Chapter 2

It was late at night, and Kyle was already fast asleep.

I quietly got out of bed and took his phone. It needed his fingerprint, so I used his.

For three years, I had been cut off from the outside world. No phone, limited internet access, no way for me to contact anyone. He said it was for my own good, that it was to keep me from seeing anything that might upset me.

I opened his banking app with ease and entered the password.

It was my birthday.

How ironic.

When I saw the long string of numbers that I could barely count, my hands began to tremble.

I quickly checked the transfer history, and every transaction was clearly labeled "allowance".

They all came from a name that felt both intimate and unfamiliar. Dane Smith, my father's personal assistant.

The most recent transfer had just been made yesterday.

One million dollars.

Kyle's transaction history on his spending was even more horrifying. Luxury cars, designer watches, other personalized luxury items, and even several properties in another city.

He was using my money to live like a king. Meanwhile, he had kept me locked in this tiny rented apartment like a pet.

No… Even a pet would have lived better than I did.

I forced down the urge to smash the phone and opened his Messenger app. Pinned at the top was a young woman named Winnie, and their chat history was both sweet and explicit.

Kyle called her "baby", and he never hesitated to transfer money to her.

[Baby, do you like this big apartment downtown? I'll put it under your name.]

[Baby, let's go to Luminaire for the fashion show next week. Buy whatever you like.]

At the end of the chat was a photo.

Winnie was nestling in Kyle's arms with a bright smile. Behind them was their new home, decorated luxuriously. The oil painting on the wall was by my mother's favorite artist.

It was the same painting my father had given me for my eighteenth birthday.

But now, Kyle was using it to please another woman.

My vision almost went dark, and I nearly lost my balance.

I covered my mouth to keep from making a sound.

So, he had not only stolen my money. He had betrayed our marriage, too.

I took a deep breath and screenshotted all the evidence using his own phone. Then, I found Dane's phone number and memorized it as quickly as I could.

After that, I put the phone back where it had been and lay down in bed again.

The man beside me breathed evenly, as if he were having a wonderful dream.

I kept my eyes open until dawn.

I had to leave.

Immediately.

As soon as possible.

However, I had no ID and no money. I couldn't even get out of the building.

To "protect" me, Kyle had installed an advanced keypad lock on the apartment door, and only he knew the code.

I was like a bird trapped in a cage.

-

The next day, Kyle had to go to the "company" for an important meeting.

This was my only chance.

Before he left, he kissed my forehead as gently as always.

"Wait for me at home. I'll take you out for something nice tonight."

The moment the door closed, I dragged the small suitcase I had prepared long ago out from under the bed.

There were only a few changes of clothes inside, along with some cash I had hidden away. It was money he had occasionally given me for groceries, and I had saved it one bit at a time.

I walked to the door and looked at the keypad, my heart pounding.

How was I supposed to get out?

I suddenly remembered that Kyle had mentioned the lock had an emergency reset function once when a repairman came to fix the pipes.

With no other choice, I followed the tutorial I had found through the smart TV's video app and pressed the buttons with shaking fingers.

There was a beep. Then, a voice came from the keypad.

"Password reset."

My hands were shaking as I pulled the door open, and harsh sunlight fell across my face.

For the first time in three years, I walked out of that cage on my own.