HUSBAND WRATH
1803 Words
The car ride back to the mansion was painfully quiet. Blessing sat stiffly, her fingers twisted together in her lap. She dared not look at the man beside her. The silence between them was louder than thunder. Every second that passed pressed heavier on her chest.
Rakeem’s face was carved in stone, his jaw hard, his eyes fixed ahead. He had not spoken a single word since they left the reception. His silence was worse than shouting. Blessing’s heart beat like a drum. She wanted to explain, to beg, to tell him that she had not chosen this madness. But her lips were dry, her throat too tight to speak.
When the car entered the compound, her breath caught. The house looked grand, with its tall pillars and glowing lights. Expensive cars gleamed in the driveway. To anyone else it was a palace, but to her it felt like a cage waiting to swallow her whole.
The driver came down quickly and opened the door. Blessing stepped out, clutching her gown. The cool night air touched her skin but gave no relief. Rakeem didn’t wait for her. He walked inside with long, angry strides. She followed, her heart pounding with each step.
The marble floor reflected the light as they entered. The servants bowed, but one sharp glare from Rakeem sent them scattering out of sight. Blessing felt her throat tighten even more. The air in the house was too heavy, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Rakeem stopped in the sitting room and turned. His eyes, dark and burning, met hers. His words came like a command.
“Remove that gown.”
Blessing froze. She stared at him, her mouth open, her breath shallow. His voice was low, but it carried a weight that shook her.
She swallowed hard. “Rakeem… please… let me explain”
“Explain?” His laugh was bitter, sharp. “You want to explain how you and your family disgraced me today? You think I didn’t see the whispers? The entire hall knew I was standing beside the wrong bride.”
Tears filled her eyes. She shook her head quickly. “No… it’s not like that. Hannah… she ran away. I didn’t plan this. I was only”
“Only what?” His voice rose. His anger filled the wide room. “Only playing the obedient sister? Or only desperate to snatch your sister’s husband?”
The words cut her like a knife. She gasped, her hands trembling. “No! I didn’t snatch anything. I didn’t even want to marry you. I… I have someone I love.” Her voice cracked, and she looked down, ashamed of the truth that slipped out.
The anger in his eyes deepened. He stepped forward, gripping her chin in his hand. His touch was not gentle. He forced her to look at him.
“Then why are you here, Blessing? Why are you in my house, wearing my ring, bearing my name?”
Tears slid down her face. Her voice broke. “Because my parents begged me. Because they said everything would collapse if I didn’t. Because Hannah disgraced us and left. I didn’t choose this.”
Rakeem dropped her chin with disgust. He paced the room, his fists clenched at his sides.
“So that’s it,” he said bitterly. “They sacrificed you. They offered you like goods in the market, and you agreed. You thought marriage with me would be easy. You thought I would swallow this insult quietly.” He turned sharply, his eyes like fire. “Let me assure you, Blessing, this house will never be your home. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
Her chest rose and fell with pain. She wanted to scream that she had a heart, that she never wanted to be here. But her voice died in her throat.
The silence was heavy. She could hear only the ticking of a clock somewhere far away. The gown on her body felt heavier, her veil suffocating.
Then his voice came again, softer, but cutting deeper than before. “Hannah may have disgraced me, but you will pay for it. Every day. Until your last breath in this house.”
Her tears flowed freely. She shook her head. “Please… don’t punish me for what I didn’t do.”
But he only smiled coldly. “You married me, Blessing. You chose your cage. And from tonight, you will know what it means to be the bride I never chose.”
The words fell like stones on her chest. Her knees weakened, and she sank slowly onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. Her sobs filled the empty room.
His footsteps echoed on the staircase as he climbed. Each step sounded like a warning. At the top, he paused. His voice came down, cold and final.
“By tomorrow, the whole world will know you are my wife. But don’t ever mistake the title for love. Respect, yes. Affection, never.”
Blessing’s heart shattered. She sat trembling, the tears hot on her cheeks, the wedding gown heavy on her body like a chain.
Then, through her sobs, she heard it-her phone buzzing softly inside her purse. She pulled it out with shaking hands.
A single message glowed on the screen.
It was from Samuel.
