Chapter Three

Chef Francois really isn't the first to to think this way. The whole world thought so too.

Aiden was such a candid manipulator.

Nobody would believe my story even if I told it because, we acted all lovey dovey on the outside.

He was the charming, successful husband who lavished me with expensive gifts and took me on exotic vacations.

While I was the beautiful, devoted wife who adored her husband and supported his every endeavor.

The picture-perfect couple, always holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes.

People often saw our union as a fairytale, But behind close doors and all the facade, we were a ticking time bomb.

I was trapped in a cycle of abuse and intimidation. Aiden bore an intent desire to dominate and possess me.

He dictated every aspect of my life, from what I wore to who I spoke to.

The smiles, the laughter, the romantic gestures, all of it was a carefully crafted illusion. It was designed to conceal the rot that lay at the heart of our relationship.

How the hell did I fall for such a wolf?

"Others think you're a nice husband". I finally spoke up with a bit of anger in my tone, dropping the spoon on the plate.

"I don't wanna ride the bus you're taking, sweetie. Just eat".

"Why not?" I asked in a whisper.

"What do you think?" He stared fiercely at me.

I turned away and stared blankly at the decorations, my mind drifting away for a moment..

The flickering candles, the delicate flower arrangements, and the elegant silverware all blended together in a haze of luxury.

I was lost in sea of memories and emotions.

The sound of Aiden's harsh voice, the feel of his strong hands on my skin, the suffocating weight of his control.

It all came flooding back.

For a moment, I was transported to different time and place.

One where my panties were stripped away, and the beauty beneath was laid bare in rough opulent sex.

"Cait.. Are you okay? Cait..? Cait..? what the hell are you staring at?"

I shivered as I snapped back to reality.

"Yes, I am...am okay." I stammered.

"So, I was asking if you think I'm a nice husband too."

"I don't know."

"What don't you know?"

"I know nothing but your true colors, Aidan". I said in a low and cliche voice.

"My true colors?. Is there something you're not telling me, Caitlin?. Something I'm not aware of?"

I couldn't even respond, I just stared in a daze.

Aiden immediately sent his personal bodyguard away.

I shook in fear.

What did he want this time around?

He suddenly and fiercely pulled down the tiny hook on my dress, stuck his hands beneath and caressed my boobs.

He took another step closer and placed his head on my chest, slowly savouring my nipples in his mouth.

He kissed my neck slowly and left a love bug on my skin.

"It hurts.."

"Are you sure that's all you wanna say?"

I went silent..

"Don't you wanna feel my body all over yours right now?"

He picked me up and sat me on the dinning table, shoving the plates aside. His hands immediately went underneath my gown, slowly removing my underwear.

"People might see." I said out of the blue, like a scaredy cat.

"And loose their life in the process". Aiden responded almost immediately.

"Your nudity is only mine to behold. Your fingers are only meant to lift a spoon and my d**k. Nobody is permitted to hold them."

"Was that why you cut off Dominic's?" I asked, my eyes teary.

"He deserved what he got. He should know better than touching you and crossing my path."

His words were dripping hot with desire. I knew better than to let him have his way.

Not again!

"You're such a lunatic". I frantically said in a whisper, tears threatening to gush down as i pushed him away.

Aiden's expression changed, his eyes narrowed into slits.

He gave me a blank, hard look, his hands starting to vibrate again. I knew that look too well.

lt was the same look he had given me last night before he…

I shuddered at the memory.

"Yes, I'm a lunatic. Who loves you so much. I don't want anyone to touch you."

I am a human being, not an object!

How was that so fucking hard for me to say and also hard for him to understand?

I slowly shifted, and came down the dining table, pulling my pants back on.

The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel Aiden's eyes burning with intensity as he glared at me.

"I know what you you're thinking. But what's the difference? You belong to me, anyway."

He burst out suddenly like he could read my mind.

His words cut deep, a painful reminder of the prison I was trapped in.

I stared at him for almost a minute in utter bewilderment.

Didn't he understand that I was a person with my own thoughts and feelings?

Just as we were still locked in a staring game, Chef Francois walked over to Aiden, holding a flat package covered in clothes.

"Your gift, sir" she said, handing it over to Aidan.

"Get out!" He screamed after collecting the package from her.

He paced the room up down for seconds, before he finally calmed.

"I know you wouldn't believe me, but I prepared a gift for our anniversary. I initially wanted to take you shopping, but yunno, you ruined it."

Seriously? Who really cares about shopping right now? What the essence of buying clothes, when I'll only wear them to his very numerous boring galas, group convo parties and the rest of them..?

"Your birthday is coming, Caitlin. I'll hold a grand party for you."

"You wouldn't ask me to attend with your guards, would you?"

"You can invite your sister to celebrate it with you."

Just Sophia? I asked my face fell off..

"And maybe your stepmom and mine too, honey". Aiden added.

He pecked my hair, dropped the box before me, and touched my face romanticly.

"Chin up."

I slowly raised my face to meet his gaze.

"I love you." He said and gave a cute smile.

Before I could respond with whatever I had wanted to say, Aidan called out to his personal bodyguard.

"Keep a close eye on her. Don't let her run around."

The big, burly man nodded, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity.

It's clearer now - I'm a prisoner, trapped in a gilded cage with no escape.

This is really all there was to my marriage.

Inasmuch as I hated having to feel this way, My husband is a psychopath!

... It can't be helped.

Although Aiden hasn't always been like this from the start; we were a normal couple during our courting. We had all the romantic moments.

Yeah! He even proposed to me in a very romantic way.

But what really changed?

I still cannot wrap my head around it.