Signed For His Hate

Chapter3

Isla’s POV

As I lay on the silk-soft bed, my mind drifted back to the events of the day. It was exhausting. The reception was dull and uneventful, except for the father-daughter dance. I enjoyed dancing with my father; he was such a terrible dancer, nearly tripping multiple times, which made me laugh.

Landon, on the other hand, avoided me like the plague. He never once looked at me, whereas I watched his every move. I couldn’t help it—he looked so dashing that I found it impossible to take my eyes off him. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hide how happy I was to be married to him.

“Get out of my bed, you gold-digging b***h!” His thunderous voice echoed off the walls of our bedroom. I froze, unsure if I had heard him correctly. My heart pounded as I jumped in shock, staring at him in disbelief. His nose flared like a raging bull. I took a step toward him, but he stepped back.

“Because of you, I’ve lost the one thing that means the most to me—I’ve lost the love of my life! How could you say yes to your father when I specifically told you to refuse his offer?”

I was horrified. He was in love with someone else. Why hadn’t he told me? God, what had I done? My feet turned cold, my knees threatening to buckle. I looked down in embarrassment, unable to bear the hatred in his eyes.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you. I want to see the face of the person who has condemned me to this miserable life.” His voice was a low hiss, his words stinging like a bee, bringing tears to my eyes.

“You could have told me if you just wanted the money.”

“You think I married you for your money?” My voice cracked as I spoke.

“Then what? Let me guess—you married me for recognition, right? Well, congratulations, you got what you wanted. Since you’ve forced me into this marriage, I’ll show you exactly what kind of husband I can be. You have no idea what you just signed up for.”

He stepped closer, his towering frame making me tremble with fear. His eyes were cold and void of emotion. “Stay away from everything that belongs to me. I don’t want your filthy hands soiling my property.”

I gasped in shock at the sheer amount of anger and hatred radiating from him.

“Undress yourself,” he ordered.

My jaw dropped in sheer horror. “What’s wrong, my lovely wife?” His tone dripped with sarcasm and mockery. He raised his hand as if to touch my face, but I jerked away.

“This is what you wanted, right? A husband? A marriage? Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m giving you exactly that? As far as I know, a wife should fulfill her husband’s every desire. Even a naive girl like you should understand that.”

He smiled devilishly as he watched me whimper and step back. Then his expression darkened, and his next words left me speechless. “I want you as my mistress.”

“No, I can’t do that,” I replied firmly.

“I wasn’t asking. I was telling you. You don’t have a choice, sweetheart. You wanted to fulfill your father’s wish, so now you can do it to your heart’s content. You will suffer in this miserable life, just as I am suffering.” A flash of emotion crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.

“I didn’t know you were in love with someone else. If I had, I would never have married you,” I whispered, my heart shattering. The life I had imagined—one filled with love and happiness—was nothing but an illusion. The man I loved despised me.

“Shut the f**k up and drop the innocent act. I sent you a letter while I was in Germany explaining everything. You can stop pretending now. We both know you’re faking it.”

A letter? What letter? I had never received anything from him.

“I never got a letter from you,” I tried to explain.

“Just stop it! Your act is irritating. Did I not tell you to undress? Take your clothes off and wait for me.” He turned to leave, then stopped abruptly. “I’ll have my lawyer draft a contract. Don’t you dare tell anyone about this, or I swear I will make every second of your life a living hell.” With that, he stormed out.

I collapsed to the ground, my tears falling freely. I couldn’t get a divorce; that would be even worse than refusing the marriage. My father wouldn’t survive the disgrace. I loved Landon, but I never intended to trap him in a loveless marriage. If he wanted to punish me, I would have to endure it in silence.

I cried myself to sleep.

At some point, I half wondered if I was dreaming. Sometimes, dreams were better than reality. I blinked, shut my eyes, and blinked again. I sat up, expecting to see morning light filtering through the curtains. Instead, I saw a figure sitting in front of me. His eyes were fixed on me. For a fleeting moment, they held warmth, but as soon as I met his gaze, the warmth vanished, replaced by cold hatred.

Once again, I was the enemy.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were a f*****g virgin?” he demanded, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

My heart pounded in horror as last night’s events came rushing back—the way he had taken me without care, without love. He had given me no room to object, no chance to speak. He had simply taken what he wanted, leaving me shattered in his wake.

I looked down at the bloodstained sheet. Only then did I feel the ache in my body again.

“Answer me,” he snapped, his glare piercing through me.

“I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t let me speak.”

“Don’t mistake what happened last night for lovemaking. You are just a toy to me, nothing more.” His words cut through me like a blade.

Without another word, he grabbed his coat and left.

And once again, I cried.

After a long, much-needed hot bath, I dressed in a loose, simple gown. Tight clothes made me uncomfortable, and I needed any form of comfort I could find. I put on a little makeup to mask my swollen eyes and stepped out of my room, forcing a fake smile onto my face.

As I descended the stairs, I saw Alex and Olivia—Landon’s parents—having breakfast. They looked so happy, so in love. A pang of jealousy hit me. I wished Landon and I could have what they had, but it was impossible.

“There she is. Good morning, sweetheart. We were just talking about you,” Olivia said, smiling warmly.

“Good morning, Olivia. Hi, Alex.”

“Sweetie, are you alright? You have dark circles under your eyes, and you look pale,” she observed, concern in her voice.

I remained silent, avoiding her gaze. If I said anything, I might break down.

Alex cleared his throat. “Darling, it was her first wedding night. Of course, she’d be tired.”

Olivia giggled in response, while I blushed, my smile faltering slightly.

“Landon left early today,” Olivia remarked, waiting for an explanation.

I forced my smile to remain intact. “Yeah, he had an important meeting to attend.”

Great. Less than twenty-four hours into this marriage, and I was already lying.

And the ‘Husband of the Year’ award goes to… Landon.