An Innocent Wife (Innocent Hearts Book 1)

by Richa Resa

  Chapter 8

  Joshua

  The anger coursing through my veins far exceeded what I felt when I had seen her grinding on that guy. I was at first mad over her going to the club wearing such revealing clothes, but when I saw a guy kissing her while she pushed herself into him, I felt like killing someone. It fucking ticked me off. I had every intention of ruining this night for her, but seeing her like that had me burning with jealousy—even if I would never admit it.

  I had installed a tracking app on her phone, and that was the only reason I was able to know her whereabouts right. Otherwise, my chances of hurting her would have gone downhill. I wasn’t expecting anything like this to happen. I didn’t expect her to retaliate. Neither had I expected her to fight me. She had blamed me for Elle’s death! How dare she? She was the fucking reason I had lost her! The scorching anger inside me had taken away all my control, and in the heat of this rage inside of me, I had raised my hand against her. Never in a lifetime would I have thought about raising my hand over a woman—ever. I should have felt guilty for what I did, but I didn’t. She deserved it; she fucking wanted it. She had pushed my buttons so hard and painfully that my action felt justified.

  Even through this uncontrollable rage I felt content to hurt her, to see her eyes glisten with tears, to have her suffer with an insufferable pain. I felt strong seeing her lying on the floor with tears filling her eyes. My fingers had imprinted themselves on her cheek. I felt bad because I didn’t find myself feeling guilty or shame. I enjoyed seeing her with disbelief and pain in her eyes. She had asked for it with those words.

  “You’re a fucking whore, Eunice, do you know that?” I seethed. “You’re a murderer and a killer. You have the audacity to say that I am to be blamed when it has always been you. You’re the one who planned that accident to fucking kill Elle! You wanted her out of our life so you could come here and enjoy your life like this!” I pointed towards the club. “You wanted this freedom so you could go clubbing, enjoy shopping, and fucking whore around like this. Is this what you killed my daughter for? You’re a fucking bitch, Eunice, a fucking selfish bitch who killed my daughter!” Venom laced my voice. She laid on the floor with tears cascading down her face, and it brought me immense relief to see her like this, a whole new level of relief. I was sick to feel that way, but she was the devil.

  “Shut the fuck up, Joshua!” Nora roared as she appeared in front of me. Her body and eyes showed distaste and anger towards me. Clarisse, on the other hand, helped Eunice stand up and supported her. “She didn’t kill her. You’re sick, Joshua. You blame her for something she didn’t do. She was fucking herself involved in that accident. Why would she have taken the risk of killing herself if she only wanted Elle dead? You are a bastard, you know that? A fucking heartless monster. You call her a whore when you let other bitches warm your bed, knowing that Eunice is right there in your house. You’re a sick man, Joshua, a sick man! She fucking stayed with you in hopes that you would find your way back to her, love her again, but you didn’t. All you did was hurt her every single moment you could. You say she killed her, but it was you who didn’t even shed a lone tear at Elle’s death. You didn’t fucking care about her or Eunice. You left her on her own in the hospital when she needed you the most. Breaking news, Joshua! She fucking grieved for the loss of her daughter more than you, you sick bastard!”

  The bouncers arrived at the scene, along with the club manager. “Sir, please take this matter out of the club. You need to leave right now. These bouncers here are going to escort you out. If you don’t leave, I will have to call the police,” the manager said sternly.

  “I will leave if, and only if, she leaves also. I don’t fucking care if you call the police. I won’t fucking leave this place until she walks out of here with me,” I said, seething, looking at my lovely wife, Eunice. The manager looked frustrated and angry.

  “No way, no fucking way. She won’t leave with him. He has turned into a wife beater, and I won’t let her leave with him. If he could fucking slap her in front of a whole crowd, god knows what he would do to her behind closed doors,” Nora shouted. People all around looked at me like I was the fucking monster.

  “She’s right. We can’t let her leave with him. I don’t know what problem is going on, but she doesn’t deserve this. No woman does. She won’t leave with him, sir. Just escort this man outside,” some guy said, favoring Nora.

  “I won’t fucking leave without her. I don’t fucking care about anything. If I leave, she comes with me, and that’s final. Want to call the authorities? Do so, but I don’t think the owner would love the bad publicity this club would get later on. Don’t you think that, Mister Manager?” I asked, knowing he was right under my thumb. The manager looked around and with a sigh, looked at Eunice.

  “I’m sorry, miss, but please, could you leave too? As much as I don’t want to do this, I have to. I don’t want this club to go through bad publicity. I could lose my job,” he pleaded. “I’m not asking you to leave alone. You can take your friends with you back home. If you want, we can take this outside and then call the police, but I need you to help me in getting this man out of here, please.” Eunice looked at me with burning anger.

  “I’m willing to leave with my friends. I’m sorry for the commotion here.” Eunice walked out of the club with Clarisse and Nora beside her. The bouncer behind me took me by the arm and dragged me out too.

