Christian stopped the car in front of a small restaurant in an upper scale district that i was unfamiliar with. Christian parked the car then came around to open my door. I could definitely tell that he was trying.

"After you" He said

"Thank you" I said almost mechanically. As i got out of the car and walked with Christian to the front of the restaurant.

Christian opened the front door for me and walked over to the front kiosk to check in for his reservation. Christian never ceased to surprise me. I turned to him.

"You have a reservation" I said a little disgusted "how could you even know if was going to agree to go out with you?"

"I wanted to make sure we got a table i can always cancel it if you refuse" He explained in a calm voice.

The waitress seated Christian and I at a table next to a window. Christian waited til the waitress took our drink orders and left to start the conversation. Christian gave a big sigh as he prepared to explain himself to me.

"Ana, thank you for sitting down and talking with me" Christian started sounding very formal "I've waited so long to talk to you"

"Ok, you can go first" I said motioning for him to start the conversation.

"I can't not put into words how much regret i feel for the pain that i have caused you" He said "I should have listened to you, but i was so angry when you wouldn't co-operate that i was blind to how my lifestyle effected you psychologically and emotionally"

"OK, thank you for acknowledging my feeling" i agreed

"Your welcome" Christian answered with a half smile

"Why exactly are you here?" I said sternly trying to move the conversation along.

"I want to you to know that i am going to treat you with the love and respect that i promised you on our wedding day. I want you to come home so that we can try this again" He explained

"I'm glad that you have come to that realization, but i am not coming home with you. I would also like you to give me my personal bank account back please" I said with a low stern tone

"To be honest i only did that so that you would come home sooner. I thought that without money I didn't count on you leaving and starting a new life in a new city. I'm quite impressed by your ingenuity and perseverance" He explained.

"i really don't care what the reason was. You don't have the right to take that from me" I answered. "I want it back"

"i can have that fixed for you if you like" Christian said.

"Immediately" I said giving him a push

"Immediately" He reiterated.

Christian pulled out his phone getting up from the table and walking over to a quiet corner of the restaurant. He was only on the phone for a few minutes before he came back to the table.

"It's done" He affirmed to me.

"The problem for me, Christian, is that i think that you are just telling what you know i want to here to get me to come back home only to continue to be under your thumb. If you were looking for a woman that did your every bidding. That's not going to be me" I explained to him

"Ana, it's you i need in my life, all those other woman that i was with just fed into my psychologically issues. You were the only one that cared enough to try to heal me. That's why i love you" He said with a tear in his eye.

"Truth is Christian, i was happier working at that hardware store than i ever was being your little trophy wife. As much as i want you to be this normal, healthy guy. I can't be responsibile for fixing you" I said

"Do you really feel that way?" Christian said shocked

"Yes, i do" I said staring intently in to his eyes "You made me feel like a sex puppet, worthless. i felt like a slave in shackles waiting for his master's call. My freedom is worth more than anything that you could ever buy me"

"I've been working on myself. I just want you to give me another chance to make you happy" He pleaded.

"4 months is not enough time to undo all the psychological damage that was done to you in your life time. I think that it's great that you are trying but there's no way you are ready for me to come back" I said feeling the tears start to well up in my eyes.

"No, but it's a start" Christian replied "i'm trying Ana, can't you see that?"

"I do, but I'm not just leaving the life that i started here to go back home with you tomorrow Christian" I stated

"What will it take Ana?" Christian asked

"I'm not saying that i don't want to see you but I am not coming back to live with you" I said making my intentions clear.

"thank you for giving me another chance" Christian said pleased.

"Your a business man" I said "I'll make you a deal"

"Oh! What's your terms" Christian asked curiously.

"We start fresh, from the beginning. Go on date's, get to know each other. NO whips, no chains and no secrets. You continue to go through therapy. I will continue to work on myself. I want to continue to have complete control over my life. I don't want you to buy the business i'm working at. I don't want you to send P.I's into spy on me"I said "No exceptions"

"I can do that" Christian said

"I will seek a divorce if you try to control me again" I said "I hope i'm being clear"

"Crystal" He said with a tight smile.

Christian got the bill and took me back to my house. I told him that i would make arrangements to come back to Seattle, but it would be on my timeline.