The tension between them grew like fire feeding on dry wood, the air heavy with unspoken rage. Daniel's grip was iron, his presence overwhelming, pressing her against the wall as if to remind her of his control.
"I bristled at your defiance," he growled, his voice low and sharp. "How dare you challenge me like this? You think you can just push me away? Say no? You're forgetting your place, wife." His hands tightened on her shoulders, his breath hot against her skin.
But Linda did not flinch. Her eyes locked with his, unwavering.
"Yes, I'm your wife. I never said otherwise. But wives are not toys to control. We are meant to be equal, Daniel. A wife is a partner—perhaps you should learn what that word truly means."
Her words struck like arrows, but Daniel only laughed bitterly.
"Equal? Partners? You're delusional. In our society, women are meant to serve and obey their husbands. Men are meant to lead, and women are meant to follow. That's the natural order."
He leaned closer, their foreheads nearly touching, his grip unyielding. "You will obey me. You will do as I say. Understood?"
Linda's lips curved into a defiant smirk.
"Another headless chicken following society. What if I change society itself, Daniel? Will you change then?"
His laughter echoed through the room, dark and mocking. "Change society? You're hilarious. You think you can rewrite thousands of years of tradition? You're just a woman. Powerless." He shoved her harder against the wall, as if to seal his claim. "You can dream all you want, but the reality is, you're mine to control."
But Linda's fire only burned brighter.
"Thousands of years of tradition? Who told you that lie? I've read history, Daniel. I've studied more than half the men in this village ever will. This so-called 'tradition' of women's obedience—it hasn't even existed that long. Barely a hundred and fifty years, perhaps two hundred at most. Your great-grandfather's time, not the dawn of mankind."
Daniel faltered for a moment, surprise flickering across his eyes. He recovered quickly, sneering.
"So what if it's only a few hundred years? It's still the way things are. Men are stronger, smarter, meant to lead. That's the reason." He seized her wrists, pinning them above her head with brutal force. "You can read all the history books you want, but you're still my wife."
Linda's chest heaved, but her voice rang clear, slicing through the suffocating closeness.
"Stronger? Smarter? Let me explain what those words mean. You claim strength, but tell me—have you ever borne the pain of childbirth? It is the greatest pain, Daniel, and only women endure it. That is true strength."
Her eyes blazed.
"And as for smarter, this foolish village denies women education. Yet here I stand, more knowledgeable than half the men who boast of schooling. Consider me your proof."
For the first time, Daniel hesitated. His smirk remained, but beneath it, something else stirred—an unwilling spark of respect.
He chuckled, masking it quickly. "You think childbirth makes you strong? Cute. You think knowledge makes you powerful? Without strength, without control, it means nothing. You're still a woman. And I'm still in charge."
But after a beat silence sees the unwavering determination on her eyes
He huffed and spoke, "Fine, I'll admit it. Women may have their strengths. But that doesn't erase tradition. In this world, men lead and women obey. That's just how it is."
He leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. "And you, my dear, are my wife. My property. Understood?"
I met his gaze without flinching. "You think you can change the entire society alone? That's delusional."
But she wouldn't let his mockery crush her. "There are many things a woman can do—public speeches, protests, movements. If one woman rises, others will follow. Without women, men couldn't even care for their own children."
Daniel scoffed, but there was hesitation in his eyes. "So you think a protest will change anything? The men will laugh, mock you, lock you up. Even the women won't stand with you. They'll just hide in silence, too afraid."
She stood taller, refusing to bend. "Maybe they'll laugh. Maybe they'll mock. But I will not give up. Even if it takes weeks or months, I'll keep speaking until I convince them. I will never stop."
For the first time, Daniel's voice faltered. "Convince them? With what?"
She looked him square in the eyes. "With words. With a book. I'll write a thousand words if I have to. I'll make them see. I'll never give up."
His eyes widened in disbelief. A book? In a place where women weren't even allowed to learn?
"You're serious about this?" he asked slowly.
The more he doubted her, the stronger her fire grew.
"Yes. If I can't fight with fists, I'll fight with knowledge."
Daniel's lips curled into a bitter smile, but his stare lingered longer than before.
"You think they'll listen to you? You're insane."
She raised my chin. "Then watch me."
And for a heartbeat, she caught it—something flickering in his eyes. Not mockery. Not dismissal. Something else.
Something closer to respect.
---------
PLEASE SUPPORT,
WITH DETERMINATION,
LINDA MARTIN.
WITH DOMINATION,
DANIEL ARSLAN.