Chapter 4 Broken walls

Savannah's Pov

A month had passed since Daniel and I had begun to rebuild our relationship, and I couldn't deny the changes I had seen in him. He was treating me with kindness, with care, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I could breathe again. The love he was showing me felt real, and even though I was still cautious, I couldn't ignore the warmth in my heart when he smiled at me.

I never thought I'd be here. There was a time when I was so close to walking away, when I thought our marriage was beyond saving. But here I was, still trying, still holding onto hope that maybe, just maybe, we could make it work.

I had seen the man Daniel was before, the man who hurt me and made me doubt myself. But the person he was now, the one who protected me and cared for me-it felt like a dream come true. He really did love me, I knew that. But despite everything, I still kept my distance. My heart was still a little too bruised, too afraid to give him everything again.

He had promised he wouldn't hurt me, but how could I trust those words? How could I believe that things were truly different? I couldn't. Not yet. I didn't want to get hurt again.

This morning, I was in the sitting room, preparing breakfast for Daniel. The maids were on break, so I was doing it myself. It wasn't a big deal, but the quiet of the house was peaceful. Just as I was putting the last touches on the meal, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door, and to my shock, it was my stepmother and stepsister, Lisa, standing there.

I froze. A wave of fear hit me in the chest. It had been years, but I still felt that knot of unease when I saw them. Why did I still feel this way? Why was I so scared of them?

Lisa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Won't you let us in?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Are you not happy to see us?" she added, her words cold.

I gripped the door handle, my anger building up. I didn't want them here. Not now. Not after everything. But before I could say anything, my stepmother pushed past me and walked inside like she owned the place.

I followed them into the seating room,my stomach in knots. I set the dining table, trying to keep my hands steady.

My stepmother looked around, her gaze sharp. "Where's your husband?" she asked, as if she had the right to know.

Lisa smirked. "I can see you're really suffering. Thank goodness I'm not the one who ended up married to him," she said, her words laced with cruel humor.

I said nothing, just quietly serving them food. I also made sure to serve Daniel his breakfast, hoping he wouldn't hear their ugly words.

I wished that my family would at least try to act decent when he was around. What would he think of me when my own family treated me like this?

Then my stepmother took a spoonful of the pasta I'd made. "You're still the same," she said, her tone mocking. She poured herself some water, looking at me like she was waiting for a reaction.

She stood up, walking around me with the glass of water in her hand. "What do you think? Do you really believe you'll escape from me just because you're married now?" she taunted.

Before I could even respond, she suddenly splashed the water all over me, the cold liquid soaking into my clothes. I stumbled back, about to fall when I felt a strong hand grip my waist.

I looked up, and there he was-Daniel, his eyes blazing with fury.

"How dare you?" he shouted at my stepmother, his voice full of anger. I had never seen him like this before, so fierce and protective.

"We're just having a good time," my stepmother said dismissively, as if the hurt she caused didn't matter.

Daniel's voice grew colder. "I don't joke around when it comes to my wife. Don't ever try that with her again if you don't want to face me."

The surprise on my stepmother's face was clear, and even Lisa looked taken aback. I couldn't believe my ears. Daniel was standing up for me. After everything, after all the uncertainty, he was actually standing up for me.

"Your wife?" Lisa asked in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.

"Yes," Daniel said firmly, his jaw clenched. "And I won't let anyone treat her like this."

My stepmother glared at him, fury in her eyes, but she didn't argue. With a huff, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room, Lisa following behind her, still clearly stunned by what had just happened.

I was left standing there, soaking wet, with Daniel still holding me. The tension in the room was thick, but I couldn't help the tears that started to fall.

He looked down at me, his face softening. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"I-" I started, but my words caught in my throat. "You shouldn't have done that," I said, feeling a mix of emotions. "You didn't have to defend me like that. I can handle them."

Daniel looked at me, confused. "If I didn't defend you, what should I have done?" He gently guided me to sit down. "Should I just sit by and let them mistreat my wife? No, Savvy. That's not happening. Not on my watch."

Tears started to fall from my eyes, and I couldn't hold them back anymore. "I'm used to it," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm used to them treating me like this. It's nothing."

Daniel knelt down in front of me, his hand on mine. "Do you mean this is how they've always treated you?" he asked softly, his voice filled with disbelief and concern.

I nodded, unable to say more. The weight of it all pressed down on me-my past, my family, the pain I had tried to bury for so long.

Daniel's grip on my hand tightened. "I'm so sorry, Savvy. You don't deserve any of this. And I promise you, I'll never let anyone treat you like this again. Not as long as I'm here."