Chapter 3:

POV : Arrabella

A suffocating silence spread between us.

The plastic folder in my hand still hung in the air, becoming an invisible barrier separating my world from Michael’s.

“You... want a divorce?”

Michael’s voice was low, almost like a whisper trapped in his throat.

He stared at me with eyes that were gradually darkening. There was a flash of unfamiliar anger in them, something I had never seen during the three years we had lived together under the same roof.

“Yes,” I replied softly but firmly, without looking away. “Isn’t this what you want the most?”

Michael snatched the folder from my hand with a rough jerk.

His breathing became uneven.

Instead of calmly opening the documents, his fingers tightened around the papers inside.

“Michael? What’s wrong?” Sophia whispered anxiously.

Her slender fingers reached for his arm, but he brushed her away without even looking at her.

I froze.

My eyes widened as I watched the documents I had painstakingly signed at the Civil Registry Office that morning being destroyed in Michael’s hands.

He crushed them into a wrinkled ball and threw them onto the floor without hesitation.

“What are you doing, Michael?!” Dona cried out from the sofa, rising to her feet with a shocked expression.

“I’m asking you, Ara!”

Michael stepped forward, closing the distance between us until I could smell his masculine cologne—an oddly familiar scent mixed with something foreign.

“Who gave you permission to go to the Civil Registry Office? Who allowed you to make such a foolish decision?”

I took a step back, trying to suppress the strange pounding in my chest.

I was confused.

Why was he so angry?

Hadn’t I already cleared the way for him to be with Sophia?

Why did he look like a wounded lion instead?

“Why are you angry?” I asked, my voice trembling from the pain I was trying to suppress. “My role is over, Michael. Sophia is back. The agreement from three years ago to save your family’s reputation after the wedding was canceled... has been fulfilled.”

“My role?”

Michael let out a harsh scoff.

His jaw tightened until the muscles in his neck stood out.

“You think this marriage is some kind of contract that you can end whenever you want?”

“Michael, darling, what’s wrong?”

Sophia interrupted.

Her fashionable face had gone pale and was filled with confusion.

She stared at the shredded papers on the floor in disbelief.

“Why did you tear them up? Wasn’t... wasn’t this what we talked about last night? We can be together again.”

Michael paid no attention to Sophia’s complaints.

His sharp, eagle-like gaze remained fixed on my face.

“Listen carefully, Ara. I will never divorce you. Not today, not tomorrow, and never.”

“Why?!”

My voice rose an octave, no longer able to contain the pressure burning inside my chest.

I pointed at Sophia with a trembling finger.

“Isn’t she the woman you love? Hasn’t your heart always belonged to her? Then why are you keeping me here? As a decoration? As a shield again?”

Michael remained silent.

His lips pressed into a tight line, unwilling to offer a single logical explanation for why he refused to let me go.

His absolute arrogance only made me feel more disgusted.

Just as he took another step closer, my eyes landed on the lipstick stain on his collar.

My chest tightened even more.

My head suddenly spun as last night’s phone call replayed in my mind.

The lingering heat of the night.

The satisfaction after reuniting.

Everything was vividly painted before me.

They had slept together last night, and now this man stood before me, refusing to divorce me without giving a clear reason.

How selfish.

“You disgust me, Michael,” I whispered.

The tears I had been holding back finally fell, warm against my cold cheeks.

“You came home carrying another woman’s mark on your body, and now you stand here forbidding me from leaving? Where is your conscience?”

Michael frowned and instinctively touched his collar.

A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, expressionless face.

“Ara, you don’t understand what really happened—”

“Then what happened?!” I challenged, taking a step forward despite my fear.

“Tell me! What reason do you have for refusing to sign those papers? Which room should I prepare for the two of you in this house before you’re finally satisfied?”

“Enough, Ara! Don’t push my anger any further!”

Michael’s roar echoed through the living room.

“Michael! Watch how you speak to your wife!”

Felix Siauw Cooper finally spoke.

