005 Claustrophobia

Olivia Taylor suffers from severe claustrophobia. When she was a child, she was kidnapped by a gang, who used her to extort her father for a recipe. She was locked in a sealed container truck for seven whole days.

Ever since those seven days, she had to sleep with a light on every night.

Behind the door was just an ordinary underground storage room, but for her, it was like a terrifying abyss. Unconsciously shaking her head, she bit her lower lip until it turned milk-white and resisted with a whimper, "No... I don't want to go in..."

Tobias Perkins looked deeply into her eyes but remained expressionless, "One hour. If you don't go in, it'll become two hours."

Olivia looked at Tobias in disbelief, feeling even more wronged and heartbroken. Over the years of their marriage, even when she angered him, he would just scold her and let it go. Today, however, he was punishing her because of the little actress.

"Fine, I'll go in." She gently nodded, her tone carrying a sense of resolution. Slowly moving to the doorway, she regretted her decision the moment she placed a foot on the stairs.

Not having time for her emotional concerns, Tobias forcibly opened her hand grasping the doorframe and slammed the basement door shut with a 'bang'.

Darkness instantly invaded her pupils. Olivia curled herself up into a small ball, leaning tightly against the door, refusing to move forward even a step.

Two minutes later, fear crept into her heart. The silence in the enclosed space was broken only by the sound of her own heartbeat, and she tried to break it, "Tobias, please explain to me... Don't leave!"

But there was no echo from outside.

"Tobias, are you still there?"

She waited for nearly a minute, and still, there was silence outside the door. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally cried out in sorrow, "Tobias Perkins, all I did was make your little lover lose face. How much do you like her?!"

When under extreme fear, people often cry like a child. As tears messily covered Olivia's face, Tobias finally opened the door.

The warm yellow light dispelled the darkness, and Olivia, as if regaining light, instantly burrowed into the bedroom sofa. It took her a while to regain her composure.

"Only fifteen minutes." Tobias's eyes showed a trace of mockery. He came closer to her tear-stained face, pinched her delicate chin, and whispered, "I'll let you off this time, but if this ever happens again, I'll make you regret it."

Olivia lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet his gaze. She was filled with humiliation and resentment but had nowhere to vent it.

"Go wash your face and get ready to go out with me. Don't let your father notice anything unusual." Tobias released her, and began to change his clothes with his back towards her.

Olivia glanced at his broad, powerful back and asked softly, "Is it because my father called asking you to bring me back to the old mansion that you let me out early?"

Seeing Tobias buttoning his shirt without answering, Olivia grew even more convinced of her suspicions and snickered, "If it weren't for my father wanting to see me, would you really have locked me up for an hour?"

"Olivia Taylor, I'm warning you not to provoke me any further. If you hadn't smashed my car, how would your father have found out about this!" Tobias's face darkened, and his voice was tinged with anger.

Olivia laughed mockingly, then went to the washroom to clean herself up. When she came out again, her unwanted emotions had disappeared.

"Let's go, or else my father will start worrying." She spoke with a deliberately soft tone.

Tobias's tense lips finally relaxed a bit. He was satisfied with her lowered attitude and, holding her hand, left the room.