RUIN ME, BROTHER IN LAW

~Serana~ “What are you in that hideous dress for?” Disgust stained his eyes as he sized me up. “And what is that horrendous make-up on your face?” I flinched hard. The words pierced through my heart like a blade. My fingers curled around the hem of my dress, fisting it like it would give me the courage to stand and not crumble from total humiliation. “You… You needed a plus one for the business dinner tonight, so I thought…” I bit my lip nervously. “As your wife, I should put on my best clothes tonight to look good for you…” My words were cut short by hysterical laughter. A wave of shame descended on me as Matteo laughed. He laughed so hard that tears began pricking every corner of my eyes. “Wait a second, let me get this straight…” he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. “So you thought, out of all the hot sexy women in this city, I would choose you, a fat, ugly duckling as my plus one? Are you retarded?” His smile vanished almost immediately. “You want to humiliate me before all my friends and business partners? You think the plus one there means plus sized?” I shrinked, tears rolling down my cheeks as I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me. “Why… why are you doing this to me?” I whispered. “I work tirelessly every day… just to make sure things go smoothly with the company. You take my proposals, my pitches, presentation, everything and hand them over to workers you think are more “pleasant to look at” to present while I remain behind the scenes like a complete nobody. I have never complained about it and this one time… this one time…” “You're right,” Matteo coldly cut me short. “You've never complained and it shouldn't start now. So what if you've been overworking? Isn't that your duty as my wife? You want the reputation you've worked so hard to build over the years to crumble?” I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. “Get out of those rags and get back to work. Gloria will accompany me tonight,” he said plainly then brushed past me like I meant nothing. He stopped by the door of the study, “I want steak for dinner, make the sauce extra spicy as always. I'm sure Gloria will be delighted to taste your cooking as well.” With that, he walked out, leaving me standing there like a complete fool. I brushed the tears off my cheek forcing myself to smile. Matteo has always been like this. It was that he didn't love me, I know he did, he just… just didn't like my body. Deciding I couldn't mop around, I gathered the files on his desk and moved them to my room to work on it. My stomach grumbled loudly but I didn't dare to go down to grab anything. Matteo gets mad anytime he sees me eat, he calls it gluttony so I end up starving myself on most days. After several hours of working on the files, I decided to take a break and go online. Pictures of Matteo and Gloria popped everywhere. The headlines were very provocative though. Just one date and they were already matchmaking and asking silly questions. “Matteo Romano steps out with stunning executive assistant. Is this the new power couple?” “Sources say wedding trouble brews as Gloria steals the spotlight.” My fingers trembled as I scrolled. There she was, slim, polished, laughing beside him in a red dress that clung to her like it was stitched directly onto her skin. Matteo’s hand rested on the small of her back, familiar. Possessive. The same hand that never touched me unless it was to shove a plate away or snatch a file from my grasp. I swallowed hard. One picture zoomed in on his face, and I hated myself for noticing how happy he looked. Relaxed. Proud. The kind of expression he never wore at home. A comment caught my eye. He finally upgraded. Something inside my chest cracked quietly. I shut the laptop, pressing my palm against it as if that would erase the images from my mind. My reflection stared back at me from the dark screen, smudged mascara, swollen eyes, lips chewed raw from nervous bites. Hideous. Just like he said. “No,” I whispered, though there was no one to hear me. “You’re not hideous.” The words sounded foreign, wrong in my mouth. I pushed myself up from the chair and walked to the mirror anyway, forcing myself to look. Really look. I saw the woman who stayed up till dawn perfecting pitches that bore another person’s name. The woman who memorized his preferences, his moods, the exact level of spice he liked in his food. The woman who shrank herself smaller and smaller, hoping one day she’d fit into the version of a wife he could love. My phone buzzed. A message from Matteo. “Don’t forget the steak. I’ll be home late.” A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. At least he still loved my food. That had to count for something right? I hurried to the kitchen despite my exhaustion and began cooking right away. From chopping the veggies to marinating the meat, I moved on autopilot, my hands doing what they had done countless times before. I seasoned the steak exactly the way he liked. Extra pepper, extra spicy and very chewy. By the time everything was done, my legs ached and my back throbbed. I glanced at the clock on the wall. 10:47 p.m. He really was coming home late. I plated the food carefully, making it look presentable, the way Gloria would probably appreciate. The thought made my chest tighten, but I pushed it down. This was my role. My purpose. I had chosen this life, hadn’t I? The front door finally opened close to midnight. I straightened instantly, my heart leaping to my throat as Matteo’s laughter drifted in first, deep, unrestrained. It sounded foreign. Wrong. Then her voice followed. Light. Musical. Confident. “So this is your place?” Gloria asked, amusement lacing her tone. I stepped out of the kitchen just as they entered the living room. Matteo didn’t look at me at first. He was too busy shrugging off his jacket, Gloria helping him with an intimacy that made my fingers curl painfully at my sides. “Yes,” he said casually. “Serana handles everything here.” Handles everything. Gloria finally noticed me then. Her eyes swept over me slowly, critically, before she smiled, sweet, condescending, and judgemental all at once. “Oh,” she said. “You must be Serana, the housekeeper.” My chest tightened. House keeper? That was what he told her? Matteo’s narrowed coldly at me, daring me to say otherwise. I nodded, forcing my lips into what I hoped resembled a polite smile. “Dinner is ready.” Matteo hummed in approval. “Good.” He walked past me without another glance, already loosening his tie. Gloria followed him, her heels clicking confidently against the floor, stopping briefly beside me. “It smells amazing,” she said softly. “You’re really… talented.” The pause before talented wasn’t lost on me. “Thank you,” I murmured. They sat at the dining table together. I stood by the counter, watching as Matteo cut into the steak, his face relaxing the moment he tasted it. “Perfect,” he said. “As always.” Warmth bloomed briefly in my chest. He liked it. Then he added, without looking at me, “See, Gloria? This is the only thing she’s ever been good at.” The warmth shattered. Gloria laughed lightly, lifting her wine glass. “Well, everyone has their strengths.” I lowered my gaze to the floor, my nails digging into my palms. I told myself not to cry. Not now. Not in front of them. As they ate and talked about the dinner, the deals, the people he’d impressed, I stood there silently, invisible in my own home. For some reason, a sudden feeling of nausea descended on me and my head spun. Black dots appeared in my vision and I staggered back, suddenly feeling weak. “Matteo…” my voice came out small, almost like a whisper. “I don't feel too good…” Everywhere went black.