A cage is still a cage even if it is filled with diamonds

That's how I feel right now as I watched William furrowed his brows at me this morning

"What the hell was that last night?" William's voice cut through our bedroom like a whip as I finished getting dressed for work. "Do you have any idea how many people were talking about your little stuttering performance?"

I fumbled with my blazer buttons, my fingers suddenly clumsy. "William, please. You know reading out loud is difficult for me. My dyslexia—"

"Don't." He slammed his hand against the dresser, making me flinch. "I'm sick of hearing about your condition. Do you think our competitors care about your excuses? Do you think it matters to our shareholders that poor little Charlotte can't read properly?"

"If you had just stayed instead of leaving me there—"

"I had an important call! God, Charlotte, you're supposed to be my wife, not my burden. Every other CEO's wife can handle basic social responsibilities without turning it into a circus."

The words stung like salt in an open wound. I blinked back tears, determined not to let him see them fall.

"I've been working with specialists and tutors, trying to improve—"

"Save it." He straightened his tie, his reflection in the mirror refusing to look at me. "Just... stay out of my way at the office today."

——————————

The impromptu meeting caught me off guard. I sat rigidly in the conference room, surrounded by executives, while William stood at the head of the table practically glowing with enthusiasm.

"The Stevens account represents a major opportunity for expansion," he announced. "Originally, this project was meant for Charlotte 's department, but given recent events..." His eyes flicked to me dismissively. "I've decided to hand it over to Selena. She has the necessary capabilities to handle something of this magnitude."

My chest tightened. The Stevens account was supposed to be my chance to prove myself after the disastrous Morgan account ordeal.

"William," I started, forgetting protocol in my shock, "my team has already begun the preliminary work—"

"Which brings me to my next point," he cut me off, tossing a thick report in front of me. The thud echoed in the suddenly silent room. "Why don't you summarize the quarterly projections for everyone? Page thirty-seven should be particularly interesting."

Horror crawled up my spine as every eye in the room turned to me. The numbers on the page started their familiar dance, swimming and rearranging themselves like mocking little demons. My throat closed up.

"I... the quarterly projections show..." The words blurred together, my pulse pounding in my ears.

"Oh, allow me," Selena's saccharine voice sliced through my panic. She glided over, plucking the report from my trembling hands. "I've already reviewed these numbers extensively. If you look at the growth trajectory..."

I sat there, burning with shame, as Selena effortlessly commanded the room's attention. The executives nodded approvingly at her analysis, while Thompson from Legal shot me a pitying glance that made me want to disappear into the floor.

"That's why I'm confident the Stevens account will flourish under my direction," Selena concluded with a satisfied smile. "Unlike some approaches that might be more... remedial in nature."

The double meaning wasn't lost on anyone. I could feel my professional reputation crumbling with each sympathetic look and poorly concealed smirk around the table.

Years of hard work, of proving myself despite my challenges, unraveling in minutes.

William beamed at Selena. "Excellent analysis. I believe this settles any questions about the project reassignment."

The injustice of it all burned in my chest like acid. This wasn't just about reading difficulties – this was calculated humiliation.

They'd orchestrated this entire meeting to publicly undermine me, to justify pushing me aside.

The worst part was watching William , my own husband, orchestrate my professional execution with such obvious satisfaction.

As the executives filed out, their whispered conversations barely concealing words like "liability" and "nepotism," I remained frozen in my chair.

Everything I'd built, every barrier I'd overcome, reduced to a cruel spectacle for office entertainment.

Selena lingered behind, gathering her papers with deliberate slowness. "Don't worry, Charlotte," she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Not everyone is cut out for the corporate world. Maybe you should focus on being a good wife instead – though I hear that's not going so well either.”

William came out from the meeting room and our gaze interlocked

“To my office” he demanded as he brushed past me. I quietly followed in a distance until we were alone in his office

He flung his arms around me and gave me a kiss on the lips. His switched persona I'm yet to get used to

“I'm sorry if you felt bad” he started “I just don't want what happened to the Morgan's account happen to you again”

I felt irritated that he had to create this different persona whenever we were alone. At first, I liked it as I thought he was being himself around me, but now, it's felt like an insult

“I'm fine” I replied, trying to push him away but he only tightened his embrace.

“Do you know what, let's go out for dinner after work today. You can order your usual with an extra this time. I won't stop you”

I sighed and reluctantly nodded which compelled him to hug me one more time before letting me go

“I have something I want to give you. It's in the car. Hold on” he rushes out of his office to go grab the gift downstairs and I had no choice than to wait

I took time to pace through his office until I came across a locket, old and slightly rusted, placed on top a book at the edge of the shelf

I picked it up which read W loves V

“I didn't know that William had something like this prepared” I thought as I wondered what he put in it

I found a way to open it by brushing my finger once for it to unlock and to my greatest surprise, it was a faded picture of me with a man that isn't William .

“Who is he?” I wondered

Is this life I'm really living mine?

