The Golden Cage - S01 E02

Story 4 weeks ago

The Golden Cage - S01 E02

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

The Golden Cage

The big day finally arrived for Linda and Frank. It was the day of their graduation from the university. The sun was shining very brightly in the sky. It was a big, yellow ball of fire that made everything look beautiful. Linda felt very happy inside her heart. She wore a long black gown that felt very heavy. She also wore a square hat on her head. Her parents had traveled all the way from their small village to see her. They looked at Linda and cried happy tears. Her father had worked so hard on the farm. His hands were rough and tired, but his eyes were full of joy. Her mother wore her best dress, even though it was old and a little bit faded. They were so proud because their daughter was now a graduate. They thought that their days of being poor were finally over.

Frank was there too. He looked very handsome in his own graduation gown. He stayed close to Linda and held her hand. He told her parents that he would take care of her. He promised them that Linda would never have to worry about money again. Linda felt like she was living in a beautiful dream. She thought Frank was the best person in the whole world. After the ceremony was finished, things started to move very fast. Frank did not have to look for a job like the other students. His father was a very rich man who owned a massive company. This company was in a very tall building in the center of the city. The building was made of shiny glass that looked like a mirror. Frank’s father made Frank the new manager of the company right away.

Suddenly, Frank was a very busy man. He wore expensive suits every day. He had a big office with a soft chair and a large desk. He had many people working under him. While Frank was busy being a manager, Linda started to look for a job. She wanted to use her degree to help her family. She bought a newspaper and looked at all the job ads. She wrote many letters and sent them to different offices. She was ready to work hard. She wanted to earn her own money so she could buy her mother a new stove and her father a soft bed. She wanted to show them that their hard work was not for nothing.

However, Frank did not want Linda to work. One evening, as they sat in a very fancy restaurant, Linda told him about the jobs she was looking for. Frank reached across the table and took her hand. He gave her a very sweet smile. He told her, Linda, you do not need to stress yourself. He told her that she did not need to walk around the city looking for work. He told her that he had enough money for both of them. He said that his job paid him a lot of money and he wanted to give it all to her. He told her that her only job was to be happy and to wait for him. Linda was surprised. She really wanted to work, but Frank made it sound so kind. She thought he was just being very loving and protective.

Frank started to give Linda a lot of money every single month. It was more money than Linda had ever seen in her life. He told her to use the money to buy whatever she wanted. He paid for a very nice place for her to live. He also started to buy many things for her parents back in the village. He sent them new clothes, good food, and even money to fix their small house. Linda’s parents were very grateful. They sent letters to Linda saying how much they loved Frank. They called him a godsend. Because of all this, Linda stopped looking for a job. She felt like she did not have a reason to work anymore. Frank was doing everything for her. She felt very lucky.

But as the days went by, Linda’s life became very quiet. She spent her days in a big, beautiful house with nothing much to do. She would wake up and have a nice breakfast. She would clean the house, even though it was already very clean. Then she would sit and wait for Frank to come home. Sometimes the hours felt very long. She missed the busy days at the university. She missed the feeling of learning new things. She felt like a little bird in a cage. The cage was made of gold and it was very pretty, but it was still a cage. She was waiting for Frank to come and open the door every evening. She thought this was what love was supposed to feel like. She thought life was perfect because she had no more money problems.

One sunny afternoon, Linda felt very happy. She decided to do something special for Frank. She knew he worked very hard at his massive company. She wanted to surprise him with a delicious lunch. She went to the market and bought the freshest vegetables and the best meat. She went back home and cooked a very special meal. The kitchen smelled wonderful. She packed the food into a nice lunch box. she dressed up in a pretty yellow dress that Frank had bought for her. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She wanted to see the look on Frank’s face when she walked into his office with a surprise.

Linda took a taxi to the big city center. She looked up at the tall glass building where Frank worked. It looked so grand. She walked inside and the air was cool because of the air conditioners. The floor was so shiny that she could see her own reflection. She walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. Her heart was beating with excitement. She imagined Frank giving her a big hug and telling her how much he missed her. She thought about how they would sit together and eat the lunch she had made with so much love.

When the elevator door opened, Linda walked down the long hallway. The carpet was thick and soft under her feet. She passed many people who were busy working on their computers. She finally reached the big wooden door that had Frank’s name on it. It said, Frank, General Manager. Linda smiled and reached for the door handle. She was about to turn it and walk in with a big surprise. But just as her fingers touched the cold metal of the handle, she heard a sound from inside the office. It was the sound of a woman laughing very loudly.

Linda stopped. She felt a little bit confused. She did not know Frank was having a meeting with a woman. She stayed very still and listened. The woman’s laugh was very sharp and clear. Then, she heard Frank’s voice. He was not speaking in the serious voice he used for work. He was not speaking in the sweet voice he used when he talked to Linda. He sounded different. He sounded like he was having a lot of fun. Linda felt a cold shiver go down her back. She leaned closer to the door so she could hear better.

She heard the woman speak. The woman said, Frank, you are so funny. But what about that girl? What about Linda? Does she not expect you to be home early? Linda held her breath. She waited to hear what Frank would say. She expected him to say that he loved Linda and that he was going to marry her. She expected him to say that Linda was the most important person in his life. But that is not what happened.

Frank laughed too. It was a cold laugh that Linda had never heard before. Then, Frank said something that made her blood run cold. He said, do not worry about her. She is just a village girl. I only have her around because she is pretty to look at. Frank continued speaking and his words felt like sharp knives. He said, she is not like you. You are smart and sophisticated. You are the one I truly want. Linda felt like she could not breathe. The lunch box in her hand felt very heavy. Her heart, which had been so full of hope and love, felt like it was breaking into a million little pieces.

She stood there behind the door, frozen like a statue. The hallway was very quiet, but the words were screaming in her head. A village girl. Just something pretty to look at. The man she loved, the man her parents trusted, was saying these terrible things about her. Linda felt a deep pain in her chest. She realized that the golden cage was not built out of love. It was built out of lies. She looked at the door handle and then at the lunch she had cooked. Everything felt wrong. The suspense was so heavy that she felt like she might fall down right there on the soft carpet. She was standing at the edge of a great secret, and the truth was much scarier than she ever imagined.

How do you think Linda felt when she heard Frank call her just a village girl?

Why do you think Frank is pretending to love Linda while telling another woman she is the one he wants?

Should Linda walk into the office and confront Frank right now, or should she leave quietly?

Who do you think the woman laughing inside the office is?

Do you think Linda’s parents will believe her if she tells them what she heard?

The golden dream has turned into a nightmare! What will Linda do now that she knows the truth about Frank? You cannot afford to miss the next part of this story. The drama is just beginning, and the secrets are getting deeper.