I finally meet Victor at lunch with Anna and Carson. He greets me in a suit and wide smile.“I am very excited to help you, Chloe.” He says. “Anna’s told me so much about it.”He’s a stern man, with a steady smile and a professional vibe. So different from what I imagined for Anna.“I believe she’s told me everything. I’ve been in contact with the private investigator. He has told me that although there is a lot of probable cause to distrust your husband’s loyalty, he hasn’t found any direct evidence that your husband had cheated. If it is safe for you to get recordings or records, we’d like you to do that.” He slid a box towards me. “If you put these up around your home, or manage to get them into her home, it will help us to record what happens when you’re not around.”I open the box and see many piles of small camera.“They are all Bluetooth.” He explains. “Onto the job… it may be best to get you away from someone you could conceivably have a relationship with.” He motions to Carso
Tom refused to leave my side for the next few days. Despite constantly rejecting him and requesting he be taken away, he continued to try to feed and care for me until I was ready to be discharged.When he get home, I immediately change and starts toward the door.“Where are you going?” He asks.“Work.”“Right now? You were just discharged. You can wait.”“No—I can’t be here another second. April is a floor below us. Why don’t you visit her.”“I was going to move us anyways.” He tries.“Oh… well then I guess it’s okay to buy your mistress an apartment.”He shakes his head, “I already own this building. I just let her stay in an empty unit.”“You know who should be allowed in that empty unit? My dad. Where is he?”“I get you’re upset. Can you stay here and we can talk about it?”“No—”“I’ll bring your dad back.” He finally decides. He looks down and shuffles, “If you quit that job. I will bring him back and move him here.”I am frozen. That deal might be the only way I can get my dad b
CHLOE POVI can’t figure out why he’s doing this to me. I reach up to grab Carson’s arm, “please…. Please don’t let him take me”Tom pulls my hand away and pushes Carson back. Tom says, “It’s been 5 years, you still haven’t given up, huh?”“I stepped aside because I thought you were better than me. A woodchipper would be better than you.” Carson snaps back, trying to push Tom aside but Tom steadies himself quickly.“Get away from my wife.” Tom’s voice is sour and angry.“Look at her!” Carson shouts, “is this really how you treat her?! It’s a miracle the baby made it.”Tom doesn’t look back at me. “That’s my child. I don’t need you to concern yourself with it.”“Someone has to.”April runs around the bed then and grabs my arm. She deliberately pushes into a deep bruise. “Chloe—tell me you haven’t been cheating on Tommy! He cares about you so much. How could you do this?”“Let go of me!” I try to pull my arm away and she throws herself back, knocking over a vase of flowers, a book, and
TOM’S POVHe raced into Chloe’s hospital room. Chloe had bruises on her face, arms, and body. There was dirt and food smeared in her hair. Her clothes were soiled and ripped. One of her eyes were swollen shut but the open one focused only on the doctor.Her hands trembled as she pulled them out of April’s grasp.“Oh Tommy!” April gasped when she saw him enter. She rushed over and hugged his arm.He felt like he couldn’t breathe, “what happened?”“It’s my fault. I should’ve done a better job hiding. Chloe—she figured out that you moved me downstairs. She went wild. She destroyed my apartment. The baby…”“The baby’s fine for now,” The doctor said causing both Chloe and Tom to let out breaths of relief. April seemed a tad annoyed but quickly covered that up.“I’m so sorry, Tom,” April finished. He ignored her and walked directly to Chloe’s bedside.April scowled at him as he lowered to Chloe’s side and lightly brushed some of her hair from her face.“Please—” Chloe whimpered and cried, “
I fail to dodge her as she rushes to pull me into a superficial hug.“Chloe, you have to join us on our housewarming party.” Her smile has a wicked tint to it.“House warming?” She pulls my arm into the group.She proudly explains, “Tommy was concerned about my safety. So he moved me a floor below and bought me the apartment.”“Their surrogate has become a little deranged.” A girl explains to me. “But the pregnancy is too far along to change her out.”“You’re so brave trusting your baby to such a crazy woman.” One gasps.April puts a hand on her chest and nods too dramatically. She wipes a pretend tear and whimpers, “luckily my fiancé keeps me safe.” Her wickedly satisfied smile settles into her face peacefully as she reaches to take my forearm. “Chloe. Please come up with us. You must see everything my fiancé bought for me.No. The obvious answer is no. But I’m morbidly curious.I let her drag me with her group into the elevators and up to the floor just below ours. I remember the pr
Carson is pacing in the lobby when I walk in. He sees me and is immediately relieved.He rushes over to me, dressed in doctor scrubs and a white jacket, “you’re here. Are you okay? Was everything…?”“My driver was a bit confused on how to get here. I’m sorry.” I say.“Did Tom give you a hard time?”I silently shake my head.“Good… don’t let him. If you need to, call me, okay?” He puts a hand on my shoulder.I shake it off but smile at him.“Thank you for supporting me.”He smiles, “let me show you around.”The tour takes about an hour and a half. It ends early only because Carson has to go for surgery. He leaves me in his office with his planner and laptop so I can familiarize myself with his schedule and timing.By the time he returns, I’m slightly less anxious about taking this job.“Did anything happen while I was away?” He asks, hanging his coat.“The phone rang twice but I wasn’t sure if I should answer it so I didn’t.”He puts his hands on the desk and gives me a sultry look, “a