Chapter 9 Not Her Fault

"You've already taken a shower, so now you should help me in bathing!" Bradley said. His words surprised Freya and made her wonder if he really needed her help. She became agitated, but he then quickly grabbed her hand and led her to the bathroom. Freya was stunned because she hadn't agreed to this yet. "It's your duty as my wife," he said before she could respond. "You will now help me in showering every day." Freya was secretly shocked by his words. "How could he bully a mentally challenged girl? This is way out of the line!" she thought to herself. Since she was supposed to act like an idiot, any strong reaction would reveal her true identity, and she had to avoid that at all costs. The bathroom was spacious and surrounded by glass walls. When they walked in, their shadows were reflected on the glass walls. Since Bradley was blind and disabled and needed specialized equipment, most of the space was occupied by a large bathtub with handrails. He looked down at Freya from his wheelchair and said, "Help me undress." Freya was torn after hearing his words. She had previously dissected dead men, but she had never been so close to a living man as the one in front of her. "Come on! I'll give you something delicious to eat as reward," he said again, using food as a bribe. Freya wanted to refuse, but she couldn't because she was pretending to be an intellectually challenged girl. Reluctantly, Freya reached out to unbutton his shirt. She had been living in the countryside since she was twelve, so this was her first experience getting so close to a guy. She had never helped a man undress before, and the shirt's buttons were too small for her to work with. She was too busy unbuttoning his shirt to notice his intense gaze above her head. Bradley was staring at her. He couldn't help but find she was even more beautiful now that he was so close to her. Freya's skin was clear and flawless even when she wore no makeup. Her tiny lips had a tantalizing sheen after she bit them. Her delicate finger accidentally brushed against his Adam's apple a few times, and her breath brushed against his cheek. He could see what was inside her clothes because she was so close to him. Bradley's eyes widened, and a glint of desire flashed through his eyes. Freya continued to nervously fiddle with the buttons, oblivious to the man staring at her. She finally decided to give it a strong tug. Some buttons fell to the ground with a few "pop" sounds, making a jarring noise in the otherwise silent room. Bradley's seductive chest was on full display, and his honey-colored skin shimmering and enticing. Bradley, a long-time wheelchair user, still managed to maintain a remarkably fit body. He had an attractive muscular chest and eight-pack abs. Even though muscle atrophy was common after long periods in a wheelchair, he appeared to have been working out consistently, which raised Freya's suspicions. A tiny hand reached out and quickly grasped hers. "Don't forget about my pants," he warned. Freya's cheeks flushed as she couldn't believe he expected her to help him remove his pants. She pretended to be naive as she said, "Why don't you take off your pants yourself? I'm so shy..." Before she could finish her sentence, Bradley grabbed her hand and directed it toward the metal buckle of his belt. As she heard his deep voice say, "Now you are my wife, and there will be more things you'll need to do in the future," Freya felt a chill run up her spine. "What could he possibly mean? What else does he want from me besides to help him take a bath?" she wondered. Freya closed her eyes on purpose as she inched hesitantly closer to Bradley's waist. She reached out and touched his muscular abs by accident and jerked away as if she had been shocked by electricity. She was overcome with anxiety and couldn't help but sweat as she frantically searched for the metal tip and also had no idea how to open it. Freya had her head down, focused on the task at hand, and so had not noticed Bradley gazing at her. Bradley couldn't help but notice how gorgeous the girl in front of him was. An intriguing allure emanated from the way she nervously batted her eyelashes and bit her lower lip. Bradley dropped her hand and, seeing that she was so nervous that her nose was wet, braced his hands on the armrest to undo the button himself. Freya stole a glance at Bradley, her face flushed with embarrassment. Although his face was a little scary, she thought his body was even fitter than many models. "And..." Bradley reminded. Freya gazed at him, humiliated and cringing, not knowing where to put herself. "This guy is a total creep!" she thought to herself. She refused to do so because she was too shy. Growing impatient with the delay, Bradley lifted himself up with the aid of the armrests and effortlessly seated himself in the bathtub. His tall figure caused the water to spill over the edge. Freya bit her lip and doubted whether or not she should give him a bath. As she paused, he said in his pleasant voice, "Come here." Freya made an "Oh" sound and moved closer to him, but her nerves got the best of her. As she got within striking distance, Bradley suddenly grabbed her wrist. Freya was caught off guard and stumbled on the slick floor, finally landing with a thud in the bathtub. Warm water rushed into Freya's nose as a jet of water erupted, making her fight and batter herself in the water as if she were drowning. However, the next thing she knew, she was being lifted out of the water and cradled in Bradley's arms. She felt utterly helpless and wretched in his grasp. Bradley kept staring at her as his eyes turned a faint shade of red. Freya was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice that her wet dress had become see-through. The water stuck her long, fluffy hair to her face. She bit her lip nervously, but the water running down her lashes made her look tantalizing. Bradley found that each of Freya's expressions seemed to hold a captivating allure. His gaze lingered on her as he was unable to resist her charm. Bradley's mind was filled with untamed and impure thoughts as he overcame these intense feelings. Freya took a deep breath and raised her head slightly, just in time to meet the man's scrutinizing gaze. She was so taken aback that she blushed so brightly that her face looked like a ripened apple. "Sorry, Mr. Austin. I didn't mean to do that." Despite saying that, she knew she wouldn't have fallen into the tub if he hadn't pulled her back. At that moment, a burning sensation hit her nose, and the overwhelming emotion made her want to cry.