WARNING! Language, alcohol and other profanity is used in this chapter and in the rest of the story that may make you uncomfortable. Mentions of rape - no depictions or details -  are in this chapter and the rest of the story, if this makes you uncomfortable, now you are aware, you can skip this chapter if you wish, but it is important to the story, and if mentions of rape do make you uncomfortable, you may find that this story is not for you. Thank you.

One year ago, the incident:

   Ryder and his wife Maria had thrown a party to celebrate two years of "happy" marriage. 

  As soon as Belle had walked in the door, she had felt out of place, fancy people - all of which were Maria's friends of course - walked around the fancy penthouse, drinking their fancy drinks in their fancy clothes. 

     The only welcoming thing about the place was the long, warm hug that she received from Ryder. Belle had gotten there early, but Maria was already wasted and stumbling towards her and Ryder, "Geez, get a room." Maria mumbled, sending Belle a glare. 

   At the time, Maria and Belle were close friends, so her actions were shocking and uncalled for. It turned out that Maria and Ryder had been fighting that day, before the party, and some of it had been about Belle. 

  "I'm sorry?" Belle asked, not as an apology but as a failure to understand the meaning behind the venomous words. 

  "Whatever." Maria said, turning to go talk to someone else, spilling her drink along the way. 

    Hours later, Belle found herself on a couch, next to Ryder, still trying to understand her friends actions. 

   "I'm gonna grab a drink, you want one?" He asked, getting up, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Weihenstephaner please." She said, giving him a small smile. 

   "Gazoontite." He joked, chuckling at the odd word. 

     As soon as he was gone, Maria's brother, Jackson - who to Belle had always seemed like kind of a creep - plopped himself in Ryder's spot, and stared straight at her. 

   "Uh, Ryder is gonna-" She started, but then he placed a hand on her thigh and cut her off, "Ryder won't be doing anything." She furrowed her brows and attempted to move his hand from her thigh, but he pressed harder, making her muscle underneath ache in pain. 

   To her relief, Ryder was back quickly, he set the drinks on the table and swiftly but forcefully jerked Jackson from where he was and pushed him away. He then sat back in what was originally his spot and softly placed his hand where Jackson's hand  had been digging and rubbed his thumb over the sore spot. 

   "Last time I checked, your sister didn't want you here, and I don't want you here." He said, emphasizing the space around Belle. Jackson just grunted and stumbled backwards, away from the two. 

   "That was..." She trailed off, unsure of how to word her discomfort. 

   "I know." He said, removing his hand from her leg and placing it on her shoulder. 

        All of the sudden, yelling broke out from the other side of the penthouse and his head snapped around to see a fight had broken out. "Oh shit. Okay, I'll be right back, just stay right here." He said, jumping from his seat and rushing to the crowd of people. Belle nodded in response even though he was already gone, but she didn't stay put for long.

     Wiry and drunken hands wrapped around her wrist and tugged her into a quieter hallway. Before her stood a very angry Maria, hair wild, eyes puffy. "You're ruining my marriage!" She shouted, her voice laced with intoxication and venom. 

   "What do you-" 

   "He wants you. He hasn't loved me the same since we lost the baby, and now I can see it in his eyes, he wants you." She was sad now, her adrenaline falling to a state of pure loneliness and depression. 

   "Maria, I don't know what you're talking about. We have all been friends since middle school, and even then, he's always loved you. Ryder and I are best friends, but that's it." Belle said, trying to calm her friend. Even so, she knew that on her end, it was a lie. 

   "You know I'm right, it's always been you from the start, he left dates for you, he ended our honeymoon early for you, he leaves work for you, not me, you. Did you know he wouldn't even take off work for our real wedding anniversary, but he left the second you called? And then you sit there and pretend like you're innocent, like you have no idea what's happening. You slut!" Her words hit Belle like a wall, each one more venomous and tedious than the last. Before she could open her mouth to defend herself, or defend Ryder, or to apologize, or anything at all, Maria punched her in the face, hard, sending her petite body to the floor. Warmth and pain spread across Belle's cheek in waves. 

   Maria walked away, her speech becoming slurred again as she happily talked to a friend, as if nothing had happened. 

    Belle lay there for a while, letting all of the pain sink in, she would have stayed longer if it weren't for the strong hands which pulled her into a room. At first she thought it was Ryder, but then the stench of smoke and lust invaded her nostrils, and the face of Jackson became clear.

Warning!

She was raped that night. Jackson was arrested two days later. Maria and Belle didn't talk after that. Maria forbid Ryder to ever see Belle again. Belle was never the same.