Control Freak

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Dominic is a control freak.

He needs to know precisely when I wake up, when I eat, when I sleep, even when I go to the bathroom. He has me trained like a dog.

His friend once asked me, Has it ever occurred to you that your entire life is being controlled by that psycho, Dominic?

Dominic, with a faint smile, answered for me. "He hasn't."

Alright, fine. If thats how he wants to play.

I told Dominic, "From now on, our curfew is 7 PM."

"And we need to have our phone locations shared at all times."

I started video-calling him eighteen times a day.

I'd pull him into intimate photos, plastering our "love" all over social media, making a grand show of our relationship.

I forced him to live inside my own web of suffocating, omnipresent surveillance and performance art.

And then... he got off on it.

I was out of breath when I stumbled through the door at one minute past eight.

The house was dark, completely unlit. I thought Dominic wasnt home yet and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

But in the next instant, with a soft click, the lights flooded the room.

Dominics tall figure stood in the entryway, silhouetted against the blinding light.

Like a ghost.

"Noah," he said softly, "you're 1 minute and 27 seconds late."

The sudden light had already startled me. His whisper-soft voice sent a chill down my spine, and a cold sweat broke out on my back.

I took a deep breath, trying to force down the metallic taste of blood that had risen in my throat from running so hard.

"An old classmate of mine is in town, so a few of us got together. I was already on my way back at seven, but the traffic was insane. That's why I'm a little late."

He gestured for me to sit on the low bench in the entryway, then knelt gracefully before me. His hand wrapped around my slender ankle. His fingers slid slowly upwards, gripping the sliver of skin just above my white sock. He lifted my foot with a gentle pressure to help me change my shoes.

He looked up at me and smiled, a picture of innocence. "Then why didn't you leave earlier? Or you could have asked me to pick you up."

My fingers, braced against the bench, trembled slightly. "I... I didn't want to bother you. You had a long day at work."

"I really thought I could make it back before curfew," I explained, my jaw tight. "I planned ahead, I swear. The mall is only a half-hour drive from our place I never expected the traffic to be this bad."

He slowly slipped off my sneakers, his fingers squeezing the soft sole of my foot through my sock. I felt a tickle and instinctively tried to pull my foot back, but his grip on my calf was like iron. I couldn't move an inch.

He put my slippers on for me.

"Are these old classmates of yours really that important?" he murmured. "So important that you can't even come home on time?"

"Did you not want to come home? Did you want to spend more time with them that badly?"

"Was an old flame among them?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" I snapped, cutting him off. "Today was a one-time thing. I'll be back before curfew from now on!"

He ignored my outburst. He stood up, leaned in, and brushed his nose against my cheek.

"Noah," he whispered, "why can't your eyes be only on me?"

I woke up the next morning in a fog.

When I managed to force my eyes open, I saw Dominic leaning against the headboard, smiling down at me. "Good morning, my love."

He kissed me. As he leaned over, his hand brushed against mine.

I flinched violently.

Before Dominic, I never could have imagined that there were so, so many ways to torment a person, to make them break, to make them lose control of their own body, stripped of all dignity... all without a single act of violence.

Seeing me recoil, he pulled me into his arms, comforting me. "Darling, how about we go to Finland for the weekend? I'll have my assistant clear a flight path. We can take off after work on Friday. You can sleep on the plane, and we'll fly back Sunday night."

He gently outlined a weekend schedule detailed down to the minute.

"On Saturday morning, we can try the bread at a local private kitchen. We'll go see the snow in the late morning, and then we can have a spa treatment in the afternoon..."

Everything was planned to perfection.

But the more he spoke, the stiffer I became.

"I promised Chris I'd go to the comic convention with him on Saturday," I said in a low voice. "I told you on Monday."

My words hung in the dead silence of the bedroom.

After a long, terrifying pause, Dominic finally spoke. "You're right, you did tell me. I forgot. I'm sorry, my love. You go have fun."

He released his grip on my waist, letting me go without a fuss.

Just like a normal, ordinary boyfriend.

With my back to him, I couldn't see the blank, emotionless mask that had replaced his gentle tone.

On Saturday morning, I dragged my sore, aching body out of bed, buzzing with excitement.

Dominic, shirtless, propped himself up on one elbow and watched me get dressed. Seeing me awkwardly trying to pull on my pants, he said considerately, "If you're not feeling well, just tell Chris. You can rest at home. I'm sure he'll understand."

If it weren't for what he did last night...

I stubbornly finished dressing myself. "I'm not tired. I feel great. I am absolutely going to that convention today!"

Just before I left, I got a call from Chris. I answered cheerfully. "I'm on my way out! Where are you?"

Chris's voice on the other end was full of guilt. "Noah, man, work just dropped an emergency business trip on me. I'm packing right now. I have to go be a corporate slave in Chicago for two weeks... I'm so sorry."

My hand froze on the doorknob. The smile on my face slowly faded, but I kept my voice normal. "Hey, no worries! Go do your thing. I'll grab some merch for you while I'm there."

He sounded relieved. "You're a lifesaver, bro!"

I hung up, and a voice came from behind me. "What's wrong?"

