VOWS OF VENGEANCE

The Chains That Binds

The house felt suffocated but the idea of him living in the Paige’s family house was more than suffocating for Ethan. He couldn’t move freely in the house without the servants taking down at him. He felt more like a slave in his own house.

But it was comforting with the contract he had signed. Ethan knew it was just a year, and it was only a matter of time before it lapsed. He didn’t understand why Cassandra had orchestrated the marriage anyway.

All he knew was that he was picked out of many men who were in the company. Ethan was given a post in the organization just to make him look good. Everyone knows that the list meant nothing as Ethan would just sit down ideally without doing anything.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. He has had a long day, and he needed all the rest. The door to his room opened gently. He looked at the time and looked back at Cassandra, who was putting on a beautiful velvet gown.

He watched her as she took off her clothes. His eyes darted towards the wall clock right in front of her. He still didn’t know where she was coming from, and the thought of asking her scared him. He watched her as she walked into the bathroom to have a shower.

She was back in no time. Ethan watched as she landed on the bed beside him. “You do know the time is far gone.” Ethan said slowly, trying to sound gentle.

“What did you say?” Cassandra asked with anger. “Did you just talk back to me?” she lashed out at Ethan. “It seems you are forgetting your place.”

Ethan sat upright. “I think we need to make the rules again.” He said, looking for the light switch. The light went on, slowly illuminating the darkness around them. “What do you mean we need to remake the rules? Are you saying you want to lord over me? Don’t forget this marriage is just a sham! Cassandra said, raising her voice at him,

“You should be grateful! You were wallowing in debt until I helped you, and here you are telling me what time I should come and go in my own house.” Cassandra said with a smirk on her face. “I am just saying.”

Ethan was about to finish his words when Cassandra got her pillow and walked out of the room without looking back. He lay back on the bed without saying a word with the thought of what his punishment might be tomorrow.

[EARLY THE NEXT MORNING]

The chirping sound of the bird and a text message from Ethan’s phone woke him up. It was a sunny Saturday morning. The family was supposed to go golfing. Ethan had never understood the need for him to always go golfing with them. He remembered when he was alone, he would use that time to go to the orphanage and help out with one or two things that needed his attention, but ever since he got married to Cassandra, he had been at Paige’s beck and call.

All he had to do was carry their golf pack up and down. He walked lazily to the bathroom and cleaned his face before waking to the calendar to have it ticked.

Ethan has taken it as a habit to tick every blessed day he spends in Paige’s big mansion.

Today was the 3rd of January. He ticked it with a sigh. Another day of humiliation and talking down on

His phone rang continually. Ethan wondered who was calling him so early. He walked fast and grabbed his phone, but then the words he heard sent electric jolts down his body. “Am I speaking to Mr. Ethan?” The voice said gently.

“Yes, you are speaking to him.” Ethan replied anxiously.

“I am calling to remind you that your electricity bill is now overdue. Please pay up before we take any legal actions. This will be the last time we are going to be calling you. Have a good day.”

The call ended even before Ethan could say anything. “Why is all of this happening? Didn’t she take care of it?” He said slowly, looking at the strange number that called him. Before he could drop his phone, another call came right in.

“Hello, is that Mr. Ethan?” The voice asked again.

Ethan cut the call off before any complaint. He knew what was going on.

He took his undies and walked out of his room toward the main mansion. As he approached, he could hear the faint laughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paige. They all turned back and stared at him. “Don't you know what today is?” Cassandra asked with a frown. “Can we talk?” Ethan said, looking at her.

“Talk? You want to talk to me after you disregarded me.” Cassandra looked at him.

“Disregard? Did you just say disregard? I only told you that the time you came in was not…”

Cassandra stopped him before he could alter anything else. “Was it not?”

Ethan froze at the manner in which Cassandra was talking to him in the presence of her parents.

“My bills?” Ethan stopped.

“Is that why you are here, or are you here to apologize?” Cassandra stood up from her seat. The tension was high as everyone stared at Ethan. He looked like the odd man out, not sure why he had to apologize to Cassandra.

“Are you going to do it or not?” Cassandra asked, staring at him. “To hell with his apologies. I won’t have a man who looks down on my daughter marry her.”

“I heard William Hargrove is back in town.” Tiffany Paige said, looking at Cassandra, who was still fuming with anger.

Funnily, her angry face was laced by a smile. “Really? He didn’t call me.” Her smile was later replaced by a frown. Ethan looked at both Cassandra and her parents, not sure what was going on. “Why don’t we talk about your marriage with me?” Frank Paige looked at Ethan. “It is high time we rid ourselves of this nuisance.”