Chapter 1: The Beginning

The wind was whipping through the trees, creaking and groaning like an old rocking chair, causing body tremble and teeth chatter from the twenty-two-year-old Topaz Salvador, a beautiful short hair blonde who currently stood outside a cabin-like house.

The lights from inside, as well as the banter and faint laughter, gave off the fact that there were people inside, and they were most certainly drinking.

And if they were drinking, then he was drunk.

And if he is drunk, then tonight will be another hell for her. She had barely recovered from the beating she received a few days ago. Her body still ached and she was forced to cover her bruising with make-up in order not to alert her work colleagues. 

Topaz let out a deep breath. The cold was starting to get to her. This morning, she had sprinted out of the house, escaping yet another beating, but she feared she might not be able to escape this time. 

Standing on the porch, she braced herself and pushed open the door, immediately being met with five pairs of eyes. They were all friends Derek, her boyfriend, who by the way, was nowhere in plain sight. Not bothering to look for him, she ignored the stares and sprinted into the room, making sure to key the door behind her. 

Derek and Topaz met when she was still in high school and were sweethearts. Topaz had just lost her parents in a ghastly car accident and was forced to move in with her uncle. Things with her uncle were great at first, he made her feel comfortable and at ease. In fact, he was the first person who succeeded in making her smile after her parent's burial. 

Then something in him clicked. 

He became violent. It started with teasing and when she didn't reciprocate, it escalated to degrading insults and soon after, it became physical. 

Derek bumped into Topaz on the first day of high school. He had just moved into town and it wasn't long until both teens opened up to each other. Derek was in the Foster care system and the couple who were still in the process of adopting him said they wanted a teenager. Derek had managed to restore a smile on Topaz's face after she'd opened up to him about her troubles at home. 

Derek hated school. He hated everything about the town of Crestview, and the only reason why he even bothered to go to school was to see Topaz. Christmas holiday soon came and Derek had the brilliant idea for them to escape Crestview. Topaz had no second thoughts about it, Derek made a promise to her that he was going to take care of her, and she trusted him.

Why wouldn't she? She was in love with him. 

Their plan was supposed to take effect in February. Derek's Foster parents were supposed to be out of town for three days. When the time for them to escape came, Topaz left home normally like she was going to school and met Derek at the bus stop. She finally left Crestview and she had no regrets. 

The first thing the teens did when they got to Aden town was rent a small cabin-like house not far from town. They lived the perfect life, Topaz got a job in a library and another part-time job in a flower shop whilst Derek, well, he hustled.

Her fairy-tale of a happy life was ripped away from her two years after when Derek started acting up. Of course, it didn't just start all in one day. Just like her uncle, it began with insults until it escalated. Topaz didn't know what had caused such an attitude out of Derek. He was physical with her, always drunk and will force himself on her when she didn't feel like it. 

She couldn’t leave him. She felt like she was indebted to him for saving her. But it's not saving her if he turned out to be the same thing she escaped from. 

And now, the only reason why Topaz isn't leaving him is because of her safety. After one attempt at escaping, he'd made it visibly clear that the only way she will be free from him is after death. 

The blonde hadn't realised she'd fallen asleep, so when the door to the room flew open, she gasped, holding on tight to her duffle bag. 

"Come here you bitch!" Derek yelled as he made his way towards the bed.

"No, no, no. Please Derek don't" Topaz begged as she shifted back into the bed. 

Derek reeked of alcohol. His movements towards the blonde were sluggish. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pushed her off the bed. Topaz gripped firmly to the bed poster, resisting as Derek struggled to take her to the kitchen.

"Derek, no" she begged again this time as Derek lifted her by the hair, and before she couldn't even process what was going on, she felt a smack across her cheeks, making her stumble back to the floor. 

Derek proceeded to pull her into the kitchen and once in the kitchen, he hovered over her, repeatedly smacking her and when he'd decided he's had enough, he throttled her. Topaz struggle to breathe as she wiggled underneath Derek.

"Please" her breathing was faint and slowly, everything above her became blurry until she passed out.

When Topaz came through, there was an eerie silence. Her body and her head hurt. Ignoring the pounding headache she felt, she carefully stood up and made her way to the room whilst limping. 

She rummaged through the drawers, looking for whatever cash she could find. Then, she picked up her duffle bag and rushed out of the house. Despite the stinging pain Topaz felt, she knew she had to leave before be returned. It was dark outside and she had no idea where she was going, but she didn't care. 

Right now, anywhere felt safe for her. 

The blonde's strides were lanky due to the pain she felt, but she forced herself to keep walking. She hadn't realised the car that was coming ahead of her and the next thing she knew, headlights flashed into her eyes but that didn't last long as everything suddenly went dark, right before she fell to the ground.

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