The Woman withitn Me

Many believe that being the heiress to a millionaire family is synonymous with happiness. In their minds, they conjure up a fantastical existence for us, one which, in my case, is far removed from reality. Despite being the sole heiress to one of the most influential families in my country, and not just inheriting from my parents but also from my billionaire, mafioso, and feared grandfather, Santiago Sardino, I am, for as long as I can recall, the most wretched person imaginable.

In the various novels I've perused, it's invariably the affluent youths who are portrayed as petulant, arrogant, and living life with reckless abandon. They defy their parents without a hint of trepidation. I can assure you, this is not my reality. On the contrary, I am the antithesis of such characters; my mother made certain of it. Hence, I find myself ensnared in this abject existence they have foisted upon me.

It has been over six months since I began enduring the farce of an arranged marriage. Thus far, I have no complaints; my nominal husband, Luis, scarcely stays at home. I am wholly immersed in my studies. After leaving my school each day, I visit my grandparents. At the very least, I have escaped the oppressive presence of my intolerable mother. In my own peculiar way, I feel content; I am free. All that is required of me is to withstand this pretence for the necessary duration, and then I shall be wholly liberated.

I intend to travel, to immerse myself in studies that genuinely captivate me, far removed from everyone else's expectations. For when this masquerade concludes, a portion of my inheritance will be bestowed upon me, enabling me to do as I please-or so my father has promised.

Even though my father and I aren't close – indeed, he barely speaks to me in my mother's presence – I believe he loves me. Often, he gazes at me, lost in his thoughts, and I discern a profound sadness in his eyes, especially when my mother is nearby, chastising me over trifles. It's as if she fears him, hence he refrains from showing any affection or interest towards me. At least he does not mistreat me and is quite kind when we are alone.

Today, I lingered longer than usual in the library, engrossed in a project assigned by the school. I am eager to achieve high marks in the hope that it will please my father. Moreover, should I succeed, there will be no need to study over the weekend, and I can spend that time fishing with my grandparents.

I return to my house; it's past nine at night. To my surprise, as I park the car, I notice all the lights are ablaze. Upon entering, I am greeted by the sight of Luis in the company of a blonde woman.

"Good evening," I say, not particularly pleased by the scene before me, yet I hold my tongue, waiting to see what unfolds.

"You've finally arrived, Bella!" Luis rises and comes over as soon as he spots me. "Come, let me introduce you to Vivian, the love of my life."

I can hardly believe it! It is one thing to keep a mistress outside our home and quite another to bring her within. Nonetheless, given our sham marriage, I take a deep breath and muster a semblance of a smile as she approaches. The blonde regards me with a smirk and extends her hand in greeting.

"Hello, Isabella," she says in a grating falsetto. She continues with a triumphant air that baffles me until she concludes her announcement, and I realise the cause of her smugness. "I hope we'll become very good friends, now that we're going to be living together."

"What?!" I exclaimed, truly astonished. I turned to Luis who was smiling contentedly as if all our problems had been resolved, and that incensed me.

"Yeah, Bella," he said with a cynical grin, draping an arm around Vivian's shoulders. "I can't justify paying rent when we have this large house at our disposal. You will continue to reside on the first floor; we shall take the second."

"Luis, that wasn't part of the agreement!" I protested vehemently, finding the situation intolerable.

"Isabella, don't provoke me," he barked, advancing towards me with a threatening air, yet I stood my ground. "If I say we are going to live together, then that's exactly what will happen!"

"I cannot accept this. I have nothing against your affair, but your mistress is not going to reside here with us! She simply isn't!" I asserted resolutely.

"Bella, you are really trying my patience!" Luis bellowed, his face inches from mine, flushed with rage as though he intended to intimidate me. "If you utter another word, I swear I'll make you regret it!"

"Don't assume I'm frightened of you, Luis. If you lay a finger on me, our arrangement is over!" I retorted with equal force.

