Bound by Madness
When Chloe Samson married her childhood sweetheart, CEO Tom Hayden, at twenty, she thought she'd found her forever. But forever shatters fast when April Sunday—Tom’s enigmatic childhood friend—accuses Chloe of a violent assault and has her committed to a mental hospital.
Now, trapped between the sterile walls of the institution and the crumbling illusion of her perfect marriage, Chloe must piece together the truth. Is April lying? Is Tom hiding something? And how much of her own past can Chloe trust? To survive, Chloe must confront betrayal, untangle buried memories, and find the strength to escape—not just the hospital, but the life she thought she wanted.
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Chapter: Conclusion - The EndPreschools are hard to plan for. There’s so many different considerations. But the best ones seem to have the strangest requirements and enrollment requests.“Trinity West or Lala Madox?” I ask aloud.Tom is on the floor of my living room playing with our laughing children.He’s so invested that I almost don’t expect him to answer. But he says, “Lala Madox has a really good reputation.”“It’s insanely expensive and the admission requirements are unrealistic.” I tell him.He glances over his shoulder at me, “well… the money’s not an issue.”“They want a step by step prep guide we are expected to follow—”“what does that mean?”“I think it means we have to show how we plan on teaching our kids at home or their tutoring… and if we fall behind we forfeit our deposits.”Tom scoffs and looks back at the kids, “they’re 3. What do they need to be tutored in?”“Math…. They need to count to 5 by the time they’re admitted, and they need to be able to read at—”“Isn’t that their jobs?” He asked a
최신 업데이트: 2026-05-10
Chapter: HostageTom takes me back to the new house. He’d insisted on going alone, but I wanted to see what he’d done with April and Hendrix.In the unfinished greenhouse is a stairway to a cellar. He tells me it’s meant to be a vintage wine cellar. But since divorcing, he doesn’t care about finishing the house anymore. He’s hesitant to bring me down, but I insist.In the cellar is April. Chained by the ankle to a supporting beam. The only light is turned on when we walk down the steps.She covers her eyes a first. Her face is dirty and bruised. Her hair – what remains of it – is in a disgruntled mess. Her eyes widen when she sees us.First hopeful, then afraid.“Please!” She cried, shuffling herself back against the pillar, “please don’t! I’m sorry! I already know I was wrong!”“What’s your brother’s name?” Tom asks.She hesitates and then a pathetic smile pulls across her face. She scoffs out a laugh and says, “Jason.”“I thought he died when you were seven.” He says.She looks down and shakes her h
최신 업데이트: 2026-05-10
Chapter: NegotiateI quickly call the number back. No answer.My heart is racing. I can’t describe the sickening feeling in my stomach. My body reacts in an unfamiliar way. I call again.No answer but a message comes in. It’s just an address. Followed by a message that warns me to come alone.Reason has left my mind.How could this be? How could my baby be alive? How do I get there alone?I call the number but there’s no answer. What do I do with my daughter? But I can’t leave my son.My mind can’t work fast enough but suddenly like it reached a cliff at the end of a long, deserted road, my mind stops. Somehow, I manage to calm myself. I take a breath and pull out my phone.Tom answered on the second ring. His voice is urgent. Not like he knows our baby is alive, but rather like he’s surprised to hear my voice.“I need someone to watch the baby.”He’s quiet. “why?”“I need….” I can’t tell him. What if it’s him doing this? Or what if it’s not and he decides to come with me? Will they kill our son? Will t
최신 업데이트: 2026-05-09
