New contract
1370 Words
Ruth hurried out of the club, the cool night air hitting her face.
Another message from Caleb.
Five minutes.
Don't test my patience.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She hurried toward the roadside and raised a shaking hand.
"Taxi!"
One sped past, and another was occupied.
She bit down on her lip, fighting the panic rising inside her.
"Please..." she whispered.
A yellow cab finally slowed to a stop.
She pulled the door open and climbed inside.
After giving the directions, the taxi pulled away.
Ruth felt as though the world was closing in around her.
She looked down at her phone again.
The photograph still filled the screen.
Her stomach twisted.
How had she ever loved him?
How had she mistaken control for love?
She closed her eyes. She just had to survive tonight.
That was all she had to do.
The taxi turned into a familiar neighbourhood.
Every street brought back another memory...
She had one believed she was the luckiest woman alive, marrying a billionaire. Her dad was his family driver while her mom was their maid. She crushed on him long before she even knew what love is. And when the platter of gold came to marry him, she didn't decline.
If only she knew she had been walking straight into a cage.
The taxi slowed before the enormous black gates.
Ruth paid the fare, stepped out, and stared at the mansion.
She just realized this has never been a home.
Tonight...
It felt like walking into enemy territory.
She inhaled deeply.
Then she walked toward the gate.
The security guard looked up.
His eyes widened.
"Mrs. Ruth..."
His voice carried genuine surprise.
"It's really you."
Ruth forced a faint smile.
"Hello, Mr Edward."
The older man scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"It's... good to see you again."
His smile faltered, replaced by something that looked painfully close to pity.
"I'll let the boss know you're here."
"No need."
Ruth walked past him before he could say another word.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
The garden looked exactly the way she had left it.
The fountain still stood in the middle of the driveway.
The roses she had planted years ago were in full bloom.
Someone had taken good care of them.
A bitter smile crossed her lips.
Her fingers hovered over the keypad beside the front door.
The code came to her automatically.
She hesitated.
Would he have changed it?
She typed it anyway.
Beep.
The lock clicked open.
Her heart sank.
He hadn't even bothered to change it.
She pushed the door open slowly.
Silence settled over the room.
Caleb took another sip of wine before finally looking at Ruth.
His eyes travelled slowly from her heels...
To the fitted dress she was wearing.
One corner of his mouth lifted.
His gaze lingered on her for another moment.
He stood and walked toward her.
The closer he got, the colder the room seemed to become.
"So..."
He stopped only inches away.
"Where were you today?"
“Is that why I'm here?." She fired.
A humourless laugh escaped him.
He circled her slowly.
Ruth clenched her fists. Get to the point.
His smile disappeared.
Before she could react, Caleb grabbed her wrist hard.
Ruth winced.
"You're hurting me."
"Am I?"
His grip tightened
"You're no longer afraid to talk back."
He leaned closer until his voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't like that."
Ruth tried to pull her hand free.
He refused to let go.
"You've grown wings."
His lips curved into a smile that never reached his eyes.
"But don't worry."
"I'll clip them."
Ruth truly saw him, not the man she had fallen in love with or the husband she had spent years trying to please.
A stranger.
Someone who enjoyed watching her struggle.
Someone who mistook control for love.
The realization hurt more than his grip.
Slowly, she stopped trying to pull away.
She simply looked at him.
"I used to think everything was my fault."
Caleb raised an eyebrow.
"I thought if I loved you enough... you'd eventually love me back."
A flicker of amusement crossed his face.
"But now..."
She met his eyes steadily.
"I realized I was loving a man who never existed."
For the first time that evening...
Caleb's expression changed.
His jaw hardened without warning. He shoved her backwards.
Ruth stumbled but managed to catch herself against the edge of the table.
"You think you've become brave?"
He walked to the cabinet, picked up a thick file, and tossed it onto the coffee table.
It landed with a dull thud.
"Read it."
Ruth looked down.
Her heart sank.
It wasn't divorce papers.
Across the top of the document, bold letters read:
Cohabitation AGREEMENT.
She slowly opened the first page.
The smile disappeared from her face as she read the clauses.
She wasn't returning as a wife.
She was returning as someone who would live under Caleb's rules.
Every line stripped away another piece of her freedom.
Her fingers tightened around the papers.
"What is this?"
Caleb slipped both hands into his pockets.
"A fresh start."
Ruth looked up in disbelief.
"No."
His smile returned.
"No?"
"I won't sign this."
A faint smile tugged at Caleb's lips.
"I wasn't asking."
"You want me to move back into this house.".
"And if I refuse..." Her voice trembled despite her effort to keep it steady.
Caleb stood.
The smile disappeared from his face.
"So you finally want to test me?"
Ruth instinctively stepped back.
"I'm not your prisoner."
"No."
He took another step.
"You're much more useful than one."
Her back hit the edge of the table.
There was nowhere else to go.
Caleb reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
The gesture looked gentle.
It made Ruth's skin crawl.
She slapped his hand away immediately.
"Don't touch me."
For a brief second, something dangerous flashed across his face.
Then...
He laughed.
"I like this version of you."
His hand suddenly grabbed her chin.
Hard.
He forced her face upward until she was looking directly into his eyes.
"I can destroy everything you have left."
Ruth struggled against his grip.
She stumbled backwards, rubbing her aching jaw.
Tears burned behind her eyes.
Not because of the pain.
What did she do to him to deserve this?
"You have until tomorrow night."
He adjusted his cufflinks as though nothing had happened.
"If that signature isn't on my desk..."
He pulled out his phone.
"...those photographs go straight to the police."
"And Rinna?"
Ruth's breathing stopped.
Caleb smiled.
His expression darkened again.
"Mind you, this isn't a negotiation."
He picked up the contract and shoved it back into her hands.
"Take it. You have until tomorrow."
"If I don't get it back signed..."
He looked her dead in the eye.
"...I'll make sure you lose far more than your freedom."
Ruth stared at him for several seconds.
Then...
Without another word...
She turned and walked away.
"You'll be back." His voice followed her all the way to the door.
"You always come back."
Ruth opened the door with shaking hands.
The moment she stepped outside...
She finally breathed.
Her entire body trembled.
She had spent five years believing she had failed as a wife.
That if she had loved Caleb more...
Be more patient… try harder...
Maybe things would've been different.
Now she knows.
Nothing she could have done would've changed a man like him.
Nothing.
She walked out of the gates without looking back.
She didn't call a taxi immediately.
Instead...
She wandered aimlessly through the city.
Without realizing it, her feet carried her somewhere familiar.
A small public park sat beside the ocean.
It wasn't crowded.
Just a few children running across the grass while couples strolled hand in hand.
Ruth sat on an empty bench overlooking the water.
The salty breeze brushed against her face.
This had been her favourite place long before she met Caleb.
Whenever life becomes overwhelming...
She came here. Somehow...
Watching the endless waves made her problems feel smaller.
She closed her eyes.
She couldn't risk being trapped, especially not now she's rebuilding her life.
“What am I supposed to do?” she whispered to herself.
- Writer
