~Family is supposed to be our
safe haven. Very often, it's
the place where we find the
deepest heartache.
-Iyanla Vanzant

My facial expression sank faster than a penny in a pond. My skin became icy and pale as white itself. Was I even breathing? Every thought in my mind was silenced by denial and grief.

"Mom, Dad," I whispered terrified. They looked at me adoringly, something that they never once overdid.

Envy was a good way of saying how my mom didn't like me. The way her eyes traveled down my body looking at me in pure disgust--a prima donna if you may ask me.

My eyes traveled to the seat beside her and saw a young woman. My mind traveled to all the possibilities that somehow that she was their daughter or just someone they randomly picked off the street to take my place. But just by looking at her, I could see the similarity between her and John. They had the same strong jaw, high cheekbones, thinner lips, and beige skin tone.

Though between her and Sarah, they shared the same reddish-brown hair and light brown eyes. Now that I could look them in the face without getting beaten, I looked nothing like them. It was as if I was adopted. But I couldn't retaliate that I was in an orphanage. Most of the time, I remember that I was with them.

Curiosity ate me up when I snapped my head to the young woman.

"So this is supposed to be my sister? A little bit over the top, I must say she doesn't live up to being one of the Johnson's" Who was she to tell me that I couldn't live up to being his wife? If she was worthy to be one, then she would be the one in my spot. She grinned at me, showing her perfect white teeth. Her eyes traveled down my body, but seeing my hands that were intertwined with Vincent, her face changed into something sour.

"If I'm not eligible to be his wife, why aren't you the one up here? I will not tolerate disrespect in my home, so if you can't follow those rules, I'll advise you to leave." She looked taken aback by my words, knowing that if she tried to make me feel bad, the walls that I had built for all these years were useless to me.

"You bitch! I'll make sure you're dead." I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. This was who he wanted me to meet? I was not convinced that he would let them abuse me again. "You don't get to send threats or disrespect my wife. This is her house, and not yours. Use your words carefully, Ms. Jessica." My brain stutters for a moment and my eyes take in more light than I expected. Every part of me goes on pause while my thoughts catch up. He defended me for the second time, but this was all an act. I still don't trust him. If he's capable of bringing my parents here, who knows what else he can do.

My hands gripped Vincent's hands tightly. He retrieved his hands, giving me a strange look before taking a seat.

"Laura, just take a seat will you!" My mother exclaimed, or should I say, Sarah. "I'm not your daughter, so don't tell me what to do. And do I look like a kid to be ordered around, and don't even try John." I pointed a finger at John. His mouth was left open when I interrupted his speech.

The people who were the cause of everything were sitting right in front of me.

There were nights I lay in my bed listening to the sound of fighting. My mother would shout, my father would begin to lay into her and the screaming would start. But the tables turned. They took all that anger on me.

The eyes of my father that were once filled with so much purpose and love were now replaced with bitterness and hate. The only thing that showed any resemblance to him was the shell the bitter soul inhabited. My father was gone.

"How are those scars healing Laura?" I narrowed my eyes with clenched teeth, they told her. No wonder she thought at first I was that weak little girl, but she was wrong. I'm not giving them any signs of weakness. They've gotten enough out of me.

They started laughing. I could almost feel the blood boiling in my veins from their laughter. Vincent just sat there completely unphased by their actions. It reminds me of the day when I first met him. He had that dark look on his face, something I was so afraid of, and that brought me back to how cruel he really was.

"I'd just like to hear you screaming my name," I shot my eyes at John, who was sipping on his wine. His eyes bore into mine and I had to think if he was my father, because this man wasn't and by the looks on Sarah's face, she was enjoying every bit of the torture by both her daughter and husband. I felt sick in my own stomach and was so disgusted by his words. I was mortified, frozen to the spot. I felt traumatized. I couldn't believe it had happened, and in front of everybody too.

I stood soaking in the cruel laughter, my head beginning to spin. He knew what they were capable of, so why? Why did he bring them to our home?

I stepped out, crashing my hands on the table. Everyone looked stunned by my sudden action, but I stepped out with a motive. I could hear the footsteps behind me, but I didn't spare a glance at who was behind me. "Laura, stop this instant!"

