The Bride Widow
Chapter 41: Ch 41: Calm interactions - Part 1

Chapter 41: Ch 41: Calm interactions - Part 1

This dinner was nothing short of a disaster.

Anabella doubted that anyone who ate the food tasted it. They were too busy to calm each other down and pay attention to the food...which was good.

Because as soon as Anabella had taken a bite out of her food, she could tell that it was not home-cooked. It had too many spices and too much oil to settle down in her stomach.

Once the meal was over and everyone else had left, it was time to clean up. A mountain of dirty dishes and even more unnecessary stuff lay around. Someone needed to clean it all up.

Sharon was paid to do this, but Anabella doubted that Daniel would let her clean the place.

"Make sure you clean this all up before you head to bed. I do not want to see anything out of place tomorrow."

The alpha spoke in a harsh but careless voice, and for the first time, Anabella decided to say ’no’ to him regarding this topic.

"I won’t be cleaning any of this up. If you want it cleaned, ask the person you appointed as the caretaker. I am heading to my room now."

It was almost 01:00 AM, and Anabella’s body felt ready to collapse. She was dragging her feet and eyes to keep working and not give up on her.

This also skyrocketed her irritation levels, and she somehow managed not to sway on her feet and fall asleep where she was standing.

Her rude words and clear refusal to do what she had been told to left Daniel surprised. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words escaped his lips.

It did not take long for his anger to replace his surprise, and he reached out to grab Anabella’s arm and pull her back.

"What is your problem? You are my wife, and this is your job-"

"I am your wife, not your caretaker. Besides, I clearly stated that I would not be responsible for any housework when we married. I am not doing all this. Either get our caretaker to do it or hire a new one."

Tension rose in the air as the pair continued to argue with each other.

The more defiant Anabella was about not clearing up, the angrier Daniel got at her.

"If you are not going to do this, do you expect Sharon to clean this up all by herself? That is not the reason I brought her here..."

"I know. You brought her here so that you could sleep with her whenever you wanted and also because you are a coward who wants to live a married life with her but won’t marry her because you cannot give me a divorce. This is all your fault anyway."

Anabella thought she had gone overboard but knew Daniel needed to hear these words.

If possible, she would like to curse at her husband and let out some...choice words for him. But she controlled her volume and vocabulary because she was too tired, and it was the middle of the night.

Her considerate actions were met with unhinged ones from Daniel.

The alpha looked red-eyed, and his anger caused him to lash out at Anabella.

Before she knew it, a hand gripped her face and pulled her head to the side. The other hand held her neck tightly enough to cut off her air.

Sharp claw-like nails bit into her neck and her face, causing Anabella to feel breathless and faint.

"Do not speak Sharon’s name out of your mouth again, and do not speak about her again. She is not someone you can even think about, much less speak about. If I hear anything from you again, then being killed would be the last of your worries."

The alpha was making open threats now, and no one stopped him...

Anabella could not stop him, even if she wanted to. She was tired, and her body felt exhausted.

She did not even have enough strength to be able to peel the hand off her face or her neck. It left her at the mercy of his husband, who could, at any point, decide that he did not need Anabella to live anymore and end her life.

It sucked, but this was her reality.

"L-Let go-!"

Anabella managed to get her voice out, but barely. However, it was enough to make Daniel realize what he was doing, and he quickly let her go.

The alpha looked exhausted, and that small action seemed to have aged him considerably. With a last look at Anabella, he quickly made his way out, almost as if he had been burned because he had touched her.

Anabella’s throat burned, and she could feel the bruises forming there and on her face.

’Tsk, these will leave lasting marks. Hopefully, my makeup would be enough to hide this... (fun fact: it was not)

But at the moment, she was too tired emotionally and physically to deal with all this.

She decided to head to bed and forget whatever happened.

Sleep came easily to her despite what had happened just minutes earlier. Anabella was out the second her head hit the pillow, and she did not wake up at a normal time the next morning.

By the time she got down, no one was around to greet her, but that was normal.

It was better for her since it meant she would not have to face anyone and show them the bruises she had sustained.

Her lower face, jaw, and neck were shades of green, black, and purple because of yesterday’s events, and they were not fun.

It ached, but the thought of healing in the hospital for these injuries was not fun.

’I can feel the headlines if I head out looking like this. I should just stay inside for the next few days...’

Anabella decided before she opened the fridge to see what was there for breakfast. Her bad mood soured even further when she saw the peanut butter and jelly sandwich before her.