It was a Monday morning and Lena was expected to resume her new job as a teacher at Mayfield high school. Though she hadn't told her husband yet, she was willing to do so after she was all dressed up and ready to leave the house.
Ambling back into the bedroom, she didn’t meet Darian. She thanked her stars as she hurriedly dressed up before he would come in. She donned a red skirt that stopped after her knees, a white corporate shirt, a black blazer to compliment.
After she was done dressing up, she picked up one of the designer bags Darian got her and checked the mirror to have a proper look of what she looked like. She didn’t want her employers to complain about her the first day.
She was still staring at the mirror when the door flung open. Adjusting her shoes, she waited for him to come in. He didn't notice that she was all dressed. He walked toward the bed and raised his eyes to look at her.
"Where are you going?" His voice sounded cold and authoritative. Lena swallowed hard before looking at him.
"To work," she retorted.
"Which work?" He headed towards her, "Which work do you do that I don't know about?" His lips twitched, and a scowl marred his face.
"It's a new job. I applied for the post of a teacher before we got married, and I received an email from them to resume work today. Don't worry about me. The salary is mouthwatering, and I love the job." Lena let out a small smile to suppress her anxiety.
Darian sneered, glaring at her like she was spewing gibberish. Lena loathed that look, but she let go.
"How much is the mouthwatering salary?" He raised his voice, causing her to screech.
Must he get mad at everything? She wondered as he still glared at her.
"Don't worry about that. What matters most is that I have a job now, and you won't have to get me everything anymore." She told him, swinging her hands as she spoke.
"Did I ever complain that it was too much for me?" He moved closer and tilted her chin to face him. "Why would you start a job without seeking my permission?" He demanded as she stared furiously into his eyes.
He was becoming too much for her.
"I just got the offer, and I haven't had the time to talk to you." She protested, but he didn't let go of her. "You don't always give me the chance to talk to you. You are either at work, in the library, or your office, and anywhere. You've never given me the chance to talk to you!"
He let go of her, "How much is your salary?" He asked her again.
Lena didn't respond to him.
"I don't want you working with some man or some company. I'm Darian Dawson. I'm rich enough to take care of my wife. I will pay you a hundred times whatever your salary offer is. Don't accept the offer because I don't want you out there."
Lena shook her head. Was he going crazy?
“You are joking, Darian.”
“No, I am not.” He was mad and it was obvious from how he looked at her. "You are not permitted to work for anyone. It's against the mafia's law," he said softly now.
Lena clutched her bag tighter and sat on the bed.
"I can't be home all day. I must get something done." She protested, yelling at the top of her voice.
"I don't care about that. You must follow the Dawson family rules or you will be sanctioned for it, and it can cost your life." He pulled his shirt and threw it into the laundry basket that was always packed by Tina every morning.
"I didn't sign for this." She whispered to herself.
Ducking her head to avoid his gaze, different thoughts ran through her mind. She had always dreamt of becoming a teacher —she loved kids and loved relating with them, but she didn't like what Darian was telling her about the family rules.
"I will pay you a hundred times the salary the school offered, and if you still wish to work, I will think of a position in the casino or in my office that suits you." He was done removing all his clothes.
Lena turned away when she saw that he was naked again, he was never shy to strip himself in front of her, and she was nervous.
Staring at his perfect body always set her body on fire, and she didn't like that. He was her husband but he earned just the title. They were not emotionally connected to each other.
She secretly peered over her shoulder to look at him again but he was now in the bathroom.
After much deliberation, she knew she had to obey Darian even though it was against her wish. It was the family’s rules. She couldn’t change it now.
She brought out her phone, staring intently at the screen and trying to form the words to send back to the school.
She considered Darian's offer to pay her a hundred times what Mayfield High School offered her —it was a good one, but she was unwilling to jump at his offer.
She didn't want to be dependent on him. She wanted to work for herself, but that wasn't possible now. She typed out the rejection mail and read it over and over again.
Darian strode back into the bedroom with a towel tied around his waist. She gawked at him, and their eyes met for a brief second.
He absentmindedly yanked the towel off his body, and she turned away from him again, clicking the send option, and the message went to the receiver.
She dropped her phone on the bed and stood to her feet, thinking about other ways to make her own money since working as a teacher won't be feasible anymore.
All thanks to Darian for running her plans.