Shelly ran straight home from school. She couldn't believe what had happened. There was something very wrong with her. She had to tell her dad.
She was surprised to see him waiting on the porch for her, his arms crossed. "Inside, Rochelle." His tone surprised her. It was upset.
She rushed inside and shrugged off her backpack. "Daddy, oh daddy I'm glad you're home."
"The principal called me. He told me you vanished in the middle of a speech but never walked off stage."
She teared up and nodded. "I don't know what happened."
He slapped her across the face. "You better find out how it happened because if it happens again, I will be the shit out of you. I refuse to have a freak for a daughter."
*~*~*
Her husband was late again. It was their anniversary and he was still late. He'd worked late every day this week. And they hadn't had sex in three months. Here she was, dressed up and waiting, a candlelit dinner on the table.
He staggered in, collar unbuttoned and tie missing. "Why is it so dark in here, Shelly? Shit I could trip or something." He flicked on the light and saw her, cold dinner and all. "What's going on?"
She swallowed. "Happy anniversary."
"Shit." He rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed." As the bedroom door slammed, Shelly let the tears fall. For the last three years, she felt the love slipping from him. He was a roommate now and even worse, if he was drunk, he was an abusing roommate.
She took the dinner to the trashcan and paused as his cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"Who is this?" a female voice asked.
"Who are you trying to reach?"
"Logan."
"That would be my husband."
"Oh, uh," the phone went dead.
"Who was that?" Logan's voice surprised her, making her drop the phone.
"Logan!" She held a hand to her chest.
He grabbed her wrist. "Don't you ever fucking touch my phone."
She pulled away. "Logan, what's going on?"
"I'm in a marriage with a piece of shit." He raised his hand to strike her but met an invisible field instead, his hand cracking under the force. "What the fuck?"
She was shaking hard. "All this time I gave everything to you. Everything. How could you even raise a hand to me?"
"You broke my hand!"
"You broke my heart!" She grabbed her purse and car keys, storming out to the rainy night. It was only a few miles to the river. She parked on the bridge and stepped out, getting closer to the edge. Her whole life had been about serving the men in her life, trying to be something they want. And here, the man she had pledged her love to was most likely having an affair and raised his hand to her.
Her tears were mixed with the rain as she raised her foot to step off the bridge.
"Wait!" the male voice behind her surprised her, her footing slipping. She screamed as she started to fall. He clamped his hand around her wrist. "Hold on!" She complied as he helped her off the ledge. She fell into the stranger's arms, broken and shattered.
"It's not as bad as you think, Rochelle."
She looked up into his caring eyes. "How do you know me?"
"Let's get you out of the rain. I'm Jeremy Dodson. And I have something to tell you that may make things a little easier."
She was surprised to see him waiting on the porch for her, his arms crossed. "Inside, Rochelle." His tone surprised her. It was upset.
She rushed inside and shrugged off her backpack. "Daddy, oh daddy I'm glad you're home."
"The principal called me. He told me you vanished in the middle of a speech but never walked off stage."
She teared up and nodded. "I don't know what happened."
He slapped her across the face. "You better find out how it happened because if it happens again, I will be the shit out of you. I refuse to have a freak for a daughter."
*~*~*
Her husband was late again. It was their anniversary and he was still late. He'd worked late every day this week. And they hadn't had sex in three months. Here she was, dressed up and waiting, a candlelit dinner on the table.
He staggered in, collar unbuttoned and tie missing. "Why is it so dark in here, Shelly? Shit I could trip or something." He flicked on the light and saw her, cold dinner and all. "What's going on?"
She swallowed. "Happy anniversary."
"Shit." He rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed." As the bedroom door slammed, Shelly let the tears fall. For the last three years, she felt the love slipping from him. He was a roommate now and even worse, if he was drunk, he was an abusing roommate.
She took the dinner to the trashcan and paused as his cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"Who is this?" a female voice asked.
"Who are you trying to reach?"
"Logan."
"That would be my husband."
"Oh, uh," the phone went dead.
"Who was that?" Logan's voice surprised her, making her drop the phone.
"Logan!" She held a hand to her chest.
He grabbed her wrist. "Don't you ever fucking touch my phone."
She pulled away. "Logan, what's going on?"
"I'm in a marriage with a piece of shit." He raised his hand to strike her but met an invisible field instead, his hand cracking under the force. "What the fuck?"
She was shaking hard. "All this time I gave everything to you. Everything. How could you even raise a hand to me?"
"You broke my hand!"
"You broke my heart!" She grabbed her purse and car keys, storming out to the rainy night. It was only a few miles to the river. She parked on the bridge and stepped out, getting closer to the edge. Her whole life had been about serving the men in her life, trying to be something they want. And here, the man she had pledged her love to was most likely having an affair and raised his hand to her.
Her tears were mixed with the rain as she raised her foot to step off the bridge.
"Wait!" the male voice behind her surprised her, her footing slipping. She screamed as she started to fall. He clamped his hand around her wrist. "Hold on!" She complied as he helped her off the ledge. She fell into the stranger's arms, broken and shattered.
"It's not as bad as you think, Rochelle."
She looked up into his caring eyes. "How do you know me?"
"Let's get you out of the rain. I'm Jeremy Dodson. And I have something to tell you that may make things a little easier."