hey there viewers before we dive into this unsettling story I've got a question what's your go-to comfort meal
drop it in the comments after hearing what Diddy's former Chef has to say about her time in that kitchen you might
never look at Food the same way again let's get into it chapter 1 the dish I can never forget
the kitchen was too quiet it wasn't supposed to be even at this hour hour there should have been the low hum of
voices the clatter of pans the occasional burst of laughter or frustration from the other Cooks but
tonight just silence the kind that sat in my chest like a weight the only sound
was the steady rhythm of my knife Against The Cutting Board chop chop chop
I wasn't even thinking about what I was dicing anymore my hands moved on their own muscle memory taking
over my mind though wasn't here it was on the bag sitting on the counter in
front of me vacuum sealed unlabeled cold as a corpse I had prepped a thousand
meals in my life I knew my cuts of meat inside and out but when I reached for
this one something in my gut Twisted it wasn't the size or the color though now
that I looked at it the color was a little off it was something deeper than
that an instinct the kind that makes you stop before stepping into traffic I
hesitated turning the bag over in my hands no supplier stamp no date just
plastic wrapped flesh as Anonymous as a missing person's report I glanced across
the kitchen the only other person working this shift was Lise an older Chef who had been here longer than me he
kept his head down moving like a man who had learned the hard way that Curiosity was a
mistake I cleared my throat Louise what is this his hands stilled over the stove
top he didn't look at me just muttered just cook it I opened my mouth to push
but then I felt it the presence behind me not just anyone him my breath hitched I didn't
turn around right away I didn't have to I felt him before I saw him the way the
air shifted thickened the way my pulse jumped and my throat suddenly felt too
tight I turned keeping my movements careful controlled Diddy stood just inside the
doorway leaning against the frame like he had all the time in the world dressed
in silk gold dripping from his wrists eyes locked on me watching I swallowed
hard forcing my face to stay neutral don't react don't ask don't let
him see I reached for the knife again the handle was was slick in my palm I
shouldn't have been sweating but my skin was damp my pulse too loud in my ears I
set to work cutting neat even slices out of the corner of my eye I saw
a diddy smirk you getting the hang of it he said I didn't respond just kept
cutting kept cooking kept pretending the feeling of wrongness sat
heavy in my chest but I did what I always did I pushed it down I had gotten
good at that by the time the dish was ready the dining room was full I carried
the plate out myself normally the servers handled this part but not for these guests not for the ones who wanted
the real experience the table was dimly lit the air thick with cigar smoke and something
else something decadent Primal laughter rippled through the room
but it wasn't warm it was sharp knowing I set the plate down in front of the man
at the head of the table he looked at me then at the dish then back at me perfect
my stomach Twisted I stepped back hands folded neatly in front of me trying not to look
at what they were eating trying not to notice how the juices stained the white plate in a way that looked too much like
no don't go there I focused on the wall behind them on the glint of the
chandelier the pattern in the tablecloth anything but the way they were slicing into the meat then one of the men some
industry guy I recognized from the news laughed and nudged Diddy you really know
how to pick him Diddy just smiled I swallowed against a bile rising in my
throat later that night after the dishes were cleared I stood over the trash bin
in the back kitchen staring down at the scraps left behind a half-eaten cut a NW
bone the tip of my tongue burned with questions I couldn't ask then I saw it a
fragment stuck to the edge of a plate tiny a na not a claw not cartilage a
fingernail I clamped a hand over my mouth my vision blurred at the edges my
stomach rolled I barely made it to the sink before I heaved up everything I had eaten that day I splashed cold water on
my face breathed swallowed rip the door swung open behind me Louise
his expression was unreadable but his voice was flat you should stop thinking
so much I gripped the edge of the sink oose what the [ __ ] is going on here my
voice came out Horse He exhaled long and slow then
quietly you don't want to know I stared at him I did want to know I need needed
to know but I also knew that if I pushed too hard if I asked the wrong question I
might not like the answer I walked out of the kitchen in a days the hallways of the estate felt too long too cold I
