My Husband Let The Village Punish Me Chapter 02

My Husband Let The Village Punish Me Chapter 02

Caleb did not come home until well after midnight.

He pushed open the gate and stopped when he saw me sitting alone in the front room.

“Why are you still awake?”

The smell of liquor clung to him. He had clearly been drinking heavily.

I looked up at him.

In the dim amber light, he was strikingly handsome, with a strong brow, a straight nose, and thin lips.

Three years ago, I had let that face deceive me.

No, he had not deceived me. I had simply been stupid.

I asked in a small voice, “Caleb, can’t we call off the Blessing?”

He frowned, visibly impatient.

“Didn’t I already tell you? Rules are rules.”

“Then can you at least protect me?” My voice trembled. “Tell them to go easy on me, just enough to make it look like I went through with it.”

Caleb reached out and stroked my hair, his tone softening.

“Don’t worry. I already spoke to Nate, and he’ll take it easy on you. It’s only for show. Endure it, and it’ll be over soon.”

I looked into his eyes.

They were filled with what I once would have mistaken for tenderness.

But I knew he was lying.

[Keep her quiet. Wrap a scarf around her face. Keep her from saying, “I’ll give this family a child,” so they can make the ritual last even longer.]

Remembering his plan made me want to laugh, but the bitterness inside me was too deep for laughter.

I lowered my eyes and made myself look obedient.

“Fine. I’ll endure it.”

Caleb nodded in satisfaction and went to bed.

He collapsed onto the mattress, and within seconds, his breathing settled into the slow, even rhythm of sleep.

I remained in the front room without shedding another tear.

Something inside me had died for good.

The day before the Blessing, I saw her on the beach.

Lila was back.

She was photographing the sunrise over the water.

When she heard my footsteps, she quickly pulled the brim of her hat lower and rose to leave.

“Lila.”

The sound of her name stopped her cold.

I walked over and stood in front of her, watching her calmly.

“You don’t need to hide. I know who you are.”

Lila was silent for a moment before removing her hat.

She truly was beautiful, with fair skin, delicate features, and bright eyes that made her look like someone who had seen the world.

The word that came to mind was vibrant.

She carried the vitality of someone who had truly lived beyond Greyhaven.

I, on the other hand, had spent three years trapped there like a bird in a cage.

Lila smiled, studying me with open condescension and a hint of smug satisfaction.

“Tessa Quinn? You look a lot older than you did in the pictures.”

I ignored the insult.

“Did you come back to photograph the Blessing?”

Lila raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

“Did Caleb tell you?”

“I overheard it.”

She looked me up and down, and her surprise shifted into amusement.

“Then why are you here? Are you going to beg me not to photograph it, or do you want me to ask Caleb to spare you?”

I ignored that as well.

“Why did you come back?”

Lila lifted an eyebrow.

“Greyhaven is my hometown. I can come and go whenever I please.”

“Is that so?” I gave a slight nod. “Then why did you leave in the first place? Why go so far as to fake your own death?”

The color drained from Lila’s face.

I had touched on the one subject she least wanted to face.