Her lips felt numbed, when she reminisced about the threat her stepfather layed onto her, she took a deep breath.
"My life is already a living hell at home," Eva thought, her eyes fixed on a mysterious man Infront of her, "so marrying this monster won't change a thing."
Her her cold and indefferent as she rotated her eyes on the silent crowd.
"Yes, I do," she uttered, her voice hardly above a whisper.
The congregation buzzed with excitement, unaware of the turmoil that brewed beneath her calm exterior.
When the priest turned to Mercelo, the echo of his voice rang through the room.
"Mr. Mercelo Garcia, do you take Eva Ferrara as your wedded wife, in love and in pain, in health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty, till death do you part?"
Without a hint of hesitation, as if the weight of the world was as light as a feather, Mercelo replied, "Yes, I do." His voice, deep and resonant, sent a ripple of unease through Eva, yet she followed suit, as if compelled by invisible string.
"You may now kiss the bride," the priest announced, extending his hands toward the couple.
"Let's skip that part!"
"Thank God, he has said what was on my mind," Eva thought, a gasp of relief escaping her lips.
Father Brynn raised an eyebrow, his gray beard shimmering as if teasing the light. "Are you sure this is what you both want? If you—"
"Yes!" Both couples shouted in unison, before the priest even completed his sentence.
Father Brynn sighed, the weight of the moment heavy upon him. He looked at their determined faces puzzled.
The congregation stared at the two couples at the altar, nothing seemed normal. The bride responded after the priest said the matrimonial vow thrice. And now, the groom wants to skip the kissing session.
But that was non of their business. They sat and watched the drama at the altar.
With a resigned nod, the priest turned to the crowds
"If there is anyone who opposes this marriage, let them speak now or forever remain silent."
For a moment, there was silence—a silence so thick as they rotated their gaze, the whole room was silent. But who would dare oppose? Not with the rumours about Marcelo being a monster .
" I now declare you, husband and wife."
The priest said after looking at the quiet congregation.
In Eva's marriage, not her stepfather or siblings were present, not even a glimpse of her own mother. She was all alone like an unwanted weed .
That was just a by the way.
The night after Lewis took over Eva's body, everything seemed normal. Was it because she was unconscious? Nah... Earlier he hadmercilessly dealt with her till she gasped her last breath. Hence the butler dumped her body in the drainage under mercelo's command.
So the following night, her eyes widen, blood skyrocketed. She had never seen such an hypocrite act before.
Mercelo tied her hand with a solid rope and hang her up the ceiling, then got a solid black long whip
He hit her countless times as the pain throbbed her already injured skin, she wailed till her throats soared, voice vanished that even tears dried up from her eyes, while Mercelo devilishly laughed as he continued whipping her, she felt numb, feeling no pain like a statue at that moment.
But what was her crime? Nothing. Mercelo just wanted some fun, and that's how he goes about his fun.
When he was satisfied, he untied her, throwing her on the bed like a bunch of furniture.
Then aggressively had intimacy with her.
For the past two years, that has been Eva's predicament every night.
""""
The soft hues of dawn filtered into the room, casting gentle shadows on the walls. Waking up Mercelo, he turned to Eva, who lost sleep for the whole night, with a soft voice. "Honey, are you okay?"
Eva didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his question. The absurdity hung in the air like smoke from a long-burnt incense. Instead, she chose silence and thought.
"You son of a b*tch! Is this how your parents taught you to handle women? I pity the woman who married you, she must have died in your wicked hands."
His brow furrowed in concern as he reached out, his fingers brushing against the fresh titan wounds. As his hand made contact, an electric pulse surged through Eva. "Assh!"
Mercelo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing the weight of the moment.
He moved to the drawer, retrieving a small battle of ointment.
With a gentleness that belied his muscular frame, Mercelo approached her once more. He carefully pulled her nightgown off, his movements deliberate and tender .
With each soft stroke of his fingers across her wounds, the ointment glided over her skin, its cool essence mingling with the heat of her injuries as he also blew the wounds with his mouth.
" My love am sorry, please forgive me."
As usual.
For the past two years it has always been like that, injured at night, pampered during day. Eva's mind was always relaxed during day but when night falls, her worst nightmare begins. At times she wished and everlasting day without night. Which was impossible.
But now this new version of Eva, will she take slightly with him?.
Moments later, she stood up from her bed and trecked down the stairs. The coolness of the tile beneath her feet offered a brief reprieve, grounding her as she sat at the dining table.
blivious to the storm brewing inside her heart. After a restless night, Eva resolved to confront Mercelo head-on. She could no longer be a punching bag in her own life.
She contemplated her next steps carefully while flashing back to yesterday's incident–the flogs, and the laughter of Mercelo still whispered in her ears, the wounds still fresh.
" Your b*stard! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me. Just wait and see!" she cursed inwardly as a fierce determination bloomed within her.
She was not bothered about how he treated Eva before , but now that Eva was no more , she is Lewis and Eva at the same time.
The food Infront of her turned tasteless, that she kept hitting the spoon on the plate. Her face could clearly indicate that she was vexed.
Mercelo's attention shifted to the sound of a plate that echoed in the dining table. "What's bothering you, my love? I have never seen you this angry. Are you still an–"
Before he could complete his sentence, with a swift move, Eva swept all the dishes on the dinning table down, they all shattered making a loud click on the ground .
She come closer to Mercelo, her eyes locked with his, and her face extremely gluming as she gritted her teeth and whispered
"First of all, am not your wife am Lewis, secondly, am going to skin you alive!"
That was the first time that he got such a harsh response from his wife for the past two years, she seemed indifferent and cold.
The Eva they knew would never raise her voice to her husband and would vent her anger on food. She always burief her pains inside and never let it out.
Sophia was so surprised, but what would she do anyway, the only thing she had to do was clean up the mess on the floor.
Eva went straight to her bedroom, took a deep breath to cool her nerves. She locked herself in the room till evening, when an evilish idea flashed her mind.
She hooked up her lips and smirked slightly.
" Now it's my turn, Mercelo."