Monika had never known a love like Tomas’. There had been moments in their marriage where he was distant, busy with his political career, but she always believed that their bond was unbreakable. They had built something special, something solid—a life that she had been proud of. But now, all of it felt like it was slipping through her fingers. The guilt gnawed at her from the inside out, relentless and suffocating.
It all started with Martin. She never meant for it to go this far, but there had been something about him—his charm, his presence—that had seduced her. Both of their names started with ‘M’ too. The affair began innocently, or so she told herself, just an occasional flirtation, a stolen kiss. But it quickly spiraled into something more. What was supposed to be a moment of weakness became a long-term affair, one that she hid from Tomas with lies, excuses, and late nights.
When Tomas found out, it was the last thing she ever expected. He had never been one to be easily fooled, and as a powerful politician with connections everywhere, it didn’t take long for him to piece together the truth. Tomas was a man who demanded respect, loyalty, and discipline—not only in his professional life but in his personal life too. When he confronted her, the realization hit Monika like a blow to the chest.
Martin, unlike Tomas, had begged for forgiveness, acknowledging his role in the affair with sincerity. He expressed remorse, his words full of regret, but he knew he couldn’t undo the damage that had been done. He was, after all, just another man, and Tomas was a force to be reckoned with. He had no real place in their world, no power or influence to alter the course of their lives. Tomas had many friends in high places, connections that could ruin lives and careers. Martin’s pleading, though heartfelt, meant nothing in the face of that. Tomas didn’t respond to him with rage, but with cold detachment, telling Martin that he would deal with his wife and then, maybe, put the past behind them and allowed Martin to go and never contact Monika ever. It was Monika who was to pay the price, and she knew it.
Monika was horrified, but she knew, deep down, that she deserved this. Tomas’ fury was unimaginable. He was no ordinary man. He was a figurehead in their city, an influential politician with strong contacts in both the legal and social spheres. If he wanted, Tomas could make anyone’s life miserable—could erase them from the political scene in an instant. Monika had no doubts that he could do the same to her, strip her of her dignity and status, humiliate her in front of everyone she knew. He was capable of wielding power in a way that few could understand.
But there was still a chance. If she begged for forgiveness, if she agreed to his terms, maybe—just maybe—Tomas would allow her to make amends. And that was why she was here now, standing in front of him, pleading for mercy. She could see the anger burning in his eyes, but also a coldness, a resolve that scared her more than anything. Her heart raced as Tomas spoke with deliberate calm.
“You’ve betrayed me, Monika,” Tomas said, his voice smooth but deadly. “You’ve betrayed everything we’ve built. There are consequences for actions like yours. You understand that, don’t you?”
Monika nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Yes, Tomas. I understand. I’ll do anything. Please… please forgive me.”
Her voice broke, and Tomas didn’t react, his steely gaze locked onto her face. He studied her for a long moment, almost as though he were deciding whether or not to believe her. Monika’s stomach twisted into knots. She could barely keep herself together.
“Anything?” Tomas asked, his eyes narrowing.
Monika swallowed hard. “Yes, anything,” she repeated, her voice shaky. “I just… I want to fix this. I want to save us.”
Tomas exhaled slowly. “Good. Then you’ll follow my terms, and you’ll suffer the consequences of your actions. This is your punishment.”
Monika’s heart pounded. She nodded again, eager to comply, to prove she was serious about saving their marriage. “What do you want me to do?”
Tomas stared at her for a moment, before speaking with a cold resolve. “You will no longer wear makeup. No more distractions. No more vanity. Your looks were part of your betrayal. From now on, you will live simply, and you will learn humility. And your hair…” Tomas let the words hang in the air, like a sentence she had no choice but to accept. “Your beautiful hair, the very thing that attracted Martin… it’s going. You’ll lose it.”
Monika’s breath caught in her throat. “You… you want to cut my hair?” she asked, her voice trembling, the weight of his words sinking in.
“Yes,” Tomas said firmly, his eyes flashing with a sudden anger. “And you will accept it. It’s a small price to pay to rebuild the trust you’ve broken. I will not tolerate this weakness in my life.”