wasn't always like this it wasn't always this person the kind who looked the
other way who pretended not to notice who kept cooking even when everything in her body told her to stop but I couldn't
remember the last time I felt like myself I wasn't alinaa anymore just a pair of
hands cooking meals I didn't understand for men I didn't trust in a house I
couldn't leave and now I had seen too much I pressed my fingers to my temples
trying to force away the headache pounding behind my eyes my shift was over I could go home now rest sleep
forget but I knew deep down I wasn't going to sleep tonight chapter 2 how I
am ended up here a year ago I never would have imagined myself in this position standing in a dimly lit kitchen
staring at scraps of food I didn't understand my stomach twisting with the kind of fear that seeps into your bones
back then I was just another desperate Chef in a city where Talent wasn't enough I had been working at a boutique
restaurant in Downtown LA the kind that got featured in Trendy food blogs but
barely paid its staff enough to make rent the kind of place where we plated meals like art pieces but couldn't
afford a meal ourselves I was drowning the hours were brutal the tips non-existent and my boss
well he made it clear that if I wasn't willing to put in the work there were a hundred other chefs ready to take my
place then one night after another 16-hour shift that left my hands
blistered and my feet aching I got a call an offer private Chef position high-profile
client pays six figures I thought it was a joke no one made that kind of money in
private catering unless they were cooking for royalty but the recruiter was dead serious it's a confidential
Arrangement he only hires the best are you interested I should have asked more
questions I should have wondered why they were so eager to hire someone without an interview but I was tired
exhausted of barely scraping by of living off coffee and hope of chasing a
dream that didn't love me back so I said yes signed the contract without reading
the fine print and just like that I went from scraping burnt saw off plates in a
cramped kitchen to stepping into a world that didn't feel real Diddy's estate was
something out of a magazine spread marble floors crystal chandeliers a
kitchen bigger than my entire apartment everything pristine cold almost
surgical I was introduced to the staff housekeepers security assistants no one
looked at me too long there were rules I was to be available at all hours I was
not to speak unless spoken to I was never to ask questions just focus on the food the
estate director told me that's all you need to worry about but even in those first few days I felt it something was
wrong it started small the way people avoided eye contact when I asked about
the chef before me how one of the housekeepers quit suddenly on my second
night just walked out in the middle of dinner service and never came back no
one spoke about her after that and did he himself I had cooked for celebrities
before but he was different not just because of the money or the power it was
the way people moved around him like a storm was always Brewing like they were
waiting for something to snap I remember my first real interaction with him I had
spent hours preparing a meal for his guests some music industry guys a couple
of models the usual scene I plated everything perfectly presentation was
Flawless then he took one bite and spit it out the [ __ ] is this I froze did you
even taste this before you sent it out his voice was low dangerous the plate shattered against
the floor he had thrown it the room went dead silent then he just laughed relax
I'm just [ __ ] with you the tension broke the guests chuckled conversation
resumed but I stood there my hands shaking I understood then this wasn't
about the food it was about control I should have quit
I should have walked away that night but I didn't because the pay was too good
because I told myself it was just a job a means to an end because I thought how
bad could it be but then the real red flags started one night I was called in
after hours to prepare a special meal just for the boss one of his
assistants told me he wants something different tonight the ingredients were
already waiting for me I didn't recognize the meat it was unlabeled
vacuum sealed I asked where it came from the kitchen staff pretended not to hear
me and then there was the freezer we had two one for regular ingredients and one
that was always locked I wasn't allowed to touch it wasn't allowed to ask about
it but I saw things a guest some industry guy already half drunk smirking
at me one night as I plated his food you don't want to know what's in
that a joke but the way he said it the way he looked at me made my skin crawl I
told myself I was being paranoid that this was just how rich people lived
excess secrecy Indulgence but the feeling wouldn't leave that chill in my spine the way
