After I turned 35, my body started to lose its shape. My skin grew dull, and fine lines began to appear around my eyes. Once, halfway through making love, Caleb pinched the soft flesh on my stomach and suddenly said: "Honestly, looking closely, you're pretty average. Why did I ever fall for you?" 1 I never expected to be laid off from my job as a kept woman the year I turned 35. At that moment, I was looking up at the elaborate molding on the ceiling. I had heard it was the work of some famous European master. Very expensive. Every time Caleb came to me, I would look up at it. In the beginning, Caleb would grab me by the hair, forcing me to look him in the eye. He had a pair of beautiful, jewel-like eyes. When he was relaxed, he looked like an exotic cat. Caleb was incredibly strong, so the roots of my hair always ached. It looked like a scene full of intense passion, but my pillows were always covered with blood-stained strands of hair. Caleb’s lingering voice echoed in my ear like a demon: "Maya, why can't you only look at me?" Later, our relationship gradually stabilized. At the very least, before we got into bed, we didn't fight tooth and nail, turning the place upside down. Caleb also stopped demanding that I stare at him every single second. He unlocked the chains on my wrists, knowing I wouldn't run away anymore. 2 I panted softly. My stamina couldn't keep up with Caleb's anymore. I withdrew my cloudy gaze from the ceiling, and Caleb's explosively fit body filled my vision. He had gotten a tan; his bronze skin was incredibly sexy. Even past thirty, a man could still have such a roguish, captivating look. Let alone me, even young girls in their twenties would be completely swept off their feet by him. In stark contrast, my thighs were just loose, flabby fat. My silk nightgown had a hole in it, but I was too lazy to change it. Caleb threw on a bathrobe and sat on the sofa. His features were hidden in the shadows, but because they were so sharp, he looked like a chiseled sculpture. I pretended I didn't hear what he said. "I'll start a diet tomorrow." Caleb laughed. He said: "Baby, that's not what I meant." Caleb flicked the ash from his cigarette, a casual cruelty in his tone. "What I meant is, you're actually not all that. It was only because I loved you too much that I put a filter over you." "Now," Caleb made an exploding gesture with his hands, "the filter is broken." He walked out the door without a shred of mercy, tossing out a sentence laced with disgust and relief: "Maya, you're free." It took me a long time to digest that sentence. My first reaction wasn't the ecstatic joy of regaining my freedom, but an anger burning from the inside out. The man who said he loved me the most, the man who said that even in death our ashes had to be mixed together, was now actually breaking up with me. I felt very sad, and then, completely lost. I had been utterly ruined by Caleb. For ten years, I was waited on hand and foot. I had no social life, no friends. I had even forgotten how to use modern electronics. The TV in my room could only play foreign channels and automatically shut off after 8 PM. My range of movement was limited to this mansion and half the mountain behind it—this was the Vance family's private estate. I was entirely Caleb's property. So, I had no idea where to go. 3 I had sensed Caleb's change of heart a long time ago. In the very beginning, he was clingy every single day, calling me his "sweet Maya." Singing my praises, calling me his moon. From the initial agony, I slowly began to look forward to his arrival. Until he called my name, and I started responding. Caleb wrapped me in a thick blanket and applied medicine to the wounds on my wrists. Fresh blood stained his fingertips. Caleb looked down, coaxing me, his eyes full of heartache. "Maya, does it hurt? "You can hit me, but you must never hurt yourself." Caleb was so gentle. His eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. But later, it changed to him coming once a month. Then, every three months. Every six months. Until he kicked me out of the house. After ten years as a canary in a gilded cage, I was unemployed. 4 I actually didn't have many things. All my clothes were bought by Caleb. He loved dressing me up. There were intricate, gorgeous Lolita dresses, and fresh, elegant little white dresses. I wore whatever Caleb bought for me. Later, when he stopped buying clothes, I just wore pajamas. Before leaving, I looked in the mirror one last time. The woman staring back at me was a bit chubby, her skin was oily, and her hair was a messy, unkempt rat's nest. No wonder Caleb didn't like me anymore. So, what kind of woman did he like now? 5 I left the mansion with a single suitcase. Inside was my ID, my passport, and a few professional outfits. I asked the butler, "Where should I go?" The butler sighed, "Go home." The sunlight was gentle, but also blinding. I walked down the street looking like a mess, receiving strange looks from many people. What was supposed to be the shopping mall from my memory was now just a desolate, empty shell. Too many new skyscrapers had been erected in the city's busiest areas; I didn't recognize a single one. Even the roads had been widened into four lanes. I wanted to go back to the mansion. I wanted to beg Caleb to let me stay by his side. I promised to be perfectly obedient. I would never throw a tantrum again. A passerby called the police for me. The police used my ID to contact my next of kin. It was a very familiar voice. I instinctively called out his name: "Liam!" The