Tie My Heartstring's ❦

control

Katie

I felt the weight of Hudson's control pressing down on me, suffocating my every thought and desire. After what happened I tried, I tried so hard to convince him, and play my part. I'm afraid I was exhausted by now.

I tried my best to ignore, face him after what my father had said about him loving my mother. I didn't know what to believe, all I know is everything about that turned me the wrong way. It only furthered my screams inside me to move with my plan as soon as possible. If I didn't,  I was only fooling myself.

When we arrived back into the city, the shock of what happened hit me. How could I be so fucking stupid? To let this man claim me, claim my life. The once charming man I had fallen for had transformed into someone unrecognizable—jealous, possessive, and increasingly unpredictable. He was so far gone.

Each day brought a new set of rules, a tighter grip on my freedom, until I found myself living in a cage, with Hudson as the warden. I was young, and I missed being free, longing to live my life on my own terms. When he finally told me he was leaving to run errands in a different part of the city, desperation coursed through me. This was the first time he was leaving me alone for multiple hours. He had finally trusted me. Fully.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I felt the weight of silence settle around me. Every creak of the floorboards echoed in the stillness, amplifying my anxiety. I glanced at the clock, its hands moving too slowly, each tick a reminder of the time stretching ahead. This trust was fragile, and I couldn't let it slip away.

I wandered through the rooms, my mind racing with thoughts of what I should do. But the longer he was gone, the more overwhelming the plan felt. I picked up a bag, beginning to pack some stuff, but the clothes blurred together as my thoughts drifted.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. I reached for my phone, my heart racing as I typed a message to Alice, my closest friend and the only person I trusted with the truth. "I need help. Hudson is getting too controlling. You were right, I can't stay like this."

Alice's response came quickly, filled with concern. "Meet me at my place." I quickly finished packing a bag, feeling the urgency of the moment. As I slipped out of the apartment, I scanned the hallway, my anxiety rising. What if Hudson found out? What if he showed up unexpectedly?

When I arrived at Alice's, she greeted me with a fierce hug, her arms wrapping around me like a lifeline. "You look so scared," she said, her voice laced with concern. "Tell me everything."

Settled into her dimly lit apartment, I felt a mix of relief and fear wash over me. I poured out the details—how Hudson monitored my every move, how he had cut me off from friends and family, how his sweet words had twisted into veiled threats. "I can't live like this anymore. I need to escape," I finished, my voice trembling.

Alice listened intently, her brow furrowing in sympathy. "Oh my god Katie. I wish I knew sooner. You deserve to be free, Katie. We can figure this out."

Her calm demeanor was a comfort in the storm of my guilt. I had expected anger or disappointment, but instead, she listened, absorbing my confession with a level of grace that left me in awe. I could see the gears turning in her mind, the way she processed the weight of what I had shared without judgment.

"I get it," she said, her tone steady. "You were just trying to protect yourself." Her understanding made the burden lighter, and for the first time, I felt a flicker of relief.

Though she often joked around, her seriousness in this moment was a testament to her maturity. I couldn't have asked for a better friend. I knew I could trust her to navigate this with me, and that thought filled me with a sense of hope. That I wouldn't have to face this all alone.