When He Called Me A Pet, I Became His Enemy

I quietly closed the door, making sure the two people inside didn't notice I'd been there. So that wasn't favoritism after all. It was just part of the training process to teach a disobedient pet how to please its owner. I was Ethan Scott's legally wedded wife. But in the end, what was the difference between me and all the women he kept on the side? I pushed open the door to my bedroom. To my surprise, several women were already inside. They were kept in this estate by Ethan. Every single one of them turned to look at me, their eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and barely concealed pity. At the center sat Faye Cross, the woman who had been with Ethan the longest. She held a slim cigarette between her fingers and blew out a lazy ring of smoke. "Oh, you're back, Mrs. Scott. You look distracted. Something happen?" I ignored her and walked straight to my vanity. "Get out." Faye burst into laughter. "Get out?" Her heels clicked against the floor as she approached me. The overpowering scent of her perfume made my stomach turn. "Lena, don't tell me you actually thought that little gesture was something special. Something only Mr. Scott shared with you." She shook her head. "Come on. We all know it. We can all do it. He just watches to see who learns fastest, who plays the role best. Even you, his wife, are just another case study in his training manual." Another woman spoke up, her voice carrying a trace of lingering fear. "When I first got here, I didn't know any better. I asked Mr. Scott why other women could use it too." She rolled up her sleeve. A faint scar ran across her wrist. "He told me not to ask questions I shouldn't ask. He said knowing my place was more important." Faye straightened up and looked down at me. "You think a marriage certificate means something? The only reason you got that title is because you used to be the daughter of the Hayes family. Your pride was harder to break than ours. And crushing you beneath his feet gave him a bigger sense of accomplishment." She added, "Now that Tara is here, younger and more obedient, your good days are over." Accomplishment... Was my three-year marriage nothing more than an animal-taming game to him? The women kept talking. They traded stories about all the girls who once believed they were special. In the end, they either disappeared with a payout or simply disappeared. I picked up my earrings and slowly put them on while staring into the mirror. The woman reflected there looked pale. But something in her eyes had changed. Seeing me remain silent, Faye became even more smug. She stepped closer. "What is it? Finally figured it out? Packing your bags and leaving?" I met her gaze through the mirror. A faint smile touched my lips. "Faye." I kept my voice steady. "Keep a dog on a leash long enough, and eventually it'll mistake it for freedom. But I've never been good at taking orders. Now get the hell out of my room." Before I became Ethan's wife, I was a Hayes. If Ethan thought he could break people and make them obedient, he was about to learn otherwise. Corner a dog long enough, and it stops backing away. Eventually, it bites back. And sometimes, it goes straight for the throat.