  “I’m leaving willingly. Leave me right now,” I said through clenched teeth. The heavy bouncer ignored me completely. His grip on my arm was way too hard, like he was fucking punishing me. He pushed me through the door, giving me a hard shove as he threw me outside. I stumbled badly, and it took me time to compose myself. The bouncer moved in front of me, and before I knew it, his fist connected with my nose. I groaned with the throbbing pain. I was quite sure that bouncer had done a good number on my nose.

  “If I come to know you fucking hurt her—even a bit—I assure that there is more coming. Don’t harm a hair on her head. If you do, I don’t think you would like a bit what I would do with you. I assure you, you won’t be able to remember how you looked when I’m done with you,” he said dangerously while looking in my eyes damn straight. Without another glance, he walked past me, hitting my shoulder, intentionally making me stumble back. Blood dripped from my nose.

  “If he ever hurts you a bit, intentionally or not, you call me. Okay?” he told Eunice while handing her a card. “I’m only a call away with my other friends to make sure he never hits a woman ever again.” He walked back into the club, giving me a glare.

  “Let’s go home, Eunice,” Clarisse said to her. Home? What home? Her home was with me, and she was not fucking going anywhere. She was going to come home with me and pay for her words. I am going to make sure she confesses her sins tonight so I would be able to show the world what an evil woman she is.

  “You are not going anywhere. Do you hear me, Eunice?” I ordered as she started walking with her friends. I didn’t freaking care about my nose. I used my handkerchief to wipe away the blood.

  “Go to hell, Joshua,” Clarisse told me. Those two women were getting on my nerves.

  “She’s going to come with me, and that’s final. I don’t fucking care about you two. I just want Eunice to come back with me,” I screamed angrily. The frustration of this night not going as I planned was getting to me. I saw Eunice looking at me with teary eyes, but there was no sadness in them—only fury and anger. We stared at each other for minutes.

  “I will come with you,” she hissed.

  “What?” both Nora and Clarisse asked her.

  “Are you out of your mind? You’re going back with this monster?” Clarisse questioned with disbelief.

  “Yes, and this will be the last time. Whatever this is, it ends tonight. I’m just tired of it all, and tonight I want to put an end to it once and for all.” Eunice’s words were without any emotions, but the tears rolling down her cheeks were enough to give away her pain.

 
“Eunice—” Nora tried to say something, but Eunice cut her off.

  “Please, just this once, please. I just want to get rid of this drama, and if it takes me going back to his house to do it, I’m more than willing to. Just let me go this once,” Eunice said, looking at her. Her friends looked at her with sympathy and nodded their heads.

  “Be careful, Eunice,” Clarisse breathed. She nodded and made her way to me while her friends gave me stony glares. I walked back to my car, knowing she was behind me. Unlocking the car, I got into it and waited for her to enter. She was there inside the car, putting her seatbelt on minutes later. In the silence consuming the car, we made our way back to home. Neither of us uttered a word. As we reached our driveway, Eunice didn’t wait for me to park the car. She got out instantly, looking like she wanted to be rid of my company too soon.

  I wasn’t letting her walk away from me today. She’d have to confess all her sins today at any cost. Parking my car, I got out and saw her entering the house. For the first time, I was able to look at the royal blue backless dress that only reached mid-thigh. Her flawless skin had me craving her, but I didn’t let the clouds of lust divert me from my path. Readjusting my thoughts, I remembered her words—you are to be blamed for her death. I let the anger consume me. She blamed me for her evil sin. I let the burning anger take me over fully.

  Walking up the steps to my house, I pushed the door with full force, trying to build fear of me in Eunice. Her fear was adrenaline to me. Closing the door with greater force, I turned around to come face to face with a fuming Eunice. Before I could let my sharp words escape my lips I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek. My cheek throbbed with fucking pain, as if a swarm of bees had just stung me. I stood there in shock. Where in the holy hell did she get such bravery to hit me? I looked in her eyes, only to find no fear in them.

  “How dare you—” I was cut off by a stinging sensation again on my cheek. She bloody slapped me not once, but twice. Who the hell did she think she was? My blood boiled with anger. Once again, she raised her hand to slap me, but I caught ahold of it and tugged her towards me forcefully. I was angrier than the anger lurking inside her eyes. Taking hold of both of her hands, I twisted them forcefully behind her back. She didn’t know what she was dealing with right now. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips.

  “So the little kitten has got claws,” I hissed. The more she wriggled in my hold, the more pressure I put in to give her pain. More cries left her lips, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was too close to me, but I didn’t want her filthy body touching me. In a quick movement, I pushed her away with a strong force, making her stumble back and fall down flat on her ass. They had painted me a monster in the club, so be it. If it takes me being a monster to get the truth, I would do it.

  “Do you think that slapping me won’t have any consequences, Eunice?” I demanded. “Do you think I would let you get away easily before making you confess your sins? No, baby, no. Tonight I’m going to make sure you confess everything so I can have enough proof to let you rot in jail.” Venom was there in my every word.

  “You took away my happiness by taking my daughter away. Why, Eunice, why? What did you get from killing my daughter? Huh? What was so goddamn important to you that you had to kill her? Why did you kill her and our love? What did you do it for?” I lashed out at her by towering over her body on the floor. I was on the verge of losing my control. She had done it. Her eyes flashed with pain in her soul, but I didn’t care about it now. All I wanted was answers. Bending down, I forcefully held her jaw.

