Secrets and Surveillance

Sophia ~

I waited exactly thirty minutes after Alexander left before I called Rebecca back.

"Ms. Wyndham?" Her voice was cautious. "I thought you needed to reschedule."

"I do. But not because I've changed my mind." I moved to the window, checking the street below for Alexander's car. Paranoid? Maybe. But I'd learned to be careful. "I need to meet somewhere private. Somewhere he won't find out."

A pause. "Is your husband monitoring you?"

"Not yet." I pressed my fingers to my temple. "But he will be. Alexander doesn't lose, Ms. Chen. And right now, he thinks I'm something he owns."

"I see." I heard the clicking of a keyboard. "There's a café in Brooklyn. Completely off the grid for people in your social circle. Does two o'clock work?"

"Perfect."

I hung up and stared at my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window. The woman looking back at me wore a silk robe that cost more than most people's monthly rent. Diamond studs glittered in her ears, a gift from Alexander after our first anniversary or rather, a gift from his assistant, since Alexander had been in Tokyo that week.

I'd cried myself to sleep that night too.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

“Good morning, Mrs. Wyndham. Mr. Wyndham has asked me to check in. Do you need anything today? - Marcus”

My blood ran cold. Marcus was Alexander's head of security.

I typed back carefully: “No, thank you. Just staying in today.”

The reply came instantly: “Excellent. Mr. Wyndham will be pleased to hear you're resting.”

So it had already begun. Alexander was having me watched.

I needed to be smarter.

At one-thirty, I ordered a car through my own account, not the family service Alexander monitored. I wore sunglasses and a simple jacket, nothing that screamed "billionaire's wife."

The café Rebecca had chosen was tucked between a bookstore and a laundromat, worlds away from the Manhattan high-rises I'd grown accustomed to.

Rebecca was already seated when I arrived, a woman in her forties with sharp eyes and an expensive briefcase that seemed out of place in the modest café.

"Mrs. Wyndham." She didn't stand, just gestured to the seat across from her. "You weren't followed?"

"I don't think so." I sat, my hands shaking slightly. "Is that something I should worry about?"

"With men like your husband? Always." She slid a folder across the table. "I did some preliminary research after your first call. Alexander Wyndham is formidable."

"That's one word for it."

"He's also litigious, wealthy, and has connections in every major law firm in New York." Rebecca's expression was grave. "Mrs. Wyndham, I need you to understand what you're up against. Your husband can make this divorce very difficult. Very expensive. And very public."

"I don't care about the money." The words came out fiercer than I intended. "I just want out."

"It's not that simple. New York requires grounds for divorce unless both parties agree. And from what you've told me, your husband has no intention of agreeing." She opened the folder. "We need evidence of fault. Adultery would be ideal, but….."

"He's not having a physical affair." The admission tasted bitter. "At least, I don't think he is. But there's a woman. Elena Hartley. He's emotionally involved with her."

Rebecca's pen paused over her notepad. "Elena Hartley? The humanitarian?"

"You know her?"

"Everyone knows her. She's practically a saint." Rebecca's expression turned sympathetic. "Emotional affairs are harder to prove, Mrs. Wyndham. We'd need documentation. Emails, texts, recorded conversations"

"I can't." The thought of spying on Alexander made me sick. "I can't do that."

"Then we file for a no-fault divorce and prepare for a long battle." She leaned forward. "But I need to ask, are you sure? Because once we file those papers, there's no going back. Your husband will fight, and he'll fight dirty."

Was I sure? I thought of last night, of Alexander's hand on my wrist, of the cold certainty in his voice: *You're mine.*

"I'm sure."

"Then we'll need to move carefully. First, you'll need your own bank account"

"I have one. I opened it last month."

Rebecca looked impressed. "Good. Smart. Next, we'll need to document everything. Your husband's relationship with Ms. Hartley, his controlling behavior, any evidence that might support our case." She pulled out a business card. "This is a private investigator. Very discreet. He can…."

"No." I pushed the card back. "I won't spy on him."

"Mrs. Wyndham, you're tying my hands"

"Then find another way." I stood, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. "I want a divorce, Ms. Chen, but I won't destroy him to get it. There has to be another option."

"There is." Her voice stopped me at the door. "You could leave. Just walk away. File the papers and disappear until the waiting period is over."

"Alexander would find me."

"Not if you were smart about it." Rebecca stood, gathering her files. "Think about it. In the meantime, be careful. Men like your husband don't like losing control."

I left the café with my head spinning, so lost in thought that I didn't notice the black sedan parked across the street.

Didn't notice the camera lens pointed at the café entrance.

Didn't realize that Alexander had been having me followed since the moment I'd mentioned divorce.

My phone buzzed as I climbed into my car. A text from Alexander: “We need to talk. I'm coming home early. Don't leave the penthouse.”

My hands trembled as I read it again.

He knew.

Somehow, Alexander knew exactly what I'd done.