BENEATH THE GOLD
Chapter 6: Cracks in the Foundation
The days blurred together, one silent meal after another, one careful step after another.
Kate became an expert at reading Dominic’s moods—the tightening of his jaw, the way his hand lingered too long on the glass of whiskey, the sharpness in his smile.
It was like living next to a sleeping volcano. Every smile could be a warning. Every compliment could turn into a slap.
But outside their home, Kate wore the mask of the perfect wife. She laughed at dinner parties, nodded obediently at his side, and accepted compliments about how lucky she was to have such a “powerful, successful husband.”
If only they knew.
One evening, after a long charity event where Kate had smiled until her face hurt, Dominic drove them home in silence. His hand gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“You embarrassed me tonight,” he said finally, voice low and sharp.
Kate flinched. “How?”
“You spoke when you shouldn’t have. You corrected me about the foundation’s budget—*in front of my partners.*”
Her stomach twisted. It had been an innocent correction—barely a few words. She hadn’t even realized it had bothered him.
“I’m sorry, Dominic. I didn’t mean—”
His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist roughly. Even though his eyes stayed on the road, his grip tightened, cutting into her skin.
“Learn your place,” he hissed.
When they got home, he pulled her roughly inside, threw her against the wall.
It wasn’t a slap this time. It was his fists—careful, strategic, aimed at places clothes could cover.
Kate didn’t scream. She didn’t fight. She simply took it, bracing herself against the cold wall, waiting for it to be over.
When he finally walked away, slamming the door to his study, Kate slid down the wall onto the floor, her body aching, her soul even more battered. She cried bitterly.
Later, lying in bed alone, she whispered to herself, “This is not love. This is not love.”
The next morning, she covered the bruises with makeup and long sleeves. She smiled at the housekeepers, played the role of the happy wife.
But inside, every quiet tear, every silent scream swallowed back into her chest, Kate’s strength began to grow—not loudly, not all at once but like a tiny seed breaking through frozen ground. She knew she could not endure the pain forever.
Days later, another incident broke the fragile peace.
Kate had been reading a novel in the living room, something she hadn’t done in months. When Dominic saw her laughing softly at a page, his expression darkened.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, looming over her.
“Just a book,” she said carefully, trying to gauge his mood.
He yanked the book from her hands, glancing at the title. Without a word, he ripped it in half.
“Waste of time,” he muttered.
Kate bit her tongue so hard and it was not because she feared that he would slap her again but because, for the first time, she wanted to scream at him. To fight back but she couldn’t.
That night, after he fell asleep, Kate crept into the kitchen. Her wrist still ached from the last time he grabbed her.
She didn’t make a sound.
But she opened her laptop, turned the screen brightness down, and typed a single sentence into the search bar:
“How to leave an abusive marriage safely.”
It was the first act of rebellion she had allowed herself. And it would not be the last.
As the house lay silent around her, Kate wiped her tears away and whispered again:
“I will survive.”
Question
1. Was Kate able to learn how to read Dominic’s mood?
2. What incident after the charity event triggers Dominic’s violent outburst?
3. Describe how Kate hide her bruises at home.
4. What did Dominic do to Kate’s book?
5. What is the first step Kate takes toward planning her escape?
Vocabulary Guide
1. Volcano (used metaphorically)
Meaning: A dangerous situation that could explode at any moment.
Example: “It was like living next to a sleeping volcano.”
2. Looming: Appearing large and threatening.
Example: “What’s so funny?” he asked, looming over her.
3. Rebellion: An act of resistance or defiance.
Example: “It was a small act of rebellion, claiming a piece of herself.”
4. Battered: Injured by repeated blows or abuse.
Example: “Her body aching, her soul even more battered.”
5. Defiance: Open resistance or bold disobedience.
Example: Kate’s laughter at the book is a small act of defiance.