A Cage Made of Love

Before long, I faced my first social crisis in this world.Ethan's "mother," Diane, also known as my "mother-in-law," called on video chat.The moment I picked up, a sharp, pinched face filled the entire screen."Vivian! You fed Ethan instant noodles again, didn't you? I'm warning you, if anything happens to my son, you'll answer to me!"I froze.In my real world, I was the one doing the yelling."I'm warning you, don't think having a son makes you special. You've still got housework to do and a child to raise! Ethan works himself to the bone supporting this family!"Her voice was shrill enough to pierce glass. My first instinct was to hang up and have my legal team send her a cease-and-desist.But then I remembered: I was "housewife Vivian" now.I took a deep breath and forced a smile that probably looked worse than crying. "I understand, Diane."After I hung up, I wanted to cry from the sheer injustice of it.When Ethan came home and saw my red-rimmed eyes, he panicked.The second I

Jamie's illness passed as quickly as it came.By the next day, he was bouncing off the walls and ready to go home.Ethan went to handle the discharge paperwork. Fiona had heard Jamie was sick and volunteered to pick us up.She was extra attentive today. While helping me get Jamie into his jacket, she casually set her phone on the bedside table.The screen lit up with a few new messages.I was about to tell her to grab her phone when my gaze happened to fall on the screen.It was a group chat titled: Project: Awaken Vivian Quinn (Phase One).Someone had posted: @Fiona, Mr. Shaw says you overdid the crying yesterday. Keep it toned down when you pick them up today.My blood ran cold.A second later, Fiona turned and saw the lit screen too. Her face went white. She lunged for the phone, snatched it up, and forced a laugh."Ha, just some annoying sales group. They're always spamming nonsense..."I stood there holding Jamie, frozen to the bone, but I didn't call her out. Not yet.In that mom

Fiona was at the spa when I called."Business? Are you feeling okay, Viv? What kind of business could you possibly have? Tips on bulk-buying groceries?"Her voice dripped with contempt. She had completely forgotten that she'd hugged me and called me "sweetie" at field day.I wasn't offended. I got straight to the point. "How much is Ethan paying you a month to play my best friend? I'll triple it."Dead silence on the other end.A full thirty seconds passed before Fiona's voice came back, shaking slightly. "What... what are you talking about? I don't understand.""Don't understand? Let me rephrase." I strolled out to the balcony and watched Ethan below, rushing toward a black SUV."Project: Awaken Vivian Quinn. What phase are we at? Is Phase One wrapping up? Am I at the stage where I'm so moved by my husband's devotion that I decide to become the perfect little homemaker?"I heard Fiona suck in a sharp breath."Ms... Ms. Quinn! I... I...""Relax," I said lightly. "I told you, this is bu

I went home. Ethan wasn't back yet.I figured he was scrambling to deal with the bomb I'd just dropped.Perfectly at ease, I made myself a cup of tea and waited for him to come to me.Jamie ran over clutching his superhero toy, his little face tilted up at me. "Mommy, why did you go to Daddy's school today? That's not what the script says."I ruffled his hair. "Because Mommy's rewriting the script."Jamie nodded, though he clearly only half understood.At ten o'clock that night, Ethan finally came home.He looked exhausted and drawn. The warmth was gone from his eyes, replaced by something complicated, something I couldn't read.He didn't ask if I'd eaten like he usually did. He just walked up to me, his voice hoarse. "You know everything?"I nodded. "What, you thought your act was flawless?"He gave a rueful smile and sank into the couch across from me. "When did you start suspecting?""The moment that nurse said V801 was being held for you." I leaned back on the couch, crossed my leg

I didn't forgive him right away.I made him send away every last actor, director, and crew member.The city built for me became a ghost town in an instant.Just me, Ethan, and a pretend son named Jamie.I started to re-examine the past ten years.I logged into my email and found the breakup message I'd sent Ethan ten years ago.Beneath it were his replies. One after another after another.They began with pleas for me to stay, turned into worry, and finally became frantic messages as he searched the world for me after learning what had happened.I saw how he'd given up pursuing his doctorate for me, started a company from nothing, and built it into an empire, step by step.Everything he'd done was so he'd have enough power to pull me out of the abyss.Fiona reached out to me secretly and sent me a video.It showed me before I supposedly woke up in another world.In a conference room, I was hurling a report at an employee's face over something trivial, screaming hysterically, my eyes wil