Moon's pov.
"Smack!"
I wince, cradling my stinging cheek with my palm from the impact of a slap.
"You bitch!" a woman cusses, grabbing a handful of chunks of my hair making me wince even harder. Her voice is as vicious and as hard as steel. "Do not think because you're his wife in name that I can't treat you anyhow I want!"
Fire… my scalp is on fire from how hard the woman gripped it. Her words barely registered but I nodded anyway.
I can't afford to argue with her or else, I'm in for a rude awakening. My hair would all pull off.
From my periphery, I see the servants look at me with pity like it was a common occurrence, but no one dares to say or do something about it. Why are they not doing anything? Why are they not helping me?!
"And did you know that I can make him serve you divorce papers?" The woman sneers triumphantly, enjoying every bit of the pain she inflicts on me.
"Not only divorce papers, but I can ask him to throw you out and he wouldn't bat an eyelash!" she drags my hair even fiercer.
My scalp burns with a fresh wave of pain, but it couldn't dull the one that burns in my heart.
My heart is hollow and a knife is supposed to be stuck into it. Why are mine not dead? I should be dead and not here being dragged by some unknown woman.
I held her hand that was grabbing me by my hair, trying to reduce the pain. "Please, who are you? I cried. I don't know who you are. Let me go! Someone help!" I yelled out in pain.
What was happening? This is not supposed to be happening! I'm supposed to be dead! Dead!
"What!" The woman laughed like a mentally deranged woman. "Now you're pretending not to know me anymore now, huh?" She raised my face and landed another slap on my face.
"After taking William away from me, and now you're pretending not to know me?!" She barks.
Tears fell from my eyes. The pain of the slap combined with my hair is excruciatingly painful.
William. From what she had said, she believes I took William away from her, but who is William? I had never known anyone called William.
My husband's name is Alejandro Woodland and not William. And the last thing I remember about my husband before my eyes fluttered close was him, plunging a knife into my stomach after giving an order for my father to be murdered.
My father… Alejandro had really murdered my father! I should have listened to him. But no, I was blinded by love, casting aside the one who loved me genuinely. I was blinded by loyalty to my kingdom, the kingdom of Nebula.
"Why are you doing this?" I had asked. "Why did you have my father killed?"
"Because the Kingdom of Nebula needs only one true king." Was his answer before plunging that dagger that I had gifted him into my stomach. I had been betrayed by my husband. And I had died from the very gift that I had given him!
So, yes, I should be dead. So what was I doing here? Confusion mingled with the pain crashed all over me and I winced when the woman ruthlessly dragged my hair again.
"I already ordered you to leave, Moon." The woman drawled, her tone laced with venom. "Why aren't you leaving, huh? Seems like the title has gotten way into your head. And I'm going to beat that senselessness out of your head!"
She raises her hand, and I close my eyes! Another slap. Another slap is coming!
"Please," I found myself begging. "I don't know what happened, I should be dead, but since I'm here, I didn't want to die at the hands of this vicious woman.
"Please, just stop okay? I'll… I'll leave, okay? I'll leave. So please, just stop!"
"What, you think you can fool me into believing you again?" The woman seemed to be angrier. "This was what you said the last time and the time before then. Do you take me for a fool? I am going to kill you today!"
Tears pool beneath my eyes as a fresh wave of pain hits me. When I feel like I can't take it anymore, I hear it. Footsteps and then the voices of the servants.
"Welcome Mr William," the servants chorused.
William. Maybe that's the William this lady is talking about?
"What is happening here?!" I hear him thunder, his tone cutting through with authority.
I can now see the soles of his leather shoes, which means that he is getting closer to where we stood.
Suddenly, my hair was released and I stumbled back. Before I could breathe out, I heard cries coming from beside me.
I was supposed to be the one crying, so why was this woman crying?
One time my hair is almost pulled off and the next, we are down at the bottom of the mansion's pool.
It happened so suddenly and fast that I couldn't explain it and now, I am drowning because I don't know how to swim. My father never allowed me to learn.
The lady had intentionally pushed us into the pool. I'm swallowing the pool's water real fast. Fear gripped me! My heart is palpitating. I was going to die! As I drowned deeper, I saw another figure jump down into the water.
"The madam is drowning!" I heard the servants shout! "Help. Someone help her!"
Someone jumped down and I was rescued finally. I opened my eyes and the woman was wrapped protectively against the arms of William, both dripping wet.
I was rescued by a servant, and not William. Even though I didn't know what was happening, I still felt a pang of pain in my chest.
From what the woman had said earlier, it meant that I am his wife, and he jumped into the pool to save another woman? What does this even mean?
However, right now, William's face is all shades of gloomy.
His brows are scrunched into tight lines and his hands are clenched in fists.
"I'm so sorry, Moon. I… I know you love William but I loved him first." The woman wailed pitifully, her tears streaming nonstop. "I didn't mean to take him from you. It's just that… I love him too."
William's gaze hardens, his posture rigid as frost seems to seep into the air around him. His words cut like shards of ice when he spoke.
"You didn't like her—I get that, Moon. But bullying her and even pushing her into the pool?" His scoff carried a sharp edge, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "That's totally unacceptable!"
"I didn't push her," I wanted to say, however…
My body slumped down and my eyes fluttered into blankness.