Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Bianca returned home with a face as red as an overripe tomato. She entered the house and walked straight to her room, where she found Michael sitting on the bed, looking haggard with dark circles under his eyes. His usual composed and servile demeanor was nowhere to be found; instead, a cold and unsettling calm replaced it.

Bianca huffed and ignored him, walking past him and sitting on the couch. She removed her shoes and raised her legs, pointing them at Michael, who glared at her with furious eyes. 

“Give me a massage,” she ordered impatiently.

Michael didn't move as his furious eyes quickly calmed down to become cold and indifferent. Bianca frowned as she was taken aback by his behavior; this wasn't the usual service Michael she knew. What the hell was happening?

“What's with the attitude?” She barked at him in irritation. “Why are you acting like this? Don't you have enough trust in me? I was busy yesterday, and because of that, you gave me the cold shoulder.”

Michael grinded his teeth in anger, but he didn't say anything; instead, he picked up his phone from the table and threw it at her, the device handed on her laps. Her frown deepened as she picked up the phone, wondering what this was all about. She unlocked the phone, and her eyes widened into a full circle when she saw the image on the phone.

She regained her composure soon enough and stared at him with cold indifference.

“What's this supposed to prove?” she asked as she handed the phone back to him. “It’s a behind the scenes shot from a new movie I'm working on. You know how these things go.”

“A movie?” Michael's eyes narrowed into slits. “Care to explain why I had no idea about this supposed movie? Why don't I remember you mentioning anything about it?”

Bianca crossed her arms and scoffed. “I didn't thinkI needed to report every detail of my life to you. You're my husband, not my keeper.”

“Why can't you understand? This is…different. You were wrapped around him like...” Michael paused and took in a deep breath to calm himself. He didn't want to say it; he didn't want to admit what he was saying.

“Don't be ridiculous! You're blowing this out of proportion.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“Why can't you just admit to the fact that you're lying?” For the first time in years, Michael raised his voice at Bianca, which shocked her to her very core. She was always used to him being docile.

“There’s no such thing as a new movie, and there's certainly no kissing scene, so why don't you just come clean?” He continued, trying to force her to speak the truth.

And then Bianca snapped completely.

“You ungrateful, paranoid fool!” She hissed out like an angry cobra. “I’m out there, day and night, working hard, bringing in money, while you sit here like a useless leech! Reaping the benefits of my hard work! And this is how you repay me? By accusing me of cheating?”

Michael froze like a statue. The fact that she denied cheating was enough, but she had to bring up the fact that she was the breadwinner to spite him. If only she knew the truth.

I'm the reason she even has a career, he thought as he clutched his chest. Every role she's ever had, every opportunity she's gotten—it was all me. I pulled the strings, made deals, all while she looked on me as nothing more than a houseboy. And this... is the thanks I get?

“I can't believe how unreasonable you're being!” Bianca wasn't finished as she screamed at the top of her voice. “You don’t trust me? After everything I’ve done? You disgust me, Michael. You’re nothing but a pathetic man who’s so insecure he can’t even handle his wife being successful!”

Okay, this was it. At this point, it was too much, and Michael’s rage had reached the ceiling.

She stepped closer, raising her hand to slap him, but Michael dodged her blow. Without thinking, moving purely on instincts, he retaliated. His open hand connecting with her cheek in a brutal slap. The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot, and Bianca stumbled backward in a daze and fell to the floor.

“Mi…Micheal.” She muttered, her eyes as round as full moons and her hand flying to her cheeks as tears welled up in her eyes. For a moment, neither of them moved. Michael was horrified at what he had just done, and Bianca tears had turned to racking sobs.

At that moment, the door of their bedroom burst open, and they looked up in shock.