For a moment, he regarded me as if he couldn't fathom that the usually docile Isabella was defying him.

"Are you threatening me, Isabella?" Luis demanded, resuming his menacing stance.

"Honey, don't be like that," the blonde interjected with a contrived tone. "She's clearly taken aback by the news. I did tell you that you should have spoken to her first." I glared at her, seething with anger.

"Vivian, stay out of this and go to our room while I finish speaking with Isabella," Luis instructed.

"She's not going to stay here, Luis. I'll call my parents if she does!" I declared, resolute in my intention to call my father, who had advised me to do so at the first sign of trouble. I refused to be made an even greater laughing stock than I already was. Despite our best efforts to conceal it, everyone was aware of his infidelities; thus far, we had maintained a facade.

"Vivian, just go and let me resolve this issue with my wife!" Luis commanded, his back turned to me and his hands planted firmly on his hips. Vivian cast another scornful, almost pitying glance my way. She planted a kiss on Luis's lips and sauntered towards the stairs, calling back to him.

"It's fine, darling. Don't be long," she said before turning to me with a parting shot. "Good night, Isabella. You'd better not defy him, or you'll regret it."

I cannot fathom her audacity; she departs from him with a gleam of triumph in her eyes. I am fixated on her ascent up the stairs to the second floor, feeling utterly powerless. I am about to rummage through my bag for the phone to call Dad when, suddenly, Luis whirls around with alarming speed and strikes me with a forceful slap, sending me crashing to the ground.

"Let this be the first and last time you ever make me feel such embarrassment in front of my girlfriend!" he snarls, seizing my hair and forcing my head down against the carpet. "In this house, you abide by my rules!"

"Release me, you villain! Let go!" I scream, desperately trying to break free from his iron grip, but to no avail.

"You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror!" he bellows, pinning me down with his weight, relentlessly pulling at my hair, and banging my head against the floor. "No man would spare a second glance at a woman like you! The only thing that might draw their attention is your parents' wealth!"

"You are going to rue this day, Luis; I swear you will regret it for all your days!" I vow to him, continuing to wriggle and fight in an effort to slip from his clutches.

"Don't threaten me anymore, Isabella!" he barked. "You must do everything I say, exactly when I say it. So, stay out of sight! Vivian and I will live here; you'll only appear for official functions. Understood?" His voice hardened. "Or I shall have to make things painfully clear to you once more, Isabella."

He yanked at my hair, forcing me to stand, then shoved me against the wall. My head struck the plaster with a violent thud as he clamped down on my face with his fingers, squeezing with a force that inflicted pain. I met his gaze with fury, tears beginning to stream not from fear but from utter helplessness.

"Bella, you're not a woman; you're hideous," he sneered. "You have abysmal taste in clothes. You're repulsive. Your body is pathetic. It's an embarrassment having to be seen arm-in-arm with you, introducing you as my wife." He spat out these venomous words with unbridled rage. "Do you even understand why I married you?"

He then released me abruptly, causing me to topple face-first onto the floor, my knees smarting from the impact. As he walked away, leaving me sprawled in agony, he began ascending the stairs before pausing to turn and address me.

"I hope that served as a sufficient lesson, Isabella. I would be loath to have to repeat it," he said coolly. "So do try to behave, and we can continue as before, leading our separate lives."

I was in a state of disbelief over what had just transpired. Luis had struck me!

Never in my life had I been hit like that. Sure, there were the occasional slaps from Mum when she lost her temper and Dad wasn't around, but those were nothing compared to what had just occurred.

Until this moment, our relationship had been at least outwardly cordial. I knew since childhood that he could be a bully-I had endured his abuse during our holidays. But to be humiliated and struck by him in such a manner was something I had not anticipated.

This was utterly unacceptable, and I refused to tolerate it! Absolutely not! I made a vow then and there-never would I accept such treatment from any man! Never!