I kept wondering as I stared at the pictures in the locket. Who is this man? And why was I hugging him like that?

I have seen him somewhere but I can't remember where.

“Could it be the strange man at the gala last night?” I shook my head, “it can't be”.

Curious, I walked out of William’s office, looking for him to explain to me what this is. It was clearly me in it, so he must have known the man too

The locket felt heavy in my blazer pocket as I approached the hallway that leads to the elevator.

A simple question – that's all I needed to ask. Why was this antique locket, of me with a totally different man, sitting on his book shelf?

But voices from around the corner made me pause. I recognized the intimate whispers immediately – William and Selena.

"We can't afford another mistake," Selena's voice was urgent, barely audible. "The timing has to be perfect."

"Keep your voice down," William hissed. "Everything's proceeding according to plan. Once we access your stepfather's will—"

"And you're sure she has no idea about the clause?"

My father's will? My stomach churned as bile rose in my throat. My father fell into a coma just six months after my dyslexia diagnosis, and I'd always found it strange how quickly everything went downhill for me there.

"Trust me," William's voice dripped with smug confidence. "Little Charlotte can barely read a speech, let alone understand the complexity of her father's estate provisions. As long as we keep her... distracted."

The word 'distracted' felt like a slap. My fingers curled around the locket until its edges bit into my palm.

The hallway suddenly felt too narrow, the air too thin. I backed away silently, my heels thankfully muffled by the plush carpet.

Once safely in the elevator, I pulled out my phone with trembling hands. The screen blurred before my eyes, but I'd memorized my tutor's number months ago.

"Dr. Mitchell? It's Charlotte Wright." I tried to keep my voice steady. "I know it's last minute, but is there any chance we could move the next session today? Something's come up, and I—" I swallowed hard, thinking of the documents I needed to understand, of all the papers William had "helped" me with over the years. "I need to accelerate my progress."

The answer to this locket could wait. First, I needed to learn exactly what I'd been too "distracted" to understand.

I left work early and couldn't wait around for the gift William had prepared for me. I'm not even sure if I could eat dinner with him.

I headed straight to my sessions to begin. I need to know where my father's will is and what they are up to next.

Prior to the end of my session, I received a call from William asking after me

“Where did you go to Charlotte ?” he asked “I told you to wait for me”

“Something urgent came up” I lied “so I had to take care of it”

William sighed “Alright, I'm going to pick you up because I made a reservation at your favorite restaurant”

I interrupted him “There's no need”

I didn't give him any further details before I hung up. My tutor looking at me with a worried glance

“It's fine” I assured him before we continued

My session took longer than usual that my tutor had to call it a day

“I'll send the schedules for the classes tomorrow” I promised him before leaving the premise

I kept staring at the locket, deep in thought on who this person might be on my way home which drifted me to sleep.

Rain pelted against the windshield, each drop distorting the headlights that rushed toward me.

The screech of tires. The sickening crunch of metal. My world spun, fragments of glass dancing in the air like deadly snowflakes.

"Hold on!" A man's voice cut through the chaos. "Stay with me, Viv!"

Through the haze of pain, I saw a hand reaching for me. Strong, desperate fingers stretching across the wreckage.

"You can't leave me. Not like this. Please, princess..."

Princess? The endearment stirred something deep within my memory, but consciousness was slipping away like water through my fingers.

"Miss Wright?"

My eyes snapped open. I was in the back of my company car, my driver holding the door open with concern etched on his face.

"We're home, Miss Wright. Are you alright? You were mumbling in your sleep."

I pressed my fingers to my temples, the dream still clinging to my thoughts like cobwebs. "Yes, Thomas. I'm fine. Just... tired."

But I wasn't fine. The dream felt too real – the terror, the pain, and that voice. Why did it sound so familiar?

My fingers absently wrapped around the locket in my pocket as I walked up the driveway.

The foyer lights were on, unusual for this time of night. As I stepped inside, William 's figure emerged from the sitting room, his expression a careful mask of concern.

"There you are." His voice was too controlled, too measured. "I was worried after you decided not to show up for dinner"

Dinner. I'd completely forgotten about our dinner plans after what I'd overheard.

"I'm sorry, I had a..." The words died in my throat as his eyes fixed on my hand. I looked down, realizing I was still clutching the locket.

"Where did you get that?" The false concern vanished from his voice.

"I..." For once, my hesitation wasn't about dyslexia. "I found it in your office. William , there's a man in this locket—"

"What?" His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he smoothed his features. "That's impossible. I've been trying to open that thing for years."

He crossed the room in three quick strides, plucking the locket from my grasp before I could react.

"You must be mistaken, darling. The clasp is stuck – has been since I found it in your father's old things."

"But I saw—"

"You're overtired," he cut me off, pocketing the locket. "All this stress about work, your... condition. You're imagining things."

I watched him retreat to his study, the locket disappearing with him. The man in my dream called me princess.

Just like the man in the locket seemed to be doing in the frozen moment captured in that tiny frame.

What exactly is William hiding from me?