sound of something shattering came from the other end of the line, followed closely by his urgent voice. "Maya? Is that you? Stay right there, don't move. I'm coming to take you home right now!" Liam was my boyfriend. I was absolutely certain of it. I blinked, and tears fell. The Liam running toward me blurred into a shape through my tears. He crouched down in front of me, grabbing my hands, trembling uncontrollably. "Where have you been all these years? We all thought you died abroad." Liam was sobbing uncontrollably. I looked up and asked him, trembling: "Where are Mom and Dad? Why didn't they come pick me up?" Liam gripped my hands tightly, his tone heavy: "Let's go home." 6 This was Liam's home. But it wasn't my home. The hallway was cluttered with kids' tricycles. Before I even reached the door, I could hear the noisy sounds inside. Sharp, piercing children's voices, and a woman's strict tone. "No, I said you can only have snacks after you finish your homework!" The two kids' pleas rose and fell: "Please, Mommy, we just want one piece!" Liam's eyes were full of apology. He kept his head down, avoiding my gaze. I awkwardly turned my body away too, staring only at the junk piled up in the corner. Liam lived on the top floor; they were the only unit. The small vestibule outside was basically a storage room, packed with clutter. From tricycles to soccer balls, kites, and children's electronic keyboards—everything screamed of how happy this family was. A sour taste spread from the bottom of my heart, slowly creeping up my nasal cavity, forcing me to the brink of tears. We had promised to get married before graduation. Liam found a pair of shoe covers for me. As he opened the door, he said: "You can stay at my place for now." The moment the door opened, twins rushed over, hugging Liam's legs. "Daddy, Daddy! Where did you go? Mommy is still waiting for you to eat!" The woman of the house also approached with an impatient look: "Liam, you just left without saying a word after taking that call. Do you even respect me at all!" She wanted to say more, but stopped abruptly the moment she saw me. She only mumbled one word: "Maya!" I recognized her. She was Liam's junior in college, Chloe. Chloe's expression froze on her face. She made way, ordering the two kids back to their seats. She welcomed my arrival with the posture of the lady of the house. Chloe found a pair of slippers. "Honestly, Liam. How could you let Maya wear shoe covers?" Chloe pulled me inside by the hand. "I just finished cooking. The cola chicken wings are still hot." The atmosphere at the dinner table was even weirder. Chloe didn't ask where I came from. She only said: "Maya, you can stay at our place without worrying. Don't feel anxious." I paused mid-bite of a cola chicken wing. Chloe probably noticed it too—I had gained a lot of weight. In the past, I was very strict about my figure and rarely ate carbs. Cola chicken wings definitely had to be eaten without the skin. At college reunions, Liam was always the one who did all this for me. I comfortably enjoyed his favoritism, and even more so, the envy of everyone else. Chloe was one of those envious people. She had always admired Liam, but Liam never reciprocated. Until I went to Africa to collect samples, a local terrorist attack broke out, and I lost contact that same year. Liam took the initiative to speak up. "Chloe was the one who stayed by my side all these years, helping me walk out of that darkest period. The police couldn't find any news of you, and everyone told me to move on. So later, Chloe and I got married." I froze for a moment. The chicken in my mouth turned very bitter. I knew that ten years is a very long time. No one will wait in place for someone else forever. Everyone moves forward. It seemed I was the only one trapped in place. Liam asked me: "Where exactly have you been all these years?" I didn't dare say. I was terrified of Caleb. During my captivity, there was one time I managed to use an antenna to contact Liam. Even though it was just a few busy signals, it was enough for him to track me down to the mansion. But Caleb quickly discovered everything. He bound my hands and violently shoved me into the car. Liam was handing out flyers on the street. He had absolutely no idea that the person he yearned for day and night was sitting in the Range Rover parked by the curb. Caleb pried my eyes open and said mockingly: "This is a warning." A motorcycle sped past, knocking Liam over. He lay motionless in a pool of blood, surrounded by scattered flyers. I screamed loudly, wanting to find someone to save Liam. But Caleb held my hand in a death grip. The pitch-black tinted windows only reflected my panicked face. After that incident, I became obedient. I never contacted Liam again. Because I knew, once the secret of me being imprisoned by Caleb was leaked, he had countless ways to silence me. So I could only shake my head. "I don't know." Liam said softly: "It's okay. Tell me when you're ready." I didn't dare look into Liam's eyes. I had no relationship with him anymore. I could only chew my rice mechanically. Chloe suddenly started crying loudly. I looked at her, bewildered. Large tears rolled from Chloe's eyes as she continuously apologized to me. "Maya, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of your absence and stolen Liam. I'll give him back to you. Can you forgive me?" Chloe gripped my hand tightly. It hurt. I didn't know how to answer. My head was a jumbled mess. "Maya, I am truly, truly sorry!" Her tears were scalding, falling onto the scars