Chapter 33

Ericka winced as her body ached, feeling as if it had been thrown around multiple times. Beside her, she saw her husband undressed, recalling the events with a sense of dread. The thought of enduring such intimate encounters daily seemed unbearable; she feared she might lose herself before reaching forty.

She gathered her scattered clothes, checked the time – it was already eleven. Luckily, she could just reheat the pasta she cooked earlier in the morning. Struggling to dress herself with discomfort, she noticed a tear in her panties but decided to wear them anyway, moving forward despite the physical and emotional strain.

She woke up Monte.

"Hey, wake up. It's already noon," she shook his shoulder.

"Hhhmmmm," he opened his eyes, "good morning, my dear," he rolled over and touched her chest.

"Stop it," she pushed his hand away, "it's eleven; I still need to cook."

He quickly sat up, hurrying to get dressed, "I'm sorry, my dear, I must have fallen asleep."

She just smiled at him, stood