CH.4

Karl's words struck me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me more shocked than I ever thought possible. The venom in his tone was palpable, wrapping itself around my heart and squeezing until I could barely breathe from the terror that seized me.

In a desperate bid to understand his chilling words, I fought to steady my shaking hands and clear the fog clouding my mind. "Karl," I stammered out, my eyes darting between him and the unfamiliar surroundings. "What on earth is happening here?!"

A cold dread settled in my stomach, twisting into knots as I braced for his answer. My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat echoing with the tension that filled the room. A silent prayer slipped through my clenched teeth — let this be a nightmare, just a horrible dream that I would soon wake from.

"Take a good look around you, sweetheart," Karl's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. "Everything you see here was crafted with you in mind. This is my underworld... your new home until I say otherwise." His words hung heavy between us. "Your role? To cater to every whim of mine."

His declaration ended with an unexpected shove against the wall. Its cold hardness bit into my back, causing an involuntary gasp of pain to escape from me.

He trapped me there with his arms on either side of me, his gaze boring into mine as if trying to read some hidden message within them.

The man standing before me was no longer the Karl I knew and loved. This stranger wore his face but held none of his warmth or kindness.

Fear clawed at my insides yet I forced myself to remain calm. Maybe this was an elaborate prank?

A hollow laugh bubbled up from within me as disbelief took hold once again. I gently cradled his face in my hands, searching those familiar dark orbs for any sign of jest hidden behind the icy exterior. "Baby, this joke isn't funny anymore," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please stop."

My mind raced to piece together any plausible explanation, anything to deny the horrifying reality that was unfolding before me.

The room was filled with objects that seemed designed for torture and my heart pounded with dread at the sight of them.

His hand shot out, grabbing mine and pulling it away from his face. His gaze hardened as he studied me with a stern expression settling on his features.

"Do you honestly think I'm playing games?" His voice echoed in the chilling silence of the room. "Everything here is meant for you; no one else has ever stepped foot in this place."

He paused, stepping back slightly to regard me thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. "I've got so much more planned for us, love."

I couldn't believe the world around me had suddenly spiraled into a realm of abnormality, a twisted caricature of what should have been an ordinary day.

My eyes narrowed, hot anger simmering in their depths as I mustered the courage to confront him. "Do you not understand, Karl? I am your wife, not some object for your amusement or some woman you picked up from the streets!" I spat out the words like venom.

Karl's hand paused mid-scratch between his eyebrows, his face morphing into something unfamiliar and sinister. A dark cloud seemed to descend over him; it was as if rage itself had taken physical form and wrapped itself around him.

His steps were measured as he advanced towards me, fist clenched and jaw set in grim determination.

He grabbed my chin with a vice-like grip that made me wince. "Watch your tongue before I lose my temper," he growled.

Summoning every ounce of defiance within me, I shot him a glare that could have melted steel before pushing him away forcefully. "Back off! You're not the same man who won my heart all those years ago. I can't share my life with someone as unhinged as you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn the key in the lock while we argued, sealing our fate within these four walls.

His grin was predatory and his hands pressed against his chest in mock fear.

"What is it now? Scared because you're locked in here with me?" His laughter echoed through the room like a chilling breeze, pushing my patience to its limits.

My love for him was being overshadowed by this newfound rage that bubbled inside me like molten lava threatening to erupt. With all my might, I pounded against his broad chest with my small fists but he remained unmoved like an immovable mountain against a raging storm.

"Open this damn door," I demanded through gritted teeth. "I won't live with a monster like you. I am not your plaything - you've got the wrong idea about me."

His patience seemed to have evaporated, replaced by an icy disdain. "You are mine, and you'll remain so until I decide otherwise," he hissed through clenched teeth.

My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, none of them making any sense. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't my reality.

A sinking feeling in my chest told me that I had fallen for an illusion, not the man standing before me. The harsh truth was a bitter pill to swallow. He didn't love me. He never did.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. It had all been an act from the start. But why? Why would he do this?

My heart cried out for answers yet all I was met with was silence.

Swallowing the lump of fear in my throat, I steeled myself to confront him again. "Karl," I began, my voice wavering slightly despite my efforts to keep it steady. "I need you to explain what's happening here. What are you trying to achieve?"

I held my breath as I waited for his response, but all hope drained from me when he repeated that dreaded command. It was like a slap in the face, igniting a fury within me that burned brighter than before.

"Strip! My patience is running on fumes and believe me when I say you wouldn't want to find out the consequences of defying me." His words were spoken through gritted teeth, each syllable punctuated by the clenching of his jaw.

I'd be lying if I said his menacing demeanor didn't scare me; but then again, I've never been one to follow orders blindly. Growing up as the darling of my family meant that everyone catered to my whims and desires.

"No way am I doing that!" I spat back defiantly.

A single eyebrow arched on Karl's forehead. "Well then... If my little wildcat wants to play house... Be my guest, sweetheart!" His tone was dripping with mockery as he began closing the distance between us with calculated steps.

A smirk twisted his lips into an ugly sneer.

Panic seized me and instinctively, I tried to put some distance between us but only succeeded in backing myself against a cold wall.

The realization dawned on me too late - there was no escape as Karl loomed over me ominously.

My eyes widened in horror at what he brandished in his right hand. He was holding a pair of gleaming scissors!