When May gets pregnant for Edric at a young age, her wealthy father feels deeply hurt and humiliated. In a moment of anger, he disowns her. Upon the disown, May is left with no choice than to go with Papa Edric, her lover's father to join the middle...
"Behind every smile, there is a tear." -Love_richie
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If someone had told May that another woman would take her place in her own home, she would have laughed. But here she was, reluctantly massaging another woman's shoulders because her husband instructed her to.
Maryam was already sound asleep so she didn't get to see her mother's shame.
"Press down harder or don't you have hands? You massage like your hands are weak." Bella complained, trying to provoke May.
May stopped, frowning, she said. "I'm not doing it again. I'm tired."
Bella turned to look at May's retreating figure. "Come here and complete the massage or I'll make you regret it," Bella called back. May ignored her, leaving the room and advancing to the living room instead.
She plopped down in her armchair, dreaming of rest. She'd been busy in one way or another since after she got back from the market. She had prepared the native soup using the procedures Google gave her, but the soup didn't turn out well. It was so salty that she had to dump it all.
After that, she cleaned the house and washed the curtains using hypo-detergent. The curtains were too dirty, so it required more scrubbing than she first believed. Her fingers were bruised near the end, but the woman hadn't minded. Her hardship was to make an impression on her husband.
Maybe he was going to change once he saw all her efforts. But all her hopes were dashed when Edric came home that evening with Bella, who was moaning about how her shoulders ached and her neck stung. Edric, the ever-charming husband, had a solution. His wife could be an impromptu masseuse. He demanded the service, threatening her that if she failed, he would "show her the lesson of a lifetime."
May sighed. He could do his worst. All she cared about was getting some rest. He could go to hell with his mistress.
"May," came the roaring voice of her husband, interrupting her thoughts and startling her. He sent her a death glare. Unnerved, she jumped out of her sitting position.
"You sure have guts to disobey me."
She tried to steady her racing heart by placing a hand on her chest. "Edric, I am tired."
He raised his hand as a sign to stop. "Save that excuse, and carry your skimpy legs to that room, kneel, and apologize to Bella."
As much as she tried to keep her mouth shut, it refused. It decided to hang open out of shock. "What for?"
"For making her cry."
She raised a brow at him. "She cried because I stopped massaging her? That's incredible."
"The only thing incredible here is that you have the incentive to stop doing what I asked you to do!" He shouted, anger evident in his voice.
May's anger was rising now, she shouted back with so much force that the veins in her neck started to bulge. "You sent your wife to massage your mistress' neck for God's sake, Edric! Who does that?"
