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He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut. "Let me give you a gift. No debt. Nothing owed. Please, just let us love each other. If we can't do that..."
A ragged wail keening from her lips was Michelle's only response before she fled, before she ran from his presence and shut herself in her room. Ed's only response was to fall onto the couch in defeat and make plans for the end.
__________
It was, in a moment of kismet, only the next night that it all came to a head.
Michelle had stayed in her room for nearly a full day after Ed told her such wonderful, terrible things, and she felt like her mind was going to split in two. In her hands she held her diary, along with a quivering pen poised over the latest line she'd mustered up the courage to finally write.
~He owns my body, but only wants my heart~
She was trying, she could give herself that much. She wanted, desperately, to do as he asked and believe that he trusted her again. But how could he? Every time she thought she might let herself believe it, she remembered how fucking twisted and horrible she really was. How she'd let herself do things she once would have sworn she'd never do, even if tortured.
She did do them, though, and it hadn't taken torture... it only took compromise.
And now the man she had given herself to completely was asking for another compromise. Required another for him to keep loving her, and she just couldn't let herself. She couldn't trust herself.
I am broken. I am nothing. She looked at down at her arms once, then picked the pen and diary back up. Time for one more entry.
~He never asked about the scars on my wrists because he doesn't want to cause me more pain~
Maybe it was time. Maybe she should finish what she'd hesitatingly started the day she ran from the home that she and her husband had built. Maybe it was the last, best thing she could do for her sweetest; force him to let her go, since she knew she would never be able to do the same with him.
A loud knock at the front door penetrated both Michelle's bedroom wall and her black thoughts. When she heard Ed open it, then say nothing, she grew curious despite herself and ventured out after donning a thick robe like it was a suit of armor.
When she saw him, he was just standing at the open door looking out at no one, but seeming to be holding something. "...Ed? Who was that?" Her voice was timid, beyond what it had been since her return and her new existence. Her ex-husband looked... delicate. Like he was struggling somehow. Still in the dark, her heart nonetheless went out to him. "Sweetest... what's wrong? Please talk to me."
In response, he merely thrust his hand back behind him at her without turning around. He was holding what looked like a folded note, and motioned wordlessly for her to take it. Swallowing, she did so, and opened it with shaky fingers.
--Edward, I know that you are testing her. Consider this her final. When she fails, come back to me.--
Michelle knew who it was from immediately, but that knowledge really did nothing to shed light on what was happening. After long, empty seconds, Ed finally spoke, though still without looking at her.
"She is perceptive, if nothing else. I always knew that." He gave a rueful laugh. "I just wish I was half as much."
"Ed, please, what did Katja leave? What's she done now?"
He took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling as if for salvation... then finally turned to face her.
That was when Michelle collapsed to her knees, every ounce of strength having left her.
"So here we are, Michelle." Ed stared inscrutably down at her on the floor. "You have a choice. I need a wife, not a pet, now more than ever. Is that going to be you?" He took a step towards her, his face now betraying how vulnerable he really was. "Can you take a gift? Will you give one?"
Michelle didn't answer. She didn't answer, because she finally believed him. She knew he was right. She knew she had to take a leap, one way or the other.
It was time to choose.
Epilogue
Kathryn ran her hand down the ornately-carved blue door and smiled. "You were right, it's gorgeous. I'm glad they didn't get rid of it." Behind her, she heard a sniffle, and she had to laugh. "Oh geez, you're just going to keep up the waterworks, aren't you?"
She was trying to keep the words light, but they both knew that she wanted to join in. It'd been a rough couple of weeks, to say the least.
"I'm glad too, baby. I'm very, very glad." The voice was struggling to firm itself, but it was getting there. "I can't believe it's mine now, after so many years."
Kathryn twirled a lock of her long, golden hair around a finger and turned back to the woman with her. "The sale's complete, so believe it. Welcome home... again." Now it was her turn with the tremulous voice as she reached out and ran a hand along the beautiful urn being cradled in front of her. "Dad... he came through. Gave them an offer they couldn't refuse. His..." She choked up and had to rasp out the end. "His last gift."