Tomas’ words were unyielding, and Monika knew, deep down, that this wasn’t just about her hair. It was about her entire sense of self. She had become too attached to the image she had built, to the persona she had presented to the world. She had used her beauty, her allure, to keep Tomas’ attention, and now she had to face the consequences. The guilt was suffocating. She had already lost everything—her dignity, her trust, her integrity. Her hair was a small sacrifice to make in order to keep the man she loved.
“I accept,” Monika said softly, her voice breaking. “I accept your punishment. Please… let me prove that I can change.”
Tomas nodded, his expression unreadable, before he stood and walked toward the table where a pair of sharp scissors rested. The cold steel gleamed under the light, and Monika’s pulse quickened. This was happening. This was real. Her hair, which had once flowed so freely, the source of so many compliments and attention, was about to be destroyed.
Tomas did not waste any time. He reached down and grabbed the scissors, the sharp blades clicking open and shut as he eyed her hair, as though measuring its worth. Monika sat motionless, her heart pounding in her chest, knowing that this moment would define the future of their marriage.
Without another word, Tomas brought the scissors to her hair. The first cut was brutal, a swift snip near her temple that seperated a thick lock of her dark brown waves. It fell onto her bare skin with a soft whoosh, sliding down her back and tumbling to her lap. Monika could feel the strands, now cold and heavy, brush against her skin. The weight of her hair had always been a part of her, but now it was slipping away, bit by bit.
Tomas did not take care to make her look beautiful. His eyes were filled with frustration, anger, as the scissors opened and closed repeatedly, hacking through her once-perfect waves. With each cut, Monika could feel more and more of her hair tumble away, down her neck and shoulders, landing in scattered clumps around her body. She wept silently, the tears rolling down her face as she stared at the mess of brown hair fallen down. Tomas’ frustration was palpable—he was making sure to ruin her look, the one that had attracted Martin in the first place.
He was not gentle. He was angry, and his scissors worked quickly and aggressively, cutting randomly through her hair with a sense of finality. The long, beautiful waves that had once framed her face were gone in moments, leaving behind uneven, jagged ends just below her ears. Monika’s heart ached. She could feel the rough, uneven edges where her hair had been cut haphazardly, and she could hardly recognize herself. Her hair was destroyed and so was her beauty. Her hair was looking shaggy and face was no longer looking good.
Tomas looked at her, his expression cold. “I would have shaved you bald, but you’re the wife of a politician. You need to look decent—if not better,” he said, his voice laced with anger and disgust. “This is the best I can do.”
With a few more swift snips, Tomas finished his work. Monika’s hair, which had once cascaded down her back, was now hacked into a short, uneven short bob that barely grazed her ears. The once-flowing waves were now a uneven shaggy mess. She stared at her reflection, feeling as though she had been stripped of her identity. Her beauty, her allure, her confidence—all of it was gone. And she knew that it was her own fault.
Later that evening, Tomas arranged for a stylist to visit their villa. Monika sat in silence, still in shock, as she awaited the correction of her hair. When the stylist arrived, she was silent as well, observing the damaged state of Monika’s hair. After a moment of assessment, she looked at Tomas.
“I can only fix this one way,” the stylist said carefully. “It will have to be cut shorter. To make it even, it will need to be something like a pixie cut.”
Tomas nodded and said “no special styles please, just a plain decent short cut”, and Monika could only nod weakly in agreement. She was too exhausted from the emotional toll of everything to protest. The stylist worked quickly, trimming away the uneven strands. The stylist ran clippers with varying guard sizes to reduce length around her ears and back shaping Monika’s hair into a short, men’s style haircut. The stylist then cut her crown hair with very short bangs which could be combed back. When the process was over, Monika was left with a look that was as stark and severe as the punishment she had just endured. Her long, voluminous hair was gone. She was now a woman with a short, sharp haircut that matched the sobering reality of the consequences she had faced.
As she sat there, the once-soft strands of her hair now reduced to a short, manly cut, Monika couldn’t help but reflect on what had brought her here. Tomas’ punishment was not just about her hair. It was about showing her that vanity and pride were nothing compared to the trust and loyalty that should have anchored their marriage. And now, as she looked at herself, she realized just how much she had to rebuild—not only her appearance but her very soul.
The price of betrayal had been high. And it would take time, humility, and real change for Monika to earn back Tomas’ trust—if she ever could