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By the time we reached this rooftop café, the setting sun had already dipped below the mid-sky and was casting a golden glow over the city. The air was warm, tinged with the scent of fresh flowers and the faint hum of evening traffic below. It was a place that, under other circumstances, I could almost have found charming-an intimate little retreat where couples might lose themselves in each other's company, far above the noise and confusion of the world below. Tonight, however, the beauty of the setting only accentuated the tension knotted in my stomach. I was here on a date with Noah-a man I had come to despise, but whom I had to convince of my love.We strolled over the rooftop as my heart jolled in my chest. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, scrutinizing my every move, every expression. I knew this wasn't just a date; it was a test. Noah was giving me just enough freedom to test whether I would betray him-if I would try and run. He was watching me, waiting for any sign tha
That night air had been a little keener than I'd expected, and by the time we returned to the apartment, I could feel it starting to seep into my bones. The flurry of excitement and adrenaline that had seen me through the evening quickly evaporated, replaced by extreme weariness. I ignored it at first, chalking it up to the stress of keeping my mask so long. But then, waking to the pounding headache, an exhaustion that had somehow become bone-deep by the next morning, I knew something was wrong.Noah was beside me in an instant, concern etched across his face, a cool hand pressed to my forehead. The fire that had so recently begun to build inside me was untempered by his touch. I tried to brush him off, to insist it was nothing, just a bit of a cold, but my voice was weak; the protests little more than a whisper."You're burning up," Noah said, his tone tight with concern. He didn't wait for me to argue, but called straight away for the doctor. I lay there, too tired to fight him, too
Finally, when Noah announced his mother was coming to visit, a switch went off in my head, and I knew I had a chance, finally, a glimmer in the darkness which had swallowed my life whole. It had been weeks of pretending, of smiling over gritted teeth and soft words of affection towards a man I despised. I had just about convinced myself I was pulling it off, that Noah was swallowing the act, that my ticket out of there was practically within sight. But with each passing day, desperation had grown, chafing at the edges of my carefully constructed mask. News of his mother's visit sent an electric jolt of adrenaline through me. She would know, instinctively, how colossally wrong it was-a mother above all else. She had to acknowledge the insanity of my son's actions and help me get out of this nightmare.The day she came, I was cool as cucumber, though an unrest stirred inside. Well-dressed, carefully chosen words, and that false love that had become my shield, I opened the door for her wi
I had hoped that her coming would provide some relief, a way out from this nightmare, but it wasn't long before such hopes were merely another word. Far from being an ally I desperately needed, Evelyn became an added layer to this prison. Her eyes were always on me, cold and calculating, as if she wanted to unravel whether my affection for Noah was real or just a ruse. She wasn't an idiot; she knew her son's tendencies toward the darker side, and she was determined to make sure that I didn't do anything to hurt him-or what was more important-to embarrass the family.Each day, her presence weighed heavily upon me. I felt her eyes on me, piercing into my skin, weighing every word I said, every gesture I made. I was always on my guard; my head racing with the need to seem obedient, loving, loyal. Yet, inside, I was coming undone. The effort of keeping up the charade-of keeping at bay the terror and despair that threatened to engulf me-was taking its toll. Weaker, paler, frailer by the day
When I finally opened up to Dr. Johnson about the life I had lived before Noah, it was as though a dam had broken inside of me. The words came out in a flood-brimming over one another in my desperation to make him understand. I told him about Seth-my husband, the man I loved, the man I'd been torn away from. I described the life that we had built together, the home we had shared in my hometown, and how everything fell apart the moment Noah had come into my life like a hurricane, tearing me away from everything and everyone I loved.Dr. Johnson listened intently to me, his face a mask of deep concern, as I recounted my story. "You have to help me get back to him," I pleaded, my voice cracking under the weight of all that I had been through. "Seth doesn't even know what's happened to me. He must think. he must think I'm gone forever. I need to get back to him, Dr. Johnson. He's my only hope.".He nodded, his eyes unyielding. "I'll do all I can, Christie. You've been through quite enough.
It felt as if, for the first time in eternity, I was starting to feel like myself. Being back with Seth, in the apartment we shared, brought into my life a peace that I never imagined was possible after everything that happened to me. I could feel myself smiling more, even laughing at little things Seth would say or do to get me to be comfortable with him again. It was as if I had been pulled from the grave, taking in fresh air for the first time after existing in a suffocating nightmare.Day by day, each one marks the stride to healing, like gradually and relentlessly rising from darkness. We would go on long walks in the neighborhood, take meals together at the dining table as we used to, and spend evenings curled up on the couch, watching movies or just talking softly about our future. Seth was never pushy for me to talk of the horrors I faced in the hands of Noah unless I am ready, understanding and patient. He was everything I needed him to be-my anchor, my refuge.But even as lif
I never knew that my life, which had just started to inch its way back into some semblance of normality, was once again going to be torn to pieces. Seth had done everything in his power to bring the smile back onto my face-to rebuild what had been broken. We had put so much hard work into our relationship, trying to balance our careers while devoting ourselves to each other. For the first time in months, I felt finally at peace. We were happy, really happy, and I'd started to dare hope that finally, finally the worst was behind us.But that was before Noah walked back into our lives.It was one of those rainy afternoons when Seth and I decided to release ourselves to home, allowing the tedium of a week's burden to work its way into a delightful afternoon. I recall the scent of coffee in the air and some soft music playing in the background. Seth lay on the couch, immersed in a book, while I worked in the kitchen, making us a light lunch. We were quite content in our little bubble, wit
After all was said and done, Seth and I knew we needed to relocate. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but rather a need that eventually comes to the surface with the passing of time. Noah's presence, his threats-this twisted obsession he had toward me-had cast this dark shadow over our lives and refused to blow away. We couldn't be like that anymore, constantly over our shoulders, waiting for him to show up and wreak our lives. So we packed all our things and left.Not one person knew where we were off to. Not even my parents. The fewer people who knew, the better. I was tired of running, tired of hiding, but it felt like the only way I was going to be able to regain some sense of control. Seth was so understanding of the decision, though I knew what it would mean: giving up his job, his friends. But he didn't complain; he wanted us safe, started over.Finally, we drove out of town, and a feeling of calm came over me for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. The weigh