Diddy watched me too closely whenever I worked with the special ingredients the
way staff members disappeared overnight no goodbyes no explanations in the
moment I asked questions he can't handle it maybe this isn't the job for you
awarding a promise I should have listened but by the time I realized the
truth it was already too late I wasn't just a chef as a prisoner chapter 3 the
rules of the kitchen there were rules in Diddy's kitchen but no one had to write them down
they weren't listed on a clipboard or taped to the wall next to food safety guidelines they weren't spoken aloud
either you just learned them fast because if you didn't you didn't last
rule number one never ask where the ingredients come from most kitchens even
in high-end restaurants have a supply chain there's a routine a shipment schedule deliveries from vendors
invoices that track everything down to the last sprig of roses Mary not here at the estate deliveries
came at Night Never through the main entrance never handled by the usual
staff they were brought in through a separate locked loading dock carried by men in dark uniforms who never spoke a
word the boxes were unmarked no stamps from Distributors no invoices the first
time I saw them I assumed it was a security thing maybe did he only bought from private Farms Elite butchers some
celebrities were extreme about sourcing food only eating grass-fed hand massaged
hormone free whatever but when I asked Lis about it his face darkened you don't
want to know that was always the answer the second time I asked I was more
direct is it illegal Louise didn't look at me didn't answer just went back to
chopping onions like I wasn't even there rule number two some meals are prepared
in complete secrecy the kitchen ran two different operations most of the time I
was making high-end dishes for guests lavish spreads extravagant plates of
food meant for Instagram and Luxury magazine spreads but then there were the
special meals they had their own set of rules no substitutions and no changes no
deviations the ingredients were always prepackaged and pre-portioned the
process was different no other meals were allowed to be cooked in the kitchen at the same time the dish was served in
private away from the rest of the guests and most importantly we were never under
any circumstances allowed to taste it that last rule never made sense to me
tasting was the foundation of good cooking it was how you adjusted seasoning balanced
flavors why make a rule like that why was every Chef who had been here longer
than me so strict about it one night after a long shift I made a joke about
sneaking a bite of one of the special plates before sending it out Louise always calm always steady whipped around
so fast I flinched well I asked forcing a laugh
but something about his expression made the sound die in my throaty he didn't explain didn't have to
rule number three no one eats unless Diddy says so it wasn't just the special meals that had
rules it was all of them I had worked under controlling chefs before most of
them were egotistical territorial some like to yell throw things berate staff
to feel powerful did he this was something different he didn't just run his kitchen
he owned it every bite of food belonged to him first the first time I tried to
taste test a sauce a security guard stepped into the kitchen seemingly out of nowhere he wasn't looking at me but
his voice was firm it's not for you he froze excuse me he didn't repeat himself
just stood there arms crossed watching I set the spoon down and kept cooking rule
number four he can do whatever he wants to you that rule wasn't about the food
it was about us one night after a long dinner service I was wiping down the
counters ready to go home when an assistant walked in the boss wants a meal now I glanced at the clock it was
almost 3:00 a.m. no choice I started prepping when I
brought the tray to his room I knew something was off immediately the door was slightly open inside Diddy was lying
on the bed naked a woman someone didn't recognize was
curled against him half asleep he didn't move didn't bother to cover himself just
put it down I swallowed hard and placed the tray on the table I turned to leave
you ever seen a body like this his voice was lazy amused I kept walking as no huh
I bit my tongue focused on the door imp you like it though I didn't answer
didn't react it didn't stop moving until I was back in the kitchen hands trembling no one asked what happened no
one needed to the next morning I went to the estate director's office I had never
complained before never pushed back but I couldn't let that happen again so I
stood in front of her desk hard pounding trying to find the right words I
swallowed I don't feel comfortable being sent to his room like that she watched
me expression unreadable then she leaned back in her chair VI can't handle it you