on my wrist. Scars so blatant, yet no one had ever seen them. I remembered when I was with Liam. We went to make a sculpture together, and a machine hit my finger. It was only slightly red, but he was so heartbroken he frantically searched for ointment. But now, his eyes were only on Chloe. I knew clearly that the past was the past. "It's not your fault. Liam and I just weren't meant to be." Chloe looked up, wanting to say something, but Liam pulled her away. They erupted into a fierce argument. The two kids were so scared they started bawling. This storm ended with Chloe slamming the door and storming out. Even as he chased after her, Liam didn't forget to tell me to stay put and be good. I crouched on the floor, picking up scattered toys. The twins ran over and gave me a hard shove. "You ugly woman, you're not allowed in our house! As soon as you came, Mommy and Daddy started fighting!" "Yeah! Go away! We don't want to see you!" Losing my balance, I fell to the floor. The twins kept pushing me. Their tiny fists rained down on me, surprisingly heavy and painful. Seeing me unresponsive, terrified that I would refuse to leave, the two of them started crying at the top of their lungs. "Leave! Get out of our house!" "We want Mommy and Daddy! We don't want them to fight!" Watching the twins screaming themselves hoarse, I seemed to see myself. My muddled brain also recalled some distant scenes. Actually, my relationship with Caleb was never good at all, and I was never infatuated with him. I just had no other choice. In the very beginning of my captivity, I also tried to escape, to fight back, screaming sharply at Caleb just like this. But he would slap me hard across the face, my eardrums ringing with pain, and I would retreat in terror. My body, held in Caleb's arms, would tremble uncontrollably while he whispered apologies to me over and over again. Later, because my resistance was too fierce... My wrists and ankles continuously ulcerated and healed under the friction of the iron chains, forming thick scabs. Caleb tried to brainwash me. He said that as long as I tried to love him, I wouldn't be in pain anymore. But a person can't fall in love with a monster in a suit. Caleb first introduced himself to me as just a junior student. He worked incredibly hard and diligently under my supervision. Despite his noble background, he had no temper. I only looked upon him favorably because of that. I took him to do experiments. We went to the mountains together to collect samples. I even praised Caleb's beautiful eyes. When the experiment made a breakthrough and we were interviewed by the media, under the spotlight, Caleb's gaze was infatuated and gentle. He said: "Congratulations, Maya. You will definitely stand at the pinnacle of the scientific research world." Caleb lowered his head, looking a bit disappointed. "Will you still remember me then?" I ruffled his fluffy hair. "Of course. Didn't we agree to work together to research and conquer xenograft rejection?" At that time, I certainly never would have thought that one day I would fall so far. I hate that the bright moon hangs high but refuses to shine on me alone. So the moon fell into the mud. And it was no longer the moon you wanted. Caleb fed me drugs. Drugs that stabilized my emotions but made my brain sluggish. Over time, cognitive confusion and memory loss followed. I became obedient, just as he wished. 7 Ten years have changed everything. No one will wait in the same spot for someone else forever. I wouldn't blame Liam, and naturally, I wouldn't destroy his family. We just lacked a little bit of destiny. Just a little bit off. What a cruel sentence. How I wished everything in front of me was a dream. When I open my eyes, my parents would be sitting by my bed. They would ask me with concern what happened, if I had a nightmare. Liam would still look 26, his bright future unmarred by a car accident. I would still be my advisor's favorite student, constantly moving forward towards my goals. But when I opened my eyes, the crying twins were still in front of me. The food had long gone cold, and everything around me was freezing and suffocating. I struggled to get up from the floor, wiped my tears, and left the apartment. Although I only remembered a few fragments, I was lucky enough to remember where my home was. I stumbled along, hoping that once I got home, everything would get better. But when I got home, it wasn't the warm scene I imagined. I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the welcome mat. The motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on and off as I kept banging on the iron door. "Mom, open the door. I'm home." "Dad, I'm home. I didn't bring my keys. Can you open the door for me?" I even pretended to take out my phone to send a message. Large tears dripped onto the back of my hand. "Mom, are you out shopping? Hurry back, I can't get in." "Dad, did you go fishing? I didn't bring my keys, hurry back and open the door." The loud knocking disturbed the neighbors. A woman came out and scolded me irritably. "Can you keep it down? The old couple next door passed away last year." Looking at my appearance, the woman thought I was some crazy person from off the streets, and her tone became harsh. "Who are you? If you don't leave, I'm calling the cops!" I finally burst into loud sobs. "I'm the daughter of this family!" I was still just a little bit off. Just a little bit, and I would have been home.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "395061", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel