REVENGE OF THE UGLY WIFE

Mathilda's POV

September 28, 2017

What is the greatest regret you've ever faced in your life?

If anyone were to ask me that question, I wouldn't even need to think. My greatest regret is marrying Fredric.

Yes... marrying him was the saddest, most painful mistake of my life.

People think stories about cruel husbands, arranged marriages, and wives forced into loveless relationships by manipulative grandmothers are nothing more than fiction-tragic tales that belong on television screens or in novels.

But the truth is, those stories happen in real life too. They happened to me.

If I could turn back time-if I could undo that wedding that took place just a month ago-my life wouldn't have turned into this endless misery.

"What are you doing in my bed? Get out!"

The harsh voice came from my right. I turned to see a tall man, his bare chest marked by a faint birthmark just below his collarbone. His eyes were cold, sharp, and filled with disgust.

He is my husband-Fredric Liam Smith, the man the world calls a charming young CEO, but who to me is nothing more than a stranger sharing my roof.

What could I do when he spoke that way? Of course, I immediately moved away, slipping off the edge of the bed as if my presence were poison.

There was no affection between us-no tender words, no smiles, no warmth. Not even the smallest trace of love. The only times he pretended to care were when his grandmother, Rosa, was around.

Rosa was the only person in this family who ever truly cared for me. She was kind, elegant, and full of grace. Every gesture of affection she gave me felt genuine, and I owed her my entire life.

"Mr. Fredric, tomorrow you have an appointment-"

"Shut up! I know my own schedule. Why are you telling me this? Since when did you become my secretary? Are you stalking me now?"

See what I mean? I couldn't even finish a sentence before he lashed out. Don't be surprised when I say I call him *Mr. Fredric*-not "dear," not "love," not even "husband." Those words feel foreign in this house.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fredric. I didn't mean to overstep. Your secretary called me-she said they couldn't reach you. It's an urgent meeting."

Fredric glared at me, his expression tightening before he grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

"Next time, just get to the point. Tell me to turn my phone on. Don't meddle in my schedule, understand? Don't bother me again. I need rest after pretending to be happy in this cursed marriage all day."

Pretending. That word echoed in my mind long after he turned his back on me.

I don't blame him entirely. Maybe this is all Rosa's fault... or maybe it's mine, for agreeing to something that should never have happened.

Rosa had worried about me after my parents died. I've known her family since I was a child.

My father, Goyle, had been Rosa's