  “Don’t test my patience, Eunice. Tell me what the fuck was so important that you had to kill the most important thing in my life?” I demanded, looking straight in her brown eyes, which were now overflowing with fury. She tried to push me away with those petite hands of hers, but I didn’t move an inch. She thrashed around to get away from my hold, but I only put more pressure on her. She was furious as she tried to hit me, but I didn’t let her. Within moments tears had been set free from her eyes.

  “I’m not letting you go until I make you confess your sins. Why did you kill my daughter, Eunice? Why?” I roared in her face.

  “Stop it, stop this!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, and with a hard force on my chest, she pushed me away. My back touched the floor. She was up in a moment and quickly moved away from me.

  “Stop this madness, Joshua. Just stop it! I didn’t kill her. I didn’t. Hurting her, killing her, never was my intention. I wouldn’t ever think of hurting her, she was my daughter too. If I could get one chance to save her, I would take it, even if I had to get myself killed in the process. I am not a killer, not a monster, Joshua. I loved her too. She was the center of my world, so stop with this madness. Stop it!” she cried out as a river of tears flowed down her cheeks. I was back on my feet, facing her. She was fucking lying. She had done it. She was behind the wheel that day. She did it on purpose.

  “Cut the fucking crap, Eunice. I know you killed her. You did it on purpose. So just fucking tell me why?” I raged at her trembling self.

  “I said I didn’t kill her. How many times do you want me to repeat myself? I would have never killed her, never have such a vile thought. Why are you so stuck on the fact that I killed her, Joshua? I loved her too! I loved you both more than myself. I loved my daughter…she was my life. I was her mother! God damnit, Joshua, why would…I have killed…my own child…my own daughter?” She sobbed, but I was not an idiot who would believe this act of hers. She didn’t love her, she had killed her. She was the reason that Elle was no longer here.

  “Because she was not your own blood!” I shouted. “She was my blood! My daughter, not yours. You were her stepmother, not the real one. You hated the fucking fact that she wasn’t yours. You hated her because I forced her upon you. You wanted her gone just because she was not your blood, but mine! I have every intention to believe you killed her because you were not her real mother, but a step one. You would have never loved her like her own and she was a hindrance for you! You hated her for being here and taking away your freedom, your job, and your lifestyle. She was a thorn in your happiness, so you cut her out. I fully believe that you did it, Eunice, that you killed her because of the fact that she was only mine!” I shouted at her face. She stood there stunned, hearing my words. Elle was my blood, my daughter, not hers. I didn’t come to know about her until she was born. Eunice and I had gotten married after just six months of dating because we already knew each other well enough.

  I was a player before dating her, and Elle was an offspring from a one-night stand I never knew about until our marriage. Just after Eunice and I had come home after our honeymoon, I found out about her. Lily, her real mother, had died while giving her birth. She told her parents my identity, about me being the man who impregnated her. Her parents had knocked on my door with Elle in their arms. Eunice was right there beside me when they broke the news. They had shown me Lily’s photograph, and somehow I remembered her because of her red hair and grey eyes. Lily’s parents told me that Lily wanted Elle to go to her father if anything happened to her. The old couple were not in a position to raise Elle, and had asked me to take my daughter.

  I was scared that moment. I was just married and I had a baby from someone else. I had opted for a DNA test, and after knowing for sure that she was mine, I decided to take her into my home.

  Eunice was all the way beside me. I had apologized to her many times for such a thing, even asked her to divorce me if she wanted. I didn’t want to burden her with this responsibility after just two weeks of marriage. She, on the other hand, batted the idea away and said she was fine with it. She was on her way to a successful career, but had put a stop on it because of Elle. She told me that she didn’t care if it wasn’t hers and that she would raise her, love her, like her own. She said that giving birth to a child wasn’t essential for loving it—but it was all a façade. Only if I would have known that it all was a lie, I would have saved my daughter. I believed Eunice easily, only to
have my daughter leave me forever without any hope to get her back. At least I should have known something like this would have happened because Eunice was not her real mother…she had shown her true colors and killed my daughter, my blood.

  Eunice was just her stepmother, giving me the right to believe she had killed Elle. A stepmother could never be a real one.

  Chapter 9

  Eunice

  I had never expected something like this. Stepmother—was that what he has always thought of me as? I knew very well that Elle was not my daughter, but never had I mistreated her, never thought bad of her. I had always considered her as my own, as my blood and flesh. She was a child whose innocence had wrapped me around her finger. From the very moment I came to know about her existence, I had done nothing but take care of her. I had never thought of her being a burden. I did everything for her of my own will because she was a child who needed love and care. Even though I had not given birth to her, I had showered her with motherly love. But the way Joshua had tossed down all my love for her by saying that I had killed her because I was her stepmother…it tore me apart, killed me from inside. He had accused the mother inside of me. I let my tears free, and they were not tears of sadness or of being broken, but of anger. A burst of anger flared up in me.

  All I could think about was, since when did he begin to reason that I didn’t care for Elle because I was her stepmother? How long had these thoughts been brewing in his mind?