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Henry must be home because I heard the door open downstairs. I quickly put on my pyjamas and made sure everything was back in its place before going to bed. I turned my back to the door and covered myself with my blanket. I was scared of Henry now, and my body was shaking with fear.
He walked in right on time. I tried to calm my breathing down, but it didn’t work; my chest kept rising higher and higher. At first, he was quiet, and I couldn’t hear what he was doing, which scared me the most. I saw his shadow on the wall as he walked by me. I closed my eyes and hoped and prayed that he would think I was asleep and leave me alone. He kisses my head gently before going to the bathroom, the trash can. I was more scared because if he saw the box, I would die.
He was taking longer than usual, and I had a lot on my mind. I quietly opened my nightstand and took out a pair of scissors, which I kept close by. My eyes were closed when the door opened. He must not have seen it because there was no screaming, hitting, or killing. Henry walked over to the other side of the bed, and I let out a sigh of relief.
I was so wrong to think he didn’t see it.
It happened fast; he was on top of me with his hands around my neck. I scratched his hands to get him to let me go.
Henry said, “I’m not dumb, baby,” and his voice was full of anger. “You killed our baby, just like the other useless one,” he yells.
I kicked and punched, but nothing happened. He didn’t let go; he was shaking me while he choked me to death. I took the scissors and said, “If I don’t stop him, he’s going to kill me.”
“Please s-stop,” I yelled. Because I wasn’t getting enough oxygen, my voice was cutting out. I decided to stab him because seeing it didn’t help.
I stabbed him in the stomach with the scissors, and he fell off of me, grunting in pain. As I caught my breath, my hands slowly and carefully wrapped around my neck. I got out of bed, put on my hoodie that was next to my bed, and grabbed my car keys. Then I ran like crazy. I ran down the stairs and out the door to my car. I started the engine and pulled out of the driveway so quickly that I almost hit the curb. I drove down the highway, which is the same one I always take to get to my dad’s house. I hate that I’m involving my dad, but if I don’t, Henry will kill me. My dad will know what to do if he doesn’t kill him first.
My neck, face, and body hurt so much that tears were running down my bruised cheeks as I gripped the wheel tightly. How can he treat me like this? I thought he loved me and that we were finally going to make a life together. It was pouring outside, which made me drive a little more carefully. I had a lot of things on my mind.
Finally, I got to my dad’s house. I got out of my car and ran to the door. It was scary to stand in front of his door and knock so hard, but no one answered. I started to freak out. What if Henry is already here? I knocked on the door harder, and it opened. When Maria saw me, her smile turned into a frown.
“Jack!” Maria screams as she catches me. My legs gave out on me. I leaned my head against her shoulder and tried to rest my body.
Maria pulls me inside, away from the rain, and I hear a lot of running. She tries hard to keep me up but doesn’t let me fall.
“Princess!” my dad yells as he grabs me. Maria locks the door and turns to face my dad and me. I look like I got hit by a truck, died, and then came back to life.
“H-Henry isn’t who I thought he was.”
“Jesus Christ.”
I recognise that voice. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard it. I was suddenly taken out of my dad’s arms and into another person’s. I closed my eyes and tried to figure out who this person was. I could tell who it was once my vision got better and the blur went away.
I only saw Sebastian’s scared face before everything went dark.
Thoughts of what happened raced through my head. I jumped out of bed in fear and looked around the room, which I didn’t recognise. I got up too quickly, and my body hurt. I lightly touched my cheek and felt pain. My throat hurt a lot too.
I turned my head to look out the window, and it was dark. Was it the same day? I walked over to the door and looked out, but all I could see was darkness. This doesn’t look like my dad’s house; it looks more like a penthouse or something. I tiptoed as I closed the bedroom door. I tried not to make any noise, but it was hard. I passed by some other doors that I didn’t want to open. Finally, I got to the living room.
“What’s going on?” a voice asks.
The voice scared the hell out of me, so I jumped up and put my hand over my chest. I turned around to see where the voice was coming from, and the lights came on to show Sebastian sitting in a chair. I was very surprised to see him again after four years. I looked at his face and thought he looked older in a sexy way. He raised an eyebrow after taking a sip of the whisky in his hands.
“W-what?” I stammered. I can’t believe he’s here; this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Sebastian puts his cup down on the table and looks at me. “How long has the abuse been going on?”
I swallowed hard. Our baby was stillborn, so I tried to get Henry pregnant, but he almost killed me while we were having s*x. Then I took the morning-after pill, which also almost killed me by Henry. I can’t tell him everything, and I don’t want to either.
“One day ago.”
“Why didn’t you come a day ago?” he asked, his voice deep and rough. Sebastian stood up, untied his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt as he walked up to me, getting closer and closer.
“I-I love him.” I mumbled an answer to his question, but I couldn’t even think straight. My mind and eyes were just so focused on his body. “I didn’t want my dad to kill him.”
I could smell his minty breath because his face was so close to mine. I did something I didn’t know I could do when he started to lean in. I took a lot of steps back from him, looking scared. His eyes got bigger, like he wanted me to stay where I was.
I said, “No, Sebastian. I’m not doing this with you anymore.” I put a piece of hair behind my ear.
“I miss—”
“You don’t get to miss me. You left me in that damn house alone, confused, and heartbroken again. You left me after my best friend died, and for days I couldn’t eat, drink, or sleep.” I shout, my chest heaving up and down and tears streaming down my face. Four years ago, I promised myself that if I ever saw Sebastian again, I wouldn’t forgive him or want him. He would just be a stranger.
“I thought I was doing what was best for you,” Sebastian yelled back. His anger was coming out just like mine. He shouldn’t be mad; I should be.
He really thought I would greet him with open arms and a kiss on the lips. He has always gotten what he wants; no one has ever told him no, and he has never been turned down.
“No, you jerk. You were doing what was best for you,” I said while pointing my finger down. He’s a selfish bitch. I was so angry that I told him something he shouldn’t have known. It fell out of my mouth.
“I had to deal with everything by myself, even our son’s death.” I was crying so hard that I couldn’t stop. When I realised what I had said, my mouth dropped open in an O shape.
Sebastian stood there, his face not changing. I had to sit down, so I did. I sat next to him on the couch. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, so my hands went up to my mouth. Sebastian took a step back, almost falling over before he got back on his feet. His hands were in fists, and his face looked serious. He always kept his feelings from me, so why was I surprised he did it now?
I haven’t talked to anyone about Miguel’s death because it was hard for me to even think about it, let alone talk about it. Naomi has always tried to get me to talk about how I feel about my son, but I never did. I buried it deep inside me and tried to hide from the pain.