CHAPTER 1

Daphne was fast asleep in the living room, the soft glow of the TV casting flickering shadows across the walls. Suddenly, a loud bang at the door jolted her awake, her heart pounding in her chest. “Let me in, you bitch!” a voice snarled from the other side. It was Leo, Daphne’s husband, and his tone was filled with fury. 

She froze, her mind racing as fear gripped her. The door rattled violently as he pounded on it again, the rage in his voice making it clear that he came home once again drunk. Daphne’s pulse quickened as she realised she was trapped with no way to escape the confrontation that was about to unfold.

“You dumb bitch!” Leo yelled, his voice dripping with venom as his hands tightened around Daphne’s neck. She gasped for air, her vision blurring as the pressure increased.

“Let me go!” Daphne whimpered, her voice barely a whisper as she struggled against his grip. Fear surged through her, her mind racing with desperation as she clawed at his hands, trying to free herself. The room spun around her, and she felt her strength fading, the cold grip of panic setting in as she realized just how close she was to losing consciousness.

In a desperate move, Daphne mustered all her remaining strength and kicked Leo hard in the groin. He doubled over in pain, loosening his grip just enough for her to break free. Without wasting a second, Daphne scrambled to her feet and bolted toward the bathroom. Her heart pounded in her ears as she slammed the door shut behind her, fumbling with the lock until it clicked securely into place.

She pressed her back against the door, breathing heavily, trying to steady herself. The sound of Leo’s furious groans echoed from the other side, but for the moment, she was safe, barricaded in the small bathroom, hoping and praying he wouldn’t be able to break through.

Her eyes were filled with tears, the salty drops streaming down her cheeks as she leaned against the cold bathroom door. Each breath came in shaky gasps, her body trembling from the adrenaline and fear. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she heard Leo stumble away, his anger simmering into silence. He let her be, but the terror lingered, wrapping itself around her like a suffocating blanket. 

Daphne slid down to the floor, cradling her stomach protectively. The thought of bringing an innocent child into this nightmare filled her with dread. She feared for the future, for the kind of life her unborn child might face  a life overshadowed by fear, violence, and uncertainty. She knew she had to find a way out, not just for herself, but for the sake of the life growing inside her.

*****

Daphne’s head throbbed as she struggled to move. The tight space around her made it difficult to stretch out, and her body ached from hours of tension. As her eyes fluttered open, the cold tiles of the bathroom floor came into focus. She blinked, disoriented, her mind slowly piecing together the events of the night before.

She tried to stretch her arms, but the cramped bathroom barely allowed it. The small, dimly lit room felt suffocating, yet it was her sanctuary…her last refuge against the terror that had invaded her home. Daphne’s dazzling blue eyes, now clouded with exhaustion, scanned the room, and she realized she had fallen asleep, curled up in the corner, her back against the locked door. 

The memory of Leo’s hands around her neck sent a shiver down her spine, and she instinctively brought her hand to her throat, feeling the tender skin where his grip had been. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, trying to steady the racing of her heart. 

At least she was still alive. That thought alone brought a bitter sense of relief. The bathroom door, now a symbol of her survival, stood between her and the violence that had nearly claimed her life. She knew she couldn’t stay hidden forever, but for now, the four walls of the bathroom were her fortress.

The silence in the house was unnerving. Daphne strained to hear any sign of Leo,any footsteps, any movement,but there was nothing. She wasn’t sure if he was still there or if he had passed out.

The bathroom door creaked softly as Daphne slowly pushed it open. She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest, before carefully peeking out into the living room. Just as she expected, Leo was sprawled out on the couch, passed out cold. His legs were spread apart, and his mouth hung open as he snored loudly, oblivious to the world around him. 

The air was thick with a filthy stench of alcohol mixed with something even more rancid. Daphne wrinkled her nose in disgust, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her. She tiptoed closer to the couch, her eyes narrowing at the sight before her. Leo looked a mess, his clothes disheveled, and his face pale and sweaty from the night’s excesses.

Daphne’s stomach turned as she noticed the source of the foul odor. Leo had thrown up on the living room floor. The sight of it filled her with revulsion. For a moment, she stood frozen, staring at the mess, a mix of anger and disgust churning inside her. How had things come to this? How had she ended up cleaning up after a man who had no regard for her, who had tried to strangle the life out of her just hours before?

But despite her disgust, she couldn’t leave the filth on the floor. With a heavy sigh, Daphne steeled herself and grabbed a rag and some cleaner. She knelt down, her hands trembling slightly as she began to scrub the floor. The smell made her gag, but she forced herself to keep going, focusing on the task at hand.

As Daphne scrubbed the floor, her thoughts drifted back to the past, to a time when Leo was a different man. It was hard to reconcile the person he had become with the one she had once known. Back then, he had been so deeply in love with her, showering her with affection and promises of a future filled with happiness. She could still remember the way he looked at her, as if she were the only person in the world that mattered. 

But those days felt like a distant memory, almost like they belonged to someone else’s life. What had changed? Had Leo been pretending all along, or had something gone wrong that turned him into the monster he was now? Daphne couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when things started to unravel, but the man she loved was long gone, replaced by someone she barely recognized. The warmth and tenderness had faded, replaced by anger, resentment, and violence.

She paused for a moment, her eyes staring blankly at the floor as she wiped away the last of the mess. She wasn’t going to wait for things to go back to how they once were,she had given up on that hope ages ago. The realisation hit her like a cold wave, the love they once shared was gone, and no amount of wishing or waiting would bring it back.

Daphne knew she had to stop clinging to the past, to the illusion that things might change. She was done waiting for Leo to return to the man he used to be. That man no longer existed, and it was time she accepted it. She had spent too long living in fear, hoping for a miracle that would never come.

With that thought, a sense of clarity washed over her. She was done with this life, with the broken promises and the constant fear. Daphne knew she needed to move forward, to find a way out, and to protect herself and her unborn child. The past was gone, and it was time to focus on the future,one that didn’t include Leo.