Sold To My Husband

Chapter Two

Scarlett's POV

I'd walked down the aisle with my Max, she got married in a small church with his family in attendance and mine...were nowhere to be found.

Max was the perfect husband, sweet, hardworking and intelligent, our love life was beautiful, like the one in books.

But his family... His mother. I could have sworn that she was the devil's incarnate except that she was my mother-in-law and slowly my picture-perfect wedded life weaned into what I feared the most.

"Hey Rory," Max called as he stepped into the bedroom, getting ready for work.

"Ironed my shirt already?" He asked and I shook my head in refusal.

"I was with your mother..."

"For goodness’ sake Rory, why can you not be smart? You had enough time to iron my shirt and do whatever my mother asked you to do," he cussed, his hands trembling as he held back his rage.

"You should have asked me what she told me to do, Max. I was doing three different things at the same time, and you're all about having your clothes ironed," I retorted, and he stared at me, hissing loudly.

"It's not like you do any other thing than stay home all day, and you couldn't even have my clothes pressed," he blurted, shoving me out of the way.

"I work Max, I always have to be at your mother's beck and call, she needs me to even bring her a cup of water, I clean, I wash, and I make sure that there's a meal on the table waiting for you whenever you come back from work, and don't you forget that it was your mother that had me resign from work," I said.

"That was because she wanted to have her grandkids as soon as possible,"

"And when was the last time you touched me Max? You haven't even looked in my way for months now. I don't want us to have these arguments anymore," I said, my tone softening.

"I'm stuffed with work, and you know that," he explained, and I nodded, smiling as I walked into his arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't have your shirt pressed, it won't happen again, okay?" I pleaded, my eyes dimmed as I pulled closer into his arms.

"Alright," he said, pulling me off his body. I needed to get ready for work, he said, walking to the wardrobe to pick a new shirt.

A few minutes later, Max was all dressed and was ready to go to work when the bell rang.

I walked to open the door, and there was Ivy, Max's ex, standing by the door.

"Is Max in?" She asked, and I nodded, blinking away the surprise that was written on my face.

"Yh...yes he's," I replied, making way for her to come in.

"Ivy!" My mother-in-law squealed excitedly as she set her eyes on Ivy, pulling her into a hug while she darted a dirty contrasting look at me.

"Good morning, Maggie," Ivy greeted her, smiling at her until Max walked into the room.

He was all smiles, smiles that I hadn't seen for months now.

I couldn't remember his mother ever smiling at me, but there they were, relating happily as though I was just a stranger and she was the real wife.

"Have a seat," Margaret, my mother-in-law said, offering Ivy a seat.

"No, thank you, I'm just here to pick Max up for work," she said, and I darted a look at Max, bewildered.

I was getting uncomfortable with his new-found closeness with an ex that had disappeared for years.

"That's great, at least you do something. Some people don't do anything other than to stay home all day and feed on my son's money," Margaret jabbed, throwing vivid insults at me.

Ivy took a look at me before bursting into a laugh" Come off it aunt, Rory seems to be the hardworking type, she just needs to make babies, is it not?" Ivy added, and I smiled, holding in my raspy voice.

"She's been at making a baby for years and there's nothing to show for it, who knows if she's infertile," Margret added, as I stared at her, shocked at her words.

"That was too much, Margret," I said, holding back the tears that brimmed in my eyes.

"It's late, let's leave Max," Ivy said, breaking the tension in the room as she held his hands and stood up to leave.

"Max..." I called, but he gave no damn to my words as Ivy tugged at his shirts subtly.

I saw them off to the door, and watched as they were all smiles at the car.

"She's just my friend Rory, you don't have to overthink and be insecure," Max had said the first time Ivy came to the house for him.

But the way he smiled he spelled something... something that I wasn't willing to think about to its depth.

"You b***h," Margret yelled, grabbing my hair as she shook me out of my reverie.

"Stop Margret, it hurts," I begged, to no avail. You should stare at them and know how good Ivy is compared to you.

She works in one of the best stores in the country, while you stay home all day," Margret cussed before shoving my head aside.

"I practically work my ass off for you Margret, I have to get everything you want, even as small as a cup of water, you turned me into a maid at this hour, and you're comparing me with his Ex?" I blurted, and the sharp sting of her palms landed on my face.

I am still shocked at her actions.

"I lived 22 years in my parents’ house and my mother not once raised her hands up to me," I said, holding her hands up in the air as she moved to hit me again.

"I guess that's why you have no one to call family, Rory," She uttered, and I felt my words hit my core.