The Substitute Wife and Mommy

Zaniyah’s Point of View.

I found myself completely confounded, having lost all sense of time spent in what was supposed to be my bedroom, but felt more like a prison cell. The dimly lit room echoed every sound ominously off its cold, unforgiving walls. I couldn’t even recall how I had ended up here, chained to a heartless, ruthless monster who showed no mercy. This man seemed to have been carved from a block of ice, with a heart as bitter and unfeeling as the stone floor beneath us. Despite being in love with him, I knew I couldn’t underestimate his dangerous predator instincts and longed to wake up from this nightmare.

“Zaniyah,” with a hushed voice, he called out to me from behind the closed door and continued with a velvety and slick whisper, able to cut through the stillness of the room, “open the door.”

My heart raced as I stepped closer to the door, my fingers shaking as I reached for the handle. It felt like time had stopped, that I was trapped in this moment in a world with just two people - me and the heartless billionaire behind the door. As I slowly opened it, a creaking sound echoed through the stillness, my breath held tight in anticipation.

My skin crawled as soon as our eyes met, and I felt my throat tighten. His stony expression was filled with contempt so palpable it made me feel as if I were nothing but a grain of sand beneath his feet. I bowed slightly and asked in a quivering voice, “D-Do you need anything from me?”

I gripped the hem of my sleeveless shirt tightly as I was anticipating his response, with fear and anxiety permeated the space. Nonetheless, he remained eerily silent.

With each passing second, my mind galloped while my nose twitched at the metallic smell in the room. Suddenly, my eyes widened with horror as I saw the faint bloodstains on his fancy suit. In that instant, I felt like a statue - frozen, still in fear and shock. But then, reality hit me like an avalanche that resulted in me to shout, “You have blood!”

I timidly reached out to touch his side, but before my hand could even make contact, he harshly shoved me away.

“I did not give you any orders,” he growled, slowly raising his head while wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. “Remove your hands from me at once.” His revulsion was obvious in every word he uttered.

Terrified of what I had done wrong, I froze. My mind was screaming for a response, but I was unable to form the words I wanted but instead responded with him with my soft voice. “But your wound—”

“No matter what I do, it is none of your concern!” He immediately cut me off with a cruel retort that clarified that my feeling of the matter meant nothing to him.

I clung to the hem of my shirt, trying desperately to keep the tears from streaming down my cheeks. “Then why did you bring me here?” I whispered, though I already knew the answer deep down. My fear gradually morphed into apprehension as I stared up at him. “If this was the same thing I was running away from, why bother helping me? You could have just let them take me again. Just give me to the debt collector again.”

With a heavy sigh, he directed his gaze toward me and declared in a low, ominous voice. “Zaniyah,” he said firmly, “you mustn’t think like that.”

Anger coursed through my veins as I stood before him, trembling. “I can’t take it anymore!” I shouted, desperately stepping away from his encroaching figure. “Every day I’m here, I’m just abused and tormented. What have I done to deserve this? How much more can I take?”

He stared at me with a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes. “Zaniyah—”

“GO! Just GO!” My voice wavered, but still he advanced towards me.

As I thought he would really leave, I was wrong...

He pulled my head, his lips crashed against mine and I felt as if the world was caving in around me. I battled against him, fiercely trying to break free from his grip. Finally, with a cry of anguish, I managed to pull away from him. Tears streamed down my face, my heart racing wildly in my chest.

As I took a step backwards, my foot ran into something hard on the ground that sent me staggering. Before I could regain my balance, I felt his strong arms wrap around me and pull me towards him, before our momentum caused us both to crash backwards onto the floor.

His heavy body fell onto mine. He leaped on top of me, pinning down my wrists as I lay shuddering below him. My lips quivered and all I could muster up was a faint unsteady voice, “Please...I’m begging you...”

He was relentless, despite my desperate pleas for him to stop. His lips on mine felt like a violation I could not prevent. No matter how hard I tried to fight against it, I was losing the battle. I felt defeated and powerless until suddenly he stopped.

My hand flew to the shattered vase beside me and in an instant, I was clutching a piece of jagged glass between my fingers. In one last effort to escape his touch, I pounded the sharp edge of the glass into his skin with all my might and yelled out in defiance once more, “I said STOP!!!”

As my eyes met his, I couldn’t help but notice the wounds on his face caused by my actions. A lump formed in my throat, and I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. His eyes, filled with intoxication, softened momentarily as if forgiving me. But soon after, his gaze became hard and unyielding, betraying his true feelings.

