Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bound by Madness : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

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

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

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

Carson brings me tea and breakfast in bed. He doesn’t let me stand up and helps me when I finally need to use the washroom.I look at him, confused as to why he’s so dedicated to helping me.“Chloe,” he says while peeling an orange for me, “why don’t you divorce him?”“It’s not that easy.” I say, “he won’t agree. And ever since the first time he’s become obsessive. If I want a divorce I probably have to trick him. But it’s hard to do with April around. She makes him paranoid.”I accept an orange slice he offers me and take a bite.Then I ask, “do you need to go to work?”“I took a few days off.”“Where are we?”“My friend’s summer home. Tom shouldn’t be able to track us here.”I still, my body trembling lightly as I ask, “does he know we’re together?”Carson watches me. Then he breathes, “he probably knows. But he doesn't know where I am and I have an excellent reputation in the medical community so I’ll be fine even if I lose my position at the hospital.”“I don’t want you to struggl

TOM’S POV“Did you get what I asked for?” Tom asked Hendrix as Hendrix drove them towards the company.Tom needed to grab a contract for a business dinner later that night. After picking it up, he’d meet Chloe for the first time since the vacation house. Anna’s fiancé, Victor, was hosting the meeting at his office.Tom didn’t mind them having the home-field-advantage. He couldn’t imagine what they could have to use against him.Tom was flicking through his phone when Hendrix answered, “I did sir. It’s in the bag.”Tom nodded. He grabbed the bag and pulled out the velvety silk covered bracelet box. He opened it and paused.“Why is this green?” He asked.Hendrix looked into the rear-view mirror, “you asked for something Mrs. Hayden would like. She likes green.”“She likes pink.” Tom said, somewhat annoyed, “and she doesn’t like daisy’s. What’s with this design?”Hendrix hesitated. April liked the green and she liked the daisy’s. Isn’t that who he intended to gift this to?“If I give thi