Walls of cruelty

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Chapter 1

Ellen sat on the cold floor of the living room, her eyes red from crying, her whole body trembling. The echo of Andrew’s voice still rang in her ears, like whips that left scars on her soul.

"Are you really this stupid? How many times do I have to repeat that I don’t want you interfering in my work?" Andrew shouted angrily, casting a look filled with contempt at her.

All she had done was enter his office to place a cup of tea, but she accidentally dropped some papers he had been working on for hours. Papers whose importance she didn’t understand, but in his eyes, they seemed like the greatest disaster.

She tried to justify herself with a hesitant voice: "I didn’t mean to... I just wanted to help."

But he cut her off harshly: "Help me? You’re the last person who can help me. Your existence in my life is the biggest mistake I’ve ever made."

Those words were like a knife to her chest, but they weren’t new. She had grown accustomed to his cruelty, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

Andrew punished her by leaving her to clean everything in the house without rest, then he left without bothering to look back. She was left alone in that cold mansion, feeling as though the walls were closing in on her every time she remembered his words.

Ellen sat on the couch, burying her face in her hands. Her thoughts carried her far away, to that moment that had changed her life forever.

Only six months ago, her life was different. She loved Andrew with all her heart, always imagining a happy future with him. But he loved her sister, Caroline. That love was no secret; everyone knew that Andrew and Caroline were the perfect couple, the ones everyone envied.

But everything collapsed in a single night. A night when Ellen became the victim, accused of making an unforgivable mistake. She and Andrew were both drugged and pulled into a room under the darkness of a malicious plan, then accused her of being the one who orchestrated it, trapping Andrew.

She didn’t know how it happened. Photos taken, rumors spread, and whispers made her, in everyone’s eyes, an immoral girl who dared to take her sister’s fiancé. The worst part was that Caroline didn’t defend her. She remained silent, and her silence was more painful than any accusation.

To suppress the scandal that would tarnish the family name, her parents forced Andrew to marry her. He had no other choice; family respect and his professional reputation were at stake.

But that didn’t make it any easier for Ellen. From the moment they married, he treated her like a heavy burden, like an enemy who stole his life.

"You’re just a ghost in my life. Don’t try to play the role of a wife, because you’ll never be more than a burden I carry."

His words were like walls surrounding her, she couldn’t escape them.

Ellen snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the cold seeping into her bones. She looked at the clock—it was past midnight. Andrew hadn’t returned yet.

It wasn’t unusual. Since their marriage, he spent most of his time away from home. He didn’t care whether she had dinner or if she was okay.

Ellen sighed and stood up from her seat. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a woman who was different from the one she had been six months ago. Her eyes had lost their sparkle, and her pale face bore the marks of countless sleepless nights spent crying.

She whispered to herself: "How did I end up here? How did my life end this way?"

But she didn’t find an answer. Only a heavy silence surrounded her.

After finishing her chores, she sat in her usual corner in the bedroom. She took out a small notebook she had hidden since their wedding day. She used to write in it her thoughts and feelings—the only thing she felt belonged to her in this world.

She began writing:

"To Andrew... If only you knew the truth. If only you would look at me once without that anger in your eyes. I’m not the girl you think I am, and I’m not the one you believe ruined your life. I’m just Ellen... the girl who loved you silently, the one who wished for your happiness even if it was with my sister. But now... everything is over."

She put the pen down and clutched the notebook tightly, as if it was the only thing that could offer her some peace.

In that moment, Ellen knew her fight wasn’t over yet. Maybe everyone was against her, maybe Andrew saw her as guilty, but somewhere deep inside her, there was a spark of hope. Hope that one day she would regain her dignity and reveal the truth.

Still, she knew the road ahead would be long and dark.

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