It was 3:30 a.m. Diava Wayne's eyes were closed as he wandered through his dreams. In his fantasy, he was a powerful business executive, sitting in first class on a plane, ordering sushi with confidence and ease.
Splash...
Cold water drenched Dave, shocking him awake.
"Wake up, you piece of trash," snarled Eva Lapis, his wife. She had just dumped a full bucket of toilet water on him to jolt him out of sleep.
"Take this bucket, go wash my car, and make breakfast. I need to be at the office early today."
Dave, still stunned by the icy shock, he sat up, dripping and shivering. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Can't you just wake me up like a normal person?"
His face twisted in frustration and confusion.
Eva's eyes narrowed. "Are you talking back at me?"
Before Carter could even look up, a hot slap cracked across his cheek. The sting sounded louder than her voice.
"You good-for-nothing nobody," she spat. How dare you talk back to me? Now move it—go wash my car and make breakfast. I don't have time for your useless whining.
Dave was still sitting, staring at her. Tears welled up in his eyes from the sharp slap he had just received. He stood up slowly, one hand still pressed to his cheek where she had struck him, the sting fresh and burning. He picked up the bucket from her, knowing that if he didn't obey, he could face punishment—or humiliation from her.
Just as he turned to do what she asked, Eva spoke again, stopping him in his tracks.
"Hey! Hey! Before you go, clean up this mess.
Dave and Eva are married—but only on paper, not at heart.
Dave is a 25-year-old man who had a rough life while growing up. His father abandoned his mother before he was even born, leaving her to raise him alone. She was his everything—but cancer took her away when he was just 16. From being a bastard child, he became a complete orphan overnight.
Despite the hardships, Dave fought hard to finish school. He was a brilliant student, earning a scholarship and graduating with first-class honors. But when he tried to find a job after graduation, he hit a wall. He had no connections, and people constantly looked down on him because of his background and appearance.
Out of desperation, he turned into a life of gambling, hoping to change his luck—but instead, he sank deeper into debt. He owed large sums of money he couldn't even dream of repaying. He was hitting rock button until he met Eva Lapis.
She promised to lend him the money to clear his debts— but on one condition: he had to marry her. At that time, Dave thought she was an angel sent by God. I mean, who wouldn't agree to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman like Eva?
But after marrying into the powerful Lapis family, Dave's life turned into a nightmare. Divorce wasn't an option. Doing so would mean owing her money—an outrageous sum required to make the separation legal. He had no choice but to endure the humiliation and cruelty the Lapis family constantly threw at him.
Hearing her voice, he turned back without a word and went to the bathroom to grab a mop. Returning, he began mopping up the water on the bedroom floor. Though he was the one who got splashed in the process, he continued with an irritated smile plastered on his face.
Eva stood there for a moment, watching him with mild annoyance. As he wiped the floor, she rolled her eyes and muttered, "Rubbish," under her breath.
Without another word, she climbed back into the king-sized bed, pulling the cozy blanket around her like a cocoon.
Hey—be quick and wake me up before six a.m. "I don't want any excuses," she said lazily, already half-asleep as she wrapped herself tighter in the warm covers.
After drying the floor and making sure everything was spotless, he quietly slipped outside. Eva's car was parked just by the driveway, and the sight that met him made him sigh.
It must have rained hard the night before. Judging by the mess, she had driven straight through a pile of mud at full speed. The entire lower half of the car was splattered with thick, dried mud—especially the tires, which were caked in heavy layers of it.
He walked over, rolled up his sleeves, and grabbed a hose and a scrubbing brush. Kneeling down, he started rinsing off the grime. The water mixed with the dried mud, turning it into a messy sludge that ran off in slow streams. He scrubbed at the tires with effort, grimacing as bits of mud splattered onto his shirt and arms.
But he kept at it, determined to get the job done.
As he stayed focused on scrubbing the muddy tires, making sure to clean every bit of grime from the wheels, he didn't notice someone approaching behind him—until a sharp voice cut through the quiet morning air.
What are you doing, loser? Why are you up so early? "Don't you know you're disturbing the peace of this house with all that scrubbing?"
He froze for a moment, already recognizing the voice before he turned around.
It was his mother-in-law, Mrs. Samantha—Eva's mother
Davia turned to face her, offering a polite nod. "Good morning, ma'am," he greeted.
Samantha rolled her eyes. Oh, shut your filthy mouth. "The morning has never been good since the day you stepped into this house," she snapped. "I still don't understand why my daughter married a good-for-nothing piece of trash like you." Look at you—scrubbing tires Is all you are good for and disturbing everyone's sleep in the process.
Davia tried to keep calm, though her words stung like knives. He quickly responded, "I'm sorry for waking you with the noise. Eva asked me to get her car cleaned up early—that's why I'm out here. Samantha scoffed and waved him off dismissively. "Well, since you're already at it, go ahead and wash my car too. It's filthy, and I want it sparkling before daybreak. And keep the noise down—we're trying to sleep!"
Dave managed a faint, strained smile, bowing his head slightly. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, Mrs. Samantha."
"You should be sorry—for your whole life," she muttered with disgust, casting one last look of contempt at him before turning and walking back inside.
He stood there for a moment, silent, the water from the hose running over his hands. Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned toward the car and got back to work.
He finally finished washing Eva's car and looked at the time—it was 5:00 AM. It had taken him almost two hours just to clean her car, and he still had to wash Samantha's car too. Worst of all, Eva had told him to wake her up exactly at 6:00 AM.
"Damn, I have to hurry," he muttered. "Cheat, I haven't even prepared breakfast yet!"
He couldn't afford to waste another minute. Rushing to the kitchen, he began making breakfast, knowing full well that if he woke Eva up without having the food ready, she'd definitely get angry—and it was not going to end well for him.
Upon reaching the kitchen, he quickly started preparing breakfast. As he glanced at the wall clock, he stayed mindful of the time—he couldn't risk waking Eva up late.
He moved swiftly, scrambling eggs while keeping an eye on the bread in the toaster. The smell of food filled the kitchen, but he barely noticed—his mind was on the clock. 5:40 AM. Less than 20 minutes left.
His hands trembled slightly as he flipped the eggs onto a plate. He couldn't stop thinking about the last time he failed to do what Eva asked. The way she treated him was cruel—unforgivable. She had tied him up outside by the pool in nothing but his underwear, and that night, heavy rain poured down.
Dave had been cold, soaked to the bone, and starving after working all day without a single bite of food. He cried and begged for help, but no one came. His pleas were ignored, swallowed by the storm. All he could do was endure the pain and humiliation, shivering through the night until the next morning.
The memory tightened in his chest like a knot. His breath hitched, and for a moment, he had to steady himself against the counter. The eggs were ready, the toast done, but his hands wouldn't stop shaking. He clenched his fists and forced himself to breathe.
Focus. Just get everything done. Don't give her a reason.
Davia knew exactly what Eva was capable of when she got angry. She could become the devil herself—cruel, relentless, and eager to torment him. And today, he wasn't in the mood for more punishment or humiliation.
He carefully arranged the food on the plate, wiping the edges clean. He glanced at the clock—5:55 AM. five minutes left I better go wake her up.