On the outside, the Johnsons led what many would describe as a perfect life. Michael, the husband, was a man many admired. He was handsome and very successful, providing for his wife Emily and their daughter Sophia.
But behind closed doors, it was a completely different story.
That morning, Michael took a three-day business trip. Before leaving, he handed Emily $100 bill. “Household money for three days. Keep receipts. I’ll review them when I return,” he said and slammed the door.
Emily was a stay-at-home mom who never really went out. Her whole life revolved around her family and keeping the house clean.
That evening, at 9 pm sharp, Michael called home. “Where are you?” he asked Emily.
“At home, going over Sophia’s homework,” she said with a shaky voice.
“Prove it. Send me a photo. Now.”
Emily did as asked, while her daughter looked at her with pity, because this wasn’t the first time Michael to be asking for proof about everything Emily did, nor it seems it would be the last.
At 2 am, Emily was woken up by her phone. It was Michael. He called her minutes before that, but she didn’t hear the phone ringing right away.
“Why so late?” he asked angrily. “I’m sorry, I was sleeping,” Emily whispered.
“Write a five-hundred-word apology. Email it. Explain your delay and promise to improve,” Michael demanded before he cut the conversation short.
And right then and there, in the dark, Emily started typing a letter of apology because she didn’t pick the phone on the first ring.
A faint voice drifted from the other side of the room: “Mom? Are you okay?” Sophia was awake, watching.
“I’m fine,” Emily answered. “Dad’s just concerned.”
She tried to convince herself it was love, yet the thought felt hollow, bitter.
After some time, she finished the letter in which she explained that she deeply regretted her slow response, with a promise to strive to be more vigilant…
Wednesday night, Michael called again, demanding the house and his study be spotless when he arrived.
When the call ended, Emily trembled. Was it the misplaced receipt? Her delayed response? Just yesterday, she had knocked a pen off his desk. He would notice. He always noticed.
The following morning, there was a knock on the door, but it wasn’t Michael but two officers.
“This can’t be right,” Emily whispered.
One shook his head. “Your daughter reached out.”
It was then that Sophia stepped forward with tears in her eyes. “Mom,” she whispered, trembling, “I need to tell you something…”
“Oh, Sophia, what did you do?” Emily asked, obviously scared of the outcome of the situation.
“Your daughter has reported severe domestic control and emotional abuse. We need to investigate.”
“Domestic… abuse? No!” Emily said automatically. “Michael’s a wonderful man—”
“Mom, don’t lie,” Sophia pleaded. “I hear everything—the calls at night, the money, how he tracks you. I know.”
Sophia even handed the officers an envelope with a bunch of evidence that showed just how manipulative her father was towards her mother. There were photos, screenshots, audio files, evidence of tracking devices. It was all there.
At that moment, Michael returned. “What’s the problem officers,” he asked.
“You are under arrest for emotional abuse,” the officer said, apprehending Michael.
“Emily,” he said, “tell them this is a misunderstanding. We’re a loving couple.”
Emily hesitated because she was afraid, but then her daughter encouraged her to tell the truth. “No,” she said. “This is not love. You don’t control someone you love.”
Sophia felt relieved. “Mom, thank you for standing up for yourself,” she said as tears rolled down her eyes. “Now we can finally be happy.”
The word about Michael’s behavior spread, and Emily and Sophia received the much-needed help.
They could finally start their lives over, without Michael in their lives.
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Bored Dadddy
Love and Peace
