tell you? Am I a liar by the way?" Isabella countered, walking toward the glass wall, recalling how Juliana treated her so cruelly, like a slave.

Hunter approached Isabella slowly, looking at her back, filled with immense curiosity.

"We haven’t known each other long, but so far, we’ve been honest with each other about the big things. So I trust that you won’t lie to me this time," he said.

"Do you have any other reason to trust me?" Isabella asked.

"Yes... Certainly because of love... I’ve already told you that I want to make this marriage last forever. That’s because I believe you’re the best for me... I feel like I’ve fallen in love, and then I saw you make sacrifices for your family, taking care of your sister... There are so many reasons to trust you, but the main one is love," Hunter explained, stopping right beside Isabella. "You’ve never acted like this before... Tell me what happened... Or I’ll make a mistake... I don’t want to do something that would break us apart," he continued.

"Your mother wants to torment me," Isabella whispered.

Hunter immediately turned to her, his eyes wide.

"She came here, telling me what she knows about us, accusing me of taking advantage of you... Then she insulted me while physically assaulting me," Isabella explained, still looking ahead. "She pushed me down, yanked my hair so cruelly as if I were a slave... She didn’t care that I was crying out in pain, weeping... She just kept hurling insults at me." Then she turned to face Hunter, who stood frozen in shock.

"After that, she told me to hide my sadness in front of Estella... as if I had no feelings as if I were some woman skilled at acting... How could she expect me to be calm after she hurt me?" Isabella continued with a faint smile and tear-filled eyes. "Do you think I deserve all that just because I got money from both of you? And what about the dilemma you’ve put me in, lying to me? Am I worthy of those insults... that cruelty? Even my mother never did that to me, even though I said bad things about her! My father never let me get hurt, not even a little, until his dying breath... So how could I endure this treatment from my mother-in-law? Even though our marriage is a contract, it was done sacredly, before God... Do I deserve this?" she asked emotionally.

Hunter shook his head, his eyes showing a mix of anger and sadness.

"No... You don’t deserve any of that," he said.

Isabella took a deep breath, looking down at the wedding ring on her finger.

"This is what I feared when I chose to be with you and leave Joe... I feared your mother’s cruelty, and that you wouldn’t be able to defend me. That’s the real issue," she said in frustration. "I doubted you because you let Sarah leave you... I’ve always thought you might do the same to me because your mother would never approve of me... So how can I be sure about continuing this marriage or not? I can leave Joe... I really can... because I realize he’s bad and never understood or treated me like he loved me... But if my reason is to be with you... can you guarantee my happiness?" she asked, looking at Hunter with hope.

Hunter remained silent, his expression anxious.

"I don’t want to continue like this... It’s stressing me out," Isabella said again. "I want to make a decision right now... and it depends on you... We can be together... But don’t pretend to hate me... It’s pointless... And... if you can assure me that you’ll always stand in front of me to protect me, then I won’t leave you like Sarah did," she added, worried and disappointed by Hunter’s silence.

"Oh my God..." Hunter faced Isabella and approached her, cupping her face in his hands as he gazed at her sadly. "I’m so sorry... I apologize for what happened to you today, and even before today."

Isabella remained silent, crying.

"But thank you for explaining, and I trust you completely," Hunter said again. "I’ll prove that I won’t let you suffer the same fate as Sarah... I won’t. I’ll make sure no one can tear us apart," he continued.

"What do you mean?" Isabella whispered.

"I’ll do what needs to be done," Hunter replied, wiping Isabella’s tears with his thumb. "And... You shouldn’t leave Joe until you see me prove my courage to confess my love for you in front of my parents," he added.

"Is that a promise?"

"No... It’s not a promise, but I will do it soon, even now if I have to," Hunter explained anxiously, shaking his head. "I don’t want you to keep suffering with this emotional burden... I love you... I hate seeing you cry," he continued, his own eyes brimming with tears.

Isabella nodded, smiling gratefully, and Hunter immediately kissed her lips and embraced her. In silence, she cried again, imagining how Hunter would have to confront his mother, and she would also have to commit to asking Joe to leave her.