Behind closed doors

The Silent Chains

To Damien, last night was nothing more than a duty. And whatever pain she felt—both physical and emotional—was meaningless to him.

After all, in his eyes, women were nothing but manipulative creatures. Weak, dramatic, incapable of true innocence.

And her pain?

Just another act he refused to believe.

Sophia forced a smile as she stepped out of her room, her body aching with every movement. She had spent the last hour in the restroom, scrubbing her skin as if trying to erase the memories of the night before. But no matter how much she tried, the pain still lingered.

She dabbed concealer over the bruises on her neck, powdered her face to hide the tiredness in her eyes, and applied a soft shade of lipstick—pretending everything was normal.

When she entered the family gathering, everyone turned to her with bright smiles. Her brother, her parents—they had come to see her, expecting to find a newlywed woman glowing with happiness.

"How is everything, Sophia?" her father asked, his eyes full of warmth.

Sophia felt her throat tighten, but she nodded quickly. "It's… wonderful, Papa. Damien takes care of me."

Her brother, who knew her too well, narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you sure?"

She laughed softly, linking her arm with her mother’s. "Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?"

But deep down, she was falling apart.

Later, when she found her mother alone in the kitchen, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She clutched her mother's hand and whispered, "Mom… he’s like an animal. He doesn’t care about me, he doesn’t even see me as a person. Last night, he—" Her voice broke. "He forced me, Mom. He hurt me."

Her mother's expression stiffened, but instead of the concern Sophia had been hoping for, she simply placed a hand over hers.

"Shhh, Sophia," she whispered. "He’s your husband. This happens. Once you give him a child, things will change. He’ll start loving you, trust me."

Sophia’s lips parted in shock. "But Mom—"

Her mother gently stroked her hair. "Don’t think too much, my love. Men are like this. You just have to be patient. He’ll love you, but you need to give him a reason to."

Sophia swallowed hard.

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

"Once you give him a child, he will love you."

Was that all she was to Damien? A body to bear his child?

Her heart ached, but she nodded slowly. She was innocent, too naïve to question it.

Maybe her mother was right.

Maybe… this was just how marriage worked.

Sophia's heart pounded as night fell. A deep fear settled in her chest, suffocating her. What if tonight was the same as last night? What if the pain, the humiliation, never stopped?

She stepped into the room hesitantly, her hands trembling. Damien was already inside, sitting on the edge of the bed, his sharp gaze fixed on her.

"Where were you?" he asked, his voice cold and impatient.

Sophia hesitated. "I-I was with—"

Before she could finish, Damien grabbed her wrist and pulled her harshly toward him. His lips crashed against hers, rough and demanding. She struggled, trying to push him away.

"Please… not tonight," she begged breathlessly, her body still aching from last night’s brutality. "I'm still in pain, Damien. Please."

But he didn’t listen. He never did.

Tears welled up in her eyes as he continued, his grip firm, his hands wandering with no regard for her discomfort. Desperate, Sophia broke down, crying loudly.

Damien suddenly froze.

Her loud sobs filled the room.

His eyes darted toward the door, realization hitting him—if his parents heard, there would be trouble. His jaw tightened in frustration.

Annoyed, he pushed her away, causing her to stumble onto the floor.

Sophia gasped, looking up at him in shock.

"Today, I’m leaving," he said, grabbing his coat. "But don’t think I’ll leave every night."

Her whole body shook as she tried to get up. She wanted to escape, run far away from this nightmare, but her heart was too broken to even dream of freedom.

She managed to sit on the bed, clutching the sheets for support. But Damien’s voice stopped her.

"You’re not allowed to sleep here," he said coldly.

Sophia blinked, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Go sleep on the couch," he ordered, slipping his watch onto his wrist. "Whenever I feel like it, we’ll share the bed. Otherwise, you stay away."

Her vision blurred with fresh tears as he walked out, leaving her completely shattered.

She wasn’t a wife to him.

She wasn’t even a human to him.

Sophia spent the entire night curled up on the couch, unable to sleep. The coldness of the room matched the emptiness she felt inside. Her body ached, her heart felt shattered, but she refused to cry anymore. Tears had become useless in this house.

As morning arrived, she was half-asleep when she suddenly felt a strong grip on her wrist.

Damien, still lying on the bed, pulled her down roughly.

"Get up," he commanded, his voice heavy with irritation.

Sophia’s heart raced as she stumbled to her feet. "W-What happened?" she asked hesitantly.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her wrist tightly and dragged her toward the closet. He yanked open the door, his expression dark with anger.

"What is this?" he snapped.

Sophia blinked in confusion. "It… It’s my stuff."

His jaw clenched. "Why the hell are they in my closet?"

She hesitated. "W-Where else should I keep them?"

Damien scoffed, his grip tightening. "Pack your things in a suitcase and put it under the bed. You’re not allowed to use any of these."

Sophia felt her stomach drop. "But where will I keep my clothes?" she whispered.

He leaned closer, his eyes cold. "Figure it out." And with that, he turned and left for the office, not sparing her another glance.

The moment he was gone, Sophia’s legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

She had never felt so unwanted, so discarded.

After sitting there for what felt like hours, she finally forced herself to move. She packed her clothes in a suitcase, shoving them inside with shaking hands. With a heavy heart, she slid the suitcase under the bed, erasing any sign of her existence from the room.

