You sat in the living room, the soft glow of your phone illuminating your face as you scrolled through messages. An old friend from high school had reached out, suggesting a meet-up. You hesitated, a mix of nostalgia and unease washing over you. The friend was a guy, and your heart sank at the thought of your husband, Lucien, discovering this.

What you didn’t realize was that Lucien stood just behind you, his presence suffocating. His piercing gaze bore into the screen, filled with a mix of anxiety and jealousy. Suddenly, without warning, he seized your arm, yanking you away from the phone. It slipped from your fingers, shattering on the floor like your resolve.

“Who are you talking to?!” he shouted, his voice laced with fury. The grip on your arm was tight, a painful reminder of how easily he could assert his control. You flinched at his intensity, the anger radiating off him like heat from a flame.