Chapter: The BabyI shake my head.It’s been 20 minutes since the doctor left but they won’t let me leave my bed and they won’t bring me my baby.“He can’t be dead!” I scream at Tom who sits beside me, holding my arm with his eyes closed.“He had trouble breathing.” Tom whispers.“He was breathing in my arms!” I scream. “He was okay when he was in my arms!”This was it. This would be the straw that broke the camels back. This will be the thing that truly destroyed me. I can feel it.“I had him—” I cry.Tom doesn’t know what to say and so he sits in silence and says nothing. Time seems to stand still until his lawyer walks in holding a folder. He takes it, signs it, and then gives it to me.By this time my eyes had run out of tears but they were still crusted and burning.I take the forms and blink at the key word I’ve been waiting to see “divorce.”My hand shakes. Did he think this would make me feel better about our child? The void just feels empty. Endless.I take the form and sign it. I don’t read t
최신 업데이트: 2026-03-05
Chapter: Birth of the HeirThe ride to the hospital is chaotic. Tom refuses to release my hand in the ambulance.“I’m sorry—” He says over and over again.I ignore him as the pain in my core worsens.I let out a scream as a paramedic says, “you are doing great. We’re three minutes away.”“You caused this!” I scream, clenching his hand tighter. During our fight I’d curled over in pain. The paramedics say I’m in labour. “You did this you bastard!”“I’m sorry.” The fear in his eyes and helpless look on his face remind me more of the man I’d married. It’s suddenly hard to remind myself why I hate him.The time passed in a blur I could remember in clear detail. It took about 12 hours but finally I heard my baby’s cry.I tried to fight Tom to leave but he refused. I scream as they hand the baby to him. He hugs it and looks at me confused.Then the doctor says, “there’s another one.”“What?” He looks at the doctor, then me wide eyed. “Twins?”I close my eyes and try to forget where I am. I fail.“Congratulations. A bea
최신 업데이트: 2026-02-04
Chapter: DivorceTom sits with his head in his hands and his elbows propped up on the long table. Despite this, he keeps his eyes on the screen as Victor goes through more and more evidence of his and April’s affair, their plot to steal my child, and my unjust imprisonment at the mental institution.“Chloe—” Tom says when Victor ends another section. I look at him with as much indifference as I can manage, “None… I didn’t do any of this. I d-didn’t know.”“I told you.” I say in a cool voice.“You didn’t—”“If the roles had been reversed, I would’ve noticed something was wrong.” I decide because it feels harder to argue with.Tears start to slowly fall from his eyes as his voice breaks, “Chlo—I was trying to protect you.”Victor interrupts, “let’s move to division of property. My clients is only asking for the apartment—”After the meeting I walk out and break fresh air for what feels like the first time in years. Anna offers to bring me to my car but I ask to walk alone. I want to enjoy the sun filled
최신 업데이트: 2026-01-22
The Price of Forgiveness
My name is Cassie Aster. I was born Cassandra Burton.
I wasn’t born rich, or with a powerful name. But I was born smart—some would say lucky.
At fifteen, I entered a contest for a scholarship to the most prestigious school in the country: Aster Academy of Excellence. Out of more than four hundred applicants, only five were chosen. By sixteen, I was walking through its gates.
That’s where I met him—Jacob Aster. The son of the school’s owners. The heir to one of the wealthiest families on Earth.
I fell for him immediately, but I rejected him—over a hundred times. My studies, my scholarship, my future came first. To him, that meant only one thing: he had to buy my love.
Over a decade later, we’re married. And to the world, I’m the luckiest girl alive—proof that fairy tales come true. From rags to riches, just like that.
But I never thought of myself as having only rags. And I didn’t marry him for his riches. Still, every time he strays, he buys my forgiveness—for $100,000.
For him, I gave up my career. For him, I live like a caged bird, taken out only for display. For him, I die a little every day. Every time my card doesn’t decline, my heart does.
Most of his women at least have the shame to stay out of my sight. But not her.
Coral Monroue is shameless. He favors her now. And I can’t help but wonder—
will she be the one who finally pushes me to leave?
