The Underestimated Husband's Dominance

Chapter 3

 

Connor lay propped against the pillows, a dull ache running through his arm as the tube siphoned his blood away. He could feel it draining into Benjamin’s body in the next bed.

His vision blurred at the edges, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to sit upright. Sweat dotted his forehead, but he stayed silent, watching Lena stand at Benjamin’s bedside like a hawk.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and weak. “Lena, that’s enough. You’re draining me dry.”

She didn’t turn, her eyes glued to the monitor.

“I’m serious,” Connor said, his tone sharper now. “Stop this before it kills me.”

At last she turned with an icy gaze. “Stop? Listen to yourself, Connor. Always weak, always complaining. You can’t even do this one thing without whining.”

He stared back at her, unflinching. “I’m not whining. I’m telling you a fact, my body can’t take more.”

“You’re nothing without me,” Lena snapped. She stepped closer, her voice dropping, as cold as ice. “Do you think anyone would know your name if not for me? You should be grateful I let you into the Montgomery family. Without me, you’re just a stray dog on the street.”

Connor’s fingers curled tightly around the bed rail, but his voice stayed calm. “I may not have your family’s money, but don’t mistake that for weakness. I’m still your husband, Lena. That used to mean something.”

She gave a short, bitter laugh. “Husband? Don’t flatter yourself. You’re a placeholder. A man forced into my life by my grandfather’s old debts to your dead mother. Without me you’re nothing.”

Her words cut into his chest, but he lifted his chin instead of bowing his head.

The doctor cleared his throat nervously. “Mrs. Drayton, Mr. Drayton has already donated a significant amount. Perhaps we should pause—”

“No,” Lena snapped. “Keep going. Benjamin needs it. Don’t stop until he’s stable.”

Connor turned to the doctor himself, his voice firmer now. “Don’t you dare take another drop from me. I decide what happens to my body, not her.”

“You can and you will,” Lena shot back, stepping closer. “Unless you’d rather walk out of here and never come back. Refuse me, Connor, and I’ll divorce you this very moment.”

Her threat echoed in the room like a slap.

Connor took a slow breath, anger burning in his chest. Then, without another word, he ripped the tube from his arm. Blood spattered the sheets as he swung his legs off the bed.

“Enough,” he said, his voice ringing louder than hers.

He forced himself to his feet, swaying but upright as he locked his eyes on Lena’s.

“Connor! Get back here this instant. You haven’t finished—”

He started for the door, one hand pressed to his chest. “No. I’ve finished being your fool.”

“Don’t you dare walk out that door!” Lena’s voice rose coldly. “If you leave now, don’t ever think of coming back to my father’s mansion. Do you hear me? You’ll never step foot inside again! We both know you have no shelter over your head without me”

He paused at the doorway, breathing hard, his vision swimming. Then he turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers.

“Good,” he said quietly. “Maybe it’s time I stopped pretending it was ever my home.”

Her mouth opened in shock, then twisted with rage. “Connor… don’t you dare walk away from me!”

But he did. One slow, staggering step at a time until he disappeared into the hallway.

The hospital corridors blurred as he moved, nurses glancing but not daring to stop him. His head was throbbing and his limbs were heavy, but he kept going until the sliding doors opened and the outside air hit him.

He gripped the railing for balance, looking out at the blurry street. Cars rushed past him. He started walking, his legs trembling.

In his mind flashed the years in the Montgomery mansion, the only roof he had since his parents died, the old story of how Lena’s grandfather had arranged the marriage as a debt repayment. It had never been love.

“She despises me. Her whole family does. I’ve been nothing more than a debt repaid,” he muttered. “And still, I stayed. Because I thought… I thought maybe she’d see me someday.”

He staggered, pressing a hand against the wall of a shop to steady himself, breathing hard as his vision darkened. “Maybe I was the fool all along…”

Just as his legs started to give way, a deep purr of an engine reached his ears. A car rolled to a stop in front of him.

It was unlike anything on the road that evening. It was not just a regular car he saw every day, it was a 2025 Rolls-Royce Droptail, worth at least thirty million dollars.

The driver’s door opened, and a tall man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped out. His movements were sharp and urgent.

“Who… who are you?” Connor asked weakly, confusion breaking through his anger.

The old man with grey hair approached quickly, bowing deeply. “Young Master,” he said, his voice was strong but respectful. “I’ve finally found you. It’s time to return home.”

Connor blinked, stunned. The dizziness hit at him again.

“Young Master,” the man repeated, catching him before he fell. “You’ve suffered long enough. Please, come with me. Everything will change from today onward.”

The world blurred, the man’s words sounded in his ears like a dream. Connor’s last thought before darkness claimed him was a single, disbelieving word.

“Home?”..