Michelle lost it, and the aforementioned waterworks started back up. She lifted her own hand and cupped her daughter's cheek, marveling for the millionth time at how much that beloved face looked like her soulmate's.
Of course, that came right along with stuffing for the millionth-and-first time the thought of how those blue eyes and fair, lustrous hair came from a different source. The marveling was a joy, the stuffing easy. This was her daughter, genetics be damned.
She moved past Kathryn and turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped in. She was home. Welcome back, sweetest. She hugged the urn to her chest, glad that it was sterling silver and not about to crack from the incredible pressure she was putting on it. Thank-you for my life.
"You okay, mom?" Kathryn had a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it in comfort.
Michelle laughed. What answer could she give? "You were right, this is a gift, but not the biggest one he ever gave me."
She studied the girl... no, the woman in front of her, and made a decision. "I... think it's time for me to finally tell you about the day you were first put into my arms. They day I broke a deal... and started living."
- COMMENTS
Anonymousabout 1 month agoMC was hardly a willow. He had decided to let her burn the marriage, so he could walk away with no remorse. He knew early on that she had gone batsh$t crazy. Yes hebahd a fleeting time when after their "second honeymoon" prep weekend where he thought the improved sex might be worth it, but that was destroyed when her his slut addict wife call him a willow and scream with Dominic that first week. Afterwards it was all about burning his marriage down. Yes Kat was looking for a way out of her terrible.marriage to Dom, but she manipulated both of them, hoping that Michelle would fall. Michelle had f$cked Dom multiple times (and Kat) well before the kitchen incident. Michelle stupidly thought that making some some sort of deal for sex training would absolve her of her past cheating and her planned chating to get Dom out of her system. Dom was a brutish loser. He ahd no idea he was losing his wife and that Michelle grew to despise him as the "training" went on. The problem is, no pun intended, Michelle liked to be dominated by Don. Wasn't just skill, but attitude. But Kat masterminded the whole thing because Dom is too stupid to do all that on his own. Ironically Kat taught thr MC to become a super lover but also how to be dominant. He ended up blowing Michele's mind with their master - slave sex, so.wthing that Michelle proposed. I don't see his progression to being a dom for Michelle was unrealistic. It was either that or just blow everything up. So is the MC crazy? Can make strong arguments on that.
Don't get me wrong the plot was insane, though really well written. Only in fiction. In real life, other, often really bad things woukd have happened. 5 stats for the writing and the creativity. But no he was not a willow. Nor was he an oak. It took him every weekday for 3 weeks to get his confidence back. He only found out about the ulterior motives forml
Anonymousabout 2 months agoFantastically written, strange tale. Not really liking any of the characters though. MC was indeed a willow as he let all three people manipulate him. Then he turns into some kind of sex-crazed slave master.... that made no sense. But still a good read.
Anonymous2 months agoGood job, you are a great writer, and I enjoyed your story. Thanks for the time and effort. KS
Anonymous5 months agoSo funny, it's like no one thinks that the whole dating/relationship process is a form of manipulation, one that most people don't even recognise they're doing.
We can imagine that Katz was mean and hurtful, but really what she was doing was just bringing out the true Michelle. Just providing the circumstance and opportunity for that behaviour to rear it's ugly head. We may not like the idea of entrapment, think it unfair, but truth be told it's all there already, just waiting for the right time. What we don't like is the fact that we know that when tested we'll probably fail given the right set of circumstances and incentives .... and yet we really want to believe that we're morally superior.
However, what I dislike most about this story, aside from another of this authors once again hurried endings, is the fact that Michelle gets to live while the admittedly weak but good guy ends up in the urn.
Michelle was mentally ill but Katz was just someone that knew what she wanted and how to get it ... the epitome of dedication and faithfulness, but it turns out that that's not really what the MC wanted. All he wanted is the illusion of such, given by the very woman that shat down his throat with a greasy no account.
