Blowing Off All That Steam - Part 2

"Let go!" She pushed with all her strength but Alonso Valois didn't budge an inch. "You're hurting me!"

When he finally released her, both of them were panting to catch their breath.

"...You will listen to me, Natalie. That's the least respect you can show your husband... the least..."

"Hah... Respect?"

She was deeply bewildered by his choice of words; the echo of the word 'respect' within her body was no less than a stab in her gut. It brought back memories of all her encounters with her father-in-law who had repeatedly disrespected her under the guise of teaching her what it meant to be a true Valois.

"...The audacity of you... of any of you people to still look down on others and talk about respect, no, to be able to demand it!"

"You people," his voice came out flat as if her generalization had wounded him.