Maya is forced into an arranged marriage with Roberts, the famous billionaire Paige Parker to secure a business deal. She helplessly accepts to marry him as she is left with no other choice. Roberts detested her and plans to make the marriage unbearable for her despite her kind and loving nature. He abuses and rapes her countless times. She had no choice but to endure considering the upbringing her parents gave her. And her family tradition of being a submissive wife. She is caged and bound in an abused marriage. Hoping that someday she will be loved by her husband. Will she ever be loved? Will she escape from her abusive marriage? Find out in this story The ties that bind.
Chapter 1 Unraveling deceptions
Maya sprinted out of the bedroom, her face slick with sweat, her heart thundering like a drumbeat in her chest.
"I've done nothing wrong. I don't deserve this. What could I possibly have done?" Maya's voice quivered, her hands hurriedly gathering her scattered clothing, underwear, bra, and clothes tossed recklessly around the room.
"Seriously? You must be out of your mind!" Robert's voice reverberated, his anger hot on Maya's heels as she snatched her bag and fled to the living room. There, Michael stood up, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion. Maya found refuge in Michael's protective embrace, seeking solace from the tempest around her.
"What's happening? Robert, have you lost your sanity? Why lay a hand on a woman, especially your own wife?" Michael confronted Robert, his voice a blend of shock and condemnation.
"Both of you are fools! Michael, I never thought it would be you. I trusted you, and you betrayed me? Do you think I wouldn't find out? Damnit!" Robert's voice dripped with disappointment, his attempt to approach Maya thwarted by Michael's steadfast stance.
"I'm baffled. What is all of this about? I haven't done anything wrong. As far as I know, I've been a loyal friend to you through thick and thin. Is this why you're resorting to violence against your own wife? Even if I had done something wrong you could have called me and we would have settled it man to man." Michael's voice held a mixture of righteous anger and disbelief. His gaze shifted to Maya, standing behind him, her eyes gleaming with contempt.
"Maya, step forward and tell me, the child growing inside you, is it mine or not? Prove me wrong you whorl!" Robert's voice boomed, his challenge causing Maya's confidence to crumble, her voice reduced to a timid whisper.
"I don't understand. What are you implying, Robert? I assure you, the baby is yours," Maya countered, moving away from Michael's protective hold as she made her way toward the exit.
"Guards!" Robert's voice echoed, summoning two imposing figures. Standing at 6'8", these men towered over ordinary guards, exuding an aura of menace. Their muscles rippled like those of seasoned wrestlers, capable of inflicting serious damage with a single strike.
As if that wasn't enough, another drama showed up when Sarah Chase, Robert's covert lover and Maya's designated personal assistant and fashion designer, who had been given to her by Caige Parker, Robert's father after her union opened the door making Michael and Maya look behind to see her standing as she was Clad in a beautiful straight gown and heels ensemble purchased from Marietta's fashion hub at an exorbitant price, she exuded an air of superiority.
Approaching Robert, she captured his lips with a brazen kiss before turning her scornful gaze on Michael.
"Sarah, are you completely insane? How dare you kiss my..." Maya's words were cut short as Sarah's hand met her cheek in a resounding slap, the impact sending Maya sprawling to the ground. Michael rushed to her side, helping her up before advancing menacingly toward Sarah, his hand poised for a retaliatory strike, only to be thwarted by Robert's intervention.
"You will not lay a hand on my new wife, you scoundrel! Do you know what's even more repulsive? Your betrayal, sleeping with my wife while pretending to be innocent!" Robert's voice crackled with outrage, the truth laid bare as he seized Michael by the throat, asserting his dominance. Maya watched helplessly as Sarah's laughter filled the room.
"Robert... let me go! What evidence is there that I am responsible for the child in Maya's womb?" Michael gasped, choking on his words as Robert's grip tightened, constricting his airflow.
"I thrive on challenges. I anticipated this moment. Sarah, where are those incriminating messages you showed me?" Released from Robert's grasp, Michael staggered, his strength waning. Turning to Maya, he found her innocence reflected in her eyes, baffled by Sarah's uncanny knowledge of their secret affair.
A few hours earlier, Maya had phoned Michael.
"Hello, Michael," Maya's voice trembled over the line. Michael's response was saturated with tenderness, their exchange of sweet words gradually giving way to the gravity of the situation.
"Your tone hints at distress, Maya. What's happening on your end?" Michael inquired, his concern palpable.
"I fear we're trapped in a dire situation, Michael," Maya admitted, her words heavy with a burden.
"Tell me more. Are you safe? Should I hurry over before Robert returns?" Michael's voice trembled with apprehension, his nervousness evident in his fidgeting.
"I apologize for alarming you, Michael. But I believe I am pregnant, and the child is yours. I'm two weeks gone," Maya confessed, her voice faltering, tears welling as she awaited Michael's response, her heart heavy with anticipation.
"Maya, I regret this situation. Nonetheless, it's time to come clean with Robert. You'll keep the child, and I'll take full responsibility." Michael's reassurance was tender, a soothing presence amid Maya's turmoil.
"I'm not sure I can do that, Michael," Maya wavered, her resolve tested, an alternative plan forming in her mind, involving deceit and the potential shifting of blame.
Back in the present, Sarah, radiating an air of arrogance, handed her phone to Robert, who grinned upon viewing its contents. Michael's shock and disbelief mirrored Maya's as Robert revealed the truth, unveiling their secret liaison.
"This can't be real! She's lying!" Michael's incredulous denial echoed, Maya's gaze oscillating between him and the imposing guards, who awaited Robert's command.
"Which part is untrue, Michael? Where precisely did you deceive me? Your betrayal is a bitter pill to swallow. You engaged in an affair with my wife under my very nose, impregnating her. When did this treachery begin?" Robert's voice oozed disdain, his fury translating into a brutal punch to Michael's face, blood spilling from his nostrils and mouth.
"Sarah, I won't forget this!" Maya's gaze bore into Sarah's, whose triumphant laughter pierced the air.
"Restrain him, guards! He won't live to see another day," Robert ordered, and the guards, their intimidating presence casting a shadow, seized Michael, dragging him away.
"You can't do this Robert! Maya! No! I love you!" Michael shouted before he got dazed by one of the guards and dragged away into the dark.
Maya found herself expelled from the house, cast into the pitch-black night, left to grapple with her thoughts and the chilling stillness that surrounded her. She left Robert's place as she decided to go back to her parent's house not knowing she was in for another surprise.