He rose from the sofa with commanding authority and fixed his son with a warning stare.

Dona quickly walked toward us and deliberately positioned herself between us, blocking Michael’s view of me.

Then she glanced at Sophia, who was still standing there with a mixture of irritation and confusion on her face.

“That’s enough. Let’s put an end to this meaningless argument,” Dona said coldly.

Her eyes settled on Sophia with a clear message for her to leave.

“Sophia, go home. This is a matter between my son and daughter-in-law. Let the two of them talk and settle this without outside interference.”

“But, Aunt Dona—”

Sophia tried to defend herself, her face flushing red with embarrassment at being politely dismissed.

“I said leave, Sophia Muller,” Dona cut in, leaving no room for argument.

Sophia stomped her foot in frustration and looked at Michael as though demanding his help.

But Michael did not even glance at her.

His eyes remained fixed on me from behind his mother’s shoulder.

With obvious reluctance and a sour expression, Sophia finally turned around and hurried out of the Cooper residence, the sharp clicks of her high heels echoing harshly behind her.

After the front door closed firmly behind her, Dona turned to look at me before shifting her gaze to her husband.

“Dad, let’s wait upstairs in the study. Let them straighten out this mess in their heads.”

Felix nodded slowly.

He briefly patted Michael’s shoulder with a heavy hand, as though delivering a silent warning, before following his wife upstairs.

Now the living room was silent again.

Only Michael and I remained, accompanied by the torn pieces of the divorce papers scattered across the marble floor like the remains of shattered hopes.

I took a deep breath, wiped my tears away with the back of my hand, and looked directly at the man who had bound my life for the past three years.

“Don’t keep me here if my presence only brings me pain, Michael. Separation is the best thing for both of us. You get your freedom, and I... I can start rebuilding my broken life.”

Michael stood motionless.

His clenched fists at his sides slowly loosened, but the look in his eyes did not soften in the slightest.

A long silence crept between us once again, thick and suffocating.

He kept his mouth tightly shut, refusing to reveal the reason behind his illogical refusal.

“I don’t care what you say, Ara,” Michael finally replied.

His voice was cold, flat, yet absolutely unquestionable.

He turned his back on me and started walking toward the staircase without another glance.

“I still won’t divorce you.”

I stared at his broad back as it slowly disappeared around the bend of the stairs, my heart growing colder with every second.

The storm inside this house had only just begun.

***

Chapter 4:

POV : Arrabella

My hand tightened around the handle of the fabric suitcase resting on the marble floor.

Its wheels creaked softly as I dragged it past the shredded pieces of the divorce papers still scattered near the sofa.

I no longer cared about Michael’s arrogance.

If he refused to sign them now, I would ask the orphanage’s lawyer to handle the matter through legal means.

I had to leave today.

Just as my foot reached the first step leading toward the front door, a rough grip closed around my wrist.

“Let go, Michael!” I shouted, trying to shake his hand off.

Michael said nothing.

Instead of releasing me, he slipped one arm beneath my knees and the other behind my back.

In one swift movement, my body was lifted into the air.

He carried me by force.

“Michael, what are you doing?! Put me down!” I yelled, pounding my fists against his broad chest.

My struggle did nothing to slow his steady strides as he carried me back upstairs toward the master bedroom.

Bang!

The bedroom door was kicked open and then slammed shut just as roughly.

Michael strode toward the king-sized bed and tossed me onto it without the slightest hint of gentleness.

The mattress bounced beneath me, making my head spin slightly.

“Where are you going, Ara?” Michael asked.

His voice was low, hoarse, and filled with menace.

He immediately caged me in, bracing both hands beside my head, leaving me no room to escape.

“Away from your life! Away from this hell!” I shouted.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the furious redness in his eyes.

I truly could not understand his behavior.

Why had he become so rough and possessive?

The way he acted today was completely different from that night two years ago—the first night after a year of our dull marriage when he had finally touched me as a husband should.

