CHAPTER 5

Daphne finally made it home, her body aching and her eyes weighed down with the kind of exhaustion that only a relentless day could bring. She let out a sigh as she dug into her bag, fingers brushing against random items as she searched for her keys. After what felt like an eternity of rummaging, she heard the familiar metallic jingle and pulled them out. With a tired but practiced motion, she inserted the key into the lock, expecting the familiar click to follow. But it didn’t. The key wouldn’t turn. 

Her brows furrowed as she jiggled it slightly, hoping it was just a misalignment. Still nothing. A groan of frustration escaped her lips. "Oh, for goodness' sake!" she muttered, her voice louder than intended. That’s when it hit her—her breath catching in her throat. The key wasn’t working because it didn’t need to. Someone might already be inside,couldn’t be anyone other than her husband Joe.

Her heart raced as she stood frozen for a moment, clutching her bag tightly, willing herself to stay calm. "I really don’t need this drama right now," she whispered under her breath, already feeling her exhaustion morph into frustration. She knocked on the door, softly at first, hoping it was just a misunderstanding, maybe a lock malfunction. But after a few beats of silence, there was still no response. She knocked again, this time louder, her patience slowly thinning. Nothing.

Annoyance bubbled up inside her as she pounded on the door with more force, the sound echoing down the empty hallway. Still, no response. "Are you kidding me?" she muttered, her voice rising. She knocked again, her fist slamming harder against the wood, each strike a release of her growing agitation. Why the hell was he ignoring her?

Just as she paused to catch her breath, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from the other side of the door. They were quick and furious, a stomping rhythm that sent a chill down her spine. Daphne could feel her pulse quicken again, this time not from exhaustion but from a creeping sense of dread.

The door was yanked open with a sharp twist, slamming against the wall as Joe appeared in the doorway. His face was twisted into a furious scowl, his eyes wild with anger. Daphne barely had time to register the look on his face before his voice exploded in the small space between them.

"And where the hell do you think you're coming from, you bitch?!" he shouted, his words laced with venom. His voice was so loud and harsh that it felt like it physically pushed her back. She flinched slightly but stood her ground, too drained to be intimidated, though her heart pounded in her chest. 

The tension in the air thickened, his rage simmering like a storm barely contained, and Daphne, still standing in the doorway, felt the weight of all the unspoken words that had led to this very moment.

"What do you mean? I literally told you I got a job!" Daphne shot back, her voice sharper than she intended, the frustration of the day pushing her over the edge. 

Joe's face shifted, caught off guard by her sudden defiance. His eyes widened for a split second before narrowing again, his expression darkening with disbelief. "Did you just yell back at me while I’m talking?!" His voice was low, dangerous, and he took a step forward, the tension between them crackling like electricity.

But Daphne didn’t flinch. She wasn’t scared,not tonight. She was too tired, too drained to care. Ignoring him completely, she turned her back on him, stepping past him into the hallway. She didn’t have the energy to argue, to be drawn into yet another pointless fight. This wasn’t the time, and she knew it. 

Joe’s words hung in the air, unacknowledged, as Daphne walked further into the apartment, the weight of her fatigue settling back over her like a heavy blanket. She couldn't deal with this right now,there was only so much one person could take in a day.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Joe muttered through gritted teeth as his hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of Daphne’s long, beautiful brown hair. 

"Let me go!" she screamed, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. She clawed at his hand, trying to pry herself free, but Joe was too strong, too angry. He yanked harder, pulling her back toward the door. Daphne stumbled, trying to gain her balance, but before she could react, his hand came down hard across her face. The sting was immediate, her cheek burning as the force of the slap knocked her off balance.

Daphne’s head snapped to the side, her vision momentarily blurring from the blow. She could taste blood on her lip. 

Before she could even process what had just happened, Joe had her by the arm, dragging her out of the apartment. His grip was bruising, his rage unstoppable. "You stupid bitch! Ain’t no way you’re stepping foot in this house!" he roared, shoving her violently out into the hallway. Daphne stumbled again, nearly falling, her heart racing in panic.

She was outside now, the door slamming shut behind her with a deafening thud. The cold, indifferent hallway lights buzzed above her as she stood there, stunned, her body trembling from shock.

The shock on Daphne’s face was undeniable, her mind struggling to grasp the weight of what had just happened. **This house?** The very same house she paid rent for, year after year, not a single dime of his. The absurdity of it all twisted like a knife in her chest. How did it come to this? 

Her body felt heavy, each movement a struggle as she slowly lowered herself to the cold, hard doorstep. Her knees buckled, and she sat there, her back against the door that had once felt like home. Now, it was just another barrier keeping her out. She could feel the lump in her throat tighten, the sting of tears welling in her eyes. 

Where would she go? The question echoed in her mind as she stared blankly down the empty hallway. The silence was unbearable, the emptiness even more so. She hadn’t thought this far ahead,how could she? She was supposed to come home, unwind, and leave the chaos of the day behind. Instead, she was locked out of her own life, sitting alone on the doorstep of a place that no longer felt like hers. 

A tear slipped down her cheek, warm against the cold numbness spreading through her. She wiped it away, but more followed, and soon she gave in to the silent sobs that shook her tired frame.

Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain shot through Daphne’s stomach, tearing through her like a bolt of lightning. Her hand instinctively flew to her belly. **Oh no, my baby!** The thought exploded in her mind, flooding her with panic. She had endured so much for her unborn child, fighting through every hardship to protect the life growing inside her. Now, her heart pounded wildly, fear taking over as the pain intensified, twisting and squeezing her insides. 

Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and she knew something was wrong,terribly wrong. Desperation washed over her as she summoned every ounce of strength left in her body, pounding weakly at the door, each knock softer than the last. "Joe... please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She didn’t want to ask him for anything, but in this moment, all pride fell away. She prayed for a miracle, for him to hear her, to help her, even though deep down she knew she was asking the impossible.

The world around her began to blur, her vision dimming as the pain dragged her further into darkness. Her hand slipped from the door, and she could feel her body betraying her, losing control. She collapsed as she fell flat to the cold, unforgiving floor. 

Daphne’s dazzling blue eyes fluttered as she fought to stay conscious, her mind spinning, but it was no use. The last thing she felt was the overwhelming weight of exhaustion pulling her under, her body surrendering to the pain. Then everything went blank.