“Blessing, I’m outside. Please, just say the word, and I’ll take you away from all this.”
Her breath caught. Her hands trembled. Her heart raced so fast it hurt. Samuel-the man she loved was outside. Tonight.
But upstairs, Rakeem the man she feared was her husband now.
Her tears blurred the phone screen as her heart screamed in confusion. She sat frozen, caught between the life she once dreamed of and the cage she had just entered.
What choice did she have?
Blessing’s hands shook as she stared at Samuel’s message. Her throat tightened, and her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. She wanted to reply, to scream that she needed him, that he should save her. But her fingers refused to move.
Her eyes drifted slowly to the staircase. Rakeem was upstairs. Every part of this house reminded her of him his power, his anger, his cold presence. He was the man she had just been forced to marry.
Her chest rose and fell quickly as her tears blurred her sight. What would happen if she ran out to Samuel now? What if Rakeem caught her? The thought alone made her legs feel like jelly.
She bit her bottom lip hard, holding back another sob. The phone buzzed again. This time, Samuel’s voice message came in. With trembling hands, she pressed play.
“Blessing… my love, I know you’re hurting. I can’t stand here and do nothing. Just say something. I’m waiting. Please don’t let them cage you. Don’t let them take you away from me.”
His voice broke at the end, and it shattered her heart. She pressed the phone to her chest, shutting her eyes tight. Memories of his warm smile, his laughter, the way he used to hold her hand when they walked on the quiet streets of their neighborhood everything rushed back like a flood.
Her lips trembled. She whispered, “Samuel…” so softly, it was almost like a prayer.
But then, heavy footsteps echoed from upstairs. Blessing’s heart jumped into her throat. She quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and hid her phone under the folds of her gown.
Rakeem was coming down.
She sat upright immediately, trying to steady her breathing. But her chest still heaved, and her face still glistened with tears. When he appeared at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes went straight to her face.
His lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Already crying? It didn’t take long.”
Blessing lowered her gaze, but that didn’t stop the heat of his stare.
He walked closer, his steps slow, deliberate, like a hunter approaching prey. When he stood before her, he crossed his arms, his towering frame casting a shadow over her small figure.
“Tell me,” he said coldly, “are those tears for me? Or for the man you wish you were with right now?”
Her breath caught. Did he know? Did he somehow sense Samuel’s presence? Her hands tightened on her lap. She wanted to lie, but her voice refused to come.
Rakeem leaned down slightly, his voice low and sharp. “Answer me, Blessing.”
“I… I don’t…” Her words broke into silence.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a humorless smile. He straightened and stepped back. “Pathetic.”
The word cut her deeper than a slap.
“You want pity?” He laughed bitterly. “Don’t waste your time. You’ll get none from me. You think I’ll forgive your family for this insult? No. Every time you breathe in this house, you will remember it.”
Blessing bit her lip until she tasted blood. She wanted to scream back, to tell him she wasn’t his enemy. But all that came out was a shaky whisper. “I didn’t ask for this either.”
Rakeem’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he turned sharply and walked away, leaving her alone again in the wide, empty sitting room.
The silence pressed down on her. Her phone buzzed once more, hidden under her gown. She reached for it with trembling fingers, pulling it out carefully.
A new message from Samuel glowed on the screen.
“Blessing, the gate is open. I can come in. Just say yes. Let’s run away tonight before it’s too late.”
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears. She stood slowly, clutching the phone in both hands. Her eyes darted to the front door, then back to the staircase where Rakeem had gone.
One step toward Samuel could save her heart… but one mistake could destroy her life completely.
Her breath came fast. Her thumb hovered over the keypad, ready to type.
Then
“Blessing.”
She froze.
Her father’s voice came from the doorway. He stood there, his face heavy with guilt and weariness. His eyes looked at her, not as a proud father, but as a man who knew he had pushed his daughter into fire.
The phone slipped from her hand onto the couch.
Her father stepped inside, lowering his voice. “We need to talk… before Rakeem hears what I have to say.”
Blessing’s knees almost buckled. She looked at her father, torn between anger, pain, and the desperate hope that maybe just maybe he had come to set her free.
But deep inside, she feared the truth.
What her father had to say tonight… might change everything.
- Writer
