Love Under the Hut

CHAPTER 3

Dear Papa,

How are you? I hope you are alright. 

We always talk about these before we go to sleep. 

We both knew this day was coming, papa. It is heavy for me to be away from you, papa. 

I wish to see you and sit next to you. I want to tell you how much I miss you, papa. 

For as long as I can remember, it’s been you and me always. I know your heart broke when you had to let me go, papa, yet I asked for your blessing, and I bet you held back tears as you said yes. 

To give away someone you love. 

My husband and his family have been nice to me and taking good care of me really well, papa. 

I can’t tell you if I am happy, but I am definitely okay, papa. I would love to hear from you soon, papa. 

See you soon. I love you.

                                                                                                                           Your daughter, with love,

                                                                                                                                                           Layla 

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I was peeking through the window. Who are these people?

Every single day there must be someone making loud noises and machines cracking around the cherry fields.

Every morning, after the fatigues of their chores, the workers slept till ten o'clock and sometimes till dawn.

What a noisy and restless day, again!

It has been odd to me, I could barely sleep on time. I feel tired and moody most of the time.

I am only eighteen and, I am married!

How I wish I could go back to papa and eat some tuna sandwich and a small slice of watermelon.

The smell of his bakery and his vanilla toast bread. Gosh!

How I miss him.

Knowing everything will never get back to the way it was before, I dream of these every night.

This morning it is down in the dump.

I woke up feeling really bad and nauseous. I was not feeling well again!

* Door knocks*

It was the girl. Not again… I squawk opened the door.

“Yes?!” I groused at Matilda.

She was frightened and not dragging her feet, she looked up at me and asked.

"Wou… Would you like to… To have some hot chocolate or some lemon tea, please… Your, Grace?"

Such is Matilda.

A soft-spoken and humble one.

She works for my husband as my assistant to help me with my daily routines and chores.

Matilda seems to be nice, I am just…

Really not today and always in the mood for anybody.

Matilda is only 13 years old, and the boss has hired her to work for me so she could accompany me when he is away.

But I am better off alone.

I always thought to myself.

It is really cruel of my husband to make a servant out of a young girl.

"No! I don't want any food! I am not hungry and never disturb me again!" I yelled at her and slammed the door.

I was furious at her when she approached me so nicely to know if I was hungry.

It was not just my day today and because I didn’t like it here, I always unveil my anger to the workers when they try to reach me.

To be in this place seems like I am stuck with a bunch of aliens although they are really good people.

Everyone that I meet and speak to drives me really angry.

Matilda walked away, pushing the table on wheels with a sad pale face, and murmured something later.

She is hurt by my harsh words.

“How insolent!” Shouted Beretta.

Beretta is my husband’s childhood friend and a share partner of his business.

She has always been scorning on me since she knew I become Latham’s wife.

She has never liked me although my nature shows that I am not into this family, Latham’s family never tear up my strip, but Beretta does that all the time. Beretta has a crush on my husband since she was 10 years old.

They went to the same school.

Schools which only rich kids or the noble family go to. Royalism it seems.

I am not sure why he did not clink with her since she has been with him all the time.

I wished that my husband would ask for a divorce and set me free.

I want Beretta to get closer to my husband so that she could accompany him in my absence.

Well, go ahead, woman.

Take him all. I don’t want him anyway.

I hated the feeling of knowing that I am married at such young age, and I am no longer papa’s little girl but a wife to an old man.

Well, that's what I thought. I have never seen my husband's face before.

Yes, you heard me right.

I have never wanted to see him at any cost because of the hatred I have for him.

I wondered why he was too desperate to be married to a young girl like me and never thought about my feelings or my future.

I tend to think of the consequences of making love with an old man and having a child for him.

That's disgusting! I still remember that on our wedding day, Beretta tried to pull off my veil and caused me to flip to fall.

But it did not happen because Latham was there holding me really tight.

I knew back then it was going to be a long-married life with Latham and his secret admirers trying to get rid of me.

I have locked myself in my room and only left if I am hungry and when I am being rebellious on something that I want or don't want.

My husband is a count.

We live in north Sweden, in the middle of a city filled with one of the large populations.

On every occasion held there, my husband will be honored to be invited as a VIP guest.

He is one of the most powerful men in the city, and he has many bodyguards, cars, and gold, weapons, and luxuries properties, and our home…

Or shall I say, a castle…

My husband's name is Count Latham.

He fell in love with me, and we got married two years later after he came to my bakery to meet papa.

Papa was also given a huge amount of cash to uphold his bakery. The count has given a big amount of cheque for the charities to build homes for the poor and ration food distributions for all the people in my village.

The orphans were provided shelter and school essentials every month. The village is now no longer considered poor.

The village is now owned by my husband.

Papa was happy.

His son-in-law is rich and his daughter is doing great. That’s what everybody thinks.

People call me the lifesaver for getting married to the count and give them all the privileges through me. But… I am not happy.

On my wedding day, I did not even look at the count’s face, and I never want to.

My face was covered with a white veil, and I could barely even see him.

Count Latham is a busy man.

He does find time for me but just that…

I will never be available for him at all.

I was afraid that if I saw him, I would take a step to run away because I don't want to accept the fact that I was married to an old man!

I told myself that it could be his punishment for tying a knot on a young girl and that it should stay as such forever.

I was very mean indeed.