MONIQUEWe move again to the music room, then the space I had once planned to turn into a gaming room for the kids.“Such a big house for such big dreams,” Mrs Bennett muses. “You thought of everything...fun, laughter, a life together. You built this place for your family.”We finally reach the glass doors leading outside. Mrs. Bennett slides them open, and a rush of evening air hits my face. The scent of chlorine and night blooms fills the air. We step out onto the patio. Two pools glisten under the outdoor lights, one large, elegant pool for adults, and beside it, the smaller one I had designed especially for the children I thought I would have with Ryan.Mrs. Bennett stops at the edge, her voice quiet now. “You picked this house because you said it felt like home. Because you wanted your future here. You said it was where you’d raise your children, where you’d grow old with Ryan.”She turns to me, her expression soft but sharp, every word carefully placed.“Tell me, Monique… are yo
MONIQUEI look at him, staring at him, my eyes wide. Given that he’s threatening me here, in front of his parents, I understand what this is: his way of showing me that I have no one to run to. This is him telling me that his parents are with him, that I’m alone.... and that no one will help me.“Oh, would you please stop scaring the poor girl?” Mrs. Bennett says, her voice soft and motherly as she walks toward Ryan. She lays her hand gently on his shoulder. Ryan smirks at me before standing up and leaving the room.A few seconds later, Mr. Bennett rises too. He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t say a word. He just follows his son out, leaving the air filled with tension.Mrs. Bennett is the only one still there. She stands over me, watching me with a sweet smile I do not trust.“How are you doing? How are you feeling?” she asks again, her tone falsely tender, as if she’s forgotten she already asked me that earlier.“I’m doing good,” I manage to say, though my voice barely makes it out.Sh
MONIQUEI look at him.Before I answer, I remember....this is Ryan. There’s no point in his eyes. He looks almost excited, and that alone makes me pause before I finally ask, quietly,“Where is she?”“Then why don’t you sit down?” he says.So I walk in and take a seat.Mr. and Mrs. Bennett sit on the long couch opposite me; Ryan takes an armchair, and I do the same. We’re positioned like we’re in some kind of meeting, like I’m the one being interviewed, or interrogated.Natasha walks in soon after, carrying a tray. She brings Mrs. Bennett a glass of wine, whiskey for both Mr. Bennett and Ryan, and for me… a glass of water. Not that I asked for it, or anyone cares what I want—but whatever. I don’t even care anymore.I place the glass down on the table and wait for Ryan to speak. But he doesn’t.He just sits there, savoring the moment, letting everyone’s eyes stay fixed on me. It’s almost as if he’s feeding off it, off my discomfort, off the tension.And that’s when it hits me. God, how
MONIQUERyan gives me a bright, blinding smile.“All in due time,” he replies smoothly. “If you do what you have to do, I’ll let you and your aunt go.”I swallow hard, nodding.“Good,” he says again, glancing at his watch. “Now, I have to go. Be a good girl.”And then he leaves. I stand there in front of the door, watching him get into his car and drive off. Silence follows, pressing into my chest as I stare at the empty driveway.I stand outside, watching the empty driveway long after Ryan’s car disappears from sight, probably longer than I should, before finally walking back into the house.I head straight to the kitchen, where Maria and Natasha are working. “We are expecting guests tonight,” I tell them. “Ryan’s parents will be coming over for dinner, so please prepare something for that.”They both nod immediately, but their eyes stay fixed on the counter. Neither of them looks at me; it feels like they are waiting for me to leave so they can finally breathe.I turn away and go u
MONIQUEI pace in the room, but the more I pace, the more I feel like a caged animal. I feel the walls are closing in on me. The air feels too thick, too hard to breathe. I don’t know what the limits are anymore, but I know one thing..... I can’t stay here.I’m going out.I’m so tired of being in the same room for hours and hours, staring at the same walls, the same windows that never open far enough. All I need is to be out there. Just to breathe.So that’s exactly what I do. I grab the door handle and walk out. My steps are fast at first, almost frantic, then slower, steadier, but I keep going. I don’t even know where I’m going, I just keep walking, and walking, and walking.... Until I find myself standing in front of the gate.The sight of it pulls a memory from me, my aunt and I, rushing out of the house, our hands trembling, my heart pounding as I started the car. I remember the loud crack when I hit the gatepost. The panic. The desperation.But the gate now....it’s perfect. Unto
MONIQUEFor a second, I felt like I had been put on the spot. I could feel Ryan’s gaze on me, burning with warning, but I could also see the officer’s eyes waiting.... expectant, patient for what I would say."......... I....." I began, but I couldn’t finish. My voice cracked.I so badly wanted to tell the officers the truth, but one look at Ryan told me that would be a wrong move.I cleared my throat. “Everything is fine, officers… like Ryan said. It’s just jet lag. We’ve been flying for a long time, and...... It’s just jet lag. I’m going to feel a little bit better with enough air and time to relax.”Ryan moved to my side as he slid his arm around my waist, smiling at me before turning back to the officers.“Like I said, officers,” he said smoothly, “everything is right here. There’s nothing to be concerned about. Monique is my wife. Like we both said at the police station a few days ago, we just had a little misunderstanding. But you have to understand.....we’ve been married for te