𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

THE MONSTER

“Stop it! Let me go!”

She laughed, her fake anger failing to hide her blush.

He looked at her with pure, bottomless adoration. As he pulled the duvet away, she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly shy.

“Are you really hiding from me?” he teased, gently prying her hands away.

“Is there any part of you I don't know by heart?”

But as his eyes traveled over her body, his smile vanished. He froze. It was as if he had been struck. Tears began to pool in his eyes as he stared at the marks on her skin—the purple bruises and the scratches left by his own hands the night before.

Jane saw the shift and quickly grabbed a robe to cover herself.

“Jane… what… what is this?”

His voice was a broken whisper.

“Did I… did I do this to you?”

She saw the realization shattering him. He truly didn't remember. He had no memory of the monster that came out at night. She knew that if he fully understood what he was, he would break entirely.

She wiped her own tears, crawled toward him, and pulled him into a fierce embrace.

“I love you, Victor,” she whispered into his ear, holding him tight, as if she could protect him from the very man he became in the dark.

Later, after her shower, she walked into the room to find him frantically rummaging through his desk.

“What are you looking for? Did you lose something?” she asked softly.

Victor spun around. His eyes were bloodshot, burning with a cold, familiar fire. The man from the morning was gone.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my business?” he snarled, stepping into her space and grabbing her chin.

“Don't think that ring on your finger gives you the right to question me. I will ruin you, do you understand?”

“Victor… I just—”

“Shut up. Just hearing your voice ruins my day. Get out of my sight.”

He shoved her. Jane hit the floor hard, a sob escaping her throat.

No, she told herself, standing up and wiping her eyes with resolve. It's not him talking. It's the shadow. I won't let it destroy me.

She reached for her wedding ring, adjusting it as her eyes blurred with tears once more.

“No,”

Jane whispered to herself, wiping her eyes with a fierce, trembling hand.

“That wasn't Victor. That was the monster inside him. I won't let his words break me.”

She stood up slowly. As she reached for her wedding ring on the nightstand, her vision blurred again. There weren’t many days left. Soon, she would have to walk away from Victor’s life forever.

The thought of leaving made her heart ache more than any physical bruise ever could.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms locked around her waist. She felt Victor’s face press against her shoulder, his touch now gentle, almost reverent.

He pressed a soft kiss to her skin. Jane’s lips curled into a faint, sad smile. This was the Victor who loved her—the one she lived for.

When she went downstairs, the house was quiet. She headed straight for the kitchen.

Her mother-in-law was there, along with Victor’s aunt and his sister-in-law.

“Morning, Jane,”

his sister-in-law said, glancing at the clock.

“A bit late today, aren't you? Usually, you’re here by seven. Did Victor keep you up all night?”

Jane remained silent, but the others turned to look at her.

When they saw the faint marks on her face, their expressions shifted to pity.

“Jane, dear,”

his aunt said softly,

“take this coffee up to Victor. Don't worry about the kitchen today.”

Jane gave her a small, grateful smile.

“No one eats for free in this house,”

her mother-in-law snapped.

It was a cold reminder of the debt Victor had paid to “buy” her into the family.

To be Continued...