Dear Wife, I Hate You (by Josephine Mbanefo) novel Chapter 6

Lilith’s Pov

I turned on the bed, my body aching. My head… it was pounding.

I opened my eyes slowly, and the pain hit me like a truck. “Fuck,” I groaned, clutching my head. It was bad. Really bad.

I must have drunk too much last night.

Sitting up, I blinked a few times to focus. The light stung. I reached for the lamp side table and took my usual glass of water, Rose always left it there for me every single morning. I hadn’t even thanked her properly for the kind gesture.

I drank the water in slow sips, letting it cool my dry throat.

I’ve been eating my breakfast in my room since I got here. I barely know anything about this house. Just this room… and Killian’s. That’s it.

I exhaled and leaned back against the headboard. Everything from last night hit me again. The whiskey. The girl. Killian. The crying. The shouting. The way he dragged me out like I was nothing. I probably drank too much. That must be why my head feels like it’s splitting open.

And then, a knock. Soft but right on time. I glanced at the clock. Rose, again.

“Good morning, ma’am,” her soft voice came through the door.

I sighed. “I told you to stop calling me that, Rose. Just call me Lilith.”

There was a short silence, then a small laugh. “Okay. Lilith. Are you coming down for breakfast, or should I bring it here?”

I hesitated. My usual answer sat on the tip of my tongue. But I stopped myself. No. I can’t keep hiding in here like a ghost. I have a life. Whatever mess I’m stuck in, I still have my life.

“I’m coming downstairs,” I said quietly.

There was a pause. Then I heard Rose’s breath hitch like she’d just won something small but important. “Okay,” she said softly, almost happily.

I looked at the door and smiled a little, confused by how much that simple answer had brightened her tone.

Today, I wasn’t going to hide.

Today, I didn’t want to feel caged.

“Yeah,” I said, “I’m coming downstairs.”

I heard her voice brighten. “Okay! I’ll see you there.”

“Just give me a sec,” I added. “Let me get myself together.”

“Take your time,” she said.

She walked away, and I sat there for a moment, staring at the door.

I quickly stood up from the bed as she left, wobbling a bit as the headache still lingered.

Dragging myself to the mirror, I stared.

God, I looked like a madwoman.

Hair wild, eyes tired, lips pale.

I let out a small, bitter laugh.

What a mess.

Without thinking too much, I pulled off my clothes.

I wanted to shower the weight off me.

But then I stopped.

Right in front of the mirror.

I looked at myself again–really looked.

The scar by my neck caught my attention first.

Ugly, angry, healed but never really gone.

And then my eyes.

One grey. One honey.

It made me look… beautiful and I hated that.

I didn’t want beauty from pain.

I picked up my towel and walked into the bathroom.

The water was cold and refreshing, it was like a reset.

After I dried off, I brushed my hair lazily, wore a simple pair of shorts and a tank top.

I wasn’t going to see Killian anyway…

So why bother dressing up?

I stepped out of the room and walked downstairs, It felt strange, I realized this was my first time doing this.

Ever since I got married… I had never even seen the rest of the house.

I didn’t know where the dining was.

So I wandered a bit as I used the opportunity to look around.

Then I found myself in the kitchen, it was the wrong place.

But it smelled nice and warm.

I stepped in fully, just curious to see how it looked.

“Good morning.”

I jumped and let out a scream.

“Oh my God! You scared me!”

I turned quickly and It wasn’t Killian.

It was him, the man from last night.

Killian’s brother.

He raised his hands a little. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,” I mumbled, trying to calm my heart.

He looked at me with a slight smile, then said, “I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. I’m Nolan.”

I opened my mouth to reply, “I’m Li-”

But he cut me off.

“I know what your name is.”

He walked over to the fridge, grabbed something, and then just… left.

And I stood there, still unsure if I was supposed to breathe easier… or not.

The moment Nolan left the kitchen, Rose walked in with a small smile on her face.

“It seems you’re lost,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “That’s why I told you to let me take you around.”

I didn’t like how right she was.

“I’m fine,” I said, turning to her. “I’ll find my way around this place. Did you hear me?”

She raised her hands a little. “Okay, okay.”

Then, after a pause, she added, “Let me just show you where the dining is, please.”

I sighed. “Okay.”

We walked in silence, but my heart wasn’t silent.

Something in my chest was beating too fast, too loud.

I didn’t know why, I wasn’t scared, or was I?

Just as I was approaching the dining, I saw Killian sitting at the dining table, holding a mug in his hand.

He looked so calm. So collected. Like he didn’t ruin me a few nights ago.

He took a slow sip from his mug and then looked up.

Straight at me.

And suddenly, I felt so aware of myself.

Of my legs.

My skin.

The stupid shorts I wore.

Why didn’t I wear something longer?

His eyes stayed on me like they were trying to read something under my skin.

Then I caught Nolan again, sitting nearby, scrolling through his phone.

He looked up at me, just briefly, and then went right back to his screen.

As if I didn’t matter.

God, I felt like I was going to fall right down.

Killian didn’t say a word.

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