Chapter 2
Charlotte switched on what she liked to call her "all-around pampering mode." Every morning, she'd have my clothes, tie, and watch all picked out and laid out by my bedside. Breakfast was like a hotel buffet, making sure I got just the right nutrients.
But what really annoyed me was when she started showing up at the office on the dot every day to pick me up after work. Her white Maserati parked downstairs always caused a stir. My coworkers would shoot me looks with eyes burning with envy.
"Michael, you must've been a superhero who saved humanity in your last life. Otherwise, how'd you end up with such a gorgeous wife who's completely head over heels for you?"
"Man, that's like a fairy-tale romance. When will I ever get that kind of luck?"
I could only manage a smile that looked worse than crying. Only I knew the truth. She was watching my every move. That fancy car parked downstairs wasn't a love nest. It was a rolling prison.
*****
There was a new intern at the company named Jenny. She was young and lively, always choosing to sit next to me in meetings.
One time in the break room, she handed me a cup of pour-over coffee, her cheeks flushed.
"Mike, I noticed you always drink instant coffee. That's rough on your stomach. These beans are way better for you," Jenny said.
I accepted it with a polite smile and said, "Thanks."
The next day, I heard Jenny had been reassigned from the project team. She got shipped off to the archives—the most remote spot in the company.
My gut twisted, and a bad feeling grabbed me by the throat.
That night, when I got home, I finally couldn't hold it in anymore and confronted Charlotte. She was sitting gracefully on the couch, slowly extracting the meat from a massive king crab leg for me. Sliding the whole piece of crab meat out, she dipped it in sauce, and brought it right up to my lips.
I stared at her and asked, "Did you have Jenny moved?"
Charlotte looked up, her hand paused for a moment, then she went back to her usual calm.
"Yeah. She wasn't up to par. I mentioned it to your boss," Charlotte replied, her voice cool and flat.
That's when it really hit me—Charlotte's company, a tech giant that went public in just five years, was easily dozens of times bigger than the old-school software firm I worked at. With just a single word, she could decide the fate of an ordinary person's entire career.
"She only made me a cup of coffee!" My temper flared as I protested.
"That's not okay either," Charlotte said, stuffing the crab meat into my mouth to silence me. "Only I get to make coffee for you."
I angrily chewed the crab meat, but it tasted like cardboard in my mouth.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Alex. I stepped out onto the balcony and answered in a low voice.
"Bro, how are you holding up? That crazy lady hasn't messed with you, right?" Alex asked.
"I'm about to lose it. She's got eyes on me 24/7 now," I said, my voice tight with frustration.
"See? I told you! You gotta lay it all out, get a divorce, man! If you keep this up, she's gonna ruin you!" Alex's voice was urgent and agitated.
As soon as I hung up, the glass door to the balcony slid open. Charlotte walked in with a plate of sliced fruit, flashing me a sweet smile.
"It's chilly tonight. Why aren't you wearing a jacket?" she said, her voice gentle and caring.
She set the fruit plate down, like it was nothing, and asked casually. "Was that Alex? He doesn't really like me, does he? Is he talking trash about me again?"
Right then, I felt like I'd been stripped naked and tossed out into the snow. She wasn't just watching my computer. She was eavesdropping on my calls, too.
But even scarier stuff was still to come.
*****
A few days later, Alex's girlfriend suddenly blew up at him, screaming about breaking up. Alex called me, totally losing it, demanding answers.
"Michael! What the hell did you say to your Wife?" Alex yelled, his voice shaking with anger.
I was totally lost. "What's going on?"
"She sent my girlfriend a designer bag worth over ten grand. Told her I asked you to give it to her. And then, just casually, she mentioned how I've been working so hard lately, always helping girls level up in games to unwind."
"Seriously, I was just helping clients rank up. I've explained it to my girlfriend a million times, but she won't buy it. Now she's convinced I'm cheating on her."
Charlotte was actually going after my friends now. I stormed into the bedroom. She was lounging on the bed, face mask on, reading a book.
"Why did you do that to Alex?" I demanded.
She peeled off the mask, revealing a flawless face.
"I'm just helping you out. That woman was far too materialistic to deserve Alex. Isn't it better that I helped him see her true colors early on?" Charlotte replied, sweet but unapologetic.
"And what about the gaming thing? Why did you have to lie?" I pressed.
"Because Alex keeps telling you to leave me," Charlotte replied, her gaze turning icy as she locked eyes with me. "He's not a good friend to you. I don't like anyone badmouthing me, especially in front of you."
I stared at her, so confident, and a wave of helplessness crashed over me. I tried to talk to her, practically begging for just a bit of freedom.
"Charlotte, I need my own life, my own friends."
She came over and hugged me, pressing her soft body against mine and burying her face deep in my chest.
"You've got friends, coworkers, a whole life out there. But in my world... there's only you." she murmured softly.
Her words felt like a velvet knife, sliding right into my heart. For a moment, it stung, and I almost melted.
But then, an even heavier, suffocating pressure settled over me.
I noticed that more and more cameras were being installed all over the house. They covered every corner. Except for the bedroom where we slept and the bathroom, everywhere else was under surveillance.
I was locked inside this luxurious prison Charlotte had built for me, utterly unable to escape.