can leave I felt my stomach drop I but I promise you won't find work again she
said it like she wasn't making a threat like she was just telling me the truth I left her office I went back to work I
didn't bring it up again the rules weren't just rules they were cage is the kind you
only noticed once the door was locked and by the time I realized what I was
trapped in it was too late chapter 4 the meat the first time I questioned an
ingredient they made me feel like I was imagining things it had been another long night
one of those shifts that blurred into the others the kitchen was quiet save for the low hum of the fridge
compressors and the steady chopping of knives against cutting board boards I was prepping the protein for a special
dish when something made me pause the cut of meat in front of me was wrong I
had worked with every protein imaginable beef pork lamb ve even exotic
meats like elk and bison but this this wasn't any of those it was a strange
unnatural color the marbling didn't look right the fibers ran in an usual
Direction firmer than they should have been even the smell was different subtle but off I frowned turning the cut over
in my hands Luise what is this Luise had been here longer than me he was a good
Chef not overly chatty but solid I trusted him more than anyone else in
this place at my question his knife hesitated midair for just a second just
long enough for me to notice then he kept slicing like he hadn't heard me he
asked again Louis this isn't beef he finally looked up his face was
unreadable but his eyes held something cold beef beef no it's not hook it like
beef I shook my head frustration bubbling up where does it come from
Louise let out a slow breath and set his knife down you don't ask those kinds of questions here that made my stomach
tighten Louise what the hell am I cooking his face hardened just cook it
before I could argue I felt it a presence I turned my head slightly and
there he was Diddy standing in the doorway watching a slow smirk stretched
across his face like he had been listening the whole time you're getting the hang of it he murmured then he
turned and walked away leaving me standing there pulse pounding I should
have let it go I didn't I started paying it attention after that not just to the
meat but to everything the deliveries were never normal no regular suppliers
no invoices no brand labels on the vacuum sealed packages one night while
serving guests I overheard a conversation a man someone high-profile
laughed as he cut into his steak you sure this is legal another guest chuckled shaking his head you think she
knows I was standing right there I for a smile pretending I hadn't heard a thing
Diddy smirked at me from across the table a private joke I wasn't in on I
started losing sleep no matter how hard I scrubbed the smell of the kitchen
stuck to my hands not butter or garlic something else something metallic I told
myself I was overthinking that I was just exhausted that I had let a passing
comment get under my skin but the unease kept growing then one night I found something that
made it impossible to ignore it was late I was taking out the trash after service
dragging a bag heavy with scraps as I tied it shut something sharp poked
through the plastic I sighed thinking it was a rib bone from a steak I reached in
and pulled it out and froze it wasn't from an animal
it was small but unmistakable a fragment of human bom I dropped the bag
immediately it split open spilling out discarded scraps chunks of meat pieces
of Flesh still slick with blood my stomach lurched violently Louise was
standing nearby smoking a cigarette he saw the look on my face before he saw
the trash then his expression changed I looked at him my hands
shaking Louise go inside his voice was quiet but sharp I didn't
move I was still staring at the exposed scraps at the jagged edge of the bone
sticking out from the mess it wasn't paranoid it wasn't just
some weird meat supplier I had been cooking it serving it feeding it to
people Louise crossed the distance between us in two strides and grabbed my
wrist his grip was like iron forget you saw anything I opened my mouth but no
words came out forget he repeated his voice desperate now I couldn't breathe my vision blurred
at the edges Louise is this shut up his grip tightened don't say it don't even
think it go inside now I stumbled backward my legs moving before my brain
could catch up I didn't even realize I was walking until I was back in the kitchen hands still trembling my breath
ragged I felt contaminated I scrubbed my hands raw in the sink until my skin
split open the smell wouldn't leave I could still see it in my mind the meat
the bone the truth I had spent months ignoring no one had to tell me I knew I
knew I didn't sleep that night every time I closed my eyes I saw the fragment
of bone every time I inhaled I could smell the trash the metallic Tang of
