The Untouchable Bride

Episode 8: Strengthened by Struggles

The car came to a gentle stop, and Ronald signalled the driver to park. Rolling down the window, he called out, "Ella!" Startled, Ella looked up, her tear-streaked face showing a mix of surprise and relief. Desperately, she tried to wipe away the evidence of her distress.

"No, no, don't do that. You have to tell me what happened, the whole truth," Ronald insisted with a tenderness that only intensified Ella's emotions. Shaking her head, she hesitated, but he reassured her, "Come on, get inside. Let's go home together." Nodding silently, Ella entered the car and settled beside Ronald. Trying to lighten the atmosphere, she asked, "How was your day?"

However, Ronald wasn't ready to divert from the pressing matter. "Don't try to change the topic, babe. What happened?" he implored, his eyes reflecting genuine concern.

Ella continued shaking her head, tears continuing to stream down her face. Ronald held her close, urging her to share. "You're making my heart ache, babe. What's going on with you?"

"I...I got fired," Ella finally admitted, the weight of the words hanging heavily in the air. Ronald suppressed his own anger, choosing instead to comfort her. "Do you think I was wrong in agreeing to marry you?" Ella, wiping away tears: "I can't believe they fired me, Ronald. Just because I married you, they took away the one thing that felt like a connection to my mom." she questioned, her frustration palpable.

Holding her gaze, she continued, "Honestly, at that moment, I wanted some sort of revenge. I didn't think of the long-term impact on our lives. I just wanted a reaction from Stephen." Ronald nodded in affirmation. He knew she definitely had a reason and it still hurt to know his son still had a place in her heart.

Ronald, gently holding Ella's hands: "Ella, this is not your fault. I never wanted you to face consequences like this. We'll get through this together, I promise." "Or you can fall back on the promise I made you on our wedding day. Getting divorced". There is nothing I wouldn't do for you".

"No, that's not it. It's just that being fired just because I'm married hurts. I interned at that company, and I grew up there. It was my mother's, you know, but we had to sell it after she passed on. So working there had always been like being close to my mother," Ella explained, her vulnerability laid bare. Ronald empathized deeply with her pain.

Ella, with a shaky voice: "Or do you regret marrying me? Maybe I brought this upon us. I should've thought about the consequences."

"You know I proposed marriage in the first place."

Ella closed her eyes and continued, "All I ever wanted was to do well, but it seems it's never good enough." she laughed bitterly. " I always passed my designs over to Ms. Anderson who sometimes passes it off as hers. Mr Harrison would always compliment me on my designs and how good they are for someone with no background, yet these people looked me in the eye and just fired me like it was nothing."

Ronald, embracing Ella: "Everything I have is yours, Ella. I'll buy those shares, and we'll make sure they regret underestimating us.". Ronald said, trying to ease the tension.

"Can I ask you to please do that then? I'll pay you whatever it is that you want," Ella asked, a mix of gratitude and desperation in her eyes. She always had the intention of buying shares later should she have the money.

"You don't need to do that. you know"

Ella, looking up at Ronald: "Thank you, Ronald. I don't know what I'd do without you. This means the world to me.

"Let's continue inside," Ronald suggested, offering a comforting hand. Inside, a new face, Marriam, greeted them as the housekeeper. Ronald assured Ella that they had signed a strong NDA, easing her concerns. Ronald had hired housekeepers to ease Ella and prevent her from going to the market so she wouldn't face any backlash.

Upstairs in their room, Ronald called Aaron again to discuss buying shares in the ES Design studio.

Aaron: What do you want again? This is the first time you have called me twice in a day.

Ronald: cut it out. I want us to start buying the shares of ES Design Studio.

Aaron: and what do you need that for? Let me guess. you want to have access to your wife. Man, you are already whipped.

Ronald: shut up. hahaha. Just do it and make sure it's not traced back to us. Not yet, at the very least.

Aaron: Done. Anything else.

Ronald: no. I will call you later, bye.

Ella overheard the conversation, her eyes fixed on Ronald as he navigated the intricacies. Intrigued, she questioned him about keeping it untraceable.

Ronald, smirking: "Let them think they've won. I'm arranging something they won't see coming. A little surprise for those who dared to wrong us."

As Ronald enveloped Ella in his arms, he assured her that everything would be fine. His commitment echoed in the arrangements he made for her safety,

"I've hired some bodyguards to keep you safe from afar. You won't have to see them.

Ella, concerned: "Bodyguards, Ronald? Do we really need that?"

Ronald, reassuring: "I just want you to feel safe, Ella. You don't have to worry; I've got everything under control."

She thanked him. Ronald insisted, "You don't have to thank me, my dear. I just want to be the first one you run to should there be any problem." Ronald, lifting Ella's chin: "You're not alone in this, my dear. I'm here for you. Always.", he kissed her, sealing their pact with unwavering support and unspoken promises.

Later in the evening, Ella received a message from her cousin. "

The message popped up on Ella's phone, and as she read the words, a chill ran down her spine.

Rebecca :) "Well, well, well, look at you now. Broken, jobless, and with nowhere to turn. Did you really think you could escape the consequences of your choices? This is just the beginning. Enjoy your fall."

The cruel laughter echoed in Ella's mind as she stared at the screen. Her cousin's vindictiveness cut through her, a reminder of the past betrayal, and now Ella suspected she definitely had something to do with her job loss.

The room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow as Ronald and Ella sat on the edge of their bed. Ella's eyes still held traces of the tears she had shed, while Ronald's expression was a mix of concern and determination. They had begun to share a bed now.

Ella sighed "Ronald, I never thought our marriage would bring such complications. I just wanted a life with you, but now everything feels so... complicated."

Sofly Ronald replied "Ella, love, I know this isn't what you signed up for. None of this was supposed to happen. But we'll get through it. I promise." "I appreciate that, Ronald. It's just... I never expected to lose my job because of us. What if more challenges come our way? What if it gets worse?" He took her hands. "Listen, I can't predict the future, but I can promise you this: no matter what comes our way, we'll face it together. We're a team, Ella, and teams stick together through thick and thin."

She nodded. "I know, and I believe in us. But it's just hard, you know? I feel like I've lost so much, my job, and the respect of those I worked with and the community as a whole. What if we can't regain that?"

Ronald looked into her eyes. "You haven't lost anything that truly matters, Ella. Your worth isn't defined by a job or what others think. We can rebuild, and start anew. And about those shares, I'm buying them not as a favour but as an investment in our future. And we'll make them regret underestimating you." "I don't know how I got so lucky to have you by my side, Ronald. But I'm grateful." Ella smiled through her tears.

Ronald brushed away a tear from her cheek "I'm the lucky one, Ella. As time goes by, you are becoming my everything. And I want you to know that I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you never doubt that." "Thank you for being my rock, Ronald." she leaned into him. "I think I'm in love with you, Ella. And I'm not letting anything or anyone take that away from us," he whispered.

Ella's eyes widened, and her heart beat faster.