“No one understands how much I loved him. Those first few months, it was like I was on the best drug in the world. All I had to do was think of him and my brain would just explode with happiness. Like nothing could touch me, not at work or my family. I had this super-power, this guy who made me feel like there wasn’t anything that could stop us.”
It was tricky for Abby not to show her disbelief– that a monster like Cameron could elicit this feeling in anyone. But she kept her face blank and resisted the urge to shudder.
“We’d stay up all night having the best sex, and then just talking, sharing everything. He was so sweet, he just got me. Like nobody else.”
“But that was all a lie,” Abby said, not being able to help herself.
Angela glared at Abby. “Yes, it was all a lie. But he was good. He was so good at making me feel like I was special and amazing. He’d bring me these presents, not just the usual perfume or flowers or whatever, but beautiful antiques, books he thought I’d like, surprise weekend trips to the Caribbean. It was all to make me happy, my happiness was the only thing that mattered.
“When did it change?”
“Maybe after our first fight? It was over something really stupid. He’d planned this nice dinner and I was too stressed and exhausted from work, so I told him I didn't want to go and–and then he just lost it. This was maybe a few weeks I’d moved in with him, so it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go to get away from him. So we screamed at each other for what seemed like hours. He said I was selfish and cheating on him, that it was somebody at work and that was the reason I’d been staying late. So I was like, how come it’s okay if his job is demanding and makes him stay late but for me that had to mean I was having an affair? Then he was like, why are you working at all if it makes you stressed and tired, I’ll take care of you. and because he was so mad, so insistent, I sort of promised him I’d quit, and then when I didn’t he’d accuse me of having an affair and it’d be the same argument all over again.”
“Didn’t you think, wow, this guy has changed, maybe he's not for me?”
“But he was for me! At first it was just a few fights, and in between total happiness, we were so synced up, he was so sweet and loving. That sweet guy was the real Cameron, the angry Cameron was because of work stress or his illness.”
“Illness?” Abby said quietly.
Angela froze, and Abby saw she’d won.
— Von
It was tricky for Abby not to show her disbelief– that a monster like Cameron could elicit this feeling in anyone. But she kept her face blank and resisted the urge to shudder.
“We’d stay up all night having the best sex, and then just talking, sharing everything. He was so sweet, he just got me. Like nobody else.”
“But that was all a lie,” Abby said, not being able to help herself.
Angela glared at Abby. “Yes, it was all a lie. But he was good. He was so good at making me feel like I was special and amazing. He’d bring me these presents, not just the usual perfume or flowers or whatever, but beautiful antiques, books he thought I’d like, surprise weekend trips to the Caribbean. It was all to make me happy, my happiness was the only thing that mattered.
“When did it change?”
“Maybe after our first fight? It was over something really stupid. He’d planned this nice dinner and I was too stressed and exhausted from work, so I told him I didn't want to go and–and then he just lost it. This was maybe a few weeks I’d moved in with him, so it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go to get away from him. So we screamed at each other for what seemed like hours. He said I was selfish and cheating on him, that it was somebody at work and that was the reason I’d been staying late. So I was like, how come it’s okay if his job is demanding and makes him stay late but for me that had to mean I was having an affair? Then he was like, why are you working at all if it makes you stressed and tired, I’ll take care of you. and because he was so mad, so insistent, I sort of promised him I’d quit, and then when I didn’t he’d accuse me of having an affair and it’d be the same argument all over again.”
“Didn’t you think, wow, this guy has changed, maybe he's not for me?”
“But he was for me! At first it was just a few fights, and in between total happiness, we were so synced up, he was so sweet and loving. That sweet guy was the real Cameron, the angry Cameron was because of work stress or his illness.”
“Illness?” Abby said quietly.
Angela froze, and Abby saw she’d won.
— Von
I got very involved in this story. I wonder what Abby thinks she's "won"? Agreement on a more negative assessment of this Cameron fellow? How does she KNOW he's a monster? Is she Angela's therapist? We don't find out what the "illness" is, either. This needs another chapter. I'm wanting to believe Angela that some of these experiences were beautiful. Obviously, it came to an end, but... ---Macoff
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