something too sickening to ignore I had to know the truth I needed to see it
with my own eyes but a feeling settled deep in my gut a horrible inescapable
certainty Because deep down I already knew and once I saw it I could never
unsee it chapter 5 the freezer door should have stayed shut I should have
left it alone I should have gone home that night locked the door behind me and pretended I never saw anything pretended
that my hands weren't stained with something I couldn't wash off but I
couldn't not after what I found in the trash not after the sickening
realization that I had been cooking something that should never be food I
needed proof I needed to see it and that meant breaking the most important rule
in Diddy's kitchen it was past 2:00 a.m. when I made my move the estate was quiet it
except for the occasional sound of security radios crackling through the halls I had learned the shifts by now
knew the blind spots knew when the guards took their smoke breakes outside
I slipped out of my room moving fast and Silent down the dimly lit corridors when
I reached the kitchen doors my heart was pounding so hard I thought I'd pass out
I exhaled bracing myself then pushed inside the kitchen felt different at
night CER the stainless steel countertops gleamed under the dim overhead lights the air was stale heavy
with the scent of raw ingredients that hadn't been stored away properly but my
focus was on the freezer the one I had never been allowed to open I moved
quickly reaching the heavy steel door it was padlocked but I had seen the suf unlock it before a combination lock four
digits I knew how Diddy operated he wasn't creative he liked control and
control meant using numbers that mattered to him I tried his birth year first nothing
I tried the year he founded Bad Boy Records still nothing then I thought
about the one thing he never let go of biggie I punched in
1,972 the lock clicked open my stomach clenched but I didn't let myself stop I
had come too far I gri the handle and pulled a burst of freezing air hit me so
cold it burned the inside of the freezer was massive bigger than I expected lined
with steel shelves stacked with unmarked vacuum sealed bags I stepped inside the frost covered
floor crunched beneath my shoes as I moved deeper my breath fogged in front
of me I grabbed one of the bags at random holding it up to the dim light it
looked like regular meat at first glance but now that I was really looking really
searching for the truth I could see the details I had ignored before the striations weren't right the
color had a grayish tint I turned the bag over pressing my fingers into it the
texture sent a wave of nausea rolling through me the meat was too smooth in some places too fibrous in others I
dropped it onto the steel table in front of me and reached for another and another every bag was the same unmarked
unnatural wrong my hands shook as I reached for one more a larger package
stored on the bottom shelf it was half Frozen the condensation beating against the plastic I grabbed it but as I lifted
it the seal split open and something spilled onto the table a staggered back
the package had contained a severed hand the fingers were curled slightly frozen
solid the nails still intact a wedding ring glinted under the fluorescent light
I couldn't breathe I grabbed the table for support the room spinning violently
around me my vision tunneled this wasn't paranoid this wasn't just some
disturbing joke this was real I had been cooking people then I heard it footsteps
slow measured coming from behind me a voice voice followed smooth and dripping
with Amusement the blood in my veins turned to ice I turned my entire body locked up
with fear Diddy stood just inside the freezer blocking the exit he was smiling
that same infuriating smirk he always had like he was two steps ahead of everyone in the room my body screamed at
me to move to run to fight to do anything but I couldn't I was frozen
just like the severed hand resting on the table beside me did he took a step
closer I was wondering when you'd figure it out he said his tone casual like we
were discussing the weather my stomach rolled violently I wanted to throw up I
wanted to disappear his eyes flicked to the open bag to the hand resting on the
steel Shame about that he mused that one had potential my pulse slammed against
my go what the [ __ ] is wrong with you I choked out his smirk didn't falter
nothing what's wrong with you I felt dizzy the freezer felt smaller like the
walls were closing in Diddy tilted his head watching me like I was an animal
trapped in a cage you're shaking he noted why you've been cooking it all
this time you never had a problem before I backed up instinctively but there was nowhere to
go you want to leave Diddy asked his voice still light almost teasing go
ahead walk out that door but let me ask you something first his expression
