MARRIED TO HELL AT FIRST

CHAPTER2

With the first ray of morning peeking over the blinds, Bianca opens her eyes. Weary of the torment of the night, her tears may have dried on her cheeks but they had left a deep mark of despondency.

She rises, gazes about her room, and is relieved to see Liam to be nowhere in sight. She can hardly bear another bout of torment from him now.

She strides into the bathroom and quickly undresses, her movements bordering on desperation. While she lathers the soap on her body, luxuriating in its perfumes, she reflects back on what her mother had told her, that she would be content in this union.

As she remembers, new tears streak her face, but she quickly wipes them off. She rushes hastily to her bath and hastily emerges from the Bathroom to get dressed in time before Liam bursts in at any moment unexpectedly.

She extends her hand to grab her phone, and Immediately remembers that she hasn’t returned Dannie calls yet, she had wanted to call her back last night wanting to speak with her friend. But the exhaustion after yesterday's wedding event, blended with the altercation with Liam had caught up with her, and sleep conquered her. She is considering calling Dannie back now.

Without committing herself, she places her phone back on the table, adjourning the call for later. She pauses and focuses on the mirror, where she glances at herself for one last, reassuring moment, and then moves to exit the room.

She walks down the wide passage hallway heading to the dining room, from where she is clearly able to hear Fredrick and Liam sharing a boisterous laughter. As she approaches them, a wave of uncertainty envelops her. Reminiscing over Liam's cold attitude towards her, she wonders if he would be the same person in front of Fredrick.

As she approaches the dining room, timidly, she greets

"Good morning."

"OH, good morning, my beautiful wife,"

Liam responds hastily to Bianca's salutation with a friendly tone.

"Sit here beside me."

He rises up and pulls out a chair for her, guiding her gently to sit down with his hands tenderly placed on her shoulder.

Bianca is utterly shocked. Her mouth, wide open in shock at the change of heart by Liam. She is so certain it’s because of the presence of Fredrick.

She stares shortly at him and sits quietly with her head lowered.

Fredrick smiles to himself as he witnesses the attitude of Liam. *He's hooked hook, line, and sinker,* he thinks to himself.

Yvonne, the household-head staff walks over to them and shatters the warm silence.

"Good morning, ma'am. Would you like me to serve your meal?

She asks Bianca.

But before Bianca gets a chance to reply, Liam hurriedly cuts in.

"Never mind, Yvonne,I will be serving my wife today.

He proceeds to pick up the platter and starts filling Bianca’s plate.

"Oh no, I don't wanna bother you. I can help myself.".

But even before she gets to finish her statement, Liam interrupts her for the second time.

“ No darling, I’ll serve you. It’s my job to make sure you’re always taken care of. I am your husband, and you should get used to this,” he says, maintaining a calm expression as he speaks.

Bianca barely glances at his face, she just nods with a little fear and shock.

Fredrick, having finished his meal, gets up to leave.

"Well I'll leave you two lovebirds to have breakfast together," he chuckles, waving his head in farewell, as he departs.

As he exits, Bianca's heart beats twice as fast in terror. She almost gags on her food. Her side-eye flicks towards Liam as he sits beside her, devouring his food silently sulking, his face now bereft of all smiles and tranquility.

She doesn't know if she should keep eating or if she should just make a run for it, but with Yvonne and some of the staff around, she just keeps eating.

With Breakfast over, Liam roughly pulls Bianca into the room, shutting the door behind them with a bang.

" What in the world were you doing at the table, Huh? What was that look of surprise for? Were you attempting to get my dad suspicious?

Listen. To everyone_most of all my dad_ we have to appear and behave as a couple in love. No one, most of all my dad, can find out what happens in here. Any time we find ourselves out there, we must seem in love and happy at all times. Do you get me? He booms.

Bianca, her eyelids twitching, and her body shaking with fear, replies almost immediately,

"Yes I do."

"Good," he says, walking towards the door slowly.

He stops in his tracks and returns to stand directly in front of her, simultaneously nodding his head towards her.

"And also, you need to decide on an endearing name you must address me with anytime we're out in public. You need to make it sound real and natural too," he instructs before exiting the room, finally.

Feeling in perpetual agony, Bianca, collapses on the floor. Her tears gush freely and audibly. She picks up her phone and dials Dannie's number.

Dannie picks up the phone right away.

"Girl, where have you been? I've been calling! Are you okay?"

But before Dannie speaks further, Bianca starts sobbing.

"Oh Dannie, I just can't stand it. This is too much for me to cope with. This marriage is hell, Dannie." She says amidst tears.

"Bianca, you must snap out of this," Dannie pleads, reverting back to hate and anger directed at Liam.

"I want you to try and calm down and explain to me just what has been going on" she continues.

Bianca speaks in haste.

"Dannie, Liam doesn't like me. He hates all of me; he treats me with nothing but disdain.”

Dannie, failing to calm Bianca down, declares audibly.

"Girl, do I have to come pick you up from that den of the devil? Cause I could be there in a minute! Actually, I'm on my way right now."

Bianca stops crying for a second and insists quickly, "No, no, Danni please don't. It would only make things worse. If Liam sees you here, I don't know what he'd do. I don't want him to cause you any trouble."

She continues, crying out again, even more intensely.