I turned to see Dominic's lean frame propped against the marble dining table. He looked as luxurious as the deep blue silk robe he was wearing.

He raised an eyebrow. "Stood up again? Your friends really are unreliable."

A sliver of suspicion entered my mind. I asked him deliberately, "Well, do you want to go to the convention with me then?"

His expression flickered. My heart clenched. Could he really have been the one to ruin Chris's weekend? If he was...

"Unfortunately," Dominic shrugged, "I didn't know your friend was going to bail, so I didn't get a ticket. I can't get in."

"But I can give you a ride, if you'd like. My dear."

I relaxed. If he hadn't prepared in advance, he probably wasn't the one who got Chris sent on a business trip...

"No, thanks. I'll just get a cab. You enjoy your weekend at home."

Wandering the convention alone was pretty boring.

I bought the pin Chris wanted most and was about to leave when I turned and bumped into a soft wall.

"Oh, sorry" I said, rubbing my forehead.

I looked up and saw a very familiar face.

I stared. "How did you get in?" Then, feeling deceived, I added, "You said you didn't have a ticket!"

It had to be him. He must have been the one who got rid of Chris. He'd always hated all my friends!

I was about to lose it. "You son of a"

Dominic pulled a staff pass from the pocket of his expensive suit. "I don't have a ticket. But I do have a little money."

"Just got this staff passa little bit of 'cash-power.'"

I was speechless, staring at the pass hanging from a gold chain.

Who in their right mind uses a pocket watch chain for a staff pass?

He smiled at me. "A son of a what?"

I looked at his benevolent smile and shivered, remembering things.

"A... a... a guy who just shines with brilliance!" I blurted out, a stroke of genius. I let out a long breath, feeling like I'd regained the upper hand.

I looked him over. He was wearing a custom-tailored black tailcoat that accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. He exuded an air of pure class.

"What are you doing dressed to the nines at a comic convention? Who are you trying to seduce?"

His eyes crinkled into a smile. He took my hand with his white-gloved one and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

"I am here to serve you, My Lord."

I froze, and before I could even blush, a wave of suppressed squeals erupted around us.

"Oh my god, he's so hot!"

"Is he cosplaying Sebastian? Or Claude?"

"I don't think so, he's not wearing any makeup..."

"Holy crap! He's that handsome without makeup? His character model is insane!"

I was suddenly the center of attention, so embarrassed I could have dug a hole and lived in it. I grabbed Dominic's hand and pulled him away.

Once we were out of the crowd, I finally breathed. "You have to work? What kind of work?"

He answered with a straight face, "Yes, I do."

"My job is to accompany you around the convention."

"Noah, I will do anything with you. I will never stand you up. So please... look at me more."

My eyelashes fluttered, and the tips of my ears grew hot. "I spend more time with you than I do at work. Isn't that enough?"

He stared at me. "No. It's not nearly enough..."

His intense, obsessive gaze sent a shiver down my spine. But in the next second, Dominic was back to his usual gentlemanly self.

I quickly forgot about that little episode and excitedly dragged Dominic around the convention.

By the afternoon, I was getting hungry. We passed a stall where cosplayers were selling snacks, and I wanted to grab something.

But as I eagerly headed over, a hand caught my arm.

I turned to Dominic. "What's wrong?"

He frowned at the shabby-looking stall, the scent of artificial flavoring wafting over. "If you want takoyaki, I'll have the chef make it for you when we get home. Don't eat from street stalls like this. It's not clean."

At that moment, several girls who had just bought snacks walked past us, giving us a strange look.

The kind of look you give rich lunatics.

I tugged at his sleeve, embarrassed. "It's not dirty. Don't say that."

The girls at the stall were wearing masks and disposable gloves. But Dominic was clearly unconvinced. He didn't trust any street vendors, food stalls, or hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

In the three years we'd been together, I hadn't had a single bite of delicious junk food.

This time was no different. He held my hand, his grip gentle but firm, and wouldn't let me go. "If you're hungry, let's go home."

There it was again. Once he made up his mind, there was nothing I could do to change it.

I was still holding the merch I'd bought, only halfway through the convention... but suddenly, all the fun had drained out of it.

I lowered my head and went home with Dominic.

I don't know if it was because I'd skipped breakfast or because I was in a bad mood, but my stomach started to hurt on the way home.

The pain was so bad my face went pale and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

Dominic noticed immediately, his expression changing.

In that instant, I knew I was screwed.

He had found out I didn't eat breakfast.

From that day on, he watched me eat every single meal.

I ate three healthy meals a day under his watchful eye, but my stomach pain didn't get better.

Once, it even woke me up in the middle of the night, a sharp, twisting pain.

This time, Dominic ignored my protests and took me to the hospital for a painless gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and a full-body check-up.

Finally, the doctor at the private hospital looked at my test results, thought for a long time, and said slowly, "You have some mild gastritis, but nothing serious. Just stick to a light, healthy diet. Most importantly, try to stay in a good mood. The stomach is an organ of emotion..."

I walked out of the consultation room in silence.