He stood up, averted his gaze from me, and made his way towards the door. Just before exiting the room, he reminded me, “Remember to tend to your wound.”

I watched intently as his jaw tensed and a hint of anger appeared behind his eyes. Just as I started to feel a sense of relief wash over me as he was leaving, he slammed the door shut and disappeared. Rather than feeling comforted, I felt an even stronger sense of guilt.

I couldn’t help but feel confused and overwhelmed at the same time. Was I living a nightmare, or would I eventually awaken from this terrible dream?

My parents had taken out a loan from the greedy Dwayne Salvador, only to find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into debt as our company went bankrupt.

When the day came for them to kidnap me as payment for what they owed, something strange happened. All of a sudden, Ambrose Ward—the man I thought was my hero—showed up unexpectedly.

Was he really here to save me and my family?

I pretended to believe it so badly, yet deep down I knew there was more to his story. He had money, yet he chose not to pay off my parents’ debts; instead, he killed Dwayne Salvador.

At first, I thought his rage was simply because of his desire to protect me. But then I figured that wasn’t what truly motivated him...

Zaniyah’s Point of View.

No sooner had my eyes opened than I bolted out from under the covers. The events that had transpired between me and Ambrose the previous night had left my thoughts restless, keeping me unable to sleep. I was still unsure about his physical condition. Seeing the blood flowing from his body had left me worried, as it appeared to be quite serious. Each step toward the kitchen forced my feet to carry more weight than usual. The vision of his pale face lying on my lap kept flashing in my mind, haunting me with spirits of what could have been.

As I descended the stairs, I noticed that the living room was eerily quiet. I furrowed my brow, realizing that he may have already left for work or perhaps even gone to the hospital. The thought dawned on me I was all by myself.

My eyes traveled up to his bedroom door with a growing sense of interest, thinking if he was just there and didn’t leave. Even though he had not treated me very well since our reunion, deep down, I knew he still cared for me and meant me no physical harm. Despite our disagreements every day, he never failed to return each day, ensuring my safety. So, the concern I had for him remained intact, and my willingness to provide him with it persisted.

Ascending the stairs, I contemplated whether to enter Ambrose’s room. Eventually, I mustered the courage to turn the doorknob and push the door open, revealing a dim and desolate space. I expected this, knowing that he seldom occupied the room except for sleeping. Switching on the light, I was greeted with the sight of his immaculate chamber. However, my eyes were drawn to a picture frame on the side table.

As I gazed upon it, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was all just a figment of my imagination.

As I moved closer to the frame, I felt a sense of unease. Hoping that my initial interpretation was wrong, I stared more intensely at the image. But nothing had changed; this was exactly what I feared it to be. Before I could take hold of it, a hand grabbed mine, stopping me from taking it away.

“Who said you are welcome here?”

As I heard a chilling voice behind me, I froze in place. Without warning, the delicate frame glass slipped out of my grasp and crashed towards the floor, producing an ear-piercing sound that reverberated throughout the room. I was overwhelmed with panic as I gaped at the wreckage in front of me, my hands quivering with remorse.

As soon as he made his abrupt statement, I flinched. His nude body was in plain sight, with a white bandage wrapped around his abdomen. He only had on some black trousers, which showcased his well-defined biceps and chest. Although the blood had been cleaned up, there were still traces of crimson water seeping out of his wound. I wasn’t sure how he got injured, and I was hesitant to ask him anything else, knowing that he wouldn’t answer. He might say something offensive to me again.

As I met his eyes and drifted away, I noticed his focus on the broken picture frame. My hand was still tightly closed in a fist, and I anxiously nibbled on my lower lip to avoid any confrontation.

“What made you leave your room?” His emotionless tone was not surprising, as it was always like this whenever he spoke to me. With tears threatening to fall, I looked up and gripped my hands tightly as he questioned me again with a sneer, “Do you think you’ll find something if you sneak into my room?”

“That picture frame…” As I pointed to the broken picture frame, tears streamed down my face and I asked, “Is the reason you brought me here because I look like that woman in the photo?”

“Zaniyah, how many times do I have to remind you? Refrain from asking pointless questions.”