darkened where exactly do you think you're going to go I swallowed my throat
painfully dry you think you can just walk away his voice dropped his
Amusement turning razor sharp that's not how this works I glanced at the doorway
the only exit but he was standing in front of it there was no way past him no way out my skin
prickled with Terror as I realized I had seen too much and now I wasn't sure I
would ever make it out of this kitchen alive chapter 6 trapped in the kitchen of horror Diddy didn't move he just
stood there blocking the only exit the cold air swirling around us like it had
a presence of its own the severed hand still sat on the steel prep table
between us its frozen fingers curled like it had been reaching for something in its final moments I couldn't breathe
my thoughts raced in circles colliding into each other this was it he was going
to kill me but did he just laughed a slow low chuckle like my Terror was the
funniest thing he had seen all night you look like you're going to pass out he said shaking his head relax
relax I wanted to scream to run to fight but my body wasn't cooperating Diddy
stepped forward picking up the severed hand with casual ease like it was nothing more than a misplaced ingredient
he examined it then tossed it into a bin beneath the table wiping his hands on a pristine linen napkin you're not the
first chef to find out his voice was calm almost conversational but none of them have ever Ted my stomach clenched
what happened to them another smirk another long calculating pause does it
matter I felt my knees weak and my entire body screaming at me to get out
get out get out didd he must have seen it in my face because he sighed like I
was some dramatic child throwing a tantrum you need to breathe girl he ran
a hand over his beard shaking his head think about it what are you going to do
huh go to the cops he let out another laugh deeper this time what are you
going to tell them that sha Colmes is serving human flesh at dinner parties I swallowed hard people disappear all the
time he continued his voice dropping accidents happen careers get ruined
families suffer my blood ran cold he was talking about me about what would happen
if I didn't shut up you're smart he said adjusting his watch so let's be smart
about this go back to work keep your head down and this he gestured vaguely
around us this never happened then he stepped aside the door was open it could
walk out I should walk out but I knew what this was test if I ran if I
screamed if I did anything but nod and accept what I had just seen I wouldn't make it out of this estate I forced my
legs to move to walk not run past him his eyes followed me all the way to the
door I didn't breathe until I was out of the freezer I didn't feel anything until
I was locked in my room sitting on the edge of my bed my hands still trembling
I should have left I should have packed a bag and gotten as far away from this place as possible but the second I
reached for my phone I remembered his words people disappear all the time and
and suddenly I wasn't just afraid for myself I was afraid for my family the
next morning I tried to act normal tried to pretend that I hadn't seen the worst thing imaginable but
everything had changed the kitchen felt different the staff wouldn't look at me
Luis who had always been the closest thing I had to an ally refused to meet my
eyes when I asked a housekeeper for extra towels she flinched like I had a
Target painted on my back they knew they knew what I had seen and now I wasn't
just another employee I was a liability I started watching my back every move I
made felt monitored every call I tried to make clicked suspiciously like
someone was listening I tested it once dialing my mother's number waiting for
the ring it never connected instead I got a call back from a non no number I
hesitated before answering silence then a voice calm slow deliberate you should
focus on your work the line went dead I stared at the screen my stomach in knots
I tried again the next day this time I called my sister same thing locked
intercepted I was cut off trapped a week passed I didn't sleep didn't eat much
either every plate of food felt like it was taunting me the thought of what I
had been cooking what I had been feeding to people made my stomach churn but I kept my head down I acted
like nothing had changed because I was waiting watching looking for an opening
then one night I overheard something that turned my fear into fullblown panic
I had finished plating the last dish of the night and was wiping down the counters when I heard voices coming from
the hallway outside the kitchen low Diddy and one of his assistance I don't
like how she's acting the assistant said you'll get over it Diddy replied but
pause and if she doesn't another pause then Diddy let out a long thoughtful hum
might be time for a new shelf I stopped breathing they weren't talking about