That night, Michael had been incredibly gentle and patient, as though he were afraid of hurting me, even though he returned to acting normal the next day.

But now?

The man standing before me looked like a stranger possessed by vengeance.

“I already told you,” Michael hissed. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Before I could reply, he lowered his face abruptly.

His lips silenced mine in a rough, demanding kiss filled with explosive emotion.

The scent of mint mixed with his strong cologne overwhelmed my senses.

I tried to resist and turn away, but his hand quickly gripped my jaw, forcing me to endure his relentless assault.

“Mmhh... Mi... chael...” I gasped between the forced kisses.

Every touch Michael gave me seemed to burn my skin.

Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, dampening the pillow, yet my body betrayed my own mind.

Every time his warm fingers brushed against me, I lost the strength to resist.

The invisible bond forged over three years made my body respond to his touch as though I had been created solely to belong to him.

My coat fell to the floor.

The cold room suddenly transformed into a suffocating sea of fire.

For the first time in our three years of marriage, Michael crossed every boundary he had previously maintained between us.

There were no barriers left.

His actions carried a demanding intensity, ignoring every small sob that escaped my lips, as though he were trying to carve an undeniable mark of possession upon me so that I could never step beyond the line he had drawn.

Two hours passed in exhausting silence.

The room now smelled of sweat and despair.

Michael lay beside me, sleeping deeply from exhaustion.

His breathing was steady, rising and falling peacefully against the tangled sheets.

Slowly, I sat up and pulled the blanket around myself.

My eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as I mourned my own foolishness for surrendering once again to the same man.

Bzzzt... Bzzzt... Bzzzt...

The vibration of a phone on the nightstand beside Michael shattered the silence.

I glanced toward the illuminated screen.

The name “Sophia” flashed repeatedly.

I turned to look at Michael, who remained completely undisturbed in his deep sleep.

Moving carefully so as not to wake the sleeping lion, I reached out and picked up my husband’s phone.

My fingers trembled briefly before sliding the green button to answer.

I pressed the phone to my ear without saying a word.

“Michael? Have you finished dealing with that woman?”

Sophia’s voice immediately came through the line.

Her tone was no longer sweet and affectionate like it had been in the living room.

It sounded sharp and certain.

I remained silent, holding my breath.

“Michael, listen to me,” Sophia continued, believing she was speaking to him. “I know why you refused to divorce Ara right now. You did it on purpose, didn’t you? You want revenge on her for what she did three years ago.”

Thump.

My heart seemed to stop beating.

Every joint in my body suddenly turned weak.

“You’re deliberately keeping her in that house just to hurt her little by little, aren’t you?”

Sophia chuckled softly, a laugh that sounded horrifying to my ears.

“I know how your mind works, Michael. And I agree with your method. I’ll patiently wait here until you’re satisfied with destroying her. Ara is evil. She used the orphanage to separate us back then. She deserves every bit of that pain.”

Beep.

I immediately ended the call with trembling fingers.

The phone slipped from my grasp and landed softly on the bed.

My world collapsed.

It shattered into countless pieces that could never be put back together.

Oh.

So now I knew.

I finally understood the reason behind his furious outburst and absolute refusal in the living room earlier.

Tears flowed again without restraint, streaming down my pale cheeks.

I clutched my chest, which felt unbearably tight, as though all the oxygen in the room had vanished.

Silent sobs escaped my constricted throat.

Fool.

I truly was the most foolish woman in the world.

A few hours ago, when he tore up the divorce papers and looked at me with that flash of anger in his eyes, a ridiculous thought had crossed my mind.

For a moment, I had believed...

Maybe, just maybe, there was a little love or attachment that made Michael unwilling to let me go.

I had thought my husband might feel the same way.

It turned out I was completely wrong.

His refusal had nothing to do with love.

It was driven by the vengeance burning inside him.

He was keeping me here only to make me a target for his resentment because he believed I had driven Sophia away three years ago.

He wanted to destroy my heart and mind as revenge.