I had barely stepped out the door when my colleague called. Because of my stomach pain last night, Dominic had insisted on taking me to the hospital today. I had to take a sudden day off work and hadn't had time to hand over my tasks.

I stood in the hospital corridor and talked to my colleague for ten minutes before hanging up.

When I turned around, I saw Dominic standing behind me, frowning.

"Is work very stressful lately?"

"No."

"But between the office and working from home, you've been averaging overtime until eight-thirty."

"It's the end of the year. It's always busy."

I thought that was the end of it, but that night, he brought it up again.

"Noah, have you ever thought about your career path?"

I looked up from my phone on the sofa, confused.

Dominic handed me a glass of warm water and leaned against the armrest, his voice gentle and persuasive. "I think you should consider it. You don't have to run yourself ragged for a little money. You could think about what you really want to do. Take a break, think about what kind of person you really want to be."

Dominic is six years older than me. I met him during my senior year internship. I had good grades and got into a top company. There were a lot of interns that year, and the backstabbing and office politics left me exhausted and full of self-doubt.

I met Dominic when he came back to our university as a distinguished alumnus to give a speech.

When he pursued me, he gave me a lot of confidence during a low point in my life. I'm a simple person; he was exceptional, and to be pursued so ardently by someone so exceptional was a huge boost to my ego. It helped me rebuild some of the confidence that the cutthroat corporate culture had shattered.

After we got together, aside from his control issues... and his kinky side, he was a nearly perfect partner. As the older one, he had always guided me.

I trusted him.

After his words, I began to seriously consider the impact my job was having on me.

Just then, my company lost two major deals in a row, and rumors of downsizing started to fly. There was a change in the company's ownership, and the office became a toxic, anxious environment. After being targeted by my boss repeatedly, the thought of quitting started to form in my mind.

Coincidentally, Chris returned from his business trip, and I met up with him for dinner. He spent the meal complaining about his trip, and I vented about the chaos at my company. It was a cathartic meal for both of us.

Finally, Chris leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Do you know who our big client was on this trip?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Evergreen Hospitality," he said with a sly grin. "You've probably never heard of it, but you've definitely heard of the Brighton Group that backs it! I was wondering why my boss was making such a big deal out of a regular budget hotel chain. Turns out he was trying to get in with the Brighton Group..."

I froze.

Of course I knew the Brighton Group. It was a massive conglomerate that had started with a chain of hotels and expanded into multiple sectors. More importantly, the current head of the Brighton Group, Pierce Brighton, was Dominic's childhood friend.

I don't know how I got back to the office that afternoon.

The first thing I did was look up my company's new owner. It was a company I'd never heard of. But I didn't give up. I traced the chain of holding companies and majority shareholders all the way up.

When the name "Brighton Group" finally appeared, my heart skipped a beat.

Of course... How could there be so many coincidences in the world?

Chris and I had planned to go to a convention, and he gets sent on an emergency business trip.

Dominic thinks my job is affecting my health, and my company loses two major deals and gets a new owner.

He had been so subtle about it, even routing everything through Pierce's name. Even if I found out, he could just say it was a coincidence. Just the Brighton Group's expansion plans, just Pierce's decisions.

What did it have to do with Dominic?

I suddenly clutched my chest, feeling like I couldn't breathe.

"Noah, are you off work? I'm waiting for you in the parking garage..."

Today was one of Dominic's friend's birthdays, and he was taking me to the party.

I calmly went downstairs, found his car, and got in. He expertly navigated out of the garage. Noticing my low mood, he asked softly, "Did you run into trouble at work?"

"Yeah."

Seeing I was upset, his voice became even gentler. "A change in ownership and a new boss can really disrupt things. If you're not adjusting well, you can always take some time off and rest at home. Or if you don't want to quit, you could consider taking a leave of absence."

"Noah, you've been so distracted and down lately. Work is important, but I hope you'll put your health first."

I suddenly turned and stared straight at him. "Do you want me to quit?"

His expression didn't change. He still wore that faint, gentlemanly smile. "I respect all of your decisions."

The birthday party was held in a newly built private garden, complete with a celebrity-headlined lawn concert. Dominic led me to a table in the inner circle.

After dinner, they started playing cards.

Dominic won three hands in a row, and the atmosphere became lively. A group of privileged elites, all with a competitive streak, were getting fired up. Pierce was among them, and he was losing the worst, already down two sports cars and a prize horse.

Even as everyone ganged up on him, Dominic remained effortlessly in control. He even found a moment to remind me, "Don't drink. I had someone get you some warm water."

Pierce, seeing he was about to lose again, threw down his cards. He gave a knowing smile and raised an eyebrow. "Dominic, you won't even let him drink now? You're getting more twisted by the day."

Then he turned to me. "Noah, has it ever occurred to you that your entire life is being controlled by this psycho?"

Dominic wrapped an arm around my suddenly rigid frame, smiled, and threw down a royal flush, winning another hand.

He answered for me. "He hasn't."

Pierce clicked his tongue and gave him a thumbs-up.

For a split second, I wanted to flip the table, to smash the wine bottles over Dominic and Pierce's heads.

If you don't want to perish in silence, you have to fight back.