"You knew, you knew this all along, but yet you let them back in. What are you trying to prove!" I screamed, my voice coming out raspy at the end. "They're my new colleagues and I'm not going to tolerate your nonsense, so please go back in there." He turned and started to walk back in the direction of the dining area. Is this what you call my situation now? Nonsense. I clenched my teeth, holding back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. Why do I have to feel this way now? Crying? At this time, how pathetic.

"Then I don't want to be here," he stopped in his tracks, turning around, so we were meeting eye to eye. "You have no choice-"

"I have a choice and I'm leaving!" I trusted him. I thought he'd at least change or open up to me, but what a waste of time. I'm so stupid. I always knew that I was cursed, but not to the extent of being blinded by him. This love is hopeless and so hurtful, and I don't want this kind of love. I don't need this nor do I want this. People say love can heal a person, but no one told me that love can destroy a person too.

I ran towards the staircase and straight up to my room, grabbing a bag and shoving clothes inside. I'll come back for these when I have time. The closing of the door made me know someone had entered, but I didn't look around, knowing that it was only Vincent.

"Vincent I'm not staying here-." The smell of cigarettes in the air gave it all away. That's not Vincent.

A familiar smell, one that should bring happy memories, sends my body into lockdown. It's smoke, but not the kind that comes from a car; it's the kind that comes from the burning of a cigarette. My breathing had become light. I could feel all the blood draining from my face. I felt a sudden sickening phenomenon run throughout my body.

I was drowning in my own fear. I stood unmoving, knowing that if I did, the impact would come with great force. I wasn't the one that could fight him. John wasn't robust in every way, but he was, in fact, strong compared to my small body. If I tried fighting back, it would be nothing to him. I was barely fed when I was with them, so I wasn't the best looking while growing up.

Before I could think to react to anything, my body was being flung to the side. Trapping my arms behind my back, I tried to wiggling out of his embrace, but it wasn't any use. He held my hand in a firm grip. "Let me go!" I cried out so that anyone who was passing by could hear me, but no one normally comes down my hallway unless I ask them to.

I felt the knife on my neck before I even saw it. "So this is where you were all this time, huh? Get this, he'll never have you and I'll make sure of that." He said, pressing the cold metal against my skin.

His coarse whiskey tongue licked at my skin, his bony fingers pulled at my hair, making me wince in pain at the pain he inflicted on my scalp. Every time I closed my eyes, he bashed my head back onto the wall, demanding me to open them.

I didn't want to. Knowing what I was dealing with, I closed them over and over, anything rather than watch his face lit up with power and lust. He became angry, his force less controlled, until finally, blood ran from the back of my head. I could feel the warm liquid soaking my hair. I screamed. My vision was all blurred. Even when he had the knife pressed against my neck, he tried to make his way with me.

He snorted and whispered close to my ear, "Dead is better anyway. I'll take it as my advantage." I could hear the unzipping of his pants and the pulling of his belt, and just like that, I awaited death while the blood gushed out of the back of my head. The door burst open, revealing Vincent. He locked eyes with John from across the room, taking big strides with a hellishly mean glare on his face.

Within seconds, John was sprawled on the floor with a loud thud. He wasn't thinking when he let out his boiling anger and swung his fist in his face. Jessica and Sarah shouted loudly for the guards and in just a couple of seconds they arrived, pulling Vincent off John. "Let me go!" Vincent struggles in the guards' hold, stretching his hands forward to hit John again.

"You have the nerve to come into my home to touch my wife. Who gave you the right?" Vincent shouts, breathing heavily through his nose. John grinned, but not nicely. I know that smile of his and it is not something good.

"She's mine!" Vincent said through gritted teeth.

"You will never live to see another day. Get them out now!" He ordered the guards then rush towards my side. I tried moving away, but I couldn't move. I felt paralyzed at that point. When he had me in his arms, he brought my head to his chest, but in a few seconds, he pulled away, looking down at his hands that had blood. I failed to look at him because of the blurriness that covered my eyes.

This was so draining that I couldn't bring myself to move. This was happening to me for a second time, but this time the pain was more severe. "It's all your fault," I choked out before drowning in pure darkness.