Escaping The Gilded Cage

Linda’s POV

I was walking down the stairs of my very luxurious house in China.

Alone in there so it was quiet, except for the sounds of the birds chirping and some normal day-to-day noises.

Chris had gone to work at one of his companies and since we got married, although everything has not been perfect, he has been one heck of a husband.

I love him so much and although sometimes my stupid mind still tortures me of what it could have been like if I had never caught my brother with my ex, I would never want to be with anybody else.

How would it have been? Maybe beautiful…but also, maybe awfully like hell.

I began to hum a tone when I reached down the stairs. I’m someone who likes to be alone but recently I have been home alone during the day most of the time.

I don’t work anymore because Chris makes a whole lot of money and I graduated from university last month.

I should be working, my parents wanted it to be like that, but oh Chris, he said that that was never going to happen.

Did I plan on being a housewife? No, not really. It was never something I ever dreamed of, but here I am.

I headed towards the living room and ran my hand through my hair. My stomach was full because I had breakfast already but my heart was a bit heavy.

This was a great life and everything was so perfect. It was like I was in a movie, or a perfect painting.

But there was this longing in me. I felt like something was missing. I missed the common life.

It was not like I was poor before I met Chris Kingston, the billionaire CEO, but my parents made sure that we worked hard.

That was why they still expected me to work.

I sat down on the couch and released a sigh. Crossing my legs, I started to think deeply.

There was this crazy thought that had been in my head for a while now. It was not the best idea I had had but it was something that intrigued me and brought some excitement.

What’s that idea?

Running away to go back to America. But wait, that’s not the wild part. I did not want to tell a single soul.

I did tell someone, but that was the only person because they would be the one to help.

All I wanted to do was to fly to one of the states that was the complete opposite of New York City.

And to do what? To be a cleaner in a hotel!

Yeah, yeah, I know it was stupid. But come on, I was so weary of the high life. I was bored of my mind!

I just wanted something different.

I know there are a lot of ways to get something different, but that was my prized idea!

It sucks that I would be leaving Chris but it would just be for a few months.

I uncrossed my legs and grabbed my phone from the table.

Dialing a number of someone I knew that worked at a fancy hotel in Iowa, I waited patiently.

“Hello, Linda?”

“Joyce, I need your help.” I stood to my feet, a bit nervous. “You know the idea I told you about?”

“Yeah?” She dragged the word. “What about it?”

“I think I’m ready for it.”

Joyce chuckled, not believing her friend. “You’re joking, right?”

“No…no, Joyce, I’m not. I want to come down there to work as a maid.”

She scoffed. “Does your husband know about this? Or your family? Does Sammy even know about this?”

“You know that no one but you knows about this.”

“Linda Wells, you honestly want to throw away a life that everyone’s dying to have all because you’re bored?”

I groaned internally. No one understood this, no matter how much I tried to get them to.

It’s not being bored. It never was.

“Joyce, are you willing to do this for me or not?” I stopped pacing and waited for her reply. When she did not say anything, I added, “I would pay you…twenty grand.”

“Hmm—alright. Send me your paperwork, book a flight and I will have a job for you the moment you land.”

I could not contain my happiness. I smiled widely. “Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you so much!”

After the call, I rushed to my room and packed only a suitcase. I had so many things but as I said, I just wanted to live a normal life for a few months so I did not plan to carry a lot with me.

I booked my flight and in no time, I was already dressed and ready to leave.

My husband would not be home until nine in the night so I was not worried about him catching me.

It was a sharp six when I rolled my suitcase out of the house. The car was waiting for me and I got in it easily.

One of the workers placed the suitcase in the back of the car and we were on our way in just a few minutes.

As the car drove out of the compound, I stared at the huge mansion, admiring how beautiful and perfect it was.

But it was goodbye…at least for now.

When we reached the airport, the driver suggested that I be escorted inside but I declined.

He had no idea that it was this kind of life that I was running away from.

He helped me with my luggage though and I was rolling it into the building in no time.

My flight was in a few minutes and people were already boarding.

When I reached the line of people having their passports checked, I got a whiff of a familiar cologne.

It caused my heart to skip a beat. But that could be anyone, right?

The moment I turned around to see who it was, I saw my husband walking towards me with his head buried in his phone.

When he looked up, his eyes widened and he said in confusion, “Linda?”