Wiping away her tears, she stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a fake smile. She couldn’t afford to look broken.

As she sat at the dining table, forcing herself to eat something, her mother-in-law eyed her with disapproval.

"Why do you look so simple?" she asked. "You’re newly married. Go and put on some makeup. Dress up properly."

Sophia swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, of course," she said softly.

She went back to the bedroom, stood in front of the mirror, and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were swollen, her lips dry.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up a lipstick and applied it with a forced smile. Then, she slipped into a more elegant dress, masking her pain with beauty.

If no one cared about her sadness, she would pretend to be happy.

Because that’s what everyone wanted from her—

A perfect wife.

A perfect doll.

A few hours later, Damien returned home, his body exhausted from work, but his mood was far worse. As he stepped inside, his sharp eyes immediately found Sophia in the kitchen, washing dishes like a maid. His mother sat nearby, instructing her on what to do next.

Second day of her wedding, and she’s already working?he cared about her comfort.

then, something else caught his attention—her lips, painted with a soft shade of pink.

His jaw clenched

Lipstick.

His blood boiled.

Why was she wearing lipstick? Who was she trying to impress? Was she trying to attract someone else in his house?

His fists tightened. Without saying a word, he turned and stormed into his bedroom.

Later that night…

Sophia wiped her hands and sighed. Her body ached from all the chores, but she didn’t complain. Complaining wouldn’t change anything.

Her mother-in-law gave her a pleased nod. "Good. Now go to your room. Damien must be waiting for you."

Sophia hesitated for a second before nodding. Waiting for me? No, he never waited for her. He barely even acknowledged her.

But she had no choice.

Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the bedroom, unaware of the storm brewing inside.

As soon as Sophia entered the room, Damien slammed the door shut behind her, the loud sound making her heart jump. Fear crept into her veins as she turned to face him. His expression was dark, filled with rage she didn’t understand.

"W-What happened?" she stammered, stepping back instinctively.

Before she could react, Damien’s hand wrapped around her throat, gripping it with full pressure. Her breath hitched, panic flashing in her eyes as she struggled to breathe.

"Why the f**k did you put that lipstick on?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Trying to impress another man?"

Sophia’s hands clawed at his wrist, her nails digging into his skin as she fought for air. Her vision blurred. She desperately shook her head, trying to speak, but no words came out.

With the last bit of strength she had, she pushed against him. He let go, making her stumble back as she gasped for breath, coughing violently.

"What are you talking about?" she managed to say through deep breaths, her voice weak. "Your mother asked me to put it on."

But he wasn’t listening.

The next thing she felt was a sharp sting across her cheek.

The force of his slap sent her collapsing onto the floor.

Shock spread through her body. She touched her burning cheek, unable to believe what had just happened.

"You… you hit me?" Her voice broke as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with disbelief and pain.

Damien crouched down, gripping her jaw so tightly it hurt. His eyes burned with possessiveness, cruelty.

"If I ever see you wearing clothes like that, putting on lipstick, or wearing jewelry again…" His voice dropped to a whisper, more terrifying than his shouting. "I’ll kill you."

Then, with a cold smirk, he wiped the lipstick off her lips with his thumb, erasing any trace of color.

Sophia sat frozen as he stood up, walked to the bed, and laid down as if nothing had happened.

Tears streamed down her face as she sat there, numb.

It was only her third night with him.

And he had already hit her.

Sophia’s heart raced as she fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She had just endured another night of torment, and the weight of Damien's cruelty was too much to bear. She needed someone, anyone, to help her, to take her away from this suffocating reality.

With trembling fingers, she dialed her mother’s number, hoping for even a small ounce of comfort. When the call connected, she could hardly speak through the lump in her throat, but she forced the words out, desperate.

“Mama, please take me from here... It’s the third day of the wedding... He hit me.”

There was a long pause on the other end, followed by a sigh that felt like an ocean crashing into her. Her mother’s voice, cold and distant, responded.

“Making this marriage work is your responsibility, Sophia. These are your father’s friends. If you leave, it will ruin your father’s reputation. You can't do this."

The words cut through her like a blade, sharper than anything Damien had done to her. Her mother's indifference stung more than the physical pain she had endured. Sophia’s grip on the phone tightened, and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her racing heart.

She couldn't give up. She needed someone. Maybe her brother would understand. Maybe he would help her.

Wiping away the fresh stream of tears, she quickly dialed her brother’s number, praying that he would answer. But it wasn’t him who picked up. It was her mother, her voice colder than before.

"Your brother is out of the country," her mother said flatly. "And don’t you dare tell him about this. You are on your own, Sophia."

Her mother’s words hit her like a slap, worse than any physical pain. Her brother, the one person she had always looked up to for guidance, wasn’t there for her. And now her mother—her own mother—had turned her back on her.

Sophia felt her body tremble with the weight of her loneliness, her heart shattering as she realized the full extent of her isolation. She was trapped in a marriage she had never wanted, with no one to help her, no one to understand. She had no choice but to endure, to keep up the facade for the world, even if it meant losing herself in the process.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, but they kept coming, unstoppable. The darkness around her seemed to grow heavier, suffocating her. No one cared. No one would save her.

Her world felt like it was collapsing, and she had no escape.