ICHYR 12

All misfortune began that night. On her wedding night, she lost her hearing and was abandoned. Her childhood friend, once her betrothed in a political marriage, became less than a stranger, an ex-husband. Her father, too, no longer sought her out. Still, she believed her second marriage to Kaiden would be different. She believed, without a doubt, that this marriage came from love. But… “There was never any love to begin with.” A voice like frost fell coldly above her head. “What I wanted was your status, Elaine.” All that returned to her was a bitter truth she never wished to know and cruel mockery. She could not share a future with a man who wished for her misery. But Kaiden’s cruelty began to devour even Elaine’s future… “Why don’t you try begging instead?” “What… did you say?” “If you have nothing, then act like someone with nothing. That way, I might feel the urge to grant you some mercy.”