The After Party

CHLOE POVI can’t figure out why he’s doing this to me. I reach up to grab Carson’s arm, “please…. Please don’t let him take me”Tom pulls my hand away and pushes Carson back. Tom says, “It’s been 5 years, you still haven’t given up, huh?”“I stepped aside because I thought you were better than me. A woodchipper would be better than you.” Carson snaps back, trying to push Tom aside but Tom steadies himself quickly.“Get away from my wife.” Tom’s voice is sour and angry.“Look at her!” Carson shouts, “is this really how you treat her?! It’s a miracle the baby made it.”Tom doesn’t look back at me. “That’s my child. I don’t need you to concern yourself with it.”“Someone has to.”April runs around the bed then and grabs my arm. She deliberately pushes into a deep bruise. “Chloe—tell me you haven’t been cheating on Tommy! He cares about you so much. How could you do this?”“Let go of me!” I try to pull my arm away and she throws herself back, knocking over a vase of flowers, a book, and a

Last Updated : 2025-09-19

New Ideas

Tom refused to leave my side for the next few days. Despite constantly rejecting him and requesting he be taken away, he continued to try to feed and care for me until I was ready to be discharged.When he get home, I immediately change and starts toward the door.“Where are you going?” He asks.“Work.”“Right now? You were just discharged. You can wait.”“No—I can’t be here another second. April is a floor below us. Why don’t you visit her.”“I was going to move us anyways.” He tries.“Oh… well then I guess it’s okay to buy your mistress an apartment.”He shakes his head, “I already own this building. I just let her stay in an empty unit.”“You know who should be allowed in that empty unit? My dad. Where is he?”“I get you’re upset. Can you stay here and we can talk about it?”“No—”“I’ll bring your dad back.” He finally decides. He looks down and shuffles, “If you quit that job. I will bring him back and move him here.”I am frozen. That deal might be the only way I can get my dad b

Last Updated : 2025-09-20

You Will Stay At the New House

I finally meet Victor at lunch with Anna and Carson. He greets me in a suit and wide smile.“I am very excited to help you, Chloe.” He says. “Anna’s told me so much about it.”He’s a stern man, with a steady smile and a professional vibe. So different from what I imagined for Anna.“I believe she’s told me everything. I’ve been in contact with the private investigator. He has told me that although there is a lot of probable cause to distrust your husband’s loyalty, he hasn’t found any direct evidence that your husband had cheated. If it is safe for you to get recordings or records, we’d like you to do that.” He slid a box towards me. “If you put these up around your home, or manage to get them into her home, it will help us to record what happens when you’re not around.”I open the box and see many piles of small camera.“They are all Bluetooth.” He explains. “Onto the job… it may be best to get you away from someone you could conceivably have a relationship with.” He motions to Carso

Last Updated : 2025-09-21

Rotten Food

I am tied to the bed in the master bedroom of the otherwise entirely barren house and abandoned. My screams and cries go unheard. By the third day, when I think I’m finally about to die due to dehydration, the door finally opens.April and Hendrix saunter inside.“Oh, my back hurts,” she moans, putting a hand on her back, “he had so much pend up frustration…. I shouldn’t have let him go so long without.”My mouth feels dry and my throat cracked. I want to ask for water but I can’t. My lips threaten to crack and bleed if I open my mouth.April sits on the side of the bed and smiles at me. She puts a hand on my stomach and says, “Nothing can happen to my beautiful baby.”Then Hendrix walks over holding a thermos and puts it to my lips. I can smell whatever’s inside and it’s vile. I want to protest but too fast he pours it into my throat.Although—even starving—I can taste its rancid flavour, I let myself swallow it because my alternative is choking.I gag, though, wanting it to stop but

Last Updated : 2025-09-23

Fury

I refuse to speak. He has a camera.“How did she call you?” Tom’s voice was low and menacing.“We found this—” April walks in with a burner phone. My heart stops. How did she find it?But when Tom takes it and looks at it, I see it’s a decoy. Meant for their story. They don’t know about my phone. Fine. So long as I’m not going to be assaulted, just divorce me. If he’d rather be cheated on than to be amicably separated, that’s his choice.Tom examines it for a bit, running through messages that are either imaginary or briefly reading prearranged texts. I don’t know which.Tom throws the phone to the floor and then looks at the men begging forgiveness.“Take them to the cabin. Let them be eaten by animals.” Tom orders and a group of men in suits grab the men as they thrash and argue.They yell, “Mrs. Hayden!”“You said this wouldn’t happen!”“You promised!”“Mrs. Hayden!”“We did what you said—stop him!”“Mrs. Hay—”Tom turns directly to me, his cold eyes hard and emotionless.“Everyone

Last Updated : 2025-09-24

Retribution

TOM’S POVTom paced the kitchen of his new home, lost in thought. The home staff, Hendrix, and April lined up nervously watching him. Uneasy side glances to one another. Biting lips and trembling hands. Restlessly wondering who would be the first to crack“What happened?” He finally asked.He’d asked the question 50 times on the ambulance ride to the hospital. He’d felt his heart shatter with every word from the doctor’s had said.Malnourished? Rotten food? Dehydrated? Bruises on her wrists and ankles?The baby was now in a more critical condition.The stuttering voices of the shaking staff never formed full sentences.“WHAT HAPPENED?!” He bellowed. They all flinched back.Her voice shaken and showing true concern, April stepped forward.“W-wh-when you were gone…. Mrs. Yana—” The head housekeeper looked sideways at April with wide, warning eyes. April met this side stare and continued, “Mrs. Yana informed me that Mrs. Hayden refused to eat in protest. She said you’d punish the staff f

Last Updated : 2025-10-29