“Please, tell me! Why have you confined me here? It’s like an invisible chain is wrapped around my neck, and I have no clue how to break f-free!” I exclaimed, my voice booming with frustration as I choke on my last words. After that, I continued again with trembling lips and fingertips. “I-I don’t even know what I did to deserve this! Why not let the debt collectors handle me instead?”

“Are you saying that you would prefer to let other men possess your body instead of staying with me?” he asked, his grin growing wider and more manic.

I was completely taken aback. How was it possible for me to have given my heart to such a cruel man in the past? How could I have ever loved someone this so heartless?

“See?” The sharp words reverberated through the room, filling the space with an unpleasant energy. “You can’t even answer,” he continued, cold and unfeeling. “Because you know within yourself that without me, you mean damn nothing. You have no value now.”

“So, am I to understand that my sole purpose of being alive is to serve as your slave in this house?”

“Yes—”

He couldn’t finish his sentence by the strong slap I gave to him. As a result, my hand went numb. Nonetheless, at least I relieved myself a little as I watched his body frozen, with his face turned to the side.

“You are worse than a flaming demon,” I blurted through gritted teeth.

“You have the freedom to express yourself in any way you see fit, and you can address me by any name that you prefer,” he said in a surprisingly calm tone. However, my feelings towards him were far from peaceful as he added, “But it’s regrettable that you must obey when I command you to spread your legs.”

“Ambrose, are you insane? Can you even hear yourself? You have locked me here with no explanation, and now you expect me to serve you solely because of your sexual desire? Ha!” I showed a contemptuous smile and muttered with the words blowing through my teeth. “You fucking horny dick…!”

As his gaze fixed upon me, I felt his black eyes delving into the depths of my soul. Even in the dimly lit room, it seemed as though he could read me like an open book. After a moment, he composed himself and moved closer to me. Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and pulled me towards him. His lips found my ear and he bit it, sending shivers down my spine. I could feel his warm breath on my face and neck.

“Do you truly wish to know the reason behind my bringing you here?” Every word he spoke made me feel lightheaded.

I exerted all my strength to push his body away from mine. I wanted as much distance between us as possible as I responded, “Nevermind.”

As I was about to leave, he nabbed my arm and pulled me sideways across the bed. His action caught me off guard, and his breath was hot on the nape of my neck. Although I wanted to look at him so I could show how he annoyed me, his grip was so tight that I couldn’t move.

After a brief moment, his hand crawled up my legs, causing a sudden rush of warmth to spread throughout my body, even though the room was fully air-conditioned. “What are you doing?” I stuttered, my heart racing so quickly that I struggled to keep my words steady.

“Liliana Huxley,” he hissed, holding me from behind and burying his face in my back, like a child yearning for his mother.

“Huh?” I inquired with confusion.

“That was my late wife’s name,” he stated. I remained silent, unable to formulate a response. Noticing my lack of reaction, he continued speaking.

“She passed away from her illness,” he said, keeping his face hidden behind me throughout. “I was helpless when I found her lifeless. Despite having enough wealth, I couldn’t rescue her. That cursed cancer snatched my beloved wife from me,” he grieved.

“….” I remained mute.

“Upon capturing sight of your visage on the television screen, it was as though my dormant existence had been jolted back to life. I initially mistook you for my wife, for your countenance bears an uncanny resemblance to hers. Your laugh and grin mirror those of my Liliana.”

“So, you brought me here because you see your wife’s reflection in my face?” A sharp pain stabbed through my chest as I realized I was nothing more than his backup plan. I couldn't believe that the person I loved first could make me feel like his second choice.

“I take no blame whatsoever. The reason behind it all is solely your face.”

I had no idea that tears had already trickled down my face. What was his reasoning for making such mistakes?

“Zaniyah, I’m willing to support your family in their business endeavors, but on one condition - you must promise me you won’t leave me. Please stay by my side and embody the persona of Liliana. Show me she’s still alive and make me believe she hasn’t left me.”

As he spoke, my chest tightened. “Did you only see Liliana, your wife, and not Zaniyah Moore, your childhood friend, when you saw me on television?”

I thought that the words he had spoken before were the most painful thing I could endure. But when he gave me the answer I was not hoping for, I realized that the pain could get even worse. It felt as though a knife had been plunged deeper into my chest.

“Liliana has always been my choice, Zaniyah. And you… you will be her replacement.” His hand crawled up to my stomach. “You’ll be my substitute wife.”

I felt a pit in my stomach, knowing that I would be used as a replacement for the woman he truly loved.