hiring someone they were talking about replacing me and I had a sickening
feeling I wasn't just going to be fired I was disposable just like the others
before me just like whoever that hand in the freezer had belonged to my heart
pounded so hard I thought it would give me away I turned back to the counter forcing my hands to keep scrubbing keep
moving keep looking normal but inside I was already planning
my Escape because if I didn't leave now I never would chapter 7 the escape plan
for the next 3 days I played my part I kept my head down in the kitchen I
smiled when spoken to I responded with yes chef and of course Mr coms like I
had before but inside I was unraveling I barely slept barely ate every second of
every day was spent calculating watching for blind spots mapping out an exit
timing the guards there were cameras everywhere security checkpoints key cards needed for the gates Diddy's
estate wasn't just a mansion it was a fortress it was a market I knew one
thing for sure I couldn't just walk out the front door but I had one shot the
party Diddy's private parties were legendary they were the kind of events
people whispered about where the guest list included politicians musicians actors people with real power
the kitchen was always in chaos during these nights food being rushed out trays
constantly moving weight staff coming and going security was still tight but it was the only time people weren't
paying close attention if I was going to disappear it had to be tonight the night of the party
I felt like I was suffocating in my own skin the kitchen was hot the smell of
butter and seared meat thick in the air laughter and music spilled in from the dining room but I couldn't hear any of
it over the pounding in my head I went through my motions plating
food wiping counters pretending my bag was already hidden in the Supply Closet
only the essentials a change of clothes my ID some cash I had one shot one window at 11:42
p.m. I made my move I slipped out through the service hallway where the
caterers took their smoke breakes one of the waiters some guy I barely knew was
leaning against the wall scrolling through his phone he barely looked up as I
passed I walked fast but didn't run running gets you noticed the kitchen
doors swung shut behind me I stepped outside cool air hit my face for the
first time in months I felt like I could breathe I had timed everything down to
the minute the ride share was was already waiting at the bottom of the long winding driveway far enough from
the estate that security wouldn't notice I just had to get there I took a path
through the trees the same one the Caterers sometimes use to take their breakes without being seen a shortcut I
moved fast my heart was hammering every step felt too loud when I reached the
road I saw at the car headlights cutting through the dark I yanked open the door
and slid inside go my voice shook now the driver some guy in his 20s probably
just trying to make a few bucks glanced at me in the rearview mirror but didn't ask
questions the car pulled away the estate disappeared behind us and I exhaled I
was free or so I thought I went straight to a lawyer I told them everything they
listened their face unreadable nodding and in all the right places when I
finished they sat back fingers tapping against the desk you have physical
evidence I hesitated I I saw it I know what I saw
but do you have proof the question hit me like a slap had nothing no photos no
recordings just my word against his and everyone knew how that would end I could
see it in the lawyer's face before they even said it I can't take this case my
stomach dropped when not they sighed because you're going up against
someone with more power more lawyers and more money than you can imagine even if you had evidence real evidence it
wouldn't matter he'd bury it and you the
words felt like a prison door slamming shut I had risked everything to escape
for what I walked out of that office shap it wasn't free I never had been I tried
a journalist next a well-known investigative reporter someone who had exposed Hollywood corruption before they
were interested until they found out who I was accusing then the calls stopped emails
went unanswered I was being ghosted or Worse
3 Days Later Diddy's lawyers found me I was staying in a cheap motel under a
fake name but they still found me a knock at the door a man in a perfectly
tailored suit standing there like he already owned me you've caused quite the
mess he said smoothly stepping inside without being invited he placed an
envelope on the table this should fix it I didn't touch it what is that a
solution I didn't open it didn't need to I already knew what was inside money
push money money take it he said sign the NDA walk away you don't want this
fight I felt sick I looked at the envelope then at him and if I say no the