I turned and looked at Michael’s sleeping face beside me.

The face I had once adored now looked like a deadly chain ready to strangle me at any moment.

Everything that had happened earlier... all of it felt like part of his cruel plan to keep me trapped within a circle of suffering.

I wiped away my tears harshly, transforming them into a determination as cold as ice.

The pain in my body was nothing compared to the devastation inside my chest.

“Fine, Michael,” I whispered into the darkness of the room.

My voice was hoarse, yet sharp.

“If this is the game you want to play, I refuse to be your toy.”

Slowly, I lowered my feet to the floor, ignoring the ache spreading through my body.

I put my scattered clothes back on one by one.

It was time for me to leave.

This time, nothing would stop me.

Not Michael.

Not even the entire world.

I would never allow anyone to keep me trapped in this hell again.

POV Arrabella

Chapter 5

My trembling feet descended the staircase one step at a time, ignoring the pain radiating throughout my entire body. I hugged my sling bag tightly against my chest while my right hand firmly gripped the handle of my fabric suitcase, which suddenly felt several times heavier than before. The bedroom upstairs that I had just left behind felt like a cage that had run out of air.

At the foot of the staircase, Donna Cooper and Felix Siauw Cooper were still standing there. They stood upright, watching me with eyes filled with profound concern.

"Arrabella, sweetheart? Where are you going now?" Donna asked, her voice trembling as she hurried over to block my path. Her cold fingers immediately wrapped around my wrist, stopping the suitcase I was about to drag toward the front door.

"I have to leave, Mom," I replied, my voice hoarse, nearly gone from all the tears I had been holding back.

"Why are you being so stubborn, Arrabella?" Felix interrupted in his deep baritone voice as he stepped forward with a deeply furrowed brow. "Isn't it already obvious? Michael tore up those papers. He's not going to divorce you. He's keeping you here because he wants you to remain his wife!"

A faint smile tugged at my lips, a bitter smile that hurt far more than crying ever could.

I wanted to scream right in front of them, to repeat every single word Sophia had said over the phone just a few minutes ago. I wanted to tell them that their beloved son wasn't keeping me here because he loved me, but because of the deep resentment he wanted to use to slowly destroy me from the inside.

But my tongue suddenly refused to move.

What was the point?

Even if I told them everything, it would only drag this exhausting drama on even longer.

"My decision is final, Mom... Dad," I said quietly, slowly shaking my head as I tried to free my arm from Donna's grip. "This marriage is no longer healthy. I can't stay here any longer."

"Arrabella, for your father and me, please think this through—" Donna pleaded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sound of hurried footsteps coming down the staircase abruptly cut Donna's words short.

I instinctively turned around.

Michael descended the stairs wearing a black shirt with the top buttons undone. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his bloodshot eyes locked onto me like a predator that had caught its prey trying to escape its cage.

"Where do you think you're going, Arrabella?!" Michael roared, his voice echoing throughout the spacious living room.

"Let me go, Michael! Don't touch me!" I screamed hysterically as he reached me in an instant, snatched the suitcase from my hand, and threw it aside so carelessly that it slammed into a decorative vase.

"Michael! Stop!" Felix shouted, trying to grab his son's shoulder.

But Michael seemed to have completely lost his reason.

Before I could even take a step back, his strong arm slid beneath my body once again. He lifted me off the ground by force and threw me over his shoulder as though I weighed nothing at all.

"Michael! Put me down! I hate you! Put me down!" I cried, pounding my fists against his back with every ounce of strength I had left. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face, soaking the fabric of his shirt.

"Michael Cooper! What are you doing to your wife?! Put her down!" Donna shouted as she tried to chase after us, but Michael's strides were far too fast.

He carried me back upstairs with steady, unwavering footsteps, completely ignoring my screams and the curses echoing throughout the hallway.

Bang!

For the second time, he kicked open the master bedroom door before locking it from the inside with a sharp click that extinguished every last bit of hope I had left.