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Chapter: Chapter 46JACOB POVHe woke up alone which didn’t entirely surprise him. He’d adapted to that. What did surprise him was how well he’d clung to the memory of the night before.He was hung over. His head hurt. His mouth was dry. He felt sick and sticky from dried sweat. He couldn’t tell if that was because of their night or if he was sweating out the alcohol.On nights similar to this before, he barely remembered anything. Back in university, when he’d slept with Talia Elle after his breakup with Cassie, he’d only really remembered being unsatisfied and uncomfortable the next morning. But now he remembered every word, every touch, everything like he was clinging to a life raft lost at sea.He lay on his back and looked at the ceiling, replaying it all from beginning to end. Over and over. Then he stopped, sat up ignoring the churning in his stomach, and shouted, “Cassandra!”No one answered. He tossed the covers off of him and disoriented and unbalanced, marched out of the bedroom into the main
최신 업데이트: 2026-06-20
Chapter: Chapter 45JACOB POVHe was seething and confused. He didn’t know how this had all gotten so far out of control. He was about a minute away from locking Cassie in a room in their house and calling it a day. She’d understand when she got her memory back.He tapped his hand on his desk impatiently and when his phone rang he quickly snatched it to answer, “What?”“Woah – what’s bothering you today?” It was Marlow. He knew his voice without looking at the name. “You haven’t been to the club in forever. Where have you been? Ready to come out tonight?”He didn’t really want to. He wanted to find Cassie and find a doctor or a hypnotist or someone to fix this issue. But maybe drinking was a better way of wasting the night than sitting home alone and angry, listening to his mother complain about him marrying a useless woman, and Cal report on things Coral had done during the relationship.“Alright. I’ll come out now.” Jacob stood and walked out of the office. He instructed Cal to inform him as soon as he
최신 업데이트: 2026-06-20
Chapter: Chapter 44CASSIE POVIt seemed to be impossible to fully evade this man. Every time I turned, he was there.He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me around to face him.He opened his mouth to speak but luckily my phone rang. I looked at the screen and smirked. Coral had put her contact in my phone as “Darling Bestie” and she was calling me now. I showed the screen the Jacob who scowled and looked away, snatching the phone.He put it to his ear and turned his head.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He demanded. His tone was cold and filled with seething anger. I couldn’t hear her reply but soon he answered, “you’re not allowed near her. Never call this number again—”He pulled the phone to hang up but I quickly stepped forward to take it from his hand.I put it to my ear and said, “hello?”On the other side, Coral started loudly weeping, “you’re doing it again! I thought you promised me you’d stay away!”I looked up at Jacob who held out his hand for the phone. I stepped back and said, “I h
최신 업데이트: 2026-04-01
Chapter: Chapter 43JACOB POVJacob was seething as Cal drove him home. He’d tolerated Coral for so long because she was carrying his and Cassie’s child. But the kids was gone now. And he was closer than ever to losing her.He hadn’t expected Coral to be bold enough to lie like this. He was willing to be angry at Cassie.He was angry at Cassie. Furious. Beyond reason but that didn’t mean he was willing to pretend she was some mistress.During his time mourning the baby he’d convinced himself that at least this was a sign Cassie still loved him. She had to.How else could she be driven so mad that she’d poison a pregnant woman? She had to love him. Love him so much it had driven her crazy. Crazy and homicidal.He couldn’t fault her for that.He needed to keep the truth from Coral so she’d carry the baby. If Cassie knew and got angry, she could reveal the truth and wreck everything. However, how else was he supposed to take care of their child without keeping Coral close.Of course Cassie was driven mad.H
최신 업데이트: 2025-12-14
Chapter: Chapter 42CASSIE POVIt was funny to picture how Jacob would react to finding out his precious lover was the one who told me we weren’t together. Or that she’s the one who helped me pack my bags and bring them to my apartment.I had even “coincidentally” thought to call my realtor, Mr. Andrews, to meet me there and help me evict my current tenant.He was more than willing to find a loophole in our contract.Joanne was surprised to see me walk in so level-headed. Coral had called her on the way to warn her about my amnesia. She seemed pleasantly relieved.“You were actually planning to move out.” She explained to me as I walked in and saw boxes near the entrance.Mr. Andrews walked in behind me. Joanne went momentarily wide eyed and said, “Mr. Andrews. I wasn’t expecting you.”“I’m here on behalf of the property owner. There was a disturbance here a few nights ago. The building received a few noise complaints and the owner is concerned about the damages and future damages that may occur. Since t
최신 업데이트: 2025-12-12
Chapter: Chapter 41“Who are you?” I asked again as he didn’t react. His eyes narrowed and he looked across the bed. On the other side stood Teresa. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She wore a scowl on her face but it lightened slightly as I asked.“What game is this now?” She demanded.I sat up, continuing to trust my instincts.“What are you doing here?” I asked.“Who else would be here?” He demanded lightly, then looked at his mom, “if I find out this was you—”“I’ve already told you that it wasn’t.” Teresa snapped. “She’s doing this for attention.”Jacob slid his chair closer to me and put a hand in my hair, “you can’t be mad at me. You killed our child out of jealousy. You deserve this.”“I don’t know who you are.” I pulled my face from his hand and he made a face. Then he looked at him mom again.“Cassandra, this isn’t a time for jokes.” She snapped at me.“Can you people please leave my room. You’re scaring me.” I asked.“I’m your husband.” He stated.“I’m not married.”“You know who I am.” H
최신 업데이트: 2025-12-10
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