Chapter 58
Jonathan looked about to explode; a storm brewed in his eyes. I could see the veins in his neck bulging, as if his blood boiled with rage. I screamed, “How dare you hit me?” As far as I could remember, no one had ever hit me. But he had just slapped me across the mouth. It wasn't a slap to the face, but being struck in the mouth wasn't much better.
I complained, “Who the hell gave you the right to slap me? How dare you?!” Jonathan grabbed my chin, his intense eyes locked on mine. “Take back what you just said.”
I glared at him. “No way. Why should I? You did it, but you can’t handle being called out?” Without warning, he tossed me onto the bed, destroying the intimate mood. His cold gaze fell on me. “How could you say something so outrageous, Elise?”
I retorted, “So, it’s my fault for calling you out, but not yours for doing it?” I stared at Jonathan through gritted teeth, the taste of blood filling my mouth. “You kept saying Alice was like a sister to you, but you treated her like a girlfriend the entire time.”
His face darkened, clouded with emotions I couldn’t decipher. A chill ran down my spine, and I shrank back, but he caught me. I grunted in pain as he grabbed my neck. I struggled to breathe, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
He shouted, “Apologize!” “I won’t,” I choked out, on the verge of suffocating. After what felt like forever, Jonathan finally let go, glaring at me with his jaw clenched tight.
He was quiet for a long time before saying, “Since you don’t know how to behave, take this time to reflect on your mistakes. When Grandpa’s situation is over, I’ll decide if you get to leave.” He turned to leave. I froze, then grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Are you seriously trying to keep me locked away, Jonathan?”
The pillow smacked his back, but he didn’t flinch. He walked to the door and coldly remarked, “I was too lenient, giving you too much freedom. Now, you brought this on yourself.” Jonathan turned, revealing his sharply defined profile. Back when I had a crush on him, I loved sneaking glances at it. His chiseled jaw looked almost unreal, like a perfect sculpture. But looking at him now felt like a stab to the heart; the pain was unbearable.
He muttered, “I gave you a chance, Elle. You’re the one who threw it away. You’re not going anywhere until you understand what you did wrong.” Then he walked out and shut the door.
I shouted, “You can’t just lock me up, Jonathan!” Fuming, I was ready to charge at him, but he’d already closed the door. I slammed my fist against it, loud thuds shaking the frame. “What gives you the right to lock me up, Jonathan? I want a divorce.”
I shouted and screamed, pounding hard on the door. I heard footsteps outside, but it eventually went quiet. My cries weakened, but no one dared open the door. Leaning against the door, I slowly sank to the floor. It finally hit me how wide the gap was between Jonathan and me. I stayed there all day, from dawn till dusk, staring into nothing.
The housekeepers brought food a few times, but I ignored them. Every time I remembered he’d locked me in, I wanted to smack myself for being so stupid. What was I thinking? Why did I marry someone so far above my social standing? I didn’t get rich, didn’t win his heart, and ended up betrayed. Worst of all, these upper-class snobs looked down on me every day, and now I couldn’t even leave this marriage when I wanted to.