Michael dropped me onto the long sofa in the corner of the room.

I immediately got to my feet, breathing heavily as I glared at him, my chest rising and falling with overwhelming anger.

"Why, Michael?! Why are you doing this to me?!" I shouted, my voice piercing through the silence of the bedroom. "Tell me! Why are you keeping me here when you've never wanted me?! What have I ever done to you?!"

Michael stood motionless in front of the locked door.

He calmly straightened his wrinkled shirt collar before looking at me with eyes that were unimaginably cold, flat, and empty.

There wasn't the slightest trace of guilt.

Nor was there any warmth left in those eyes.

"Be the obedient Young Mrs. Cooper, Arrabella," Michael said in a low, emotionless voice that was intimidating down to the bone. "That's all you need to do."

"That's all?!" I let out a hollow laugh as tears streamed freely down my numb cheeks. "You lock me in here, treat me like a prisoner, and that's all you have to say? I'm sick of this, Michael! I'm sick of all your madness! I want to leave!"

Michael didn't answer.

He walked toward the bed and picked up the phone lying on top of the mattress, completely ignoring my outburst. Just then, the phone vibrated once again. The screen lit up, displaying the same name.

Sophia.

Michael swiped across the screen, answered the call, and held the phone to his ear. Since we were standing only a short distance apart in the silent bedroom, I could faintly hear Sophia's voice through the receiver.

"Michael... why did you suddenly hang up on me earlier?" Sophia asked from the other end of the line, her voice sounding both confused and slightly pouty.

Michael frowned, his eyes briefly flickering toward me before lowering to the floor.

"What do you mean?" he asked flatly.

"Hic... Michael..."

Suddenly, Sophia broke down into tears. Her sobs sounded so fragile, so desperately in need of protection.

"Could you come to my apartment right now? I... I'm scared to be alone, Michael. My head hurts so much... hic... I don't know who else I can ask for help in this city except you..."

I squeezed my eyes shut the moment I heard her words.

It felt as though an invisible sledgehammer had slammed into my chest, leaving behind an unbearable ache that made it difficult to breathe.

Michael let out a short sigh, his jaw tightening for a brief moment.

His gaze shifted back to me—a look that seemed to be weighing something I couldn't possibly understand.

But only a second later, he spoke into the phone again.

"Okay. I'll be there," Michael said firmly, putting an end to his own hesitation.

Beep.

The call ended.

Michael slipped his phone into his trouser pocket before walking toward the bedroom door without saying a single word to me.

He unlocked the door, opened it, and walked out just like that, leaving me trapped once again in a silence that crushed my soul.

My body slowly collapsed onto the cold marble floor.

I buried my face between my knees as the sobs I had been holding back finally burst free, echoing mournfully throughout the corner of the room.

I closed my eyes, allowing the heartbreak to seep into the deepest corners of my soul.

Sophia's words from the earlier phone call began replaying over and over in my mind like a broken record.

"You're keeping her in that house on purpose just to torment her... She deserves every bit of that pain."

I clutched my chest as an unbearable ache spread through it.

Now, every suspicion I had was completely confirmed.

There was no room left for denial.

Michael was keeping me here and refusing to sign the divorce papers for one reason alone—he wanted revenge.

He wanted to turn me into an invisible prisoner inside this house, torturing my mind day after day with Sophia's presence as punishment for a past that had never even been my fault.

His rough touch just a few hours ago...

His refusal to let me go in front of his parents...

Every single one of those actions was part of the carefully designed maze of revenge he had built.

And I...

I had been foolish enough to believe there was still a trace of love left in his heart.

I roughly wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.

My sobs gradually subsided, replaced by an icy emptiness reflected in my eyes.

"So... you want to play with my heart and my mind, Michael?" I murmured, my voice hoarse and trembling in the suffocating silence of the room.

I slowly lifted my head and stared at the tightly closed bedroom door with eyes as cold as ice.

"Then let's see... who will be the one to break inside the prison you've created."