Chapter 1: Forced Sex

Kate Smith awoke suddenly in her sleep and found her husband, Joseph Smith, was on top of her.

"Joseph, wait!" Kate groaned and tried to push him away with all her strength, "I'm on my period. You bastard!"

"Period?" the man sneered at her, "Let me check!"

He tore Kate's clothes off and grabbed her wrists while biting her lips. Joseph was just like an angry beast in the dark who longed to catch the prey he was hunting. He grasped Katie's breasts hard and then reached down, tearing off Katie's panties, with his fingers digging into her moist vagina between her legs.

Kate did her best to resist each time he touched her, but she always failed.

"Period?" Joseph pulled out his fingers to show her, and he sneered again, "You are a bad liar, Kate."

Not replying to his question, Kate laid on the bed quietly, hoping that his cruel sexual acts would be over before long.

"Didn't you say you love me? Why are you so reluctant to have sex with me? You should enjoy it!"

Though Kate could not see Joseph's expression clearly, she could keenly sense the extreme anger in his tone.  Yes, he was right, she did love him very much, but since Anna died, Kate's love for him meant nothing in Joseph's eyes.

"Why didn't you say anything? We are making love now. You want  this, don't you?"

"What do you want to hear from me? I only feel hurts now. Having sex with you in such a cruel manner only makes me wanna cry, but if you want me to do something, I will." She put her arms around his neck, pulled his body closer to hers and squeezed him tightly with her warm breast. Kate ran one hand through Joseph's hair, and the other scratched his back.

When they were done, Kate closed her eyes and realized it was the best sex they had in almost two years. Exhausted from the passionate lovemaking, both her and Joseph fell asleep without saying a word.

The next day, Kate was woken up by the gurgle of water in the bathroom. She tried to roll over but felt her body aching. There were bruises, scratches, cuts, hickeys, and bite marks all over her; they were evidence of what had happened the night before. Even though she had enjoyed the sweet encounter, Kate could not forget the fact the woman in Joseph's heart was not her, and it would never be her.

Joseph was naked when he walked out of the bathroom, which startled Kate. He glared at her and said, "We have a family dinner tonight."

He hadn't given her any notice about it before that moment, yet she knew it was more of an order than a statement. Kate was accustomed to his way of speaking. After all, Joseph was a part of the Smith family as well as the head of the Smith Group, a leading enterprise in the domestic business circle.

"Whatever!" He said, grabbing his coat and then opened the door to leave. Suddenly, he turned around and, with an icy-cold expression, stated, "By the way, do not touch my puppy!"

"Are you afraid that I will kill him?" Kate looked straight into his eyes and grinned.

"Listen, Kate. I keep you by my side not because our mothers are good friends, but because I want to torture you to death day by day. You have to pay for what you've done to Anna, you'd better keep it in your mind!" Joseph emphasized every single word of the last sentence.

"So, what? I don't care at all! She is dead, and that will not change, but I am alive and married to the man she loved." She said in a triumphant tone and laughed.

"What the f**k?" Joseph quickly reached her side and squeezed her neck angrily. He mumbled under his breath, cursing her to die a painful death. However, Kate just stared into his eyes, tears streaming down her face. She was in so much pain, but she would not make a sound in front of Joseph.

Joseph pushed her back on the bed and warned, "I know you don't care about your life, but what about your father and grandma?"

All of the ideas on how to die were gone when Kate heard Joseph's comment. The only thing keeping Kate alive was to support her grandma. She thought as long as she could keep her grandma alive, bearing the pain and do what Joseph demand was worth it. She whispered to herself, "No, I cannot give up. I must live."

Joseph turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him, then Kate pulled herself out of bed. She slowly walked to the bathroom, washed her face, then went downstairs for breakfast.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Alan, which was Joseph's puppy, wagged his tail and ran toward her. Instinctively, Kate knelt down to pet his head, but Joseph's warning echoed in her mind, and she stopped her hand in mid-air. She quietly asked him, "It has been proven that dogs take on their owner's feelings. Why are you not like him, then?"

"Excuse me, Lady Kate! Master Joseph said you can't touch Alan." Amy commented seriously.

"It's just a dog left by Anna. I'm not interested in it at all."

Amy took Alan to another room so that he wouldn't have any interaction with Kate.

Looking around the big, spacious mansion, a feeling of overwhelming desperation swept through Kate. Though she also owned the house, she was less important than a dog. Shaking her head, she walked out of the house without telling anyone.

"Lady Kate, where are you going? I can give you a ride," Henry jumped out in front of her, asked politely.

In the mansion, all servants looked down upon her. Only Henry was kind to her, but just sometimes when Joseph was not at home. She assumed it was only because she had lent him money before, and he appreciated it.

"No, thank you. I can drive myself," Kate replied gently.

I seldom have a chance to leave here alone. Why would I need someone with me? She thought to herself.

"Okay, just be careful!" Henry said and waved goodbye.

"Thank you." Kate left without looking back.