Chapter 1 - Betrayal

There came a scream from the other side of the office door, right as Jenny prepared to knock on it. She stopped herself.

She had come here to ask if her husband wanted to go for a walk in the park, but suddenly she felt the illusion of a bright world crumble around her, only to be replaced by this dark world, called reality.

She could hear everything through the door even though it wasn't open. The moans were loud and clear, the moans of a woman, and she could hear the words her husband spoke to this woman. There was no doubt about it. Her husband was having an affair.

Jenny slit down on the floor as the realisation hit her. The realisation that her husband had betrayed her. The things he had promised her on their wedding day, the words of love he had spoken to her with such passion. Those words she now could hear him speak to another woman as he made… love… to this woman in his office. Now it finally made sense why Jenny wasn't allowed in his office. He hadn't wanted her to infiltrate this part of his life. She didn't know what hurt the most, but she couldn't stop the tears. How could she not have realised, she thought, as she ran back to her bedroom. She would have to confront him later, she realised. She had to know, if this was a one-time thing, or if it had been… going on for a while.

A short while before dinner, Jenny emerged from her bedroom, walked down to the dining room, and took a deep breath to collect herself. "Oh, Linda," she called on the housekeeper as she stepped in, "if you could all just serve the dinner and then leave, I would really appreciate some alone time with my husband," Jenny said with a smile.

The housekeeper nodded, "of course Mrs Huxley," she said and folded her hands. "Is there anything else you would like for this evening?" The woman lifted her eyebrows a little and returned the kind smile.

"We won't need anything else, no," Jenny answered, trying to hide her pain and how her nerves were one incident away from betraying her. "If you would serve the dinner and ask my husband to join me, that will be all."

The housekeeper nodded and left.

Jenny sat down at one end of the table and then she waited. She noticed that her heart was beating slightly faster than usual, and she tried to calm it with some deep breaths.

Her husband, Ezra Huxley, arrived at the same time as the food, and the familiar scent of his cologne mingled with the rich smell of the food. He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek before he sat down at the other end of the table.

"How has your day been, my love?" he asked with a smile.

How could he, Jenny thought to herself, how could he just sit there and pretend that everything was alright between them? As if he hadn't betrayed her and the words, he had vowed to her three years prior.

"Jenny?" he asked as he took a bite of his food, "I asked you a question."

"Ah, yes," she cleared her voice, "just fine. Everything is just fine!" and then her words accidentally broke. She could hear the hatred in her voice but only realised it after she had said it.

Ezra stopped eating, "why are you speaking to me in that tone? I will not accept this kind of disrespect."

That was it, Jenny thought, as she felt how her body was no longer in her control. The only thing that controlled her now was hate and hurt and pain. "DISRESPECT!" she screamed at him, as she stood up and slammed her hands down on the table. "I shall give you disrespect! I heard you today. You and your little lady." Jenny narrowed her eyes and stared right at her husband. "She surely doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut, but I guess you don't mind that in such a woman, you only mind it in a wife." Jenny stopped to take a breath but didn't stop long enough to regain control of herself. "I will no longer keep my mouth shut! You will be rid of this woman. You will never see her again!"

Then she returned to her body, her usually controlled self returned and she sat back down in her chair and continued eating. Her husband, however, still wasn't eating.

"I will not be taking any orders from you." His voice was as cold and sharp as a frozen thorn from a once beautiful rosebush. A bush now dead and cold, in this winter that had suddenly taken over the world.

"Her name is miss Lora and you will be kind to her, treat her with respect, and allow her to become a part of this household. I will let my staff know this as well, so you should not try to convince them otherwise."

Jenny stopped eating but held onto her fork, "become a part of this household?" she asked, careful not to let her tone give her feelings away.

"Yes, she will have her own room, and she will have all the same privileges as you have." He paused for a moment as if planning his next words carefully. "This way she will always be available for my enjoyment."

"YOU BEAST!" Jenny finally broke, stood up and threw the fork out of her hand, aiming for his head. Jenny, however, was not particularly skilled in throwing any types of weapons and the fork hit the wall and fell to the floor.

"I will be finishing dinner in my chambers," he said and left Jenny alone in the dining room.

"I will get my revenge," Jenny whispered to herself as she began tearing down the curtains and the tablecloth and smashing the flowers against the floor - the vase broke, and a dozen pieces flew around her.

"I will show him, what I can do, who I am." She felt the warm feeling of blood running down her leg, she must have cut herself on the broken shards from the flower vase, but she didn't mind it and continued her destruction with the carpet under the dining table, as she found a strong kitchen knife.

"I will show him, what a mistake it was to desire anyone else but me."