lawyer sighed like I was a child refusing to eat my vegetables then this gets messy I
refused I threw the envelope back at him his face didn't change you suit yourself
he stood adjusted his cuffs and walked out like he had already won and in a way he had because the
threats started that night my phone buzzed at 3:00 a.m. an
unknown number I picked up silence then a voice you should have taken the money
the line went dead a black SUV sat parked across the street from my motel
the next morning it wasn't there when I checked in he didn't leave all day I
knew I was being watched followed didd he had let me run but now he was making
it clear I wasn't free I never would be because the real terror wasn't just
escaping it was living with the truth afterward chapter 8 the truth that can't
be told I thought escaping was the hard part I thought that once I left once I
got away from him from that house from that kitchen I would be free I was wrong
because you don't just leave Diddy's world you don't walk away and get to live a normal life not when you've seen
what I've seen not when you know what I know I spent the first few weeks running
moving from motel to motel staying under fake names never staying too long in one
place but I wasn't stupid I knew hiding forever wasn't an option add to work I
had to rebuild my life so I tried I applied for restaurant jobs ones I was
overqualified for line cook positions prep work anything at first people seemed
interested then I'd get a call a polite rejection a cold brush off or Worse
silence at first I thought it was bad luck the job market was tough right but
then I overheard something I had walked into a small Beach Ro to drop off a
resume the manager barely looking at me as she took the paper I was halfway out the door when I
heard her whispering to someone in the back that's the girl the one who worked
for him yeah don't even think about it I left before they could see my face but
my stomach was in knots because Diddy had done exactly what he promised I had
been blacklisted not just from high-end kitchens from all of them no restaurant
wanted me no one would hire me I was poison then I started noticing the cars
a black SUV parked across from my motel a man sitting inside not moving at first
I told myself I was being paranoid that it was just a coincidence until I
started seeing it everywhere at the laundromat outside a diner where I had
stopped for coffee even when I switched motels the same car would appear within
days I was being watched followed I tried to call my sister the line
wouldn't go through I sent her an email it bounced back I tried my mother same
thing they had been cut off from me or worse I had been cut off from them one
night I got a phone call a no number I stared at the screen my pulse hammering
I knew I shouldn't answer but I did I held the phone to my ear silence Ben
breathing slow steady someone was there listening waiting I hung up my hands
were ice cold the next day the package arrived a small plain cardboard box no
return address just my name I knew better than to open it
but I did inside a vacuum sealed bag of meat the same kind I had prepped a 100
times in that kitchen and scrawled across the plastic in black marker my
initials my stomach lurched I staggered back dropping the Box onto the floor
like it had burned me my breath hitched my vision blurred I wanted to
scream to run to do something but I just stood there staring at it
because I knew I knew what it was I knew who it was and I knew what it meant they
were letting me know I was still on the menu still an ingredient in their world
still just another cut of meat waiting to be used I sat down my hands shaking
my breath coming in Shallow gasps I stared at the bag at the thing inside at
the thing I had spent a year of my life cooking I finally understood I had never
escaped I had just been let go for now because once you've been in that kitchen
you're part of the meal forever I left the box where it had fallen I didn't
touch it again I couldn't the room felt smaller the walls closing in on me the
weight of everything pressing down on my chest I forced myself to breathe to
think to remember who I was before all of this but it was useless the girl who
took that job a year ago was gone replaced consumed just a
silence I had enough I needed more I was done I turned and walked down the
hallway done my phone buzzed again another unknown number I didn't answer I
already knew what I'd hear breathing always breathing waiting watch because
they weren't done with me yet I turned off the phone locked the door and curled into myself on the floor but I knew the
truth now no lock would keep them out no distance would keep me safe there was no
Escape not from this not from them not from what I had done not from what I had
fed to people and especially not from what they had planned for me next
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário